HolyDiverScallop
Not too smart, but at least I’m ugly.
I'd had my eye on a New West Knifeworks fish spatula for some time, because I'm a sucker for high end utensils, a sucker for nice wood, and (this is critical) kind of stupid.
After a couple of beverages the other day, my guard was down, so I bought one with ironwood scales. Total cost to me was $160.82, after tax and shipping and a 10% off coupon I found. You can get one with G10 or Micarta scales (not sure which it is) for about $20 less than ironwood.
What I received was an ISO standard mass produced stamped stainless steel fish spatula with a brushed finish and a New West logo, featuring a very nicely buffed set of ironwood scales fastened with large headed brass rivets.
The butt of the scales was barely radiused but nicely rounded. The front end of the scales were squared off 90 degrees to the blade of the spatula, and weren't quiiiite even with each other. I feel like some level of radius, bevel, or other more graceful transition wouldn't have been amiss for the tariff paid. It does not appear that epoxy was used to bond the scales to the handle, but I can't be certain about that.
The side edges of the spatula itself were not *sharp*, per se, but it was clear that they weren't really finished (apart from maybe a stone tumble or something) after the stamping operation and needed some cleanup to smooth them out. Similarly, the working edge of the spatula was somewhat rough, definitely not smooth, and needed some work to clean it up so that it could actually make full-width complete contact with a cooking surface.
What I should have done was returned it, but instead, I put on my clown shoes, taped the handle, and went to work with some 1000 grit and a flat surface. In about 20 minutes, I had the side edges smoothed out and the working edge flattened out. It is now a pretty decent spatula with some pretty nice scales, that I overpaid for by at least $90.
You'd be better served buying a Mercer or Vic spatula and getting it rehandled.
I think I am going to go into business making nice handles for unremarkable mass produced utensils.
After a couple of beverages the other day, my guard was down, so I bought one with ironwood scales. Total cost to me was $160.82, after tax and shipping and a 10% off coupon I found. You can get one with G10 or Micarta scales (not sure which it is) for about $20 less than ironwood.
What I received was an ISO standard mass produced stamped stainless steel fish spatula with a brushed finish and a New West logo, featuring a very nicely buffed set of ironwood scales fastened with large headed brass rivets.
The butt of the scales was barely radiused but nicely rounded. The front end of the scales were squared off 90 degrees to the blade of the spatula, and weren't quiiiite even with each other. I feel like some level of radius, bevel, or other more graceful transition wouldn't have been amiss for the tariff paid. It does not appear that epoxy was used to bond the scales to the handle, but I can't be certain about that.
The side edges of the spatula itself were not *sharp*, per se, but it was clear that they weren't really finished (apart from maybe a stone tumble or something) after the stamping operation and needed some cleanup to smooth them out. Similarly, the working edge of the spatula was somewhat rough, definitely not smooth, and needed some work to clean it up so that it could actually make full-width complete contact with a cooking surface.
What I should have done was returned it, but instead, I put on my clown shoes, taped the handle, and went to work with some 1000 grit and a flat surface. In about 20 minutes, I had the side edges smoothed out and the working edge flattened out. It is now a pretty decent spatula with some pretty nice scales, that I overpaid for by at least $90.
You'd be better served buying a Mercer or Vic spatula and getting it rehandled.
I think I am going to go into business making nice handles for unremarkable mass produced utensils.
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