@Beth Gallagher So I've been doing some reading. This is a real Spurtle: A spurtle is a Scottish porridge stirrer, been in use since the 1400s. One can imagine that it evolved from nothing more than a stick, as folks tried to keep up with the MacJonses. Bob Moore of Bob's Red Mill won Scotland's Golden Spurtle Contest in 2016 with his oatmeal. And apparently it has non-culinary uses:
Houston, we have Spurtles!!! (Well, we have what Americans call "Spurtles.") My order arrived the other day (not exactly sure when, since my mailbox is 1/2 mile up the drive and I don't daily leave The Compound.) I just washed them and have them drying. I've taken my cheap balsa wooden spoons out of their normal spot to make Spurtle space. I'm sure I'll like them. If nothing else, the feel is certainly heftier than those cheap spoons.
I got mine, too! These are a darker color than my old ones, but I like them. They don't seem quite as smooth as my originals, though.
Well, poop. I finally got all the new Spurtles unboxed to wash, and discovered that they are absolutely "less than" when compared to my old set. The new ones (teak) don't have the satin-smooth finish like the old ones, feel kind of rough, and are much smaller. What the hell? I'm going to write a "these suck" review on QVC's website, but I'll keep them because return shipping would cost me as much as the set. Old ones (tall) versus new (short)...
Sorry to have "steered" you wrong, John. (Hope that doesn't bring the Cowboy Church crowd over here. ) I foolishly ASSumed these were the same as the originals, since they are the same brand. I suppose next time I will read the actual product description. (Not that I will buy anymore Spurtles, mind you.) I suppose I should look at the bright side... now I have two different sizes.
Actually, a true spurtle is a Scottish porridge stirrer, in used since the 1400s. They glide through the porridge as it flows around the spurtle so the porridge gets stirred without being pushed or compacted. Someone co-opted the name for those modern cooking utensils. That being said, Beth posted a link when QVC ran a special on those newer Spurtles and I bought a set. I really like them.