Church key openers

## Church key like (ckL)

Old blank ckL bottle opener

**Church key bottle openers** are one of the most basic and most common bottle openers. The difference in size and shape varies but generally follows the same lines. The empty space on the handle is used by most companies as advertising space by engraving their logo or the name of a product on the opener. Being cheap and reliable, church key openers are used by many companies for marketing.

## Origin of the term

The church key (or churchkey) is an American term for various kinds of bottle openers.

This type of bottle opener got its name from the shape of the "head" as they resemble the heads of large keys such as the ones that were traditionally used to lock and unlock church doors.

## Types of church key openers

Because of the differences between church key openers we've created a **coding system** of our own. This allows us to identify each opener.

Old **openers in the shape of beer bottles** or **flat, thin openers** also fall into the category of church keys.

### The coding

* **common** (ckC) - The most common ones in our area.
	+ **common, long** (ckCL) - Longer handle than the *ckC*'s.
	+ **common, new** (ckCN) - A modern approach to the classic *ckC*s; usually flatter than their predecessors.
	+ **common, wide** (ckCW) - Predecessors to the *ckC*s; these have wider and flatter bodies.
	+ **common, rounded** (ckCR) - The shape of the head is rounder and the end of the handle is wider.
		- **common, rounded, modified** (ckCRM) - Rather unique versions of *ckCR*s; our only example has a more curved handle compared to *ckCR*s.
	+ **common, big** (ckCB) - These church key openers have larger proportions than *ckC*s, usually having longer and wider heads and handles.
		- **common, big, modified** (ckCBM) - Rather unique versions of *ckCB*s; our only example has an entirely different head than normal *ckCR*s, while having an identical size.
	+ **common, modified** (ckCM) - Rather unique versions of *ckC*s; our only example has an entirely different head than normal *ckCR*s, while having an identical size.
* **flat** (ckF) - Flat versions of *ckC*s; they are usually smaller in size and due to their shape they commonly have engravings on either side.
* **thin** (ckT) - A different type of church key opener; rather than having a typical oval-shaped head, these church keys are thin - the head is basically the continuation of the handle - with a flat opener at one end and commonly a can piercer on the other.
	+ **thin, flat** (ckTF) - Similar in shape to *ckT*s, but they are almost completely flat rather than being curved and domed pieces of metal.
	+ **thin, long** (ckTL) - Elongated version of *ckT*s.
* **American** (ckA) - We have given this type of church key the name "*American*" because the style was mostly used in the USA in the mid 1900's.
* **in the shape of a bottle** (ckB)\*- A more unique and desirable approach to church key openers. This type is extremely collectible.
* **enormous** (ckE) - Extremely large (25+ centimeters) church key bottle openers.
* **church keys with V-shaped end** (ckV) - Church key bottle openers with V-shaped handles.
* **church key like openers** (ckL) - This is the category that concludes all church key openers which do not meet the requirements of the other categories.

\*Not to be confused with openers in the shape of a bottle that are **not** **church keys**.

## *Church keys and us*

Unless you've just recently moved into a new place you most probably have one or two church keys lying around the house, at the bottoms of drawers or hung up on the wall of your garage.

Some of the first openers in our collection were a couple of old *Metalo Chim Brașov* ckCWs from my grandmother's. Simple church keys are quite common, and we've managed to gather around 100 different ones in total. After some time it became hard to memorize all the different names and designs and slowly we've acquired more extras than we know what to do with, but this page proved to be extremely helpful to us and we hope that we will be able to help some of you as well!

Putting them on display also proved to be a challenge. We want the collection to always look as perfect as it can be, but this gets extremely hard when you have to organize all 100 church keys so that they are all level and they all start and end at the same height... Especially if we also want to have them in alphabetical order. But we've managed so far and hope to continue like this in the future too!

Church keys are kept on **magnetic tool holders** we buy from the local supermarket. **CkC**s and all their variants are arranged in a zigzag pattern, thus we can save a lot of space and put **up to 22** on a single tool holder, while **ckB**s and **ckF**s fit nicely one next to the other.

## List of Church key openers in our collection

> You can also view the gallery of church key openers.
>
>

In alphabetical order:

### Beers

* Augusta-Brauerei G.m.b.H. - **ckF**
* Augustiner-Bräu church key opener - **ckCBM**
* Ayinger Bier - **ckC**
* **Bayreuther Bierbrauerei AG** - 2 types:
	+ ckF
	+ ckL
* Bilger Stümple - **ckCL**
* Binding Bier - **ckC**
* Bitte ein Bit - **ckC**
* **Brau AG (logo)** - 2 types:
	+ ckC (version 1, more simple head and smaller overall)
	+ ckC (version 2, more complicated head and bigger overall)
* Brauerei Gehladming  (?) - **ckCR**
* Brauerei Schladming - **ckC**
* Budweiser Budvar - **ckB**
* Carlsberg - **ckF**
* Diebels Alt - **ckT**
* Dinkelacker - **ckC**
* Dinkelacker Stuttgart - **ckC**
* Dinkelacker + *Cheers!* - **ckL**
* Distelhäuser - **ckCF**
* Dortmunder Action-Bier - **ckC**
* E.C. Dahls - **ckC**
* Edelweiss - **ckCL**
* Eichener Pils - **ckC**
* EKU - **ckC**
* Erzquell - **ckC**
* Fürstenberg Donaueschingen - **ckCL**
* **Gambrinus** - 2 types:
	+ ckB (version 1, 5 rings)
	+ ckB (version 2, 9 rings)
* **Gösser Bier** - 2 types:
	+ ckCR
	+ ckCRM
* Grünner-Biere - **ckC**
* Hacker-Pschorr München - **ckC**
* Hacker-Pschorr Bräu München - **ckC**
* Hackerbräu München - **ckC**
* Hansa - **ckC**
* **Heineken** - 3 types:
	+ ckCB
	+ ckL (version 1, with ® symbol)
	+ ckL (version 2, without ® symbol)
* Henninger Bräu Frankfurt/Main - **ckC**
* Herforder Pils- **ckC**
* Hofbrauhäus München - **ckC**
* Holsten-Bier - **ckC**
* **Hubertus Bräu** - 2 types:
	+ ckC
	+ ckCR
* Isenbeck - **ckT**
* Itala Pilsen - **ckT**
* Jöst (?) - **ckC**
* **Kauzen Bier** - 2 types:
	+ ckC
	+ ckCL
* Keletslovákiai Sörgyárak - **ckB**
* Kozel - **ckB**
* Königsbacher - **ckL**
* **Krombacher** - 3 types:
	+ ckCL
	+ ckF
	+ ckL
* Kronen Dortmunder Privatbrauerei - **ckF**
* Licher - **ckC**
* Licher Bier - **ckC**
* Lindener Gilde-Bräu Hannover - **ckCL**
* Löwenbräu - **ckC**
* **Löwenbräu München** - 2 types:
	+ ckC
	+ ckCBM
* Löwenbräu SEIT 1383 - **ckC**
* Lucky Lager - **ckTF**
* Mack-øl - **ckL**
* Maisel-Bräu Bayreuth - **ckCF**
* Mönchshof-Bräu - **ckC**
* Mönchshofbräu Kulmbach - **ckC**
* Moninger - **ckC**
* Münster Bier - **ckC**
* Ostravar - **ckB**
* **Patrizier** - 2 types:
	+ ckC (version 1, block letters)
	+ ckC (version 2, cursive letters)
* **Paulaner München** - 2 types:
	+ ckCB (version 1, same length rows)
	+ ckCB (version 2, first row is longer than the second one)
* **Pilsner Urquell** - 3 types:
	+ ckB (version 1, text written diagonally)
	+ ckB (version 2, text written horizontally)
	+ Prazdroj Plzen - **ckB**
* ·PRIPPS· - **ckC**
* **Puntigamer Bier** - 2 types:
	+ ckC
	+ ckCR
* Pyraser bier - **ckC**
* Radhost - **ckB**
* Reichelbräu - **ckC**
* Reininghaus Bier - **ckCR**
* Ringness - **ckF** + *brown leather case*
* Ritter Pils - **ckC**
* Sankt Martin church key opener
* Šariš church key opener - **ckB**
* Schäffbräu - **ckCF**
* Schimpfle-Bier - **ckCL**
* Schultheiss - **ckC**
* Schwechater Bier - **ckCR**
* Sömenbrauerei Passau (?) - **ckC**
* Spalter Bier - **ckC**
* Spaten-Bräu München - **ckA**
* Spendrup's - **ckC**
* Staropramen - **ckB**
* Stauder - **ckC**
* Steigl - **ckC**
* Steiner Biere - **ckC**
* Stern - **ckCF**
* **Thurn und Taxis** - 2 types:
	+ ckC
	+ ckCL
* Thurn und Taxis Biere - **ckCL**
* Trappistes Rochefort - **ckL**
* Tucher - **ckC**
* **Veltins** - 2 types:
	+ ckF (version 1, round logo)
	+ ckF (version 2, square logo)
* Villacher Bier - **ckCR**
* **Warsteiner** - 2 types:
	+ ckC (version 1, cursive letters)
	+ ckC (version 2, block letters)
* Weihenstephan - **ckC**
* Wolferstetter - **ckC**
* Wolfra - **ckCB**
* Würzburger Hofbräu - **ckC**
* Zipfer Bier church key - **ckCR**

### Milk

* **Bären-Marke** - 3 types:
	+ ckTF (version 1, shorter)
	+ ckTF (version 2, longer)
	+ ckTF (version 3, longer with slightly different shape)
* Bergmilch - **ckT**
* Ideal Kondensmilch - **ckTL**
* Saliter-Milch - **ckC**
* **Saliter-Sahne** - 2 types:
	+ ckC (version 1, cursive 'S')
	+ ckC (version 2, block 'S')
* Stalden church key opener with bear head - **ckTF**

### Mineral waters

* Adelheid-Quelle - **ckCB**
* **Apollinaris** - 2 types:
	+ ckC
	+ ckCB
* Birresborner - **ckCM**
* Chaudfontaine - **ckL**
* Elisabethen-Quelle - **ckCB**
* **Fachingen** - 2 types:
	+ ckT (version 1, small hole)
	+ ckT (version 2, large hole)
* Franken-Brunnen - **ckC**
* **Gerolsteiner** - 3 types:
	+ ckC
	+ ckCL (version 1, large inscription)
	+ ckCL (version 2, small inscription)
* Hirsch-Quelle - **ckCB**
* Kondrauer - **ckC**
* Primusquelle Adelholzen - **ckCB**
* Ramlösa - **ckCL**
* Selters - **ckC**
* Stiftsquelle - **ckL**
* Wildunger Helenenquelle - **ckC**

### Sodas

* Almdudler - **ckC**
* Bluna - **ckC**
* Campari Soda - **ckE**
* Canada Dry - **ckC**
* **Coca Cola** - 5 types:
	+ DRICK Coca Cola (ckC)
	+ Trink Coca Cola (ckC)
	+ TRINK Coca Cola (ckC)
	+ Trink Coca Cola (ckCR)
	+ TRINK Coca Cola (ckB)
* Corona - **ckL**
* Frucade - **ckC**
* Libella - **ckT**
* Pepsi - **ckC**
* Pepsi Cola - **ckC**
* Sinalco - **ckC**

### Others

* BEER-BARON - **ckTF**
* CSU - **ckF**
* Dreko (made in GDR) - **ckV**
* Ebel - **ckL**
* EVP 0,15 - **ckCR**
* **Fackelmann** - 2 types:
	+ ckC
	+ ckCN
* ICI Paints Division - **ckL**
* Jonas (made in Sweden) - **ckL**
* landgold - **ckC**
* **Metalo Chim Brașov** - 5 types:
	+ ckCW (version 1, horizontal logo)
	+ ckCW (version 1, horizontal logo, custom black painted)
	+ ckCW (version 2, vertical logo)
	+ ckCW (version 3, old logo type 1)
	+ ckCW (version 4, old logo type 2)
	+ ckT
* Schmiedl Verschleissbremse - **ckL**
* Söripar - **ckC**
* Székelyföldi Lovas Ünnep - **ckL**
* Wienerwald - **ckC**, green painted
* custom *(VOP and VSP)* - **ckC**
* Large church key like bottle opener with the word "cheers" in different languages - **ckL**
* Old rusty church key like metal bottle opener with blue rubber handle with Made in France engraving - **ckL**
* Red painted cast iron church key like bottle opener with small flower at the end of the handle - **ckL**
* **blank** - 7 types:
	+ ckC (version 1, with hole)
	+ ckC (version 2, without hole)
	+ ckCB
	+ ckCL
	+ ckCW
	+ ckE, aluminium
	+ ckT (custom red painted)
	+ ckV
* Flat church key like bottle opener with very thin handle - **ckL**
* Flat heavy stainless steel church key like bottle opener - **ckL**
* Old metal church key like bottle opener (type 1) - **ckL**
* Old metal church key like bottle opener (type 2) - **ckL**
* Old large orange metal church key like bottle opener - **ckL**