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Look what I found at the antique store


Cyrus Cassidy #45437

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Those of you who know me know that I'm an avid cast iron / dutch oven / outdoor cook.  Some people have encouraged me to write a book!  

 

There are people who collect antique cast iron, but I'm no collector.  That said, the antiques are simply ten times better than stuff being prodcued today.  The castings are smoother, thicker, and have fewer pock marks, etc.  Even world-renouned Lodge has some severe quality issues, in my opinion (fewer errors, but the castings are ROUGH and their "pre-seasoning" is nothing but gross plastic).  

 

So even though I'm not a collector, I went looking for an antique just to have a better tool.  The majority of antique cast iron I find in antique stores, flea markets, etc. is either warped from abuse, rusty, or so heavily encrusted (heavy encrustation is *NOT* "seasoning"!) that it's virtually unusable.  Heavy encrustation can be removed, but who knows what cracks and flaws it's hiding?

 

Finally, I saw this gem sitting on a shelf.  The logo puts its manufacture between 1924-1959, the heydey of American made cast iron cookware.  It looks to have been encrusted at one point and then cleaned, but because it's clean, I can see and judge every aspect of the metal.  Simply put, this thing is a gem!

 

I've seen collectors pay $200 for this same model of skillet.  It went home with me for $50.  

 

By the way, the "10" on the handle is not a size; it is a model number.  The skillet is roughly 12 inches in diameter.

 

IMG_2015.JPG

IMG_2016.JPG

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Nice and does not appear to be warped.

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I had a nice 12" iron skillet passed down from generation to generation from my great grandmother till it finally ended up with me. My wife, not knowing anything about the skillet put it in a garage sale years back since we did not use it much. She sold it for $10 and I could have strangled her when I found out. What a loss. :-(

 

TM

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I like cast iron but it is not in my being to maintain it. Sorry, just can’t.

 

so, visiting my friend in Novosibirsk, Russia, yes Central Siberia, fourth largest city in Russia. We drove to visit babushka in a nearby town/village. Now babushka means grandmother but her sister, a great-aunt is dvayourodnibabushka, usually just called babushka. You run into the same problem with cousins, “second relation sister” is just called sister.

 

so, babushka made blini for us. Blini =thin pancakes. She was using two cast iron frying pans. Those pans had been seasoned many years ago, had a lot of something encrusted there. Totally safe cooking but USA culinary standards would totally reject everything.

 

PS: when leaving I needed to use the outhouse. They suggested to use the snow. I did . Later I verified with my friend that they were serious.  Never know. Of course I kickedsnow over the yellow hole.

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As I  read your original topic post, I knew it had to be a Wagner cast iron piece.. 

 

 They were always the best and still arbut I doubt that Wagner is still in business.  If you put a Lodge cast-iron piece next to a Wagner, there is no real comparison. 

 

Cat Brules

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Nice Pan !!!

I love cast da boss loves Coated light weight Steel pans.....

If she decides to hit me with one ,,,,,,,I Hope it's one of her's .... 

 

Jabez Cowboy

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6 hours ago, Cyrus Cassidy #45437 said:

Those of you who know me know that I'm an avid cast iron / dutch oven / outdoor cook.  Some people have encouraged me to write a book!  

 

There are people who collect antique cast iron, but I'm no collector.  That said, the antiques are simply ten times better than stuff being prodcued today.  The castings are smoother, thicker, and have fewer pock marks, etc.  Even world-renouned Lodge has some severe quality issues, in my opinion (fewer errors, but the castings are ROUGH and their "pre-seasoning" is nothing but gross plastic).  

 

So even though I'm not a collector, I went looking for an antique just to have a better tool.  The majority of antique cast iron I find in antique stores, flea markets, etc. is either warped from abuse, rusty, or so heavily encrusted (heavy encrustation is *NOT* "seasoning"!) that it's virtually unusable.  Heavy encrustation can be removed, but who knows what cracks and flaws it's hiding?

 

Finally, I saw this gem sitting on a shelf.  The logo puts its manufacture between 1924-1959, the heydey of American made cast iron cookware.  It looks to have been encrusted at one point and then cleaned, but because it's clean, I can see and judge every aspect of the metal.  Simply put, this thing is a gem!

 

I've seen collectors pay $200 for this same model of skillet.  It went home with me for $50.  

 

By the way, the "10" on the handle is not a size; it is a model number.  The skillet is roughly 12 inches in diameter.

 

 

 

Your comment about Lodge reminded me of this: 

 

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13 minutes ago, DocWard said:

 

Your comment about Lodge reminded me of this: 

 

 

Thank you. I was given a bunch of Lodge cast cookware because the previous owner couldn't keep it from sticking. Been collecting dust because the surface was so rough I thought it was a hopeless cause.

 

 Know I know how to fix it. :)

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8 hours ago, Cyrus Cassidy #45437 said:

Those of you who know me know that I'm an avid cast iron / dutch oven / outdoor cook.  Some people have encouraged me to write a book!  

 

There are people who collect antique cast iron, but I'm no collector.  That said, the antiques are simply ten times better than stuff being prodcued today.  The castings are smoother, thicker, and have fewer pock marks, etc.  Even world-renouned Lodge has some severe quality issues, in my opinion (fewer errors, but the castings are ROUGH and their "pre-seasoning" is nothing but gross plastic).  

 

So even though I'm not a collector, I went looking for an antique just to have a better tool.  The majority of antique cast iron I find in antique stores, flea markets, etc. is either warped from abuse, rusty, or so heavily encrusted (heavy encrustation is *NOT* "seasoning"!) that it's virtually unusable.  Heavy encrustation can be removed, but who knows what cracks and flaws it's hiding?

 

Finally, I saw this gem sitting on a shelf.  The logo puts its manufacture between 1924-1959, the heydey of American made cast iron cookware.  It looks to have been encrusted at one point and then cleaned, but because it's clean, I can see and judge every aspect of the metal.  Simply put, this thing is a gem!

 

I've seen collectors pay $200 for this same model of skillet.  It went home with me for $50.  

 

By the way, the "10" on the handle is not a size; it is a model number.  The skillet is roughly 12 inches in diameter.

 

IMG_2015.JPG

IMG_2016.JPG

 

Cool find!!! Enjoy it!!

 

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1 hour ago, DocWard said:

 

Your comment about Lodge reminded me of this: 

 

 

I have some Lodge and would love to use it but I'm scared to use it on my glass cooktop.  One slip would be an expensive accident. We bought it for emergency hurricane use over an open fire.

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57 minutes ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

Love my cast iron.  Got several dutch ovens, skillets, corn bread molds and griddles.

 

 

The way I was raised, a cast iron skillet is a corn bread mold.

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2 minutes ago, DocWard said:

 

The way I was raised, a cast iron skillet is a corn bread mold.

99% of all the cornbread I've ever eaten was made in a cast iron skillet.  But mom would humor dad and make corn bread in one of these a couple of times a year.  He liked a lot of crust, and corn bread baked in these is almost all crust.  I picked a couple up a few years ago for nostalgia.  

cornbread pan.jpg

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12 minutes ago, DocWard said:

 

The way I was raised, a cast iron skillet is a corn bread mold.

 

Wife :wub: has a small cast skillet that is used almost exclusively for her signature corn bread.  Makes just enough for two people to have chili and cornbread two days in a row. :)

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31 minutes ago, LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L said:

99% of all the cornbread I've ever eaten was made in a cast iron skillet.  But mom would humor dad and make corn bread in one of these a couple of times a year.  He liked a lot of crust, and corn bread baked in these is almost all crust.  I picked a couple up a few years ago for nostalgia.  

cornbread pan.jpg

 

22 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Wife :wub: has a small cast skillet that is used almost exclusively for her signature corn bread.  Makes just enough for two people to have chili and cornbread two days in a row. :)

 

Now I'm wanting cornbread, thanks. I don't think Mrs. Doc would be particularly happy with me trying my hand at it at 10:00 in the P M

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11 hours ago, Calamity Kris said:

 

I have some Lodge and would love to use it but I'm scared to use it on my glass cooktop.  One slip would be an expensive accident. We bought it for emergency hurricane use over an open fire.

I use cast iron on our glass cooktop a lot. Yeah, I need to be careful, but the glass on the cooktops is pretty durable.

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On 10/11/2019 at 7:39 AM, Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943 said:

So tell me about the cleaning process after it has been used.

 

I rinse with hot water and scrub with a wadded up paper towel.  If that doesn’t work, a plastic spatula should do it.  I only use soap if absolutely necessary.  

Dry the pan, then put it back on the stove top and heat to almost cooking temperature.  Shut off the heat and add about a nickel sized drop of olive oil to the pan, and spread around with a new paper towel.

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I use about the same routine for mine. But just as I finish cooking, while the pan is super hot, I take a cup or so of tap water and toss it in. 90% of the time it deglazes all the bits out of the pan, then it's rinse, dry and oil.  If there is still some residue I pour in a couple tablespoons of coarse salt and scrub with a paper towel. Then a quick rinse dry and oil.

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On 10/10/2019 at 8:46 PM, DocWard said:

 

 

Now I'm wanting cornbread, thanks. I don't think Mrs. Doc would be particularly happy with me trying my hand at it at 10:00 in the P M

If you lived in Texas it wouldn't matter what time it was. You need to get out of Ohio and come south. LOL

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1 hour ago, Texas Maverick said:

If you lived in Texas it wouldn't matter what time it was. You need to get out of Ohio and come south. LOL

 

I lived in San Antonio, along with Mrs. Doc, courtesy of the U.S. Army. I loved Texas, her not quite as much, but I can pretty much guarantee if I start making noise at that time of night when she is sleeping, it doesn't bode well for me!

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18 minutes ago, DocWard said:

 

I lived in San Antonio, along with Mrs. Doc, courtesy of the U.S. Army. I loved Texas, her not quite as much, but I can pretty much guarantee if I start making noise at that time of night when she is sleeping, it doesn't bode well for me!

Yeah, my wife said she would never live in Texas so I had to take her to Memphis first and then she said she would even live in Texas to get out of Memphis. She now likes it here in the Austin area.

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2 minutes ago, Texas Maverick said:

Yeah, my wife said she would never live in Texas so I had to take her to Memphis first and then she said she would even live in Texas to get out of Memphis. She now likes it here in the Austin area.

 

The major portion of Mrs. Doc's problem is that we lived there as newlyweds when my Army Reserve unit was activated during Desert Shield / Storm. She was away from family, had no real method of doing much, other than watch the news and worry. We got out as much as we could, but it was still not a great time for her, so I think the memories just aren't good ones. We did get to the King Ranch, though. Probably the highlight of the trip.

If I were to live there again, I think I would want to locate around the New Braunfels area, in the Hill Country. I'm sure even that has grown significantly since I was last there eleven years ago,

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17 hours ago, Clay Mosby said:

I use about the same routine for mine. But just as I finish cooking, while the pan is super hot, I take a cup or so of tap water and toss it in. 90% of the time it deglazes all the bits out of the pan, then it's rinse, dry and oil.  If there is still some residue I pour in a couple tablespoons of coarse salt and scrub with a paper towel. Then a quick rinse dry and oil.

I was about to say that too. I never use soap on my cast iron. If something is sticking I deglaze it.

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20 hours ago, DocWard said:

 

The major portion of Mrs. Doc's problem is that we lived there as newlyweds when my Army Reserve unit was activated during Desert Shield / Storm. She was away from family, had no real method of doing much, other than watch the news and worry. We got out as much as we could, but it was still not a great time for her, so I think the memories just aren't good ones. We did get to the King Ranch, though. Probably the highlight of the trip.

If I were to live there again, I think I would want to locate around the New Braunfels area, in the Hill Country. I'm sure even that has grown significantly since I was last there eleven years ago,

You are right. All around the Austin area is growing and almost at max capacity. If we were to leave the area it would be to go just north of Dallas where you start getting into green pastures. I would love to have a little spread with cattle and horses. 

 

TM

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11 hours ago, Texas Maverick said:

You are right. All around the Austin area is growing and almost at max capacity. If we were to leave the area it would be to go just north of Dallas where you start getting into green pastures. I would love to have a little spread with cattle and horses. 

 

TM

Better figure on South and East of Dallas. Property prices North and East of Dallas is in the stoopid range.

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9 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Better figure on South and East of Dallas. Property prices North and East of Dallas is in the stoopid range.

LOL, thanks for the info but for me to even consider moving up there I would have to have won the lottery then it wouldn't matter. I do like the area around Weatherford though.

 

TM

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