A box from my food bank had this small can opener taped on the inside

    by weirdestnormal

    27 Comments

    1. Should_Not_Comment on

      Two lines, so maybe a P-51. I carry a P-38 in my wallet and have actually used it a few times helping people at work open their lunch. I have an electric can opener, but when it comes to manual ones I actually like these more. Once you get the hang of it they’re faster to use than you’d think.

    2. torcsandantlers on

      That’s super cool. An issue that comes up surprisingly often at my local free pantry is that people don’t want non-pulltop cans, because they don’t have a can opener. It’s one of those tools we take for granted.

    3. That’s actually a really good thing of them to do. A lot of folks receiving assistance may not have access to a can opener (nor electricity to run one) and as someone who has done a fair bit of work with pantries it can be frustrating when well-meaning folks donate a ton of canned goods but don’t realize that a lot of recipients can’t open them.

      (We had similar issues where people would donate lots of kids’ toys for Christmas toy drives but very few people donated new batteries to power them.)

    4. JensElectricWood on

      If you don’t need or want it, please give it back to them. These are given out to help people without home kitchens, so they can still access the food in cans.

    5. At the homeless charity I used to work at, it was discussed how canned goods, or even things that needed to be heated up are bad choices for food donation as sometimes people don’t have a can opener, or a stove. Easy open canned tuna, bean salad, crackers, peanut butter, nutrition bars, dried fruit, trail mix, bread, sandwiches are good ideas if you ever want to give. Also not a food, but socks.

    6. WaffleHouseGladiator on

      If you get really desperate you can rub the top of a can on a concrete surface until enough metal wears away to pop it open.

    7. MarchCompetitive6235 on

      That makes sense to include for someone who might not have a can opener. Required camping gear right there! 😎👍

    8. Orbitaldropkick610 on

      I used to have one of these on my key chain. turns out having a sharp little piece of metal on your keys anytime you reach for them is a dumb ass move

    9. lanathebitch on

      That was nice of them. I know they’re cheap but they genuinely didn’t have to

    10. I love this, gives a family more access to non perishable food without requiring them buy a can opener (even a few dollars can be too much for some people in need)

    11. TrexOnAScooter on

      My wife and I have had a long running joke of how we have bought 5 different can openers in the first 5 years of buying our house, because we both remember our grandmas/mothers etc. having the same can opener in the kitchen for decades growing up.

      I introduced her to this wonderful tool from the military after the fancy electric one took a shit, and we haven’t bothered buying a new one since. They’re great and good on the food bank for providing them.

      That being said, dear internet strangers, there must also exist a regular ass can opener that isn’t just a giant pile of shit without me having to go visit an Amish blacksmith. Please, if you guys know of one please help.

    12. If it’s a surplus GI opener, cool! Those are great, I’ve had one on my keychain practically my whole life. They are barely less capable than a full-sized can opener.

      Most I see these days are modern reproductions, to be polite, they are not good. There is a maker that went through the trouble of buying the rights to make an exact reproduction of the US Shelby originals, but they don’t bother to actually do it.

      The knockoffs open poorly, and completely fail after a couple of cans. If you’re purchasing one, and it costs less than $1.50-$2.00, it’s a knockoff.

    13. One of 2 things designed by the US DoD that *everyone* has a use for.

      Everyone should have a P-38/P-51 and a Woobie.

    14. Huge for the people who need the canned goods the most. Very thoughtful to include in the box, IMO.

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