Tin openers

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

I do think the reduced can wall thickness & seam thickness is the primary factor for making the openers so rubbish at working. I also think the strength of the tan opener lug is lower too. I think it's just lower strength steel, not any difference in thickness.

Regards,

Richard.

[Bob StevensonParticipant @bobstevenson13909]

I think the 'real' problem is that items like this are always now made in the far east by people who know that here in the west we are basically a bunch of wealthy fat morons with money to burn and who are too blase to even care about 'quality control'… and will just chuck the thing after a couple of trys and buy another one…..

….This reminds me of a continuing disagreement with my nearest and dearest a few years back about salt mills…basically we went thru about four that did not work until I got a bit annoyed and pointed out that they were all from the far east and were going up in cost each time! Eventually, it was down to me to take one back for a refund at Robert Dyas, where they were completely unsurprised that it did'nt work but amazed that I was asking for money back!

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Posted by Bob Stevenson on 27/02/2017 11:19:22:

we are basically a bunch of wealthy fat morons

LOL, I don't qualify on any of those counts but I still buy the cheapies and chuck 'em; experience tells me that spending more on a 'better' one is not likely to be worthwhile. That said, there are enough posters in this thread who are obviously delighted with their openers. I suppose the moral is, just because you pay top dollar doesn't mean you're getting the best product.

What sort of steel to use for the business end of a P38-style opener?

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Agree the steel is thinner and makes the opener not grip. Our old ,all steel, one stopped working and wife bought a new one. Very bonney looking with plastic handles etc. This stopped working very quickly. Examined the old one , "adjusted" the frame using vice and hammer. It now works well, it just fits the new tins better.

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

My first operational aircraft was the Valetta and we had no means of heating food apart from the type 52 resistance for the 54/55 radios. This lived below the Signaller's desk and glowed red hot in use!! Tins of soup had to be distorted slightly to fit on top of this and it took up to 3/4 of an hour to heat through. Inevitably, they would be forgotten occasionally, at which point it was wise to hand the can (suitably wrapped!) to the Nav and head out of the cockpit. On return, the Nav (not best pleased!) would be trying to remove surplus soup from his charts. The standard tin opener then was a metal strip with a triangular tip, bent at an angle, and referred to as a 'can spanner'. Possibly the prime example of the late Sam Goldwyn's mangled edict – "Simplicate and add lightness"

rgds

Bill

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Posted by Cornish Jack on 27/02/2017 11:55:34:

Possibly the prime example of the late Sam Goldwyn's mangled edict – "Simplicate and add lightness"

rgds

Bill

I like that but never heard it before, so had to look it up:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Bushnell_Stout

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 27/02/2017 10:45:31:

Going back to the original question – I'm curious if anyone agrees with my suggestion that the reduced thickness of tinplate is the issue?

Neil

Definitely, they always stop part way through opening now.

Michael W

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by Bob Stevenson on 27/02/2017 11:19:22:

I think the 'real' problem is that items like this are always now made in the far east by people who know that here in the west we are basically a bunch of wealthy fat morons with money to burn and who are too blase to even care about 'quality control'… and will just chuck the thing after a couple of trys and buy another one…..

I don't think it really matters where you come from, if it doesn't work, of course you wont like it!

The west has some of the strictest of standards for products in the world (but only if it's made to that).

Funnily enough I think I've seen a program before about salt/pepper mills and i'm sure the company was European based, not far eastern.

Michael W

Edited By Michael-w on 27/02/2017 14:04:08

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

PaulR – "so had to look it up" – I'm sure Wiki has improved its reliability since its early days and the attribution is correct (although one might suppose a literate engineer would have used simplify, rather than simplicate) My source (from memory) was one of David Niven's autobiographical tales of Hollywood (Bring on the empty horses)? or The Moon's a Balloon, citing Sam Goldwyn's talent for mangling spoken English.

rgds

Bill

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Cornish Jack on 27/02/2017 14:32:27:

(although one might suppose a literate engineer would have used simplify, rather than simplicate)

.

Bill,

[hope you don't mind me mentioning it]

I think that both 'simplicate' and 'add lightness' were used deliberately; and were intended to be memorable for their knowing nod to the more commonly-used opposites ['complicate' and 'add weight'].

MichaelG.

[Clive HaynesParticipant @clivehaynes74488]

You can mount the can in a 3 jaw and part the lid off or an angle grinder works well.

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Posted by Clive Haynes on 27/02/2017 15:17:36:

You can mount the can in a 3 jaw and part the lid off or an angle grinder works well.

You just end up with a face full of food instead at 500rpm!

Michael W

[Clive HaynesParticipant @clivehaynes74488]

Do it with your mouth open.

[Roderick JenkinsParticipant @roderickjenkins93242]

"Simplify and add lightness" Wasn't that Colin Chapman's mantra?

Rod

[PaulRParticipant @paulr]

Posted by Clive Haynes on 27/02/2017 15:17:36:

You can mount the can in a 3 jaw and part the lid off or an angle grinder works well.

Power hacksaw and lick up the dribbled contents might be less messy than parting off – you might get extra iron in your diet too!

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

If You like a P-38, You will like it's big brother, a P-51.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Roderick Jenkins on 27/02/2017 15:55:48:

"Simplify and add lightness" Wasn't that Colin Chapman's mantra?

.

[adopted] … and possibly as a gesture of respect.

MichaelG.

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