I am 60 years old, Raised in rural Indiana by an Army Veteran.
and i always Knew this to be called a church but never knew why.
My wife had never heard of it called A Church key.(until she meet me)
i read here on the Forum in A thread about a kitchen gadget and a member referred to a church key so i thought i would pose a question to the members for help.

Quick Google search turned up these. They will also leave a wide gash in someones face if used that way.

To protect their aging beers in their monasteries, the monks locked them away in lager cellars, for which only the monks had the keys. It is theorized that the openers reminded someone of these keys — either because of their shape or use — and started calling them “church” keys.


Originally, church keys actually resembled large keys (thus the name) and were used to pry open caps or corks from bottles. Then, when beer cans began being marketed in the 1930s with flat metal covers, the same name, church key, was given to the devices used to open them by piercing them with triangle-shaped holes.

Google the term: Church Key, Etymology and you will find links to several possible explanations. Some even sound plausible. Basically it is just a slang term that has been in use for a long, long, time.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Dad kept them in his glove box, tackle box and tool boxes.

Mom used them for opening juice cans and to hang my school art masterpieces on the fridge door.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Old style vs. new(er)

Never thought about asking google
thank you

In 53 years neither can nor bottle has thwarted me.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I have a few. Got a couple P38's around here somewhere too.

My wife calls them punch openers but I always called them church keys. Back in the day they were free and usually had beer advertising on them.

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

Top left is actually a paint can opener.

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Only a cold warrior

And a bottle opener.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Painters drink a lot of beer.

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No baby we aint

We always called them church keys because if you drank beer, according to the Baptists, you were going to hell.

I thought it was because of the Knights of Columbus fridge in the church basement.. lol

Here’s a couple from the cabinet and 3 from my toolbox. Never knew why they were called church keys. The term church key was just the accepted name. Four are made by VAUGHAN and say “Quick and easy” on 2 of them.
Backside—-VAUGHAN CHGO. 24,U.S.A. 64
Backside—-HANDY-WALDEN N.Y.-U.S.A. 62
Not a single one made in China.
Would you look at that!

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James
On the Llano Estacado

A Bic lighter worked well in a pinch.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I keep one on my ring of keys.

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S&W Accumulator

Hopefully not taken as morbid, but I have church keys, bottle openers, etc. collected from close friends and family (to include my Dad.). They hang in the shop, next to the required “garage ‘fridge” and I work through a rotation of who”opens” my grass-cuttin’ beer at the end of a long day’s yard work. It’s my simple reminder of good times with true friends and family.

I don’t know why the are called Church Keys, other than that’s what my Dad called it, unless it was his P38, or it was mounted on the wall - that was a “bottle opener.”

I haven't seen a bottle opener like that in a long time, but they used to have a loop with a handle to fit over the bottle cap and pry it off. See thumbnail:

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I have carried my P-38 on my key ring since 1951. Don't ask me how many beers it's opened in those years. I hope the kids bury it with me.

These work well and they're always there.

Use a P-38 for cans.

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The best I can with what I got

I've heard them called church keys ever since I was a little boy and that was a lonnnng time ago. My brother collects them and he has a kitchen drawer filled with them with names of various companies engraved on them.

I did a web search for "multi tool".

It returned "see P38".

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

I can remember that they used to be in boxes at the cash register in liquor stores for free when you bought beer. They were sent to liquor stores by breweries.

They are a popular collection item

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Never heard them called church keys , I have a couple and P-38 elderly guard at a warehouse gave me , had a box full bought flea market

I have fond memories of my Grandmother using a church key to open the big can of Hawaiian Punch she always used to keep in the fridge for me. Simpler times......

I carried a P38 on my key ring for years until one day the little blade opened in my pocket and stabbed me in the leg. After I stopped the bleeding I threw that thing in a drawer and it is still there with blood stains and all.

But only to calm their nerves before they start painting.

I've always called a manual can opener a church key. Then there is the Spam Can opener.

Here is an old opener that has been in my family for generations. Stag handle with sterling accents. The hook it to open the very early loop seal bottle caps

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Sceva
OGCA SWCA NRA

Pop-tops and twist caps eliminated these, just as the horseless carriage did away with the buggy whip.

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Only a cold warrior

I always heard these openers called “church keys” as a barb aimed at those who took a dim view based upon some religious ideology of anyone partaking of alcoholic beverages.

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A couple guys got it right in here. Pre-1970’s (drink) cans didn’t have one of several type “pop-openers” and bottles didn’t have twist-off caps. The sharp side of the church key was to open (drink) cans and the duller end to open (drink) bottle caps. They made life -and drinking - easier for beer drinkers. Combine that with the Baptist comment (above) (other religions, too, I’d add) and they were known (slang) as a “church key.” (To bug church goers). They were also used for cola and other drink containers, too. I never thought getting old would, indeed, make me appear a wiser guy via ancient experience. Then again, I was raised in an age of tuning up a distributer, changing a tire, driving (two wheel) in snow, et cet.

The guys I knew who called it that seemed to use it as a dig at the tea totallers in town.

Once the old memories got stirred up I recall being shown a lip just under the glove box of 55-56-57 Buicks that seemed tailor made for cap lifting. Once the box lid was dropped there were two bottle-sized indentations in the flat surface. Thoughtful of GM.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

In a related vein on tea totallers, a neighbor of mine in the 80's said only alcoholics had ice makers.

I remember when beer and soda came in steel cans and you needed a church key.

That happened to me in 1971. I mentioned it to a lifer and he said put a slight crimp on the hinge with Channellocks.

It has yet to open on me of its own volition.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

When I grew up, in the '70s, the drink cans, soda and beer, already had pull tabs. But many cans didn't. We used a church key on the aforementioned, Hi-C, Hershey's chocolate syrup and opening pop and beer bottles. We wound up with alot since my brother and father would take them out to the garage to open oil cans and other cans of car juice. Somehow they all disappeared.
Eventually, dad sprung for one of these babies for the garage.

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The best I can with what I got

In my well-spent youth I occasionally used my front teeth to open a bottle in the absence of a church key. That is until I chipped a tooth A brick trowel also does a fair job.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

Same here Rusty, got mine in sixty-nine. Has saved from needing a screwdriver, etc. in all that time, countless uses. Mine is stamped SPEAKER.

I have seen those referred to as John Wayne's, anyone else heard that term...?

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OGCA Member.

They were called that in WWII for their toughness.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Last time I needed one of those was 1970 in Vietnam. When I got home, everything had tab tops.

I have heard them called church keys for as long as I can remember. I still have one with the brewer's name Coors stamped on it. Probably some kind of promotional item from the days before twist-off caps.

Regarding injuries from a P38: A buddy had one on his key ring. One day he tossed me the keys to his truck for some reason and the blade had come open in flight. It put a nice gash in my palm when I caught the keys. We did use to eat VN era C rations when out on deer hunting overnight trips and if I recall a P38 came with each ration box and was used to open those little OD cans of the meat or other foods.

When I was geting short, for some reason Base Command had the idea to have regiments police call the entire MCB Camp Pendleton except live fire ranges and areas.

We actually enjoyed it. Got away from the camp and did a lot of goofing off and found quite a few historical artifacts that hadn't decayed in the climate of southern California: unopene c-rats, eight round clips (still loaded with blank rounds for the M-1 rifle, M1 carbine ammo, so on.

I found a P38......brand new....replaced the civilian one that I got from out in town with it. Still have it with my USMC keepsakes.

But I still have several...gotten from army surplus over the years. Have one in the glove box of each vehicle I drive.

I have no idea who invented that handy little device but who ever they were, God bless them!

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The Last Standing Knight

As long as it pops the top, who cares what it's called?

I love that the monks have been credited with the early brewing process. I tell my wife that every beer I have, gets me closer to heaven.

Call it what you want. It still won't come.

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

When I moved to Maryland, my recently deceased uncle invited me over to his house to eat crabs. There is a definite procedure for eating Maryland crabs. He showed me there was a tab of cartilage on the bottom side of the crab. Pulling that tab would release the entire top shell of the crab. With that lesson I determined it must have been decided in the Grand Design of things that one must drink beer while eating crabs, because they are both opened with a snap top.

I often wondered if the term “church key” came from guys hanging out and drinking a few beers and calling it “choir practice.”

This comment reminds me of a story. Back in the mid 70's, may oldest son was sitting in the living room as I was ready to go to work. I said goodbye, and headed for the door. He said " Where are you going?" I said to work. He then said why and I said to get money. He said " So you can buy more Hawaiian Punch?" I said yes. He was around 2+

Things were so simple

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

A quick palm whack with the top on a hard corner saves the teeth.