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Bottle opener hardware?

5K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  uffitze 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi folks,

Many of my friends (and I) are to beer what many folks are to wine. I thought it would be fun to give them (and me!) a Christmas present of a turned bottle opener.

I saw this one at Craft Supplies, but it's a little too fru-fru for my liking. I've also gotten the brass letter opener and it bends too much for my liking.

I'd prefer something not brass/gold and more in the traditional shape (not the ring style but the older, lever style). Does anyone know where I can find such a beast in a form that could be put into a turning blank, even if it's not special made for turning?

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
I'm not joking here - although it may not be as elegant as what you want, but the tool sold by hardware stores for opening paint cans has a bottle opener on the opposite end.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=paint+can+opening+tool&cid=3235610841220969842&ei=BqbxS-eND5SQjQTrismKCQ&sa=title&ved=0CAwQ8wIwATgA#p

If you were to silver-solder the loop closed, that would probably be decent for what you want

I've had one of those tied to my refrigerator for years and it works just fine - even without soldering the gap shut. I just thought that soldering the gap shut would make it look a little nicer.
 
#3 ·
Great minds think alike. I've got one of these hanging on my workshop pegboard (for the paint). I thought of using one of those too :)

I think I would like a LITTLE more elegant, but I might just start experimenting. I was originally thinking about the old style where you had one sharp end (for puncturing cans) and the other lever end for bottle caps, but I'm seeing more like this one that I think I would like.

Similar to the one I don't want, linked above, but a lot beefier and also not brassy gold.
 
#5 ·
It seems to me like it would be a pretty straightforward process to take one of the old school bottle/can openers (might be able to get at the dollar store), flatten the can opener end, make scales and rivet them to it (like a knife).

And, the paint can opener could be epoxied down into a turned handle if that's the route that you want to go.
 
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