What in the world is this tool?

T

Two Dog Man

Joined
Jul 23, 2012
Messages
92
Folks,

I recently acquired a German SAK knock off (Solingen ... with a whale logo on the tang stamp), an old one, in a lot of vintage folders that I bought. The only stainless utensil was the main blade and everything else was very badly rusted. I found, however, that as I cleaned it up it was a pretty good quality piece! Everything is nice and tight and it's a solid, well made knife. It features the tool you see in this picture and I have to confess, I don't know what it is. If it's a can opener, I sure can't imagine how it is made to work. I'd be grateful if someone could let me know just what it is or how it is intended to be used.

Thanks!

Clay

i-96grt9p-M.jpg
 
Last edited:
It is a can opener. To use it puncture the can with the point and rock the blade around the circumference of the can.
 
Last edited:
There are many types of can openers on pocket knives. There are no good "How to videos" on how to use all the different styles. Its time someone remedied the situation.
 
Yup, can opener. They have different designs, and in and around europe/asia you will find some strange things. when I was in Russia I asked my wife for a can opener one time and she handed me something that looked like a medieval torture device. I consider myself good with tools, but standing there with that thing in one hand and a can in the other, I felt like I had a better chance had she gave me a soup spoon.
 
The 'safety can opener" customarily seen on "scout" pattern knives in the U.S. was a post WW II phenomenon.
 
yuldeli said:
It is a can opener. To use it puncture the can with the point and rock the blade around the circumference of the can.
Click to expand...

Before I posted this question I stood with a can and that tool in my hands and envisioned that, but the lower jaw has a tip that folds in at 90 degrees making it impractical (though not impossible, I suppose) to use like the ones we usually see on standard SAKs and their common knock offs. Maybe the folded tip goes on top of the can, inside the rim, the knife being held on a horizontal plane, and you cut off the lid by going around the outside of the can instead of down through the lid ...
 
Put the tip of the blade inside the rim of the can with the top tab facing the outside. Push down; the tip should puncture the lid and the tab should catch on the rim preventing it from going too deep. Next, rock the knife backwards, pivoting on the bent tab/rim. The inside top edge of the blade should shear the lid. Ideally you do not pivot to the point where the blade comes completely out from below the lid. You then pivot the blade in the other direction and move it (balanced on the tab/rim pivot) into the recently sheared area. Continue this "rocking" motion and the blade should shear all the way around the lid.

You'll often find really old tin cans with only part of the lid cut free. I've been convinced that this is due to the individual not wanting to bother with the time and effort required to completely sever the lid from the can.
 
It works. That is why it was put on millions of knives and, with a fixed handle, more millions of home can openers.
 
That lower jaw tip, which I assume eisman means by the "top tab", just really threw me off. I'm so used to my other Victorinox SAKs and a Gerber multi-tool offering an opener that doesn't have that. Feeling like a bit of a dunce over here ...
 
Maybe, your still confused? By "top tab", he means the L-shaped right angle bent thingy and not the lower pointy jaw part.
 
Yes, I think I've got it. The "top tab" ... meaning the bent part that goes under the exterior rim of the TOP of the can.
 
This style of opener are very easy to manufacture


But have you ever looked at the SAK Can opener?
It is an amazing example of design and complex grinding
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top