Wow those cost more than the old ones and you don’t get to hunt for them in antique stores or estate sales.
Cast Iron Cookware
- Thread starter svk
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If I went and bought a $200 pan, my lady would turn it into a murder weapon...and I wouldn't be able to post on this site anymore.
I've got some estate finds I need to clean up and post pics of. I like the older lighter ones better than the Lodge stuff we have. Although, one lodge pan I do like. Two of our Lodge pans on the bottom look like they are crevised and craggly as if they're rotting. They may not be able to withstand the gas stove and my wife's penchant for blackened dinner.
I've got some estate finds I need to clean up and post pics of. I like the older lighter ones better than the Lodge stuff we have. Although, one lodge pan I do like. Two of our Lodge pans on the bottom look like they are crevised and craggly as if they're rotting. They may not be able to withstand the gas stove and my wife's penchant for blackened dinner.
Well, maybe some of the Etsy priced antiques don’t hurt so much now!
Philbert
Philbert
Found a pretty nice 5 from the 1920’s for $40 today.
My last find in Indiana before returning home. Didn’t have a lid but for $35 I couldn’t pass it up. Very good condition for being from the1920’s.
It's been fun looking at all these various pieces of cast iron cookware. I really like this last round roaster. That is a very nice piece of cookware.
I need to get a skillet or two, lost my last ones during an unexpected move.
I need to get a skillet or two, lost my last ones during an unexpected move.
Love my cast iron. Occasionally I find skillets at princess auto in the wholesale section for 10 bucks a piece.
These vintage and antique pieces are absolutely beautiful.. I think I've found a new obsession to add to my collecting habit
These vintage and antique pieces are absolutely beautiful.. I think I've found a new obsession to add to my collecting habit
Bacon and eggs with oatmeal on the woodstove
@svk, I was cleaning a skillet my sister gave me years ago. I thought it was a Lodge, but no 'Lodge' inscription is on it. I thought it was the "Chef's Series" from Lodge because the handle is slightly curved and the sides aren't a vertical as a normal skillet. More of a curve to them. Kind of like this:
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/chef-collection-skillet?sku=LC10SK
Pics are hard to get:
On the bottom is "MADE IN USA", all caps and "9H-1" toward the bottom.
Any ideas on the manufacturer?
Thanks
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/product/chef-collection-skillet?sku=LC10SK
Pics are hard to get:
On the bottom is "MADE IN USA", all caps and "9H-1" toward the bottom.
Any ideas on the manufacturer?
Thanks
I think that’s a BSR skillet
ON A RELATED TOPIC - RUST STAINS
So, I moved a Lodge, cast-iron skillet, to the kitchen counter, to make room on the stove.
The skillet was cold, and I thought, fully seasoned, but the Formica counter might have been wet (?). A few days later, I had a rust stain on the counter.
- Water and a ‘no-scratch’ (blue) ScotchBrite pad did not remove it.
- Clorox Cleanup (contains bleach) did not clean it (even when left in place for a while, via a saturated paper towel).
- CLR (one of my go-to’s for rust stains) did not touch it (*Note: Formica is one of the things the label says ‘Not Recommended For’*, but I thought I would give it a quick try).
- Internet search suggested vinegar (acetic acid). Nope.
- Internet also suggested ’Bar Keeper’s Friend’ cleanser.
* DING! DING! DING! *
I mixed the cleanser (contains oxalic acid) into a paste and let it sit for a while. Stain is gone! No scrubbing!
(Maybe a potato would work? They also contain oxalic acid).
‘Just in case you may know someone in a similar situation.’
Philbert
So, I moved a Lodge, cast-iron skillet, to the kitchen counter, to make room on the stove.
The skillet was cold, and I thought, fully seasoned, but the Formica counter might have been wet (?). A few days later, I had a rust stain on the counter.
- Water and a ‘no-scratch’ (blue) ScotchBrite pad did not remove it.
- Clorox Cleanup (contains bleach) did not clean it (even when left in place for a while, via a saturated paper towel).
- CLR (one of my go-to’s for rust stains) did not touch it (*Note: Formica is one of the things the label says ‘Not Recommended For’*, but I thought I would give it a quick try).
- Internet search suggested vinegar (acetic acid). Nope.
- Internet also suggested ’Bar Keeper’s Friend’ cleanser.
* DING! DING! DING! *
I mixed the cleanser (contains oxalic acid) into a paste and let it sit for a while. Stain is gone! No scrubbing!
(Maybe a potato would work? They also contain oxalic acid).
‘Just in case you may know someone in a similar situation.’
Philbert
I can't believe CLR or vinegar didn't work.
Maybe a little bear lard would have worked
.Had a couple of modern Lodge skillets that felt a little ‘gummy’.
‘Over-seasoned’. Most of the on-line advice suggested stripping them and starting over.
I put them in the oven at 300°F for a half hour; wiped off as much as I could; let them cool; then scrubbed with warm water, Dawn dish soap, and a SotchBrite pad.
Worked pretty well: still have a black, seasoned coat, but the stickiness is gone.
A lot easier than starting over.
Philbert
‘Over-seasoned’. Most of the on-line advice suggested stripping them and starting over.
I put them in the oven at 300°F for a half hour; wiped off as much as I could; let them cool; then scrubbed with warm water, Dawn dish soap, and a SotchBrite pad.
Worked pretty well: still have a black, seasoned coat, but the stickiness is gone.
A lot easier than starting over.
Philbert
You can tell from my posts that I have been sorting through cast iron lately!
Found a different looking Lodge #8, which I thought might have been older: very smooth interior seasoning, rounded edges (almost like a French skillet), slightly different markings, etc. (pan on Right, in photos).
I stripped it, because it had a thick, heavy buildup on the exterior (the pan on the Left has ‘factory seasoning’, plus a few uses on it).
Turns out it is part of their ’Chef’s Series’: slightly lower, more angled sides; slightly raised, curved, handle; 11 ounces lighter (!).
In the bare metal it appears that a previous owner sanded the inside bottom smooth (but not the curved sides). The surfaces look like any other, current, Lodge skillet on their website.
I don’t think that sanding would account for the 11 ounce difference. But I did weigh some ‘identical’ cast iron pans which were almost 6 ounces different in weight!
Philbert
Found a different looking Lodge #8, which I thought might have been older: very smooth interior seasoning, rounded edges (almost like a French skillet), slightly different markings, etc. (pan on Right, in photos).
I stripped it, because it had a thick, heavy buildup on the exterior (the pan on the Left has ‘factory seasoning’, plus a few uses on it).
Turns out it is part of their ’Chef’s Series’: slightly lower, more angled sides; slightly raised, curved, handle; 11 ounces lighter (!).
In the bare metal it appears that a previous owner sanded the inside bottom smooth (but not the curved sides). The surfaces look like any other, current, Lodge skillet on their website.
I don’t think that sanding would account for the 11 ounce difference. But I did weigh some ‘identical’ cast iron pans which were almost 6 ounces different in weight!
Philbert
Delete
About 3 years ago, someone in this forum got me involved in cast iron as a new hobby (I don’t want to mention his name, but his initials are ‘ @svk ’). @pbilly contributed, by helping me understand more about the ‘older’ and ‘better’ stuff.
Bought a few, modern, Lodge pieces off Amazon. Started looking at garage sales, Goodwill, etc. Accumulated a few more.
Started working through them, recently: some have rough edges / casting marks; some had thick build up of crud on the outside, or uneven seasoning; etc. Hope to start using these more.
Philbert
Bought a few, modern, Lodge pieces off Amazon. Started looking at garage sales, Goodwill, etc. Accumulated a few more.
Started working through them, recently: some have rough edges / casting marks; some had thick build up of crud on the outside, or uneven seasoning; etc. Hope to start using these more.
Philbert
STRIPPING
Different ways to do this. I did the ‘lye (sodium hydroxide) tank’ method.
Plastic, Rubbermaid container in the washtub. About 1 pound of pure lye added to 5 gallons of water.
I used drain cleaner stuff from the home center, that I had. Ordered some ‘food grade’ stuff from Amazon, that I did not have to use this time.
Follow all the safety precautions: heavy gloves, splash goggles, add lye to water (NOT the other way around), etc.
Mix a smaller amount if just stripping one skillet. I needed the depth for some Dutch ovens.
Worked fast with initial, warm water. Some skillets cleaned up overnight. Some took a full day. Slower at the end, but still worked.
Some took a couple of dips, with some scrubbing in between, with a stainless steel ScotchBrite pad.
I cleaned 11 pieces with this solution (skillets, Dutch ovens, lids). Not sure if it could have done more. Makes sense to do it as a ‘batch’, if you have multiple pieces.
Most came down to bare, grey, metal. Some stains remained. I scrubbed each with cleanser (Ajax, Comet, Bar Keeper’s Friend, etc.), followed by Dawn dish detergent, to get any loose stuff off.
Ready for ‘Finishing’!
Philbert
Different ways to do this. I did the ‘lye (sodium hydroxide) tank’ method.
Plastic, Rubbermaid container in the washtub. About 1 pound of pure lye added to 5 gallons of water.
I used drain cleaner stuff from the home center, that I had. Ordered some ‘food grade’ stuff from Amazon, that I did not have to use this time.
Follow all the safety precautions: heavy gloves, splash goggles, add lye to water (NOT the other way around), etc.
Mix a smaller amount if just stripping one skillet. I needed the depth for some Dutch ovens.
Worked fast with initial, warm water. Some skillets cleaned up overnight. Some took a full day. Slower at the end, but still worked.
Some took a couple of dips, with some scrubbing in between, with a stainless steel ScotchBrite pad.
I cleaned 11 pieces with this solution (skillets, Dutch ovens, lids). Not sure if it could have done more. Makes sense to do it as a ‘batch’, if you have multiple pieces.
Most came down to bare, grey, metal. Some stains remained. I scrubbed each with cleanser (Ajax, Comet, Bar Keeper’s Friend, etc.), followed by Dawn dish detergent, to get any loose stuff off.
Ready for ‘Finishing’!
Philbert
Would anyone here be interested in buying some cast iron, or would the cost of shipping make it not worth while?
New, Lodge brand cookware is pretty cheap on Amazon, and free shipping at $35. Pretty hard to compete with that.
Older, harder to find pieces, of heavily discounted stuff, might be worthwhile.
Shipping cast iron can get expensive, fast! What ‘ya got?
Philbert
Older, harder to find pieces, of heavily discounted stuff, might be worthwhile.
Shipping cast iron can get expensive, fast! What ‘ya got?
Philbert
