The P-38, P-51 and both ball chains are made from stainless steel. The P-38 is known as a "John Wayne" by the United States Marine Corps, either because of its toughness and dependability or because of an unsubstantiated story that the actor had been shown in an as-yet-unidentified training film opening a can of K-Rations. The can opener is pocket-sized, approximately 1.5 inches (38 mm) long, and consists of a short metal blade that serves as a handle, with a small, hinged metal tooth that folds out to pierce the can lid. A larger version, 2 inches, called the P-51 is somewhat easier to operate. The handle portion can also double as a makeshift flat-blade screwdriver.