P-38 Can Opener

I love the P-38 can opener. I have one in my jeep 100% of the time. Even the pentagon has it listed for many uses.

Out of curisoity, what else can you come up with for possible uses?

Creative uses
List of P-38 Uses By Steve Wilson, MSG Proponent NCO, Dept of the Army Office of the Chief of Chaplains, The Pentagon [1]

Can Opener
Seam Ripper
Screwdriver
Clean Fingernails
Cut Fishing Line
Open Paint Cans
Window Scraper
Scrape Around Floor Corners
Digging
Clean Out Groove on Tupperware lids
Reach in and Clean Out Small Cracks
Scrape Around Edge of Boots
Bottle Opener
Gut Fish (in the field)
Scale Fish (in the field)
Test for 'Doneness' When Baking on a Camp Fire
Prying Items
Strip Wire
Scrape Pans in the Field
Lift Key on Flip Top Cans
Chisel
Barter
Marking Tool
Deflating Tires
Clean Sole of Boot/Shoe
Pick Teeth
Measurement
Striking Flint
Stirring Coffee
Puncturing Plastic Coating
Knocking on Doors
Morse Code
Box Cutter
Opening Letters
Write Emergency Messages
Scratch an Itch
Save as a Souvenir
Rip Off Rank for On-the-Spot Promotions

Full Link to wikipedia here

I know for a fact it will cut the top off a beer/sodacan for a small stove.

Take care,

Excellent thread. Two thumbs up. Modern p-38s are made in Korea for the most part but if you ruin the blade on a good knife opening a can you will understand the 50c or a dollar is worth its weight in gold.

Since GI's switched to MRES, why do they need p-38's? I remember them from eating Korea era C-RATS back in sixties.

Originally posted by groingrinder

Since GI's switched to MRES, why do they need p-38's?

Because its not just a can opener its a multi tool. So many uses for such a small thing. Too many uses to list them all. My opinion of course but I have carried one on me for more years then I care to remmber, as well as having many just laying about. Any time I find them I buy them If you look around you can still find the good ones at the surplus stores. When you do find them used htey are usually about five cents American. the cheap ones can be had at almost any stores that sell camping equiptment two to a pack for about $1.00

As many of my friends and old girlfriends know, it is the answer to the question of what is in my wallet.

Saddly as many times as I have been asked the "totally random crazy question of having a can opener" in various situations is that when I pull it out of my wallet and hand it to them, they always hand it right back and the can. I show them how to use and some do visit Wally-world to buy their own. I usually am asked sometime later as they fail to carry theirs with them.

Wow, that conjours up old memories of sitting in a hole on Salisbury plain. The rain pissing down on me and cracking open a cold tin of Compo ration Stew and thinking what more can there be to life than this

I'm gunna go buy one for old times sake

Peace...