In just a few hours, numerous comments flooded in. Some users guessed it might be a 19th-century can opener, others thought it could be a multipurpose tool for fishing or camping, and a few even joked that it could serve as a weapon. “I’m not a food container expert so I wouldn’t know,” one netizen wrote, quickly giving up on solving the mystery. Another shared their speculation: “Old school can opener…puncture into can and lever forward one step at a time to cut the top off.” The comment went on, “Makes great jagged edges you can cut yourself on and get tiny metal shards into the contents.”
Yet another, referring to the sharp edges of the tool, said, “Still have a scar where it slipped and embedded in my arm when younger!!!”
“I’ll never forget [when] this went right through my hand while trying to open a tin,” another person recalls.
The seemingly primitive kitchen tool is actually a vintage can opener that left many marks on inexperienced users who attempted to access the contents inside cans.