A peculiar metal object found in a grandmother’s home recently sparked a viral Reddit debate. With its sharp, weapon-like design, users guessed everything from a 19th-century multitool to a mini weapon. The real answer? An early can opener. Older users recognized the tool—and the scars it left.
“That thing was a hazard,” one commenter wrote, recalling painful slips and jagged metal shards. Can openers were invented long after canned food, with early versions requiring brute force. Ezra Warner’s 1858 model was mainly used by the military, and William Lyman’s 1870 rotating-wheel design marked a turning point. Yet even those weren’t exactly safe.
While modern openers are safer and more ergonomic, some still use these vintage versions. For many, they’re not just tools—they’re nostalgic relics of kitchen history, both practical and dangerous.