Ezra J. Warner of Waterbury, Connecticut was an American inventor, who patented his design of a

can opener A can opener (in North American English and Australian English) or tin opener (used in British English) is a mechanical device used to open tin cans (metal cans). Although preservation of food using tin cans had been practiced since at leas ...

in 1858. A crudely shaped bayonet and sickle combo, his design was widely accepted by the U.S. military during the period of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

. Can openers were needed because early cans were robust containers, which weighed more than food and required ingenuity to open, using whatever tools available. The instruction on those cans read "Cut round the top near the outer edge with a chisel and hammer." The bayonet part of Ezra Warner's can opener was pressed into the can, and a metal guard kept it from penetrating too far into the can. The other part was the sickle, which was forced into the can and sawed around the edge.Ezra J. Warner "Can opener" , January 5, 1858 However, Warner’s can opener was not a tool for domestic use, because it could be dangerous. Grocers opened the cans before they left the store. The first widespread domestic can opener was patented by William Lyman.

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The American Experience
Year of birth missing Year of death missing American Civil War industrialists American inventors People of Connecticut in the American Civil War People from Waterbury, Connecticut Engineers from Connecticut {{US-inventor-stub