what is my cast iron?

[chewie]

i have 2 cast iron pans, and thanks to this site and lard, they are wonderful to use now. just wondering what they might be--one is not as thickly made, has a diamond on the bottom with a 8 in it, and a G next to it.

the other says made in usa on the bottom oposite the handle. its heavier made, the corners aren't as square and it says NO. 7 10 1/4 IN stamped down near the handle, on the bottom.

both have the heat ring. both do have some build up from the past, but that isn't hurting the usefulness so i am not planning to do anythign about it, as the gunky areas are on the outside and the very top so its not effecting the cooking area at all. anybody know what kinda pans these are?

[tinknal]

Don't know what they are, but as far as I know, no-name cast iron isn't considered a collectable. If you ever see Griswold or Wagner for a decent price snap them up.

[beaglebiz]

the old lodge cast was famous for being unmarked. It is still very good quality, just not the "holy Grail" the Griswold is (to collectors and cooks).
I have several skillets, Griswold and wagner, in daily use... My favorite one is a wagner, but thats probably because of the size.

[Common Tator]

Occasionally I see old Filley cast iron cookware on ebay for an exorbitant price. If I ever find some that is low priced enough I would like to buy it. Filley was my maiden name.

[tinknal]

Originally Posted by beaglebiz

the old lodge cast was famous for being unmarked. It is still very good quality, just not the "holy Grail" the Griswold is (to collectors and cooks).
I have several skillets, Griswold and wagner, in daily use... My favorite one is a wagner, but thats probably because of the size.

I got in early on the Griswold craze. I probably have 30 of them stacked up around here. I only use 4 or 5 of them but I got my stash!

I'm also cooking on a Griswold 3 burner range top. Found it in the barn and had to disassemble it and clean it up, but it works great.

[Use Less]

The one with the G is likely made by Griswold. We have several, being not so far from where Griswold was located, and each has a different marking. Excellent cast iron.

[braggscowboy]

Not all good cast iron was marked with a bold name, but can cook as well as Griswold or Wagner. I have mostly Griswold and Wagner, but have many others. I have some diamond 5 also. You can feel by the touch, the feel and weight. A machined inside is a must and I like them thin. Heat quicker and easier to handle. Always hold the pan up and tap the bottom and listen for the ring, tells you it does not have a crack or dead space. Run your fingers across the surface inside and make sure it is level and has not been overheated. Many good cast iron skillets out there that are not marked. Most any early day cast iron was good. Enjoy what you have,

[7thswan]

Lot of Griswold was not marked,my 2 largest pans are examples. The thinner ones seem to be the older ones, both Wagner and Griz. I tried to whittle down my collection to just Griz, but found that I couldn't let go of some of the nice thin Wagner's.

[chewie]

i like these pans really well, just wondering if they are anything recognizable. and again, they didn't work that great til i rendered lard, then wow, they are amazing. i LOVE them and no plans to change anytime soon. both were cast offs from thrift store and garage sales. the thinner one was a rusted mess, and at the time my dr. told me to cook in CI so i hit the thrift stores in hopes of not spending a weeks' pay. even when i couldn't get it work well, i just couldn't let it go or stop trying -- glad i didn't!

[7thswan]

Originally Posted by chewie

i like these pans really well, just wondering if they are anything recognizable. and again, they didn't work that great til i rendered lard, then wow, they are amazing. i LOVE them and no plans to change anytime soon. both were cast offs from thrift store and garage sales. the thinner one was a rusted mess, and at the time my dr. told me to cook in CI so i hit the thrift stores in hopes of not spending a weeks' pay. even when i couldn't get it work well, i just couldn't let it go or stop trying -- glad i didn't!

The one for sure is a Griswold,here's a link for you to look at some and the prices.http://www.gcica.org/auctions.html

My best cast iron are completely unmarked. But I'd put them up against any brand ever made so far as cooking ability is concerned. The fact that they are of little interest to collectors is a plus in my books because the ones that are collected are now so pricy as to no longer be worthwhile.

[beaglebiz]

here are a couple of pans I inherited from my mom's boyfriend's mother's estate
(I know thats a mouthful...they have been together almost twenty years, so he is kind of a step-poppa to my kids)

and the flip side

this one is unmarked, and the sides are hammered. I think this one is an old lodge...its a small (6 inch skillet)

this is my favoirte griswold...its a huge square chicken fryer


this is a griswold skillet


all of these came from Nana White's estate, and I took the pics after I had burned them clean in the woodstove and coated with some lard...edited to add...I had to burn them, they were stored for many many years...but they came out perfect!
my old wagner skillet sits on top of the stove...nothing fancy like that square breakfast pan, but nice and slick!!

[beaglebiz]

Tinknal, Id love to see your range top