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Bull's Head Can Opener
The use of the can for food preservation was invented
in England around 1810. It was almost 50 years later that
a can opener was finally invented. Until then, consumers
were left to their own devices. Instructions on the can
sometimes recommended using a chisel and hammer to open
it — a tough job, considering many cans often weighed
as much as (if not more than) the contents inside.
Eventually, manufacturers were able to produce thinner
cans, and in 1858, Ezra J. Warner, of Waterbury, Connecticut,
patented the first can opener. It had a pointed blade
the user pressed into the can. Then, a second, curved
cutter blade could be worked along the rim to remove the
lid.
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The implement shown here works in a similar manner. Known
as "The Bull's Head", the design reflects the
fact that beef was among the first foods to be canned.
Although neither the manufacturer, nor the date of manufacture
of this particular item are known, similar can openers
usually date to the late 19th century. The handle was
typically made of cast-iron. The short, pointed blade
at the top was used to pierce the lid, and the longer
blade (below the bull's head) sliced along the rim to
open it.
In 1870, William W. Lyman patented the arguably safer,
user-friendly rotary model many of us have in our households
today.
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