Spatula, Both Side Flat

Quick Answer: A both side flat spatula is a double-ended laboratory spatula with a flat, round-tipped blade at each end and no spoon. It is used to scrape, lift, level and divide solid chemicals and pastes rather than to carry loose powder.

Two Flat Blades, No Bowl

Because both ends of this spatula are flat, the blade acts like a small scraper. It slides under crystals left on filter paper after a filtration, lifts damp solid off the wall of a beaker without gouging it, and cuts a caked lump of salt into portions that can be weighed separately. With the edge drawn across the top of a heaped weighing boat, it also strikes off excess powder in one pass.

What a flat blade does poorly is carry free-flowing powder over any distance: granules roll off the sides. For fetching fine solids out of a jar, the flat and spoon laboratory spatula is the better partner, and many benches keep one of each. On double-flat patterns the two blades are often of different widths, giving a broad end for scraping and a narrower one for small portions and narrow containers.

Applications

• Recovering crystals from filter paper or a watch glass after recrystallisation
• Levelling a measured heap of powder on a weighing boat before recording the mass
• Scraping dried residue from an evaporating basin once it has cooled
• Spreading or working a paste on a glass tile

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Wipe the blade clean and dry between chemicals so one reagent is not carried into the next bottle.
• Hold the flat blade at a low angle when scraping glass; a steep angle can chip thin rims.
• Straighten a blade that has been bent before storing it, because a kinked tip no longer lies flat on a surface.
• Keep flat spatulas apart from sharp tools in the drawer so the edges stay smooth.

Why Choose LabEquip

Chemistry and pharmacy practical rooms usually stock flat-bladed and spoon-ended spatulas side by side. LabEquip lists this double-blade version in the General Lab Products range; send the quantity and any preferred blade width through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is a flat spatula more useful than a spoon spatula?

When the solid needs to be scraped, levelled, divided or lifted off a surface. A flat blade gets under crystals on filter paper or glass and strikes off a heap cleanly, whereas a spoon is better for carrying loose powder from a jar.

Can a flat spatula be used to measure a quantity of powder?

Only roughly. A blade-full is a rough amount, not a measurement. Weigh the portion on a balance, using the spatula to add or remove small amounts until the reading is correct.

Why do double flat spatulas often have two different blade widths?

The broad end covers more surface for scraping and lifting, while the narrow end fits into smaller containers and moves smaller portions. Having both on one tool saves changing spatulas during a single task.

How should the spatula be cleaned between reagents?

Wipe off loose solid with a dry tissue, wash with water or a suitable solvent for the residue, then dry the blade completely. A damp blade can make hygroscopic solids clump and can carry traces into the next bottle.

Is a metal spatula suitable for every chemical?

No. Some substances attack or are contaminated by metal, for example iodine and certain metal salts, and trace-metal work needs metal-free tools. In those cases use a plastic or other non-metallic spatula instead.

Can the blade be heated in a flame?

Briefly heating a metal blade does no harm, but a hot spatula can decompose the next solid it touches and burn the user. Let it cool fully before use and never heat a spatula that still has chemical on it.

Last Updated: September 2026