# How do you cut the bottom off of a SPAM can? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294 "2009-12-23T05:23:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2009, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/21 "2009-12-23T18:47:50Z")
> [@Randy\_Seltzer](#): > > See example here: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9794114&postcount=37](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9794114&postcount=37) > > Food cans are usually made out of a fairly soft steel. Nearly any knife will be made out of a stronger steel, and should cut through it pretty easily. How embarrassing. I asked the question that prompted the linked answer and I still haven’t done anything with the tuna cans I’ve got saved up. **Knead** Lazy M.F. from way back. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/22 "2009-12-24T03:09:55Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > **Washoe** has started a [Musubi thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=545031) in Café Society. > > So unless anyone wants to post more advice for opening the bottoms of these newfangled cans (which would be helpful for Campbell’s Soup cans if you want to make a tennis ball mortar 😉 ), I think we’re done here. Silly boy! You cut the bottom off with your Ginsu knife right after you’ve sliced off the toe of your boot. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Matt\_Mason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Major\_Matt\_Mason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Matt_Mason)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/23 "2017-02-20T20:59:40Z")
(takes notes) Personally, I wanna take the bottom off a SPAM can without taking the top off, as the can is destined to be a flatcar load for one of my Lionel trains, and I’d just as soon the can be empty and washed… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/24 "2017-02-20T21:06:17Z")
No help for you, **Major Matt Mason**. But in the more-than-seven years since I started this thread, I’ve made musubi (the first time with the bottom cut off of a SPAM[sup]®[/sup] can – and I didn’t slice my fingers), and have bought an acrylic musubi press. Yum. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/25 "2017-02-20T21:16:07Z")
And I’ll just mention that in my family, the standard tool for cutting dough for making pierogis is an empty tuna can. Mom keeps one in her utensil drawer just for that purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/26 "2017-02-20T21:37:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And I’ll just mention that in my family, the standard tool for cutting dough for making pierogis is an empty tuna can. Mom keeps one in her utensil drawer just for that purpose. For biscuits, I use a class. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/27 "2017-02-20T21:48:19Z")
Typing 101, I assume? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/28 "2017-02-20T22:04:54Z")
:smack: ‘Glass’. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294/29 "2017-02-20T23:09:34Z")
When we went camping we used corned beef which comes in similar cans. I wanted to flatten them for recycling and found it easy to take the bottom off with a wingnut type can opener. > **[2 x Butterfly Can Opener : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen](https://www.amazon.co.uk/2-x-Butterfly-Can-Opener/dp/B0834R5N3W)** > > Shop 2 x Butterfly Can Opener. Free delivery on eligible orders of £20 or more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-the-bottom-off-of-a-spam-can/522294.md?page=1)