My First Century Cast Iron!

[Johnsfolly]

It has been slow lately with work and complaints from the family there has been little fishing if any over the last week or so. With my oldest getting ready to head back to Missouri in early Sept I wanted to show her like we did Livie some of our old college stomping grounds in PA. We hit the Allentown farmer's market, toured Lehigh Univ campus, and hit a pretty decent antique mall. I found a stall that had really old cast iron. I deliberated between four skillets and three of those were ones that were at least 100 yrs old.

I ended up buying an ERIE - pre-Griswold skillet that had a lot of surface carbon - crud and a little surface rust on the cooking surface. I knew that it was the oldest skillet I would have in my possession.

I haven't set up an electrolysis tank like @BilletHead has at his place. I use heavy duty oven cleaner to clean off the old carbon residues and weak acid baths (vinegar and water) to deal with surface rust. So my process takes a few spray, scrub, and rinse sessions to get all of the old material off and get to the bare metal. 

Before I started I could see the ERIE logo and make out an "8" for the skillet size, but not much more.

After the first soak with the oven cleaner, I was pleasantly surprised at how much crud I was able to get off the pan. I can now clearly see most of the logo and the skillet size. A maker's maker "B" now appeared.

After the first pass, I use a plastic scraper to try and flake off more of the carbon before giving it another oven cleaner bath. After the second oven cleaner bath I filled the skillet with a vinegar/water solution to address the surface rust on the cooking surface. I don't let it go too long in order to prevent deeper pitting. After addressing the rust, it took only one more oven cleaner pass to get the remaining crud off the skillet. I haven't done the final seasoning which includes three heat cycles and coats of vegetable shortening. Right now I just gave it a thin coating of vegetable oil to keep the surface from oxidizing before I complete the seasoning. 

I am really happy with the results. To me and I know Marty feels similarly that this is a very visceral process. You are peeling away possible neglect and bringing life back into the skillet. This skillet may have been used for 40 yrs or more then put in the basement or attic or garage. Now with care it can be used for many decades to come. If I decide to just display the skillet, it still will show itself off as if it was just newly cast but yet retains all of it's history.

Marty and I have been going over the features of this skillet and still need some more work to pin down a likely age. At the every least it is over 116 yrs old, but could be up to 140 yrs old.

 

[snagged in outlet 3]

40 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

To me and I know Marty feels similarly that this is a very visceral process.

No crocs like Marty?😂

Cool post, John.  Thx

[Johnsfolly]

5 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

No crocs

Nope No Crocs with Socks. We do have separate styles in shoes and hairstyles 🤣.

[fshndoug]

That skillet could be as old as Marty.

 

[BilletHead]

3 hours ago, fshndoug said:

That skillet could be as old as Marty.

 

             Says someone older than dirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA Douglas  

[BilletHead]

6 hours ago, Johnsfolly said:

It has been slow lately with work and complaints from the family there has been little fishing if any over the last week or so. With my oldest getting ready to head back to Missouri in early Sept I wanted to show her like we did Livie some of our old college stomping grounds in PA. We hit the Allentown farmer's market, toured Lehigh Univ campus, and hit a pretty decent antique mall. I found a stall that had really old cast iron. I deliberated between four skillets and three of those were ones that were at least 100 yrs old.

I ended up buying an ERIE - pre-Griswold skillet that had a lot of surface carbon - crud and a little surface rust on the cooking surface. I knew that it was the oldest skillet I would have in my possession.

I haven't set up an electrolysis tank like @BilletHead has at his place. I use heavy duty oven cleaner to clean off the old carbon residues and weak acid baths (vinegar and water) to deal with surface rust. So my process takes a few spray, scrub, and rinse sessions to get all of the old material off and get to the bare metal. 

Before I started I could see the ERIE logo and make out an "8" for the skillet size, but not much more.

After the first soak with the oven cleaner, I was pleasantly surprised at how much crud I was able to get off the pan. I can now clearly see most of the logo and the skillet size. A maker's maker "B" now appeared.

After the first pass, I use a plastic scraper to try and flake off more of the carbon before giving it another oven cleaner bath. After the second oven cleaner bath I filled the skillet with a vinegar/water solution to address the surface rust on the cooking surface. I don't let it go too long in order to prevent deeper pitting. After addressing the rust, it took only one more oven cleaner pass to get the remaining crud off the skillet. I haven't done the final seasoning which includes three heat cycles and coats of vegetable shortening. Right now I just gave it a thin coating of vegetable oil to keep the surface from oxidizing before I complete the seasoning. 

I am really happy with the results. To me and I know Marty feels similarly that this is a very visceral process. You are peeling away possible neglect and bringing life back into the skillet. This skillet may have been used for 40 yrs or more then put in the basement or attic or garage. Now with care it can be used for many decades to come. If I decide to just display the skillet, it still will show itself off as if it was just newly cast but yet retains all of it's history.

Marty and I have been going over the features of this skillet and still need some more work to pin down a likely age. At the every least it is over 116 yrs old, but could be up to 140 yrs old.

 

                         I have to add to this some. John and I have been discussing this piece. He did a great job restoring it. Will make him a nice one for sure. I have two Erie skillets. I have cooked in both but they are retired now and are going to be kept separate. Like some of my even older gate marked iron.  this collecting bug is sinking it's teeth even deeper into me. I will have more to share soon.

    Keep your eyes out guys and if you have any questions ask. I will buy, barter or trade.  I bet John might too

BilletHead