How To Use A Swiss Army Knife Can Opener

From standard cutting blades and rulers to toothpicks and fish scalers, the vast array of attachments available on your standard Swiss Army Knife can be overwhelming at first but gradually becomes appreciated as you find more ways to use the tool in your daily life. One relatively seemingly insignificant Swiss Army Knife gizmo that you'll certainly find has plenty of uses is the can opener. 

While each knife's can opener attachment may feature slight variations to their design, their overall functionality remains the same. Being part of your compact Swiss Army Knife adds to its versatility and portability. Along with using them at home, your Swiss Army Knife can opener becomes a useful ally while on the road, taking a beach trip, or out camping, which are usual places people take their Swiss Army Knives. Just as has been done with countless other Swiss Army Knife tools, those with a creative mindset have even been able to find alternative uses for their can opener attachment such as prying open touch packages and peeling open fruits. 

But for those who only aim to use it for its namesake function, we got you covered. While easy to use, it's still crucial to ensure you're using the can opener properly to avoid injury, and the more manual process may take some getting used to if you're accustomed to using a standalone rotating wheel or electric can opener.

Before getting started, it's important to take note of specific can opener you have on your Swiss Army Knife, as this will affect how the task is performed. In most cases, the can opener will consist of hook at the base and a carving blade that hangs down at the tip. However, some models such as the Victorinox Bantam and Compact, instead feature a can opener that excludes the blade tip as a way of letting the attachment have more varied uses. 

After taking stock of kind of can opener you possess and making sure it's clean, follow these steps:

1. Position the hook on the exterior of the can rim. 
2. Position the tip of the can opener on the interior of the can rim. Angle it slightly and add some pressure until you've penetrated it. 
3. Slice all the entire circumference of the can rim until it can be safely peeled open. If using a can opener with a blade tip, you'll be slicing away from you in a forward position. Those without the blade tip will need to be sliced backwards and towards you. 

As with all sharp tools, the Swiss Army Knife can opener could cut you if you're not careful, so be sure to slice open the can with a steady hand and on a solid surface to avoid potential injury. Similarly, be careful when opening the can itself, as manual can openers such as these have a tendency to leave behind jagged edges.