Opening-a-string-sealed-bag-without-scissors

[bryan]

Worked for me when I was raising rabbits 100+ does) and shar-pei (8 bitches).

 

What say you?

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Opening-a-string-sealed-bag-without-scissors/?ALLSTEPS

[kjs]

Good tip, thanks for posting.

 

Grew up on farm, opened lots of burlap feed bags and this is how you do it.

[tony b]

I always knew that there had to be a trick to this. Now I know!

[tinyfish]

Who would have known.

[PRippley]

I just bought a bag of lump a few days ago and ripped the bag, doh! Ps I am officially a coco char snob....a little afraid of the smell given off by the lump made in Mexico with "mesquite" added, should I be?

[Poochie]

Mesquite isn't a problem with beef since it can take some stronger smoke. I wouldn't use it with chicken or turkey for sure.  If you have lots of it, mix some apple or pecan wood with it to mellow it out a bit. 

[PRippley]

Cool, we have apple wood, will do!

[Syzygies]

So I had to go try this. I have twenty bags of Lazzari charcoal to practice on.

 

Trying to tease the start took me much longer than I ever spend with scissors, to no avail.

 

Instead, follow the directions (right end of single-stitched side) up to finding the dangling string. Undo the first little loose knot just wasn't happening for me. However, snip off the string flush with the bag, then pull the string on your side works like a charm.

[CeramicChef]

God made pocket knives for a reason. I've carried a pocket knive since I was a boy. I've never had to worried which end of the string I pulled!

Nice info to know though. Thanks!

[Syzygies]

I've never had to worry which end of the string I pulled!

 

Perhaps the original bags of this form involved coarse, high quality string, so the tail on the right could be easily untangled. With the bags I have on hand, it is a fool's errand to use one's fingers to get the string started, if one has the choice of cutting off the tail to free the string one pulls.

 

I couldn't tell from your post whether the string in fact pulls from either direction, and you were using your knife because one can't untangle the left tail by hand. Or if you simply obliterate the bag with your knife. Rather than ask, this was an easy experiment: I went to my garage, and opened another bag of charcoal.

 

The string only pulls from the right, on the single threaded side. And by far the easiest way to get the string started is with your pocket knife. That is way less work than obliterating the bag with your knife.

 

For everyone else reading this thread, whose garage is filling with opened bags of charcoal: One doesn't have to open the bags all the way, to try these experiments!

 

 

Laurie actually understands the knots involved in sewing, and knew without experimenting that a chain stitch only pulls one way. One can see from my drawing why this is.

 

The idea that one pulls from the right is a convention. To make this point, I almost went to the garage to open another bag, upside down. Laurie talked me out of it.

[CeramicChef]

Syzygies - as is always the case, you've gotten directly to the nut of the problem! Great diagram. And easy to understand the dynamics of the situation. I'm giving your technique a try this evening.

I just use my knife to cut a pouring spout about a third of the way across the bag. Makes adding lump a very easy process.

[bosco]

this video made me a pro....works every time.  Not always starting from the right, sometimes the left depends

 

[Poochie]

And here's one more way.  With bags of lump, I cut them open across the top with a knife. Then I place the lump in 70+ quart plastic storage tubs. I place a piece of cardboard from a box on top to absorb moisture then put the lid on. The whole process takes about 20 seconds and you can pick and choose what size lump you want to use without digging in a narrow bag. 

[tony b]

I practiced on a bag of Royal Oak today. Worked great. My trick was, once started, pulled on both pieces of string and it opened like a zipper!