I-7 Openers

[John H.]

I just picked up an I-7 opener from Feigenspan to bring with me to the South Lake Tahoe show so people can bottom open any cans I'm bringing, and it brought up a question. How many known I-7 openers are there? Do they all have a brewery name on them or are there any with no brewery name on it? Which breweries made the I-7 opener? Thanks!

John H.

[pinnacle-project]

I do not know much about the different names of openers. What distinguishes an I-7 opener? This is the only opener I have. I know it is older than most because it is heavy duty and has a larger cutting surface but I have no idea if it is an I-7.

[Ed Johnson]

There have been a few threads on the I-7 over the years - This is the one I came up with before bed:

https://www.therustybunch.com/phpBB3/vi ... st#p117391

And found another link - might be another somewhere on here that breaks down all the I-7's by rarity:

https://www.therustybunch.com/phpBB3/vi ... sy#p117564

These are very popular with collectors as they coincide with the OI beer can era. Some of them are very tough to find and bring some decent money. Feigenspan, Pabst (several versions), Ruppert, and Ballantine are among the easier ones running $1 to $5 at retail.

I am still looking for Roger Williams Ale, and a Union Cream ale example from Rhode Island - both are rare as teeth on Rhode Island red chickens!

[CrustyRusty]

There have been a few threads on the I-7 over the years - This is the one I came up with before bed:

https://www.therustybunch.com/phpBB3/vi ... st#p117391

And found another link - might be another somewhere on here that breaks down all the I-7's by rarity:

https://www.therustybunch.com/phpBB3/vi ... sy#p117564

These are very popular with collectors as they coincide with the OI beer can era. Some of them are very tough to find and bring some decent money. Feigenspan, Pabst (several versions), Ruppert, and Ballantine are among the easier ones running $1 to $5 at retail.

I am still looking for Roger Williams Ale, and a Union Cream ale example from Rhode Island - both are rare as teeth on Rhode Island red chickens!

I guess I'm confused, and will admit that I'm no expert on early openers, but, the "Beer Can Bible" states that the first openers were the patent pending Canco openers that measure just under 5 1/2" which I own two of, I also have an early Canco "For beer cans marked Keglined" with no breweries listed on it that measures 4 7/8", kinda wondering if it isn't the second version prior to breweries putting the name on openers like it shortly after this version, also, as per the second link you provided in post #6 by danielj, he shows an image that I've added here showing a much smaller opener as the I-7 openers, so which ones were the earliest and this so called I-7? I personally feel the big 5 1/2" patent pending openers are really the first, but did any of those come with any brewery listing on them?

[burgiedave]

Page 55 of Just For Openers: Can piercers were invented in 1932 for opening other containers with liquid. With creation of the beer can demand significantly increased. Combination cap lifter/piercers became a necessity of life. There are slight variations in length as width. Some openers are copper, nickel, cadmium, chromate or brass plated.
Sorta like Ford, General Motors and Chrysler. Get you where you wanna go but with slightly different punches.