Skip to content

Rumford Crate Opener

tool1aThis item is called the Rumford Crate opener or occasionally the Rumford Box opener. As you may know, Rumford and Horsford products were shipped in small boxes made at the factory. We have many in our collection. They are labeled for example 2 dz. 1 pound cans or 4 dz. 1/4 pound cans. They shipped Rumford and Horsford baking powder, Rumford Yeast powder, Horsford Bread Preparation and Horsford Acid Phosphate in the small boxes. It is not known if they sold or gave these tools to the merchants to use to open the boxes. You can still buy a similar tool today. They can also sometimes be referred to as a Tomahawk, because Calumet baking powder issued an almost identical tool labeled the “Calumet Tomahawk”. Our curator, Deb, was lucky enough to purchase one from eBay to add to her collection.
Thanks go to Robert and Nancy DeShelter for the information.

On loan from Deb Ormerod.

tool4a

tool5a