You might find this strange but there was a day a person could go to the store and buy a can-opener that could actually open cans. Seems like these days, they don’t. Some bend out of shape and some simply won’t cut; the cans that is.

Electric can openers work for a while, and then they don’t. Besides, why should I buy an electric can-opener when I can buy a hand powered one that should work? Oddly, the best manual can-opener I ever used were the ones that came with the C-rations. I tried to hold onto the things. They are worth their weight in gold, well, maybe silver. Alas, the last of the ones I had disappeared. I think someone stole them.

I don’t know how true it might be, but I once heard the US sent canned food to some starving country and neglected to include can-openers. I simply don’t know how true it is, but I do find it very believable. After all, it is the kind of way our government does things.

The thing is; if they sent any of our modern can-openers, it would be about the same. The people would still starve trying to get into the cans. Either way, that would have to be awful frustrating. Plenty of food to eat but no way to get to it. In a way, I can identify with them every time I try to open a can of green beans.

I tried ordering the C-ration openers on a website. They worked about as well as the modern mechanical ones. So now, unless the can comes with a pull tab, I generally have to take my chance with a knife. Believe it or not, I’ve gotten pretty good at it. To get the green beans out, all I need is a hole big enough to drain them from the can.

Incidentally. I would not suggest trying my method. It’s not just difficult. It’s downright risky. Then again, I guess it is a little dependent on how desperate you are for green beans, or sourcrout for that matter.

The real question is, are the cans getting more difficult to open or are the can-openers lower quality? I have just a suspicion it might be both. I sure wished I could find a real C-ration opener so I can test it on the modern cans. I suppose it would work the other way around. I could try a modern opener on an old can if someone has a couple of them lying around.

Then again, it might not be so important. My wife is all the time telling me I’m all the time thinking on things that don’t really matter. Still, I sure would like to be able to get green beans without a knife.

Do you think those company CEOs ever check those can-openers before putting them on the market?