Tin openers - made to fail?

Rosa_Damascena

Unlike other bits of equipment, why is it that tin openers don't last forever?

I have three - which to be fair were all bought over 20 years ago, but are very rarely used as I'm not a cook - that have all transformed from functional to blunt, to now not even catching. I had a craving for evaporated milk in my afternoon coffee so managed to get away with just piercing the can, but that's not practical for any solid foodstuff. Am I mistreating my tin openers in some way, or failing to take adequate care of them? They are not particularly rusted just not sharp enough to do what they are supposed to. Is there any way of bringing them back to life or should I just buy a new one?

Olinda99

normal risk of failure for things that are at the cutting edge of technology

Rosa_Damascena

Olinda99 said:

normal risk of failure for things that are at the cutting edge of technology

Witty! 

I hate throwing an object away when there is potential life left in it. 

turnitround

I have the one on the right, it used to belong to my mother in law who died in 1989 and it is still going strong.

Slinky

We had the one on the right when I was a kid - old fashioned tech, never had a proper cutting edge, hard work always, binned many years ago. Middle one, would expect some part of the plastic to fail, would not have chosen that one. One on the left is similar to ours. I think ours is Brabantia which has lasted years. Currently available at £11.50 on Amazon.

BlueVeranda

You've just reminded me - ours needs replacing. It will cut into the can but once the blade is in the handle will not turn for love not money.

Many years back my parents had a nifty electric version that cut and turned the can automatically. Much easier on the fingers, as long as they didn't get in the way.

Brie

I have one like the one of the left (silver and black chunky one).  It's a Swingaway and it's been working nicely for 30+ years.  It got borrowed once when I was away and the neighbour was minding our cats.  She needed it at the chippy she ran and asked where we got it from.  That's when I realised how great it was that it could even handle industrial size tins (their commercial one had broken on the huge tins they bought stuff in).  I ended up buying several in Canada as presents for them and other friends but see that they are now available in the UK.  Think Amazon has them for about £10,  Well worth it.

Rodders53

The Probus butterfly opener (far right) is 99p in store from Roy's of Wroxham.  Probably as good a manual opener as you can get and cheap to replace if they go wrong.  Always used that style when we toured in the caravan.  

Some people quite like the, what I view as near-lethal, 'stab' can opener style https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chef-Aid-Can-Opener-Corkscrew/dp/B000TASLJS/ 

We use a Kenwood electric can opener - it even copes with a corned beef tin when the key opener invariably snaps.  Must be a good 15+ years old now.

[Deleted User]

Hi.

this is the fella you want, nothing mechanical to fail.

or maybe one of these,

Rosa_Damascena

@Slinky , @Brie - the one on the left is the one I have had the least use out of! Its always been hard work to use.

@BlueVeranda , @Rodders53 - I don't use tins enough to warrant an electric item.

Out of them all, it was the standard version on the RHS that I was going to replace. That all 3 gave up the ghost made me start to wonder if it is something about me that is fundamentally incompatible with tin openers.

Rosa_Damascena

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi.

this is the fella you want, nothing mechanical to fail.

or maybe one of these,

I thought this was some kind of joke, but I see that stabbing is really a thing!!