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Jul 12, 2023

How to ID a Vintage Cast

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Here's a rundown of the most prized pans, and how to know if they're any good.

We love vintage cast-iron pans! Not only do they look beautiful, but they're one of the few antique items that are likely to last longer the more they're used. Shopping for them, however, can be a little overwhelming. Everything from knowing where to look, to telling a worth-it pan from the not-so-great stuff can be difficult.

Fortunately, Ashley L. Jones has done the heavy lifting (sometimes literally), and she's put a ton of knowledge into her new book, Skilletheads, out now from Red Lightning Books. The following guide to buying vintage pans is excerpted from Ashley's book.

With the increasing interest in cast-iron cookware, vintage pieces are becoming harder to find. Here are the places Skilletheads frequent along with tips on getting the best deal:

If you’re in the market for vintage cast-iron, you can't be afraid of rust. In fact, Skilletheads often look for the dirtiest, rustiest, cruddiest piece of iron they can find because it's cheaper than a pristine pan. They’re going to strip and re-season it anyway.

Related: How to Season Cast-Iron to Keep Your Skillet in Tip-Top Shape

But what's under all that rust? Learn as much as you can about the piece before you buy it. If you’re shopping online, the seller should be able to answer basic questions about the pan. If you’re shopping in person, though, you get to be the detective.

Your tools:

To determine the quality of the pan, look for:

To determine if a pan has heat damage, first look at the color. If it has a red or pink hue, it was likely in a fire. Then use your straightedge on the bottom of the pan or place the pan on a level table and see if it wobbles or spins.

Place the straightedge on the inside of the pan to see if it is warped at an upward angle. Warped pans, wobblers, and spinners cannot be used on a smooth-surface stove top, but they may be used on a gas-top stove, on a grill, or over an open fire.

If it is an otherwise good piece of cast-iron with a well- known brand, you may be able to restore and sell it, but you will need to disclose the damage and charge a much lower price. Better yet, keep it for your camping needs.

To identify the pan, get your guidebook out and note the following:

All of these clues will help you identify the pan using your guidebook. If the rust is too thick, you may be able to remove a bit using a pocketknife, but check with the seller first. If no markings are visible, it may be because there were none to begin with, or because they’ve been removed through wear or previous restorations.

Or the rust may simply cover the markings until you restore the piece.

If you’re still unsure about the pan, [professional collector] Cast-Iron Savannah recommends taking a picture and posting it in an online forum like the Cast-Iron Community Facebook group. Someone within the group may be able to tell you more about the piece before you purchase it.

Does this sound like a lot? Don't worry—it becomes second nature. As Cast-Iron Kev said, "Once you’ve been doing this long enough, you can identify 80 percent of pieces just walking by! Shape of the handle, heat ring, weight, pour spouts—once you’re in the groove, you can get a good idea of what it is, even covered in crust!"

Manufactured in Birmingham, AlabamaFounded by Sam D. JonesPeriod of hollow ware production 1902–1993Brand names Red Mountain, Century, Pioneer, Lady Bess

In 1898, the Jones family acquired controlling interest in Atlanta Stove Works (ASW), which produced wood and coal stoves out of Atlanta, Georgia. They then built a foundry in North Birmingham for the purpose of producing hollow ware for the Atlanta Stove Company. As for foundrymen, the company leased eighty convicts from the State of Alabama. Originally named Alabama Manufacturing Company, the business was renamed Birmingham Stove & Range Co (BSR) in 1909 after acquiring a number of foundry patterns.

In the 1950s, along with other cast-iron manufacturers of the day, BSR began using an automated molding process, followed by high-volume DISAMATIC automated molding machines in 1966.

Although the Atlanta foundry was closed in 1957, BSR continued to manufacture products out of their Birmingham foundry under the ASW and BSR names.

The BSR foundry closed in 1991, and the company sold their molding machines to Robinson Iron, which continued to produce cookware under the BSR name; Lodge Cast-Iron handled the distribution. Lodge also produced the popular Sportsman Grill on behalf of BSR. These arrangements were short-lived, however. BSR filed bankruptcy in 1993 and turned over their patterns to Lodge to satisfy their debt.

BSR is credited with the introduction of the divided corn bread skillet in 1967. Although Lodge still holds the BSR patent, their modern version of this pan has two loop handles instead of a single long handle. So if you want a traditional divided corn bread skillet, you’ll have to go vintage.

Manufactured in North Chicago,Illinois Founded by John Sherwin, E. P. Sedgwick Period of hollow ware production 1900–1963 Brand names Favorite, Sani-Ware, Ni-Resist

In 1900, two employees of Chicago Hardware Manufacturing Co., John Sherwin and E. P. Sedgwick, had some creative differences with their employer. Still, they were allowed to lease some factory space to make their own cast-iron products. Their business was so successful, they eventually built their own plant across the street from Chicago Hardware Manufacturing Co. In an apparent effort to create confusion, they named their company Chicago Hardware Foundry Co. (CHF). The new company produced cast-iron skillets, among other products, and in 1934 they acquired patterns and tooling from the defunct Favorite Stove & Range Co.

A labor strike at CHF resulted in a riot in 1938. Though no one was seriously hurt, it marked the beginning of a period of strikes and claims of employee abuse that continued for years. At one point, CHF imported fifty Puerto Ricans to work for $5 a week. The Made in Chicago Museum notes these workers were "housed in company-owned railroad cars and forced to buy their food and work clothes at a company store." In addition to the personal rights violations these employees suffered, the company stores served to depress the local economy. When foundry employees were paid only in store credit, they had no money to spend elsewhere, causing businesses in the area to collapse.

It is unclear when CHF stopped producing hollow ware, but we do know the company shifted its focus to industrial furniture in 1963 and was put under the control of a New York holding company in 1969. The surviving equipment was transported to another foundry in Racine, Wisconsin. The Made in Chicago Museum states, "As best we can tell, some bastardized version of the Chicago Hardware Foundry Co. continued to exist as late as 1988, with production in that same Racine foundry."

In 1988, the company relocated to Grayslake, Illinois, and lost a lawsuit brought by the state of Wisconsin for releasing toxic metals. That same year, a chemical fire destroyed the foundry's former North Chicago plant, bringing a violent closure to the company.

Manufactured in Columbus, OhioFounded by Jesse F. Hatcher, E. B. Hatcher Period of hollow ware production 1882–1902 Brand name The Favorite

The Columbus Hollow Ware Co. was founded in 1802 and located in the old foundry of the Harker Manufacturing Company. It seems the company ran into financial difficulties in the mid-1880s, most likely as a result of having to compete with the cheap labor at the local Ohio State Penitentiary. That prison housed its own foundry and was able to sell its products at lower prices than private companies. In a case of "if you can't beat ’em, join ’em," Columbus Hollow Ware contracted with the penitentiary to produce its line of cookware called "The Favorite." This brand is easy to spot, as "THE FAVORITE" is incised in all caps in the twelve o’clock position on the back of each pan.

Today, we may be concerned by the idea of forced labor or may wonder at the working conditions to which the prisoners were subjected. However, the concerns of the day were closer to home. This cheap labor put more than one private company out of business, adding to the already high level of unemployment. It seemed to society a great injustice that good, hardworking people should be without an income while prisoners had jobs. One response was a proposal to label these products as "Prison Made," much as we label products "Made in China" today, but that plan never came to fruition.

Although these pans have a rather dark heritage, that doesn't seem to hurt their value. Instead, their unusual history, combined with a short production period, makes them highly sought after by collectors. These pans, which were made with the cheapest labor and sold at a budget price, now fetch top dollar.

Just be sure not to confuse The Favorite brand with the Favorite brand from Chicago Hardware Foundry Co. or Favorite Piqua Ware from Favorite Stove & Range Co.

Manufactured in Piqua, OhioFounded by William King BoalPeriod of hollow ware production 1889–1935Brand names Favorite Piqua Ware, Miami (economy brand), Puritan (for Sears Roebuck)

In 1848, the W. C. Davis Company was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio. Over time, the company was renamed Great Western Stove Works, then the Favorite Stove Works Company. In 1888, William K. Boal relocated the foundry to Piqua, Ohio, and resumed operations the next year under the name Favorite Stove & Range Co. (FSR).

Boal passed away in 1916, and his son, William S. Boal, succeeded him. He quickly expanded FSR's production of hollow ware. At one point, FSR's operations were spread over ten acres of land, making it the largest manufacturing company in the county. With nearly six hundred employees, it had such an impact on the city of Piqua that it became known as "The Favorite City."

In 1919, employees participated in a ten-day labor strike. Their demand: a 25 percent increase in wages.

The Great Depression of the 1930s reduced sales at FSR, as it did with other manufacturers. William S. Boal passed away in 1933, and the company liquidated its assets two years later. Patents, trademarks, and tools were sold to Foster Stove Company of Ironton, Ohio, while the patterns and machinery were sold to Chicago Hardware Foundry Co.

FSR was restructured under the name Favorite Manufacturing Company. They produced coal and wood ranges, gas cooking stoves, and even hollow ware but on a much smaller scale, with their molding outsourced to a local foundry. In 1959, Favorite Manufacturing Company finally stopped operations.

Manufactured in Erie, PennsylvaniaFounded by Matthew GriswoldPeriod of hollow ware production 1885–1957 Brand names Selden & Griswold, Erie, Griswold's Erie, Victor (economy brand), Griswold, Iron Mountain (economy brand, unmarked), Good Health (store brand), Best Made S.R. & Co. (for Sears Roebuck), Puritan (for Sears Roebuck), Merit (for Sears Roebuck)

Although most hollow ware was manufactured by stove companies, Griswold was one of the few manufacturers who focused on the cookware. This turned out to be a solid business plan as Griswold ultimately became a household name and a world leader in cast-iron cookware production.

In 1865, Matthew Griswold moved from his family farm in Connecticut to Erie, Pennsylvania. There he started a humble business venture with his cousins, the Selden brothers, producing butt hinges and other hardware. The company expanded its production into hollow ware in the 1870s, and Griswold purchased his cousins’ interests in the business in 1884.

A devastating fire occurred in the factory in 1885 (a sad but common event among manufacturing companies). Undeterred, Griswold rebuilt the factory and reorganized the business in 1887 as Griswold Manufacturing Co.

Over a period of years, various Griswold family members retained the position of president and oversaw tremendous growth, both domestic and international. In 1946, Ely Griswold sold the family company to a New York investment group. The company was then purchased by McGraw Edison in 1957, only to be sold to the Wagner Manufacturing Co. division of the Randall Company. Griswold pans manufactured after this date are not considered collector's items.

In 1959, Randall sold the rights of both Griswold and Wagner to Textron, Inc., who continued to manufacture Griswold-trademarked products in the Wagner plant in Sidney, Ohio, until 1969. At that time, General Housewares Corp. acquired the rights to both companies. However, the use of the Griswold trademark was discontinued in 1973.

Since the factory was located in Erie, Pennsylvania, the first logo the company used (from 1880–1907) was simply "ERIE." Other logos and markings were later used, including the now-famous cross in a circle containing the word "GRISWOLD."

Manufactured in Sheboygan, Wisconsin Founded by Jacob J. VollrathPeriod of hollow ware production 1884–1960s Brand name Vollrath

Vollrath Manufacturing Co. was founded as Cast Steel Co. in 1853. Company founder Jacob Vollrath learned iron molding in Germany before emigrating to the United States. Although enamelware was common in Germany at that time, it was hard to come by in America. Seeing an opportunity, Vollrath decided to bring enamelware to the States. There was just one problem: he didn't have the skill set.

Undeterred, Vollrath sent his son, Andrew, to Germany to learn the secrets of enameling. After one failed attempt and a second trip to Germany, Andrew finally became an expert. By 1876, the Vollraths were able to produce excellent quality enamelware, which they made and sold in small batches. The company continued their production of enamelware, formed with either cast-iron or stamped steel, into the 1950s.

The company was renamed Jacob J. Vollrath Manufacturing Co. in 1884 and then simply Vollrath Company in 1912. In 1900, the company devoted itself entirely to the manufacture of cooking utensils, earning top honors for "Excellence in the Production of Colored and Plain, Stamped Steel and Cast-Iron Enameled Wares" at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. As with other manufacturing companies, their capacity was diverted to wartime production in the 1940s, but the company persevered. To keep up with innovation, they discontinued enamelware in the 1950s in favor of stainless steel. Finally, cast-iron production was discontinued in the 1960s.

Unlike other cast-iron manufacturers, Vollrath continued to transform itself. Today, it is a thriving family business with a history of acquisitions and growing interests in the commercial food service and health-care industries.

Vintage Vollrath cast-iron pans may be found without a logo or incised with "VOLLRATH WARE." Interestingly, the logo and all markings are positioned to the side (with the handle facing the three o’clock position). The handles are recessed with a distinct reinforced ridge down the center, making them easily recognizable.

Manufactured in Sidney, OhioFounded by Milton M. Wagner and Bernard P. WagnerPeriod of hollow ware production 1891–1959Brand names Wagner, Sidney, Wagner Ware, National (economy brand), Long Life (store brand), Montgomery Ward/Wardway, Ward's Cast Iron, Magnalite (cast aluminum)

When the Wagner brothers founded the Wagner Manufacturing Co. in 1891, they must have had high hopes for their company. Still, they could not have foreseen how extremely popular their brands would become or how in-demand they would be one hundred and thirty years later.

With a look to the future, Wagner added nickel-plated and cast aluminum ware to their catalog in 1892, becoming one of the first manufacturers to do so. In 1897, they purchased Sidney Hollow Ware and then produced the popular Sidney brand of skillets and Dutch ovens. In 1913, Wagner extended their distribution to Europe, a grand feat in the world of cast-iron manufacturing.

From 1946 to 1953, the heirs of the original founders began to divest their shares of the company, leading to a rather complicated series of relationships. The Randall Company out of Ohio (an auto parts company) purchased Wagner in 1952. The Wagner division of Randall then purchased a competitor, Griswold Manufacturing, in 1957, only to have Textron, Inc. purchase Randall (including the rights to Wagner and Griswold) in 1959. Collectors mark this as the end of the official production period of collectible Wagner cookware.

Ten years later, Textron sold the Wagner and Griswold lines to General Housewares Corp., which stopped the manufacture of Wagner Ware in 1994. They then sold the rights to Slyman Group in 1996, at which time the Wagner plant fell into receivership. The bank sold the Wagner factory and the Wagner and Griswold trademark rights to American Culinary Corp. in 2014, and they remain there to this day.

Manufactured in Wapakoneta, OhioFounded by Milton Bennet, Marion Stephenson, Harry Bennett, Charles Stephenson, S. P. HickPeriod of hollow ware production 1903–1926Brand names Wapak, Oneta (economy brand)

Records show that Wapak was founded in 1903, but after that little is known. The Book of Griswold & Wagner (i.e., "the Blue Book"), records the following: "Even though the Wapak Hollow Ware Co. boasted that it was the largest exclusive cast hollow ware manufactory in the world, and the largest and most important employer of labor in Wapakoneta, there is little recorded history of its existence. In fact, other than the listing in History of Western Ohio and Auglaize County, there is almost no published history of this company. County records indicate, however, that the Wapak Hollow Ware Company ended in bankruptcy in 1926."

Wapak is known for the Indian head in their trademark, which was most likely a nod to the rich Native American history of the area. The handles on the Indian Head pans are also unique in shape. While these Indian Head pieces are prized collector's items, for their quality as well as their uniqueness, the other products in Wapak's catalog are interesting for another reason: they appear to be copies of other companies’ products.

For example, the hinges used in Wapak's waffle makers copy those manufactured by Sidney Hollow Ware and Wagner. As for their pans, pattern markings from Griswold and ERIE ghost markings can often be detected, indicating that Wapak used actual pans from other companies to create their own patterns. Although this was not an uncommon practice of the day, it was certainly frowned upon. And if the patterns of the original pans were patented—as they often were—then it was illegal as well.

For all these reasons, collectors today are quite interested in Wapak's hollow ware.

For more information on finding vintage cast-iron — plus plenty of detail on how to restore it, get a copy of Skilletheads: A Guide to Collecting and Restoring Cast-Iron Cookware.

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