In 1985, I inherited my grandmothers 10" cast iron dutch oven (no legs) with sloping lid. She was born in 1900, married to a widower over twice her age (with children older than she was) He had seven children and she had three children live. That family had tons of grandchildren and great grand children and more. I remember years and years of wonderful meals coming out of that pot and her kitchen. I do not use recipes, I just go with what I think might taste good, and throw things in the pot. The meals aways turn out good (even by my Cajun standards). I know it is not my talent doing the cooking, so I tend to believe it is her magic and that Dutch Oven working together. I love that Dutch Oven and it is my main cooking vessel to this day. It is smooth inside and the only marking I see on the is outside an 8 on the bottom. there is no ring on the bottom. I do not know if she inherited it, got it as a wedding present or bought it. My father died when I was young and I was his eldest child. I inherited it directly from my grandmother plus a few other items too large to take with me. It is the only item I kept and I kept it because it meant so much to me and I have used it daily ever since. As I am on in years, I have it willed to my granddaughter, and I hope she recognizes the value (and love) associated with that Dutch Oven and continues use it and then to pass it down through more generations.
Love this video, I am new to cast-iron collecting. I love lodge, and Birmingham cast-iron. This video was very helpful, since I have been collecting for two years now . THANK YOU FOR SHARING, AND TEACHING ME !!!
As I continue to track down interesting pieces of CI, about 160 in my collection now, your videos help with IDing some of the pieces. Also I'm restoring an Acorn kitchen coal stove # 63-81 and finding items for it is also great fun. Thanks for your videos just good solid information.
I just discovered this channel. Today I found a large pot and lid I am trying to identify. It only has a small 2 in ctr btm. Someone like you could possibly help if I could figure out how to contact you.
After cleaning a pan I purchased at an estate sale, I discovered the writing: '10 1/2 inch chicken fryer'. and a 'b' down below. The handle has an 8 on it. I bought it to use! I love this pan, and have many, and use them all! Any one know how old it is? Really doesn't matter, I will use it, and love it!
The description suggests it's an unmarked Wagner chicken fryer, dating from the 1950s to the 1960s. During the 1960 Wagner added a Made In USA mark to the bottom, so if your pot does not have that mark then it's older than the 1960s.
Very good video Eric I really enjoy the information you share A couple of weekends ago my wife and I drove 2.5 hours to get a 12 pint No 10 A Kenrick &sons Gate marked enamel long Handel pot and yes I will only use it as a display as the enamel surface is thin and chipping away But I didn’t know about the possibility of led IN The coating Cheers for putting this video together! It’s because of one of your videos I watched a long time ago that part of my collection now has unmarked cast in it THANK YOU 🙏🏼
Best upload on the topic. Wish it were an hour longer. i have an unnamed piece i put off restoring for two years; an 8 inch griddle. After several layers of FlaxSeed oil seasoning it is by far one of my most prized pieces... totally non stick.
I love your videos. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. Your videos have made me absolutely comfortable with sorting my way thru the cast iron at my local good wills and flea markets. Finding some great hidden treasure based upon your information because as you said, not all great cast iron has markings but from the shape of the handles and the made in USA stamp can lead you in the right direction. Once again. Thank you and please continue to make more videos for those of us just discovering these great cooking pans of long ago.
I have a Wagner Ware skillet I ordered online that was veryyyyy rusty. I soaked it in apple cider vinegar and scrubbed until clean. It has a flat bottom with a very slight heat ring and is pretty thin and light. It has 7P on the bottom also and I can’t find its like anywhere. I don’t know when it’s from. Just that it was sitting in a guys shed for a very long time. I call it my baby because I worked so hard on it and use it for just about everything. Fantastic fascinating video! Appreciate you making it.
My mom and dad have a cast iron skillet that they bought when they were first married. 50 years ago! They still use it and the inside is now smooth as a baby’s bottom. It’s well seasoned and has had to have the accumulated outside stuff burned off a couple of times.
I bought a cast iron skillet at The Goodwill that had years worth of seasoning on it for $3.99. There was no mark that you could see on the bottom, and the handle looked different than the traditional cast iron skillets. The seasoning layers was almost 1/4 inch thick. I cleaned the skillet, and reasoned it. After all the crusty layers of seasoning were removed, the skillet had an Indian head on it, and was also marked Wapak. It turned out to be worth several hundred dollars. Some UFO's end up being marked after cleaning, and removing the layers of seasoning.
I restored an old CI skillet & gave it to my sister for Christmas; based on this, I'm guessing it was a BSR or a "southern mystery skillet" ... thx for your historical videos; gave you a shout-out on one of my YT vids recently ...
I have very little knowledge about old cast iron I found a scotch bowl #3J gate marked 10x41/4 for 55.00 on eBay that’s what the description says can you please tell me if that it’s a good price and is it old?
Thank you for this video. I own 6 gate mark pieces and want to learn as much as possible about early 1800s hearth cooking. Please post more videos if you can.
That would be AB&I foundry, a USA foundry that is still in business. :) abifoundry.com/ They make plumbing, pipes, parts, and other materials. Over they years they made a few cast iron pans -- not many, but a few. AB&I pans are quite rare, in fact. :)
Thank you for your videos they are so full of information I love to cook on these skillets and I have some with no markings now I know that I have a UFO
Someone said between those 1700s-1950s, there were over 235 (?) cast iron companies making cookware through the time. Is it any wonder then, why there were many UI cast irons that don't have identities, or tweaks that we can notice who they were, let alone regional areas where such productions happened there - and the possible companies.
There's a theory among collectors that the "ugly hammered" skillets may have been made with prison labor. This might explain why there don't seem to be any records or knowledge of their origins, but also why there were so many of them made. This is only a theory, and as far as I know, no one has any records to confirm it.
An interesting comment of giving the prison labor ball peen hammers and whack on the metal to your heart's delight, and work off all that evil steam. Could that really be the origin of the famous Jamaican hammered steel drum sets ??? !!!!! DDDDD
Love it when you do these videos! I have a small pot/Dutch oven with a lid with strawberries and vines all over it. It's a really neat piece. I've researched it and can't find a thing about it.
I have a cast iron with no markings at all but on the handle with 9 little groves and I use it everyday but I would like to know what kind it is or if it’s Antique
Seeing that cook stove brought back memories of my grandmother's wood cooking stove and how it gave her great service while I was growing up. When I went into the Air Force it was taken out and a gas stove put in. I loved the food cooked on that old stove and if I lived in an older home I would have one now. She had this one skillet she used daily and I now have it and it still works great, but I have to watch what I am cooking in it. I purchased two dutch ovens recently and they look great. I am waiting to receive a skillet which I also ordered since I am tired of using the non stick skillets which is only good for about 2 years at most. I would like to find a large pot which we used to heat water in when I was growing up, and also to cook venison, and pork in to make rinds, and lard for the home. I have not seen any of them and have to check online to see if they are still made. One woman who worked for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and had a cooking show used one to cook in on the show and I would like to get one just to cook in if we end up without electricity again for a lengthy period of time like we had in 2000.
Very interesting. Now that I have watched a couple of your videos, I wish that while I lived in AL and SC , I had searched for some Birmingham cast iron. I certainly will do that if I travel from WI back to visit my neighbors from the south! I knew they made Iron in Birmingham, but did not know about the cookware.
I have a kettle very similar to the one you show at 7:21. It was here in my house, or shed, or shop... somewhere when I inherited the property from my grandfather. It also has two rings around it. The base is offset; thank you, I thought this was a defect. Instead of three legs, it has four 1/4 inch nubs on the bottom. I doubt they were ever legs as they would have been way too narrow. It looks as if there were a gate mark on the bottom but it is worn off. My kettle is sound enough to clean and season and so I will do so. I actually thought it wasn't worth anything, so I have been using it to hold my wood stove tools ;-) I do not see any markings on it that could be used to identify the kettle, but it is very close to being the same as the one you show at 7:21, other than the 4 little nubs instead of three legs. Thanks for the info.
Those stovetop kettles truly are lost treasures -- they were made as cheap disposable pots, like the stainless steel stock pots we see at Walmart for $10 or less today. :) And yet, they have quite a bit of history to them! If your grandfather's pot is in decent condition, you may want to make the effort to clean it up and see what it's like.
We recently found a Dutch oven (no lid) at an antique store. We are trying to find info on it and haven't had any success. The only thing on the bottom of it is No 8. Spelled out just like that only the o is at the bottom end of the N. The handles have split holes. Not sure how to describe them better lol. Any clue with just that small piece of info?
I recently picked up two unmarked skillets from a thrift store. They have the typical Lodge notches at 9, 12 and 3 but they are heavy for their size and very rough inside and out. The size numbers are on the underside of the handles. Are these modern unmarked Lodge or something else?
Thank you for your videos. You are very knowledgable and informative. I believe , from watching you, mine are from Asia but would love for you to have a look at them to confirm. Thanks again
I have an old camp Dutch oven with a gate mark on the bottom of the pot and also on the underside of the lid. I would like to use the lid as a griddle when I go camping. Would it affect the value of the pot if I ground the gate mark flush on the underside of the lid? I would never sell it but I was thinking about whether or not to keep it original and just get another Dutch oven even though I love using the old one. Also, could you elaborate on the shape/style of the bail ears to narrow down the date?
I have an unusually deep 5 - only other mark is a 1 under the handle - that is my favorite little skillet. From now on it shall be called my UFO. LOL I swear anything tastes better fried in there than any other pan I have. It's a bit warped but that just keeps the juices in the middle, and it is smooth as glass.
So I have an unmarked skillet that has a raised heat ring with a break in it at the 12:00 position. At the 6:00 spot there is a raised canted letter R. No other markings anywhere. Not even a size number. What do you think it is?
I looked for the picture I took right before I posted it but I must have deleted it when my phone ran out of memory and I needed to make space. It was a blocky font in all caps. and i don't had any other marks. I sent the picture to my brother. I'll see if he still has it.
I have an unmarked skillet that has a weird symbol inscribed ( not raised) into the top side of the handle right where it meets the pan. It looks like a very slanted number 7 with an inscribed dot inside the corner of the "7". Any chance you've run across something like that? Thanks
Skillets like that have been seen among the cast iron collector community. With a crudely inscribed size number on the top, it is sometimes guessed that may be a recast. A person or a small foundry may have made a cast iron pan from scratch, using an existing pan as a pattern to make the mold.
Hi there! Tysvm for indepth info, is there a way to figure out the cast-iron history of my pan? TH-cam-Cast-iron help, no markigs. Wish I knew how to link! Lol Tc, stay safe!
I got a question for you boss I got a 8in dutch oven and on the bottom it has the number eight and below that it has small letters d o and then on the other side of the bottom the other Edge that is it's got a little D any idea of who made it hits a smooth bottom
Only Lodge used the marking D O on its dutch ovens, so that's certain;y a Lodge dutch oven. If it says Made In USA it's from the late 1960s or later; it it doesn't, it's earlier. And if it has the Lodge logo it would be from the late 1970s through today.
There's no actual documentation for this, and I would assume SMS skillets faded out when the economy changed and there were no more "small" foundries, only the larger ones. Possibly the Great Depression?
What do you think about the claim that cooking with cast iron is unsafe for men and menopausal women because of iron leaching into food and causing elevated iron levels.
When I see some actual documented and verified proof of this, I'll worry about it. However, there is none, so I don't worry about it. :) There are many scare stories and fairy tales about food, and that is one of them.
@@castironchaos That's what I was thinking as well...I only have 2 cast iron skillets(both Asian made) and I'll keep using them but I did read what seems to claim to be proof on this site... examine.com/nutrition/are-cast-iron-pans-unsafe/ I've never heard of this site myself so not sure if it's a reliable source.
Maybe a useful data point -- the gatemarked, 'ornate handle' skillets share handle design with items made by "P & B" [Phillips & Buttorff Mfg. Co.], like this waffle iron: www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/p-b-6-7-waffle-iron-c8a4aec82d
Thank you for such and informative video. I've been trying to find out what my UFO are. I have been told if it's not a Lodge, Griswald it's not worth my time not valued. Meadow muffins! I have ID, two were sold at JC Penny stores, so what. Cook good most of the time....unless there is operator error. Not the pans fault.
I'd like help identifying a cast iron pot I found at a thrift store. I've been watching your videos and still can't figure it out.. It has a gate mark on the bottom and the letter "IN" "8" and "1" and no other markings.
i learned more about old cast iron from videos that this guy made than any other
In 1985, I inherited my grandmothers 10" cast iron dutch oven (no legs) with sloping lid. She was born in 1900, married to a widower over twice her age (with children older than she was) He had seven children and she had three children live. That family had tons of grandchildren and great grand children and more. I remember years and years of wonderful meals coming out of that pot and her kitchen. I do not use recipes, I just go with what I think might taste good, and throw things in the pot. The meals aways turn out good (even by my Cajun standards). I know it is not my talent doing the cooking, so I tend to believe it is her magic and that Dutch Oven working together. I love that Dutch Oven and it is my main cooking vessel to this day. It is smooth inside and the only marking I see on the is outside an 8 on the bottom. there is no ring on the bottom. I do not know if she inherited it, got it as a wedding present or bought it. My father died when I was young and I was his eldest child. I inherited it directly from my grandmother plus a few other items too large to take with me. It is the only item I kept and I kept it because it meant so much to me and I have used it daily ever since. As I am on in years, I have it willed to my granddaughter, and I hope she recognizes the value (and love) associated with that Dutch Oven and continues use it and then to pass it down through more generations.
A great story of how a pan becomes a precious family heirloom. The 8 on the bottom could indicate Lodge, Favorite, or even an unknown maker.
Love this video, I am new to cast-iron collecting. I love lodge, and Birmingham cast-iron. This video was very helpful, since I have been collecting for two years now . THANK YOU FOR SHARING, AND TEACHING ME !!!
As I continue to track down interesting pieces of CI, about 160 in my collection now, your videos help with IDing some of the pieces. Also I'm restoring an Acorn kitchen coal stove # 63-81 and finding items for it is also great fun. Thanks for your videos just good solid information.
I just discovered this channel. Today I found a large pot and lid I am trying to identify. It only has a small 2 in ctr btm. Someone like you could possibly help if I could figure out how to contact you.
As usual I always learn something when I watch this channel.
After cleaning a pan I purchased at an estate sale, I discovered the writing: '10 1/2 inch chicken fryer'. and a 'b' down below. The handle has an 8 on it. I bought it to use! I love this pan, and have many, and use them all! Any one know how old it is? Really doesn't matter, I will use it, and love it!
The description suggests it's an unmarked Wagner chicken fryer, dating from the 1950s to the 1960s. During the 1960 Wagner added a Made In USA mark to the bottom, so if your pot does not have that mark then it's older than the 1960s.
Fantastic video. Thanks for another enjoyable morning coffee!
I have one of these skillets. Absolutely no markings or gatemark.
Great job and very useful information. Thank you for your knowledge and sharing of cast iron pot and skillets.
Very informative video! Thanks a lot for sharing this information with us.... love watching your videos 👍
Is this the point where I complain about the rough surfaces on modern Lodge? 😊 Great video. You are the cast iron whisperer.
I’ve always put a grinder and sander to those things. It helps. Not a mirror finish but just smooth to the touch is enough.
Very good video Eric
I really enjoy the information you share
A couple of weekends ago my wife and I drove 2.5 hours to get a 12 pint No 10
A Kenrick &sons Gate marked enamel long Handel pot and yes I will only use it as a display as the enamel surface is thin and chipping away
But I didn’t know about the possibility of led IN The coating
Cheers for putting this video together!
It’s because of one of your videos I watched a long time ago that part of my collection now has unmarked cast in it
THANK YOU 🙏🏼
It was upsetting to make that segment about lead in vintage 19th century enamel, but sadly it's true. :(
Best upload on the topic. Wish it were an hour longer. i have an unnamed piece i put off restoring for two years; an 8 inch griddle. After several layers of FlaxSeed oil seasoning it is by far one of my most prized pieces... totally non stick.
Your pans are amazing! Do you have a video on how to season them so beautifully?
I just bought an old gate marked, fancy handle and I am hooked. I would appreciate any guidance you can offer to help me learn more about them.
I love your videos. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge. Your videos have made me absolutely comfortable with sorting my way thru the cast iron at my local good wills and flea markets. Finding some great hidden treasure based upon your information because as you said, not all great cast iron has markings but from the shape of the handles and the made in USA stamp can lead you in the right direction. Once again. Thank you and please continue to make more videos for those of us just discovering these great cooking pans of long ago.
Thank you again for so much information on cast iron
I have a Wagner Ware skillet I ordered online that was veryyyyy rusty. I soaked it in apple cider vinegar and scrubbed until clean. It has a flat bottom with a very slight heat ring and is pretty thin and light. It has 7P on the bottom also and I can’t find its like anywhere. I don’t know when it’s from. Just that it was sitting in a guys shed for a very long time. I call it my baby because I worked so hard on it and use it for just about everything. Fantastic fascinating video! Appreciate you making it.
Very knowledgeable information. Thank you
You are the BEST! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm.
My mom and dad have a cast iron skillet that they bought when they were first married. 50 years ago!
They still use it and the inside is now smooth as a baby’s bottom.
It’s well seasoned and has had to have the accumulated outside stuff burned off a couple of times.
Well done. Love the history.
I bought a cast iron skillet at The Goodwill that had years worth of seasoning on it for $3.99. There was no mark that you could see on the bottom, and the handle looked different than the traditional cast iron skillets. The seasoning layers was almost 1/4 inch thick. I cleaned the skillet, and reasoned it. After all the crusty layers of seasoning were removed, the skillet had an Indian head on it, and was also marked Wapak. It turned out to be worth several hundred dollars. Some UFO's end up being marked after cleaning, and removing the layers of seasoning.
Awesome! You got yourself a real score!
You have a soothing voice good for educating on this sort of topic.
Another great informative video I enjoyed watching very much..Thank you!
Love the knowledge that you give to us. I can watch you all day thank you man
I restored an old CI skillet & gave it to my sister for Christmas; based on this, I'm guessing it was a BSR or a "southern mystery skillet" ... thx for your historical videos; gave you a shout-out on one of my YT vids recently ...
Thank you for the good word!
I have very little knowledge about old cast iron I found a scotch bowl #3J gate marked 10x41/4 for 55.00 on eBay that’s what the description says can you please tell me if that it’s a good price and is it old?
Very informative, love your videos
Thank you for doing this video. It is fun and informative!
Thanks so much for this and all of your videos!
very cool video.. gateys are hot right now, people love them!
Very informative, thanks for posting
Thank you for this video. I own 6 gate mark pieces and want to learn as much as possible about early 1800s hearth cooking. Please post more videos if you can.
good info. i have one of those southern mystery skillet. it is slick & a great nonstick pan.
Do you have any idea about this long handled 2SP (top) H (near handle) piece?
Thanks for the video, very well done and educational.
Great videos. I have a skillet with the letters A B & I on it. Would you happen to know anything about it?
That would be AB&I foundry, a USA foundry that is still in business. :) abifoundry.com/ They make plumbing, pipes, parts, and other materials. Over they years they made a few cast iron pans -- not many, but a few. AB&I pans are quite rare, in fact. :)
Cast Iron Chaos, thank you very much.
I love your videos! Thank you so much!
Thank you for your videos they are so full of information I love to cook on these skillets and I have some with no markings now I know that I have a UFO
Great documentary vid.
Someone said between those 1700s-1950s, there were over 235 (?) cast iron companies making cookware through the time. Is it any wonder then, why there were many UI cast irons that don't have identities, or tweaks that we can notice who they were, let alone regional areas where such productions happened there - and the possible companies.
There's a theory among collectors that the "ugly hammered" skillets may have been made with prison labor. This might explain why there don't seem to be any records or knowledge of their origins, but also why there were so many of them made. This is only a theory, and as far as I know, no one has any records to confirm it.
An interesting comment of giving the prison labor ball peen hammers and whack on the metal to your heart's delight, and work off all that evil steam. Could that really be the origin of the famous Jamaican hammered steel drum sets ??? !!!!! DDDDD
Love it when you do these videos! I have a small pot/Dutch oven with a lid with strawberries and vines all over it. It's a really neat piece. I've researched it and can't find a thing about it.
You may want to post a photo to the Cast Iron Cooking group. With over 290,000 people there, it's possible someone may know something about it.
can you help daughter with this pan.
You are a wealth of information. Thank you.
I have a cast iron with no markings at all but on the handle with 9 little groves and I use it everyday but I would like to know what kind it is or if it’s Antique
Seeing that cook stove brought back memories of my grandmother's wood cooking stove and how it gave her great service while I was growing up. When I went into the Air Force it was taken out and a gas stove put in. I loved the food cooked on that old stove and if I lived in an older home I would have one now.
She had this one skillet she used daily and I now have it and it still works great, but I have to watch what I am cooking in it. I purchased two dutch ovens recently and they look great. I am waiting to receive a skillet which I also ordered since I am tired of using the non stick skillets which is only good for about 2 years at most.
I would like to find a large pot which we used to heat water in when I was growing up, and also to cook venison, and pork in to make rinds, and lard for the home. I have not seen any of them and have to check online to see if they are still made. One woman who worked for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and had a cooking show used one to cook in on the show and I would like to get one just to cook in if we end up without electricity again for a lengthy period of time like we had in 2000.
One of the benefits of using a pan that lasts forever (almost) is the memories it creates. :)
Very interesting. Now that I have watched a couple of your videos, I wish that while I lived in AL and SC , I had searched for some Birmingham cast iron. I certainly will do that if I travel from WI back to visit my neighbors from the south! I knew they made Iron in Birmingham, but did not know about the cookware.
Some information about Birmingham Stove & Range: www.modemac.com/bsr
I have a few skillets I can't identify. is there a way to send you pics so maybe you can help ?
You can post them to my Facebook page: facebook.com/CastIronChaos Or to the Cast Iron Cooking group: facebook.com/groups/castironskillet/
Thanks again I love your videos there very informative God Bless 🙏💜
I have a kettle very similar to the one you show at 7:21. It was here in my house, or shed, or shop... somewhere when I inherited the property from my grandfather. It also has two rings around it. The base is offset; thank you, I thought this was a defect. Instead of three legs, it has four 1/4 inch nubs on the bottom. I doubt they were ever legs as they would have been way too narrow. It looks as if there were a gate mark on the bottom but it is worn off. My kettle is sound enough to clean and season and so I will do so. I actually thought it wasn't worth anything, so I have been using it to hold my wood stove tools ;-) I do not see any markings on it that could be used to identify the kettle, but it is very close to being the same as the one you show at 7:21, other than the 4 little nubs instead of three legs. Thanks for the info.
Those stovetop kettles truly are lost treasures -- they were made as cheap disposable pots, like the stainless steel stock pots we see at Walmart for $10 or less today. :) And yet, they have quite a bit of history to them! If your grandfather's pot is in decent condition, you may want to make the effort to clean it up and see what it's like.
Southern Mystery Skillet! What a wonderful name.
I didn't make up the name, it's been going around for a while. :)
thanks again for the informative video.
As a kid ( I’m 49) people had huge cauldrons as planters in the yard
EXCELLENT VIDEO! EXCELLENT KNOWEDGE LEARNED! THANK YOU!
We recently found a Dutch oven (no lid) at an antique store. We are trying to find info on it and haven't had any success. The only thing on the bottom of it is No 8. Spelled out just like that only the o is at the bottom end of the N. The handles have split holes. Not sure how to describe them better lol. Any clue with just that small piece of info?
If the only thing on the bottom is "No. 8", I would first wonder if this is a Martin Stove & Range pot.
I have not found any history of a Blankenship foundry in Chattanooga,I would be very interested to learn about that Foundry
Very interesting
Your awesome... thank you.
Good job narrating!
I like your sense of humor as well as your knowledge.
I always knew UFOs are real!
I recently picked up two unmarked skillets from a thrift store. They have the typical Lodge notches at 9, 12 and 3 but they are heavy for their size and very rough inside and out. The size numbers are on the underside of the handles. Are these modern unmarked Lodge or something else?
The notches in the heat ring strongly suggest they're Lodge.
Thank you for your videos. You are very knowledgable and informative. I believe , from watching you, mine are from Asia but would love for you to have a look at them to confirm. Thanks again
I really enjoyed your vidio
I have an old camp Dutch oven with a gate mark on the bottom of the pot and also on the underside of the lid. I would like to use the lid as a griddle when I go camping. Would it affect the value of the pot if I ground the gate mark flush on the underside of the lid? I would never sell it but I was thinking about whether or not to keep it original and just get another Dutch oven even though I love using the old one. Also, could you elaborate on the shape/style of the bail ears to narrow down the date?
Grinding down the gate mark would make collectors and sellers think the pot is damaged; so, if you're looking for collector value, keep it as is.
@@castironchaos Yeah, that's a good point.
very informative, thank you!
I have an unusually deep 5 - only other mark is a 1 under the handle - that is my favorite little skillet. From now on it shall be called my UFO. LOL I swear anything tastes better fried in there than any other pan I have. It's a bit warped but that just keeps the juices in the middle, and it is smooth as glass.
So I have an unmarked skillet that has a raised heat ring with a break in it at the 12:00 position. At the 6:00 spot there is a raised canted letter R. No other markings anywhere. Not even a size number. What do you think it is?
The notch at the 12:00 position suggests it may be a "single notch" Lodge, which dates from the 1920s to 1930s, maybe even the 1910s.
I saw a skillet with "Olmec" on the bottom. I can't find anything about that brand. Any ideas?
Would you be able to provide a photo of the bottom?
I looked for the picture I took right before I posted it but I must have deleted it when my phone ran out of memory and I needed to make space. It was a blocky font in all caps. and i don't had any other marks. I sent the picture to my brother. I'll see if he still has it.
It was at a consignment/antique shop in Bowling Green Ky.
Got it, but how do I send it to you? TH-cam seems to only accept text.
I have an unmarked skillet that has a weird symbol inscribed ( not raised) into the top side of the handle right where it meets the pan. It looks like a very slanted number 7 with an inscribed dot inside the corner of the "7". Any chance you've run across something like that? Thanks
Skillets like that have been seen among the cast iron collector community. With a crudely inscribed size number on the top, it is sometimes guessed that may be a recast. A person or a small foundry may have made a cast iron pan from scratch, using an existing pan as a pattern to make the mold.
@@castironchaos Thank you so much! I've learned so much from your videos.
Good info.
I like your necklace,it cool👍
Thanks, I learned a lot!
I have my mom's old Chicago Foundry skillet that I cleaned up amd
Use it with pride!
Hi there! Tysvm for indepth info, is there a way to figure out the cast-iron history of my pan? TH-cam-Cast-iron help, no markigs. Wish I knew how to link! Lol Tc, stay safe!
Can you provide a photo of the underside of the pan?
unidentified frying objects.........hahaha!!!! LMAO!! good one!!
Nice.
I got a question for you boss I got a 8in dutch oven and on the bottom it has the number eight and below that it has small letters d o and then on the other side of the bottom the other Edge that is it's got a little D any idea of who made it hits a smooth bottom
Only Lodge used the marking D O on its dutch ovens, so that's certain;y a Lodge dutch oven. If it says Made In USA it's from the late 1960s or later; it it doesn't, it's earlier. And if it has the Lodge logo it would be from the late 1970s through today.
How far into the 1900s were these mystery skillets made
There's no actual documentation for this, and I would assume SMS skillets faded out when the economy changed and there were no more "small" foundries, only the larger ones. Possibly the Great Depression?
UFO”S🛸 UFOLOGISTS,,,,love it.
will keep eyes open see deal i get who knows maybe unique
What do you think about the claim that cooking with cast iron is unsafe for men and menopausal women because of iron leaching into food and causing elevated iron levels.
When I see some actual documented and verified proof of this, I'll worry about it. However, there is none, so I don't worry about it. :) There are many scare stories and fairy tales about food, and that is one of them.
@@castironchaos That's what I was thinking as well...I only have 2 cast iron skillets(both Asian made) and I'll keep using them but I did read what seems to claim to be proof on this site... examine.com/nutrition/are-cast-iron-pans-unsafe/ I've never heard of this site myself so not sure if it's a reliable source.
some unique artifacts from area 51...
Good for making roasted Banthas and fried nerfherders.
Something about the way you use your words draws me to your video
Maybe a useful data point -- the gatemarked, 'ornate handle' skillets share handle design with items made by "P & B" [Phillips & Buttorff Mfg. Co.], like this waffle iron:
www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/p-b-6-7-waffle-iron-c8a4aec82d
Nice waffle iron! And this also shows that handle design was used by many different companies in those days.
Thank you for such and informative video. I've been trying to find out what my UFO are. I have been told if it's not a Lodge, Griswald it's not worth my time not valued. Meadow muffins! I have ID, two were sold at JC Penny stores, so what. Cook good most of the time....unless there is operator error. Not the pans fault.
If they're good users then they're valuable, no matter what the markings. Keep on using them. :)
The truth is out there... He's probably seen Dr. Steven Greer's 2001` National Press Club Event where witnesses testify about Extraterrestrial life.
I'd like help identifying a cast iron pot I found at a thrift store. I've been watching your videos and still can't figure it out.. It has a gate mark on the bottom and the letter "IN" "8" and "1" and no other markings.
Oh and the letters are raised lettering
@@kermitsmith2004 gate marked pans can be hard to identify. Could you provide a photo?
not sure how to do that on youtube@@castironchaos
if i send you my email, canyou delete it from comments after?@@castironchaos
does anyone know about a Taiwan 10.5” CI skillet with a little Tank symbol. Internet, lets make it happen.
I've seen those as well, and I think they sometimes have the maker's initials H K M.
Looking at the comments this guy don't reply to anybody that comments. That Sucks
Or maybe he replies to comments worth replying to.
hello
I think i know what the Southern mystery skillet is, its a Wagner i have wagner # 6 with the same handy
Assureiron safe eglie glone iradenark foruse Hongkong .
Ufo LMBO