Can Tops & Opening Devices

The very first cans had no opening device at all, and had to be pierced with a can-opener on the lid: these ones are usually called "Flat Tops" (or simply "Flats"). They are only to be found in "Straight Sided" cans (see types of cans) except for a small number of old Aluminium specimens.

This opening system (...or such lack of opening system) lasted until the early '60s, when in the U.S.A. and later in Europe the first "Tab Tops" (or "Ring Pull Tops") were put on the market. The very first American ones did not have a ring, but simply a thin piece of metal to pull and are known as "Zip Tops".

Shortly after that, another kind of opening device appeared in North America, but was never seen in Europe (except for a few British cans): the so-called "Button Top", which had two small ready-to-press buttons (one for the beer, the other to let the air inside).

"Tab Tops" were the most common and worked well; in some countries though they started to create environmental problems, due to the fact that the ring was (in most cases) simply thrown away and not inserted inside the empty can, as actually suggested on many can tops. Therefore since the early '80s in the U.S.A. and few years later elsewhere the "Stay-On Tab" was introduced, becoming the most common opening device currently used.