Vintage cast iron skillet.

[SliceOfLife]

So I have a bit of vintage cast iron. There's an estate sale website that I check out occasionally around here... Bid on a couple lots of kitchen goods that I won and picked up today. A ton of old cutlery, Tupperware, etc... But the reason for bidding turned out to be a vintage Wagner #8 (pre text) skillet. A vintage Wagner #9 (post text) griddle, and the real score...

One skillet had no close ups and no good reference point to see the size... But looked like an 8 or 9 and had a fancy handle (similar to volroth, but not quite)...

Turns out to be a pre 1890 gatemarked no 10 with no markings.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Other keepers from the lot... A handmade quart earthenware jug that looks 70+ years old... A depression glass uranium green citrus juicer, and a few other fun vintage kitchen odds and ends.

 

[Whisky]

I wish I could find vintage Cast Iron for a decent price close to home. Seems like everyone around here feels like the cast iron they’re selling is made of gold. The last rusty Wagner 9inch I found was marked $120. I’ll pass. I’ve looked at the online auctions etc but because of the size and weight shipping usually costs almost as much as whatever I bid on does.

 

[Sando]

Looks real good. You plan on using it? Should clean up nice.

 

[Wid]

Those old gatemarked skillets are nice users, normally really light weight. Nice score

 

[SliceOfLife]

Already using it... I'm at my in-laws for one more week and all my other cast iron is packed. Works great.

I can't find stones or razors locally for anything (one score of a nos chopper ten years ago and nothing else)... But I've snagged a #10 Griswold for $50, this piece, then a number of other pre50s lodge & Wagner (common ones like 8s and 3s) for fair prices.

But most of my collection came from goodwill online. You can get some deals there if you get lucky. And for valuable pans like 11s or lots of less valuable stuff, the shipping isn't bad.

 

[Whisky]

Already using it... I'm at my in-laws for one more week and all my other cast iron is packed. Works great.

I can't find stones or razors locally for anything (one score of a nos chopper ten years ago and nothing else)... But I've snagged a #10 Griswold for $50, this piece, then a number of other pre50s lodge & Wagner (common ones like 8s and 3s) for fair prices.

But most of my collection came from goodwill online. You can get some deals there if you get lucky. And for valuable pans like 11s or lots of less valuable stuff, the shipping isn't bad.

Thanks, I didn’t know Goodwill had an online store. I’ll check it out.

 

[OkieStubble]

So I just stripped a modern Lodge skillet We have owned and used for 12 years of it’s old coating of seasoning.

I am using Organic cold pressed Canola oil to re-season it which is what Lodge says it uses when seasoning at the factory.

I have about 4 layers of coatings done now, each time for an hour in a 350 degree oven, since Canola oils smoke point is 400 degrees.

Why is the skillet looking a ‘reddish brown’ color, instead of the black compared to this vintage skillet in the picture?

 

[DrStrange]

So I just stripped a modern Lodge skillet We have owned and used for 12 years of it’s old coating of seasoning.

I am using Organic cold pressed Canola oil to re-season it which is what Lodge says it uses when seasoning at the factory.

I have about 4 layers of coatings done now, each time for an hour in a 350 degree oven, since Canola oils smoke point is 400 degrees.

Why is the skillet looking a ‘reddish brown’ color, instead of the black compared to this vintage skillet in the picture?

View attachment 1510182
View attachment 1510183

You can't bake the oil into a polymer,
if you avoid the smoke point.

Oils for Cast Iron Cooking and Seasoning

Lodge uses a soy-based vegetable oil to season its cast iron cookware. You can use almost any cooking oil to season your cast iron at home.

www.lodgecastiron.com

Whichever oil you choose, it’s important to make sure you heat up your pan to that oil's smoke point. When the oil hits that smoke point, a chemical reaction called polymerization occurs, bonding the oil to your pan to create a layer of natural seasoning

 

[Wid]

You can't bake the oil into a polymer,
if you avoid the smoke point.

Yep, you have to get the skillet above the smoking point.

 

[Buster]

I found a cool cast iron Dutch oven at a garage sale years ago. Perfect size for a whole chicken. It was in decent shape and became my secret weapon for making a perfect roast chicken. I also have some old Wagner pans that were wedding gifts of my parents. The little six inch makes an awesome omelette or frittata. Great kitchen tools that last multiple life times.

 

[OkieStubble]

You can't bake the oil into a polymer,
if you avoid the smoke point.

Oils for Cast Iron Cooking and Seasoning

Lodge uses a soy-based vegetable oil to season its cast iron cookware. You can use almost any cooking oil to season your cast iron at home.

www.lodgecastiron.com

Whichever oil you choose, it’s important to make sure you heat up your pan to that oil's smoke point. When the oil hits that smoke point, a chemical reaction called polymerization occurs, bonding the oil to your pan to create a layer of natural seasoning

Yep, you have to get the skillet above the smoking point.

Huh, I just was reading an article on seasoning cast iron that said, you should heat it below the smoke point, or it will burn off all of the oil? It said Canola oil's smoke point is 400 degrees so seasoning should be done at 350?

I'm officially confused now?

Jeff Rogers’ Cast Iron Seasoning Method — The Culinary Fanatic™

Used worldwide by a multitude of people, the Jeff Rogers Method is a proven and reliable method of seasoning cast iron.

www.theculinaryfanatic.com

 

[Wid]

Huh, I just was reading an article on seasoning cast iron that said, you should heat it below the smoke point, or it will burn off all of the oil? It said Canola oil's smoke point is 400 degrees so seasoning should be done at 350?

I'm officially confused now?

Jeff Rogers’ Cast Iron Seasoning Method — The Culinary Fanatic™

Used worldwide by a multitude of people, the Jeff Rogers Method is a proven and reliable method of seasoning cast iron.

www.theculinaryfanatic.com

When I was restoring cast for resale I always went beyond the smoke point. The oil will never polymerize if not taken high enough.

 

[OkieStubble]

When I was restoring cast for resale I always went beyond the smoke point. The oil will never polymerize if not taken high enough.

Should I strip the 4 coats I already have on and start over?

 

[Wid]

Should I strip the 4 coats I already have on and start over?

I would

 

[OkieStubble]

I would

Thanks Wid!

 

[Old Hippie]

I wouldn't strip it, I'd just toss that sucker back in the oven at 425, turn on the fan and wait for the smoke to quit. Then put on another layer and smoke that off.

O.H.

 

[Whisky]

Should I strip the 4 coats I already have on and start over?

Does the metal feel tacky? If so I’d strip it or at the very least wash it with a scrubber and soap. If it’s not tacky id just stick it in the oven and let it smoke.

 

[Wid]

I wouldn't strip it, I'd just toss that sucker back in the oven at 425, turn on the fan and wait for the smoke to quit. Then put on another layer and smoke that off.

O.H.

If it were only one layer I’d agree. Not when there is 4 layers.

 

[OkieStubble]

Does the metal feel tacky? If so I’d strip it or at the very least wash it with a scrubber and soap. If it’s not tacky id just stick it in the oven and let it smoke.

Really? Yeah, it's not sticky at all, the coatings seem hard and applied well, it's just that weird brown looking color? So to let it smoke? What are talking about, 400 degrees for an hour? I dunno?