Can Opener/Bottle Opener on New Charge, Wave etc...

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Fool4Blades

Joined
Sep 3, 2004
Messages
325
Last night I had an opportunity ( or 2 ) to use the bottle opener on my Leatherman Charge Ti, and it left much to be desired. It seems the curved opening is too small, and would not grasp the bottle cap properly to lift it off. I ended up just using the pliers. Is this tool supposed to be just a can opener, or is it intended to be a cap remover too? I compared it to my older Leathermans, and they have a larger opening and do the job with no problems.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem, or am I doing something wrong? Thanks!
 
Funny, I've used mine a lot, and never had much trouble. You do have to keep a bit of forward pressure on it to keep the "hook" engaged, but in my experience, it's not difficult.

It oughta be hot this weekend in Texas, I suggest you grab some very cold, er, "test subjects", and practice! ;)
 
Fool4Blades said:
Last night I had an opportunity ( or 2 ) to use the bottle opener on my Leatherman Charge Ti, and it left much to be desired. It seems the curved opening is too small, and would not grasp the bottle cap properly to lift it off. I ended up just using the pliers. Is this tool supposed to be just a can opener, or is it intended to be a cap remover too? I compared it to my older Leathermans, and they have a larger opening and do the job with no problems.

Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem, or am I doing something wrong? Thanks!
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Leatherman combo bottle/can openers don't work quite as well for each as the SAK dedicated ones, but they have always got the job done for me. I gave up on the Charge for other reasons, but it did open both bottles and cans just fine. Yours is the first report I have seen that they might not work at all. On the off chance; was there anything non-standard about the bottles you were attempting to open?
 
Just a bottle of Dos XX Beer....I tried it with my Sideclip and it popped off in a snap. The Charge opener does not seem to want to catch under the lip of the cap as well. When comparing the two, there is about a 1/16" difference in the opening, just enough to make a difference I guess.
 
I've had the same "problem" with my LM-Surge, observed the same difference too, the curve opening being too small to get a good grip on the underside of the cap.

What I try to do each time is angle the whole tool to the side just a fraction, when I get the desired grip on the cap I let 'er rip as quick as I can before it gets loose. Works 99% of the time. Just make you have a firm grasp of the bottle though.

'hope this helps.
 
sparkee said:
What I try to do each time is angle the whole tool to the side just a fraction, when I get the desired grip on the cap I let 'er rip as quick as I can before it gets loose. Works 99% of the time. Just make you have a firm grasp of the bottle though.
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Now that I think about it, I do the same thing; not because my cap lifter won't grab, though, but because if I don't the can opener tends to puncture the cap. Turning the tool to get the tip of the can opener over the glass rim makes it work much better.
 
They work much better as can openers and in fact much better than the can openers on a vic sak (wenger can openers are best).
 
Had same problem with my Leatherman Surge.

Went to a pool party with wife, and she wanted a bottle of a Heineken. I whipped out my new surge, and the darned combo can/bottle opener could not get a grip at the cap because the neck of the bottle was too short, and the bottle opener was catching on the curvature of the bottle.

I was embarrased, and in the end just went to the garage of the house and popped it open with hand against the garage door rail...
 
pyrophilus said:
Had same problem with my Leatherman Surge.

Went to a pool party with wife, and she wanted a bottle of a Heineken. I whipped out my new surge, and the darned combo can/bottle opener could not get a grip at the cap because the neck of the bottle was too short, and the bottle opener was catching on the curvature of the bottle.

I was embarrased, and in the end just went to the garage of the house and popped it open with hand against the garage door rail...
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Very similar to my situation...I just wonder if Leatherman is aware of this? No biggy I guess in the grand scheme of things, but it would be nice if it worked a little better as a bottle opener, as I have more opportunities for that than can opening! ;)
 
Had the same problem with my Charge Ti. I would pull out the opener then close the handles and had a heck of a time lifting caps. I fixed the problem by not closing the handles.
 
Bors said:
Had the same problem with my Charge Ti. I would pull out the opener then close the handles and had a heck of a time lifting caps. I fixed the problem by not closing the handles.
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Ditto. I also do this when opening cans, it works a whole lot easier.
 
Bors said:
Had the same problem with my Charge Ti. I would pull out the opener then close the handles and had a heck of a time lifting caps. I fixed the problem by not closing the handles.
Click to expand...

Very cool I will try that! Thanks for the tip! :thumbup:
 
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