The debate over my uncle's 'just use a butter knife' advice for opening paint cans

My uncle Bill, who painted houses for 30 years, told me last month to never use a paint can opener tool. He said to just jab a butter knife under the rim and pry it off, like he's done forever. I tried it and sure enough the lid bent in two places and paint dripped down the side of the can, making a huge mess on my garage floor in Phoenix. But then I saw a TikTok where a pro painter did the same thing in 10 seconds with zero drips, so maybe I'm just bad at it. Which camp are you in: tool or butter knife, and am I missing some secret technique?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_terry4d ago

I saw a can't miss article that said the key is the angle. You gotta tilt the knife towards the can, not away from it. Most people tilt away and that bends the lid. I tried it and it works better. But honestly, for a few bucks, just buy the proper tool. It's like a dollar at the hardware store. I keep one in my junk drawer. No drips, no bent lids, no mess. Your uncle's technique is fine if you've done it 2000 times. For the rest of us, the tool is worth it.

green.jenny3d ago

Man, I never even thought about the angle like that. I always just dug in however and hoped for the best. That explains so many mangled lids over the years.