Old cast iron

[John Gusmano]

Howdy fellas! My grandma (73) heard that I was getting into using cast iron cookware. She shows up at my house last night with two skillets. She then proceeded to tell me that they have been used by her mother, my great grandma, her entire life! These two skillets she claims have been being used since 1913! I have no clue what kind they are, but they are old. The best part is, they are in excellent condition! The larger one has no markings other than what looks like a hand chizled "8" in the handle. The other small one has a "3" stamped in as well as this letter "A", and had three tally marks that look to have been hand carved in? Anyone have any idea what kind of cast iron these heirlooms are that have been passed down to me?

[Admin]

No idea on the brand but they sound like treasures to me. Most old pans have a number stamped in them and some of the old stuff has the brand name worn off the bottom. Treasure those pans man. Never put them in hot soapy water. You probably already seen the vids I made on caring for cast iron. That rusty pan I restored is a real gem. Nothing sticks to it. I still cook with the same pans I fried my fish in when I was 8 years old.

[John Gusmano]

JC, it's because of YOUR "Caring for Cast Iron" videos that I embarked on the switch in my home. My wife got on board after watching the two videos you made. The best part is the fact that these pans are family heirlooms! I will treasure these for sure and will pass them on to my children! I'll post some pics tomorrow.

I used olive oil to season them, then put them in the oven for an hour at 350 degrees. They turned out fantastic!

[Tim bly]

Are they grizwold brand

[John Gusmano]

I'm not sure what brand they are, all I know is that they are old....

Here are a few pics, if anyone can identify them through these, that would be great!

This is the smaller skillet....



...And the markings on the bottom...



This is the larger skillet...



This is the only marking on it. I'm assuming it's an 8?



Here is what they looked like after following JC's "Caring for Cast Iron" videos. Not to shabby and ready for some cooking!

[patricimo54]

They turned out really good

[John Gusmano]

Thank you! JC is one hell of a teacher, eh?

[Admin]

The look great buddy. Now every time you use them, give them a very very light coating of olive oil while they're heating on the stovetop. Always wipe off any excess with a dry paper towel and you will never have sticky pans.

[John Gusmano]

Why thank you Sir! I am very proud to have these pans in my possession.

[John Gusmano]

Just wanted to share with you my first ever experience on cooking on a fire! I did this over the 4th of July weekend. My fire pit in my back yard is about 4 foot in diameter, so I started a nice fire earlier in the morning, then as the wood burned down to coals, I moved the fire to one end of the pit and the coals to the other. I simply placed the skillet on the coals, and every now and then flipped the peppers and onions around with a spatula until they were done. We paired them with some Italian sausages I grilled for some friends. They turned out fantastic and were a huge hit!

The best part about this for me was that this skillet has been in my family for over 100 years, and the peppers and onions recipe has been passed down for generations. The history that was in that fire pit is incredible when you think about it.

When I told everyone that I made these outside on an open fire, they were amazed. The novelty of it all just made them taste better I think! Anyways, I had to share this with you guys!