Item from SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillenburg / Nickelodeon
SpongeBob's primary tool at the Krusty Krab grill — a standard spatula elevated by the user to something close to an instrument, and by SpongeBob to something close to a partner.
The spatula is, in practical terms, a kitchen tool. In SpongeBob's hands, it is the physical expression of his calling. He flips patties with it in ways that read as performances. He talks about it with the affection some people reserve for instruments. When his spatula breaks in 'All That Glitters,' SpongeBob treats it as a genuine loss. The replacement spatula — Le Spatula — refuses to flip Krabby Patties on aesthetic grounds. This is treated as a legitimate tragedy. The spatula is referred to in the Krusty Krab Training Video as an 'advanced patty-control mechanism.'
A standard cooking spatula with a handle and a broad flat blade. Made of metal, with a rubber grip to prevent burns. Spatulas in the series often have holes to let liquids flow through. SpongeBob's specific spatula has been replaced, broken, and upgraded across episodes — most famously in 'All That Glitters,' where it shatters attempting to flip a Monster Krabby Patty.
Also known as: The Spatula, SpongeBob's Spatula, Advanced Patty-Control Mechanism