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T-078 - Long Hackberry Spurtle - SOLD
- SOLD
Hackberry and Cherry
16½″ x 1″
Mark Baldwin, Surry Maine $36
As you probably know this is a stick for stirring porridge that Scots have called spurtle since 1528, at least. They may have gotten the idea from some porridge-eating kingdom that sent marauders to whatever place they landed. In the old days spurtles were long two-handed jobs for big kettles on an open fire. A boy in the Icelandic novel “Independent People” thought the spurtle leaning on the wall in his croft was alive. (Look up the annual Golden Spurtle Prize for the best traditional porridge in Scotland.) There have been variations on the spurtle but the ones I’ve seen in Scottish kitchens are mostly a fairly thin tapered stick.One was embellished by the maker, though not like this one. For an ordinary porridge eater the breakfast tastes the same whether the spurtle is plain or wearing morning clothes, but a dolled-up stick like this may have a better chance of staying in the family for generations. Why this shape? It’s good for stirring. It gets into the corners of a pot. Porridge doesn’t stick to it as much as a spoon. This spurtle is longer than most modern ones – good for a small or especially large pot or two-handed work. Finished with walnut oil. Ready for the pot, or off-duty use as a light saber.
Cost each: $36.00
Unit size: One of a kind
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