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Early preserved metal cans were opened with hammers and chisels for nearly 50 years. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

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The tin can was patented decades before the dedicated tin opener

Early preserved metal cans were opened with hammers and chisels for nearly 50 years

Peter Durand patented food preservation in tin-plated iron cans in 1810, but early cans were thick and heavy. Soldiers opened them using hammers, chisels, or bayonets. The dedicated lever-action tin opener was only patented in 1858 by Ezra Warner after thinner metal cans became commonplace.

Where this comes from

Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Tags: food, packaging, history

The tin can was patented decades before the dedicated tin opener: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Early preserved metal cans were opened with hammers and chisels for nearly 50 years. The figure is taken from Encyclopaedia Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a everyday life fact?: Yes. It sits on the Everyday Life shelf, one of 1,090 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.