Tab Grabber Can Opener

A nail's knight in shiny armor

A broken nail is not just female melodrama. A deep split is excruciating and sometimes bloody. The tab was conceived as a convenient method for opening cans, but it's still wrought with problems - and not just for that new manicure. Lucky for your nails, help comes in a simple form: the tab grabber.

You're not being prissy

Well-groomed nails present a tidy, confident picture of yourself to the world. Many people, however, are less concerned with maintaining the perfect manicure than just getting to their drink or food. Stubby or large fingers and arthritis can make a simple task difficult.

Different styles

Tab grabbers can be straightforward, multi-taskers, or stylish hooks. The Original Tab Grabber is a simple, ringed, pinching tool that can be used on tabs, undo knots, grasp box flaps, and hold keys. It can sell for as low as 35 cents. Another type from Maxi-Aids resembles a bottle opener and has a magnet for the refrigerator. Walter Drake offers a handy, plastic hook which provides arm strength for difficult tabs ($4).

Traveling? Carry this!

Hooks and poking rings are unacceptable on the airplane, but that doesn't mean nails and fingers must suffer. LotteryTool has a plastic pop-top opener that wedges under the tab. An all-plastic body and no sharp edges make it ideal for plane travel or for use around children.

It's not about your nails

We're living in a world of multi-taskers, and the tab grabber has countless uses. It was conceived to slip through tiny crevices for easier opening - think how many things around the home, office, or workshop that your fingers just can't grasp or untie. This is an item for the toolbox, kitchen drawer, sewing box, or manicure kit.