The Spatula
A note on spatulas:
The spatula is a generally overlooked and often derided tool. I can only assume that this is so because it has a very unpleasant sounding name and unlike a knife lacks any sort of romantic martial pedigree. Knives are entrancing and violent and capture the imagination, spoons are adorable and are possessed of a vaguely feminine charm, graters are brutal, whisks whisper creamy susurration, scales and measures proclaim bounty, and even the fork reminds us of harvests and Triton. But the spatula?
Yet surely the humble spatula can be the only kitchen tool to rival the spoon as the most used in common daily cooking. For food preparation the knife is king, but for actual cooking the spatula is indispensable. I am pleased to give the spatula its due, and I laud its flexile flippiness!
The Handle
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I have chosen a tapered octagonal handle both for its beauty and its utility. Inspired by the form and proportions of the great toolmakers of early nineteenth century in Sheffield, England, this is the same sort of handle I often put on my own chisels and files. The faceted design allows for easy and natural angle control; the handle does not want to rotate or slip in the hand. It also just feels good. This handle looks timeless, clean, and elegant. For this series I have chosen to use North American black walnut. This is a classic handle wood, and for good reason; it is light, stable, and reasonably strong, as well as being plentiful and nice to work.
The end plate is made of substantial brass. Apart from looking nice, it protects the end grain from taking up cooking oil or water.
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The handle is very easy to care for. Simply apply a wood oil of the choice whenever the handle starts to look dry or exposed. If it doesn’t shed water but instead soaks it up then it is time to oil! Always allow the handle to dry completely before oil. If the wood starts to feel fuzzy (the grain has been raised), you can rub it with 0000 steel wool, always in the same direction as the grain. Blow it off, wipe it down, and oil it up. My favorite oil is Watco butcher block, but there are many good food safe oils. For myself, I do not prefer mineral oils for wood, as they seem to soften the wood after many years. So long as you use a hardening oil (Watco butcher block, Linseed, Tung, etc.) you don’t need to worry about over-oiling. Just remember to use thin coats and allow the oil to cure. I just wipe on a bit, rub it in, let it sit for a minute or so, and then wipe off the excess and buff lightly with a soft lint free cotton cloth (old t-shirt is good). It is all very simple. You may also like to wax the handle. I like carnauba wax, but bee’s wax is also excellent. It will eventually wear and wash off, and that is a good time to rub the handle down with 0000 steel wool and apply oil. Wax is great, but wood still likes to be oiled occasionally. How often you need to do any of this will depend greatly upon your particular habits of use.
The Tang
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I forge the tangs by hand with my hammer, tongs, and anvil. When forged, the grain structure of the steel follows the form of the tang, lending this rather slight piece of steel remarkable strength. The tangs are mild carbon steel, which is just the right weight and gives the tool stability. Forging also allows me to have an unusual rectangular cross section, which I think improves both stability and the feel of the tool. Having tried both round and square tang cross sections (both much easier to produce), I prefer the balance and directional stability of the rectangular. It also looks neat. It does make fitting the tail into the handle much, much more difficult!
The crank neck geometries have been carefully refined to provide optimal clearance, balance, and response.
There are two tang stamps: on the presentation face is stamped “The Endeavor Works,” and on the other side my maker’s mark. This latter mark is only used on things that I have personally made with my own two hands.
Only the profile of the tang is ground, allowing the top and bottom to retain a hammer forged finish. I think this is beautiful and pleasantly organic.
Every tang is unique, and so must be fitted to its handle individually. I do this work predominantly using files. It is a demanding process, but I believe it is worth the extra work. It is important to have a very good fit in this joint. Too loose and the tang won’t seat, too tight and the tang will tend to split the handle. As I fit the tangs, I can also make slight adjustments to accommodate the irregularities native to hand forged parts.
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Care is simple. Never put your spatula in the dishwasher or leave it to soak in the sink, as the carbon steel will rust and the wooden handle will split. These are not deficiencies, but merely characteristics. Best practice is to lightly hand wash your spatula after use using a reasonably gentle soap and a non-abrasive scrubby or brush. Non-woven abrasive pads (i.e. Scotch brite) will scratch the blade and strip the oil finish. Dry the tool thoroughly and put it away. If you live by the sea or in a quite humid environment you may wish to apply a very light coat of food safe, non-spoiling and non-hardening oil (such as mineral oil, avocado oil, etc.) to the blade and tang to prevent flash rust. Such precautions are only necessary in certain environments. Should you find that your spatula has rusted, don’t worry! Start by simply washing the blade again, drying, and rubbing with oil (a paper towel or toothbrush works well). If you have more serious rust that won’t just scrub off, you may need to adopt more aggressive methods. As you work, always use the least aggressive method that you find effective. Start easy and light and work up. Use gentle pressure. Always rub in the direction of the grind lines. There are many different options for abrasives. Rust erasers are handy, BonAmi is great, 0000 steel wool is good, Hagerty 100 is a very effective polish, ultra-fine non-woven abrasive pads (often grey) can work well, baking soda and salt made into a paste can work, etc., etc.. Whatever method you adopt, I would recommend that you protect the handle before beginning, as you are likely to end up with black mess rubbed into the grain of the wood otherwise. Most methods will strip the patine from the blade. Don’t worry! It will come back, and the patina will also obscure and errant scratches that may have shown up.
The Blade
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Patterned on my Great-Grandmother’s spatula, the blades are what first started me making spatulas. The proportions are just right for general use. The front edge being out of square allows the inner corner to lead the blade under delicate or quite small victuals like thin fish fillets, crepes, or a fried egg. The corner radii are chosen to fit most pans nicely. They are small enough to get under food easily but wide enough to support it once under. The blade is just the right balance between flexibility and strength. It is carefully beveled to be sharp, and then that bevel is softened and polished so that it is smooth in action against a pan. I have chosen to make my blades out of 1095 high carbon spring steel (something of a darling with knife and saw makers). This steel has just the right characteristics; it is strong, light, abrasion resistant, holds a fine edge, makes a great spring, and above all it is lively. It has a wonderful feel and provides superb feedback (I have never found a stainless steel that comes even close).
The blade and tang are joined with two hand hammered rivets. This is strong, does not affect the temper of the blade, and can be readily undone should the blade ever need to be replaced (which is unlikely). Solid rivets rarely fail, and two is the right number for this size of thing.
While wood and carbon steel are slightly higher maintenance materials than plastic and stainless, they offer such wonderful performance and feel that I believe they are worth the care and attention.
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To begin; use your spatula! My hope is that the more you use it, the more you will like it. Carbon steel will develop a unique and lovely patina with use. Do not be alarmed! This is fun, personal, and perfectly safe. The patina will begin to form immediately upon use, and will constantly change as you cook different things. Until a good patina forms you may notice a funny smell and some grey in your food. This is completely normal and entirely harmless. It will stop once a good patina is formed on the blade, so persevere! Patina will also help to protect the steel from rust. Patina is not dirt. It is character.
One last thing to remember; don’t worry, and enjoy using your spatula. There are countless tools made from carbon steel and wood that have lasted for centuries of normal use. With basic care there is no reason that yours mightn’t join their glorious ranks.
Fully Customized
Is the primary user left-handed or right-handed? Because our blade has an offset angle on the front edge to allow for precise maneuverability in the pan, we can make spatulas bespoke for a leftie or a rightie.
Choose Handle Style
We currently have two options for handle style.
On the left in this image you see the turned handle which is round and carved on a lathe. This is available in any wood. All turned handles come with wide copper end cap and copper rivets.
On the right you see our classic tapered octagonal handle. This is available in any wood. This is hand carved and features an octagonal brass end plate.
Choose Wood
