Spatula, One Side Flat, One Side Pointed

Quick Answer: This pointed spatula is a double-ended laboratory spatula with a flat blade at one end and a tapered, pointed blade at the other. The point breaks up caked solids and picks up small crystals; the flat end scrapes and transfers.

What the Pointed End Adds

Solids that have absorbed moisture or been stored for a long time often form a hard cake inside their bottles. A spoon end simply skids over the surface, but a pointed end can be worked into the cake to break it into pieces that can then be lifted out. The same point can pick up a single crystal, push a small amount of solid into a narrow tube, or scrape residue from a groove or the corner of a container.

The flat blade at the other end does the ordinary work: scraping, levelling and tapping solid onto a weighing boat. Compared with the both side flat spatula, this version trades one flat blade for a point, so it suits users who deal with caked or crystalline solids more often than with free-flowing powder.

A point is also a hazard. It can puncture filter paper, tear gloves and catch on skin, so it is used with care and stored with the tip protected.

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Work the point in gently; heavy levering can bend the tip or crack a glass bottle.
• Keep the pointed end away from filter papers and membranes unless you mean to pierce them.
• Store with the point in a rack or cap to protect fingers and gloves.
• Clean and dry between chemicals.

Applications

• Breaking up caked salts such as calcium chloride or sodium carbonate in stock bottles
• Picking up individual crystals to examine under a hand lens
• Pushing small amounts of solid into narrow tubes or capillaries
• Scraping residue from corners of crucibles and evaporating basins

Why Choose LabEquip

Chemistry teaching labs and technicians who prepare solutions from stored solids often keep a pointed spatula alongside standard ones. LabEquip lists it in the General Lab Products range; send quantities through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is a pointed spatula better than a spoon spatula?

When the solid is caked, compacted or crystalline. The point breaks up hard lumps and picks up single crystals, where a spoon would slide over the surface.

Can I use it to break up a solid that has set hard in its bottle?

Yes, carefully. Work the point in a little at a time. If the solid is very hard, it is safer to break the lump up in a mortar than to lever against a glass bottle.

Why has my stored solid caked?

Many salts absorb moisture from the air when the cap is loose or the bottle is opened often. Closing bottles promptly and storing hygroscopic solids in a desiccator reduces caking.

Is the pointed end sharp enough to cut?

It is tapered, not a knife edge, but it can still pierce paper, gloves and skin. Handle it with the same care as other pointed tools.

Can the pointed end be used to fill melting-point capillaries?

It can push small amounts of powder into the open end. The usual method is to press the capillary into a small heap of powder and tap it down.

How do I clean residue from the tip?

Wipe it with a tissue, wash in water or a suitable solvent and dry. A soft brush helps where residue has dried near the point.

Last Updated: September 2026