As best I can tell from that little picture, that’s just one of the many types of can openers I’ve run across over the years. They’re primitive, though effective with a little practice. The main thing about them is that the edges of the top/cap/lid are dangerous because of the serrated results of using that tool. The ones I’m familiar with have a corkscrew that folds inside the handle and the cap lifter section is just a little lip-like thing that would only grab one projection of a bottle cap.
Yep, I’ve seen them like that and consider those to be church keys.
Here’s a better picture of what AHunter3’s talking about, I think. I’ve always just heard “can opener” for that, as well. I found it by googling old can opener.
To be honest, while I know it’s used to open cans, I’d have no idea how to use it.
My understanding is that “church key” is what you told the lady from the temperance society when she asked about the purpose of that strange object on your key chain. There is a second layer of humor in the notion that (back in the day) the door to a church was never locked.
I’m certain the term dates at least to the 1960s, as I have a vivid memory of my rather uptight mother scowling at my brother for calling the “pop opener” that.
I can move it back to the 50’s.
I last used one about a year ago. And interesting to note as a key. We had to get in a friends old-fashioned front door (it was one of those old ones that have the two buttons under the sticky-out part [technical term]. I used a church key to push in one of the buttons. I knew my father (who died over 15 years ago) had one in his tool belt which I keep in my trunk). When I was in college, when we lost our real keys we would consistently use church keys.