Does anyone know what these are?

They're both old style can openers.

We all had to make one of these in Metalwork at school. I don't think I finished mine. I must have been about 12 at the time.

Thank you. Given that steer I've found them both.

Bill

Very handy to open up oil filled EHT units to remove the EY 51 valves. That oil did pong though. Brian

Easy to see how the second works but how do you work the first?

No bull.

It's not often I can tell this group something! The first pic is of a "sanitary can opener". It is used in can making and can filling factories as it allows cans to be opened for testing without damaging or destroying the double seam (ie where the can end is attached to the can body.)

My understanding is that you pierce the centre of the lid of the tin with the pointy end, and then lever it down so that it's firmly in place under the lid. The position of the cutting blade should be adjusted by loosening the little knurled knob, and the blade positioned so that it can penetrate the lid just inside the rim. Then you hold the can firmly and force the blade round to open the lid.

If you can't follow that, and I wouldn't blame you if you can't, see

No idea about the tool but is that a Youngers No 3 bottle top? I?ve had one of the pump clips for years just in case I ever end up at a house that is No 3 something and I need a door number.

GH

I suppose that if I was in the middle of nowhere and I had one, it may come in handy. :)

They made more sense with really big cans. I saw similar used by the catering corps: think "never was so much served to so many by so few".

But still needed to get into a Fray Bentos steak pie.

a rabbit skinner, and a bottle opener

My regular can openers work fine with those.

Nah normal tin openers do OK, the above implements look more like circumcision tools.

Well, they are for scientific examination of tinned foods, e.g. when examining contamination

? Um, they're just old tin openers. The one that spikes through the centre of the lid *could* be used to leave a quarter inch rim but their common usage was just to open tins.

Tim