primitives being cast iron experts

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x67107

Oh my.

mtnester  (1000+ posts)        Wed Jul-22-09 06:44 PM
Original message
 
Cast iron experts

I inherted 3 cast iron pans from my Grandma. The Wagner I am familiar with (it is a beauty)

And there is one I am completely unfamiliar with. It is hammered like this one:

after which a photograph

With what looks like a makers mark on the underside of the handle:

after which another photograph

It is a beauty! I made eggs in it tonight, and am curious as to its maker. I am not having any real success with the Google, other than a single teeny weeny skillet even that owner knows nothing about.

Any cast experts, please chime in! I am simply satisfying my curiosity.

ginnyinWI  (1000+ posts)        Wed Jul-22-09 06:52 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. could it be not "cast" but actually hand made?

it looks like it was hand-hammered. And the maker's mark is another clue. I have no idea how old it would have to be to be handmade but I'd guess quite old.

I have a cast iron griddle that my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother used--which would have to have been made around 1890. But that was manufactured; yours could pre-date it.

mtnester  (1000+ posts)        Wed Jul-22-09 06:58 PM
Response to Reply #1
 
2. I don't know on that, that would be a fun fact for this skillet

there is zero other identification on it, no stamp on the back, nothing, no manufacture mark except for the #10 on the handle top, and it looks like it was struck as opposed to stamped.

and it has a beautiful cooking finish, just amazing.

TreasonousBastard  (1000+ posts)      Thu Jul-23-09 01:28 AM
Response to Original message
 
3. Blacksmiths made iron skillets for hundreds of years, and...this might be one of them. Cast iron is too brittle to forge, unless there's a secret I don't know, but wrought iron would certainly make a perfectly good pot or skillet.

How old it is is anyone's guess, but if there's a museum or historical society near you, they might look at it and give you some hints.

You know, this might sound odd, coming from a person with a degree in history, but franksolich has never been particularly touched by antiquities.

Unless they're royal memorabilia, franksolich just doesn't care.

One time when I still lived in Lincoln--this would've been circa 1991 or 1992--I had a garage sale.  Garage sales in Lincoln are notoriously plagued by flea-market and "antique" dealers.

One knows the type; the type that wants to come in and look the evening before the sale, or the one who shows up an hour or two before the sale starts.  They're damned nuisances.  Just really rude people.  I could never stomach them.

To ridicule such people, I advertised the garage sale as "miscellaneous antiques," even though what was being offered were thrift-store rejects.

One dealer protested at a blond-wood stereo cabinet.

"That's not an antique; that's late 1970s pressed board with plastic veneer."

I begged to differ.

"Actually, this goes clear back to Louis XIV," I said.  "It's an authentic antique, going clear back to the ages.

"The pressed board of course is made from wood chips, and the wood chips came from a tree at least 200 years old, and so its components are definitely antique. 

"It's practically a relic of the Revolutionary War."

With all due respect to anyone here who flea-markets or antiques, I really loathe these people, at least the ones encountered in real life in Lincoln.

But one suspects if one's a decent and civilized person, and a member here, and flea-markets or antiques, one doesn't act like most of them.

[GOBUCKS]

Well, after having studied the photographs, I'd suggest she try striking those indentations with a wooden mallet. I think what she's got there is a soprano Caribbean steel drum.

[Karin]

Frank, around these parts we have some "antique" stores that just crack me up.  What they are, are permanent garage sales.  Nothing but Sanford & Son junk.  One guy proudly lined up 6 cheap kitchen table chairs, circa 1975 out front of the store. 
I can admire antiquities, if they are beautiful as well as historically significant.  Like Victorian-era radiators.  There was an old wood stove stuck out back that came with my house.  It was overly-decorated, to the point of pretentious hideousness.  Some people like that, so I found it a good home.

[DumbAss Tanker]

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x67107

Oh my.

You know, this might sound odd, coming from a person with a degree in history, but franksolich has never been particularly touched by antiquities.

Unless they're royal memorabilia, franksolich just doesn't care.

\

That's amusing, the royal memorabilia is an aspect I find especially dull and interesting only in dating items found in context with it, whereas the tools of trades, artisans' craftwork, and early scientific instruments are endlessly fascinating to me.

[franksolich]

That's amusing, the royal memorabilia is an aspect I find especially dull and interesting only in dating items found in context with it, whereas the tools of trades, artisans' craftwork, and early scientific instruments are endlessly fascinating to me.

Well now, there's three sorts of people involved here, and I'm bashing only one sort.

(a) There's the people who like, who appreciate, old things, and if they have the money, they collect them.  If I was married to a woman who liked antiquities, she could indulge in such a past-time with no word of criticism from me.

Antiquities don't turn me on, don't spin my wheels, but just because I, whom am not the arbiter of taste, don't care much, doesn't mean that such pursuit is not a worthwhile and healthy hobby.  If people truly like such things, and get something from their affection for them, more power to them.

(b) There's people in the flea-market and antique business who observe the rules, and would no more show up early at a sale, or ask for an "advance" view, than franksolich would demand to be let into their stores at 3:00 a.m. on a Sunday.

Those sorts of people have never gotten anything but world-class treatment from me.

And then there's (c), those people in the flea-market and antique business who think they have a "right" to look at things before anybody else does, and a "right" to pay less for something, than to decent and civilized people.

Those in (c) are exactly the reason the abovementioned garage sale was the last one I ever held.  It's just easier to pack things up and send them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, than deal with such crude rude people.

Of course, I must say that I never held a garage sale to make money; I held garage sales simply to get rid of junk cluttering the inside of home.  I persisted for a long time in believing it was easier to do that, getting rid of stuff, by hauling it out to the front porch and picking up some coinage, than to box it up and give it to a thrift store.

I was wrong.

[franksolich]

Frank, around these parts we have some "antique" stores that just crack me up.  What they are, are permanent garage sales.  Nothing but Sanford & Son junk.  One guy proudly lined up 6 cheap kitchen table chairs, circa 1975 out front of the store. 
I can admire antiquities, if they are beautiful as well as historically significant.  Like Victorian-era radiators.  There was an old wood stove stuck out back that came with my house.  It was overly-decorated, to the point of pretentious hideousness.  Some people like that, so I found it a good home.

When I was manager of the Reunion, mentioned in my Bostonian Drunkard-length saga about David Hunter, one of the things I did was solicit auctions for the building.

The Reunion after all was an ideal set-up, especially in winter or on hot summer days; an old watch factory, it had excellent loading-unloading facilities, and large private rooms where things could be held, and locked up, until the auction.

The concourse was wide and long, perfect for display.  The food court was right there, with a variety of culinary offerings.  And if one got too heavy on the feet, there were hundreds of chairs, where one could sit down and watch.

I pulled in a lot of auctions for the place.

I always had a problem, however, with flea-market and antique dealers who came into the building a day or two before an auction, asking if they could "just take a look."

They knew it was there, because most of the doors inside the Reunion had glass fronts, and one could see, everything all laid out on tables, in order.  The usual procedure was to do that, so when it came time to set up, setting up required just a bunch of guys to carry whole tables, complete with inventory, out into the concourse.

There were understandings with the auctioneers that no one was to be allowed to "look" until the morning of the auction, and so I always said sorry, no.  They didn't mind the kids who worked in the Reunion taking a look-see under my eye, but they didn't want professional sharps messing with anything.

Ultimately I ended up putting paper across the windows of the doors to the rooms where such things were stored, because nothing would hinder these professional sharps.  They would go and peek through the glass, and sooner or later got around to bringing flashlights to see better in the darkness, after I kept the lights off.

Rules exist for a reason, and it's a good idea to follow the rules.

[jukin]

Still have my mother's big cast iron skillet.  Many fond memories of fried green tomatoes and pork chops or fried chicken.  Sadly, I fear none of those foods will be allowed under obamacare.

[GOBUCKS]

Still have my mother's big cast iron skillet.  Many fond memories of fried green tomatoes and pork chops or fried chicken.  Sadly, I fear none of those foods will be allowed under obamacare.

I think the democrats and Lord Zero will allow us to eat those things, if we can afford them. We'll only have to pay a small health tax on each unapproved food item, plus a small Gore tax on the carbon based fuel we use to cook it. Of course, we wil not be able to consume unhealthy items in any public place or workplace, as that would involve exposing others to our unhealthy habits. Our children will be taught the dangers of second-hand grease.

We'll all be encouraged to eat a more wholesome diet. In celebration of our president's native land, there will be no health tax levied on cow's blood mixed with milk, which will replace hot dogs and apple pie in Chevrolet advertising by Government Motors.

[The Village Idiot]

I think the democrats and Lord Zero will allow us to eat those things, if we can afford them. We'll only have to pay a small health tax on each unapproved food item, plus a small Gore tax on the carbon based fuel we use to cook it. Of course, we wil not be able to consume unhealthy items in any public place or workplace, as that would involve exposing others to our unhealthy habits. Our children will be taught the dangers of second-hand grease.

We'll all be encouraged to eat a more wholesome diet. In celebration of our president's native land, there will be no health tax levied on cow's blood mixed with milk, which will replace hot dogs and apple pie in Chevrolet advertising by Government Motors.

there is already a proposed tax on toilet paper and cooking oil going around...

[crockspot]

there is already a proposed tax on toilet paper and cooking oil going around...

WHAH-WHAH-WHAT!? I'm gonna be taxed to wipe my own ASS now?

Good God. Pass the ammo.

[vesta111]

Frank, it is a game of Witt's, education. down right skulduggery, and possibly the nastiest business next to selling used cars that I know of.

I bet that if I got some lumber and constructed a very crude table using hardware from an old barn, took it out and buried it in the mudflats arched to a rope and caped Clorox bottle, left it there for 6 months, dug it, up I could get a couple of hundred for great grandmas table from some tourest.

The really good capenters go to barn sales and auctions looking for old tools, hand made flat nails, and old draw pulls,  building a cabinet with authentic old time tools can fool the smartest.  Some of the pulls are worth $50.00 each. paying $100.00 for an old falling apart chest of draws with 6-8 pulls, brings in a nice amount of found money.

Even the best and smartest get hoodwinked when it comes to art works. Museums and big time auctioneers with the best appraisers have bought forgeries, we have some very skilled artists out there that  have made off will millions in ill gotten bottie.

Never know what one can find to their delight, when an aged family member dies and the family auctions off the farm, they cannot afford to pay for an appraisal from experts in 6 or so category's.-- flat ware, jewelery, books, knickknacks, old clothing or toilet items used at the turn of the century.

This becomes a treasure hunt, I am shameless in that I watch the obituary for a descendant of someone who was a commercial photographer in the 1800, I am looking for the old glass plates that were used in filming at the time of the civil war.

Sure the actual camera will go for big bucks but a box of glass may be over looked.

This is a life or death profession for so many people, ME, I get great wonderment in holding a diary written by someone back 150 years ago , getting into the mind of those that came along way before me.

The thing to do is to pick your passion, study, go to museums and art centers, keep in mind that fads come and go, you may well find a painting of some girls with huge eyes that was so popular in the 1970.  Today people may sell you one for $15 bucks as that is not their style.  Grab that sucker and run, if it is the real thing you can donate it to a museum of modern art and get free passes to visit for 5 years.


Treasure Hunt     YO HO HO AND A BOTTLE OF RUM.

[GOBUCKS]

Vestnumbers is living proof that being brain dead is not necessarily fatal.

[vesta111]

Vestnumbers is living proof that being brain dead is not necessarily fatal.

No applause needed my dear, I kind of like you too.

So we become adversary's at 50 paces,  your chosen weapon is education, years of learning  from books, mine is education from the streets and a love of anything different,

Nice to meet you GOBUCKS, it will be interesting to see how long it takes to fry your brain. or to put me on ignore for your mental health.



 

[Karin]

Vesta said:

I get great wonderment in holding a diary written by someone back 150 years ago , getting into the mind of those that came along way before me.

Me, too.  When I was a little girl and visited my pack-rat grandparents, I'd head straight for the attic and spend hours and hours looking through all this stuff, some going back to the civil war.  "What in the world is that child doing up there with all that junk?"  my grandmother would ask.  I was in heaven. 

[Chris]

mtnester 
Fri Jul-24-09 03:45 PM
Response to Original message

17. Well, it appears some douchebag from conservative cave is fascinated by my question and hates collectors of antiquities

[franksolich]

Oh my.

[GOBUCKS]

Oh my.

Douchebag.

[franksolich]

Douchebag.

Yeah.

The only thing that bothers me is that it took a primitive two months to find us?

[miskie]

Yeah.

The only thing that bothers me is that it took a primitive two months to find us?

Id still count it as a success - they are primitives after all, and for one to see there is more to the world than the tiny island they inhabit is an unusual feat.

[franksolich]

Ooops, I take that back.

It took the monster primitive only a few days to find us; I hadn't noticed the date stamp on the primitive comment until now. 

Excresence happens; sometimes one speaks too soon.

[debk]

As much as I love to cook...I have little to no interest in "antique" cooking utensils. Outside of being really happy if I could find an old fashioned spinach press as they apparently are not made anymore....I prefer all the ease of modern cook stuff.

I do like some antiques though....an old piece of Delft makes me really happy...if I can afford it!

I am a collector of a variety of things....but rarely will I visit an antique store as they usually quadruple the price and expect it to sell to "suckers"....

[Alpha Mare]

Vesta said:
Me, too.  When I was a little girl and visited my pack-rat grandparents, I'd head straight for the attic and spend hours and hours looking through all this stuff, some going back to the civil war.  "What in the world is that child doing up there with all that junk?"  my grandmother would ask.  I was in heaven. 

For me, it's friendship quilts (the ones where each square has a message and is signed by a friend or relative).  They just seem like they deserve a family.

[IassaFTots]

I have a full set of cast iron that was my Grandmother's and she taught me to cook in them.  I have my Mom's old Dutch Oven too.  I sure do love em.  I do love things with a historical reference, to me, not antiques in general.  But the last thing I want is a house full of doo dads that I have to dust. 

[GOBUCKS]

I am a collector of a variety of things....but rarely will I visit an antique store as they usually quadruple the price and expect it to sell to "suckers"....

Well, of course. Otherwise it would be on e-Bay, where they got it in the first place.

[franksolich]

Well, of course. Otherwise it would be on e-Bay, where they got it in the first place.

That's what gets me about the flea market primitives.

The primitives bitch and whine and moan about "windfall" profits of petroleum companies.

But on the other hand, they're okay with a primitive finding something at a garage sale for fifty cents, which they turn around and sell on eBay for fifty bucks.

The flea market primitives are greedier than the oil companies.