Cast Iron Cookware News: Vol. I No. 6

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CAST IRON COOKWARE NEWS		In this issue: Victor skillets..................................p.33 Letters to the editor.........................p.34 Griswold trivet box.........................p.35 Griswold cast iron production list....p.36 Wagner muffin pans........................p.37 Griswold skillet label.................p.38-39 Tips on shipping cast iron................p.39 Buy-Sell-Trade..............................p.40

Vol. 1 No. 6

Number 6

March 1989

VICTOR SKILLETS BY GRISWOLD Made from approximately the mid 1890's until the mid 1930's in sizes 7-9 which are not too hard to find and sizes 5 and 6 which are, having been made only during the later years. The No6 appears in a 1926 catalog v?ile the No5 is shown in a 1932 catalog. Earliest versions are marked "VICTOR" and have the same style as the early "ERIE" skillets. The skillets pictured here are the latest version and have the most writing on the bottoms. Note the 7 on top of the handle in the nested set; upside down as have been all 7's on the late pans I've seen. Presumably Griswold made the Victor skillets for the same reason Wagner made their corresponding National skillets: "...to fill the demand for a low-priced, slightly undersize skillet. It is a utensil that can be featured in sales as a special". Unlike the National skillets, no covers were ever made to fit the Victors as far as I know. Also similar to the Victor skillets, in addition to Wagner's National, were Favorite's Miami (from Miami County where Piqua, Ohio and the Favorite plant are located) and Wapak's Oneta (Oneta being the last letters of the town of Wapakoneta, Ohio). Pattern numbers for the Victor are as follows: 5-695, 6-697, 7-721, 8-722.

***** From the Editor...
This is the final issue for Volume 1 of Cast Iron Cookware News. A renewal form for Volume 2 (issues 7-12) is enclosed. I have been quite pleased with the response to CICN and the way it has come along with two exceptions: First is that reader input has been lower than I had hoped for (my thanks to those who have contributed) and second, that I have not been getting CICN out on time with this issue being about four months late. I will have to work at being timely and can only urge readers to contribute from time to time: Pictures of your interesting pieces, short articles about your collecting experiences, loan of paper material which will be returned in same condition as received, want ads, etc. -ed.

CAST IRON COOKWARE NEWS is published bi-monthly by Steve Stephens. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Subscriptions are $15 and begin with the January issue and end Dec. 31st. Regardless of when you subscribe you will receive any back issues for the year. Send subscriptions and all material to: Steve Stephens, 28 Angela Ave., San Anselmo, CA 94960 (415) 453-7790

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dick & Esther Millor, McConnellsburg, PA, sent a rubbing of an unusual waffle iron "probably to advertise,with KWIKBAKE in the center of the outside along with WRIGHTS- VILLE HARDWARE CO. and PATENTS PENDING. It also has a base with no markings and with a side handle, no bail, which matches my Griswold bottom almost to the T. Could this be Griswold as I know they made ovens by KWIKBAKE?. I did some checking into the Wrightsville Hardware Co, and was told it had burned down. I have also seen an ice shaver by Wrightsville Hardware. The waffle iron itself seems to be nickeled." Also... "We have a #10 skillet, but only the size of a #0. It is not ground inside and has minor pitting around the New, the name on the back New Brighton. The New is hard to make out. Have seen larger skillets but never any this small."

Only two weeks ago, at a Pasadena, CA flea market I saw an identical KWIKBAKE waffle iron as Dick and Esther have. From the construction details it is definitely not Griswold and appears to have been made possibly in the 1920-1935 period. It was about a size 7 with wood handles similar to those on a Wagner iron. The outside was dimpled in a pattern and size like the arrangement of holes on a dutch oven trivet, Griswold's QWIK-BAKE oven is spelled differently than your waffle iron's KWIKBAKE. I am not familiar with your New Brighton skillet. -ed.

***** Chuck Wafford, Springfield, OR sent a picture which, unfortunately, would not copy here well, of an early Griswold "FOOD CUTTER" display stand. Made of ash lumber, it has five shelves, each narrower than the one below it and each shelf wraps around the sides of the shelf. The back extends about 10" above the top shelf and has a large (about 7"x10"?) Griswold's ERIE diamond trademark casting in nickel plate and red with FOOD CUTTERS at the bottom of the casting. Has anyone else seen one? -ed. ------------------------------->

Steve, would like you to know I have just purchased the following skillet; It is a 42 slant/EPU without the smoke ring. I have seen one other but since you do not have a listing for it in your skillet sheet (CICN p.3), I thought maybe you might be interested to have it verified. Enclosed is a rubbing and a photocopy. The pattern number looks like 703A...
Dick Miller, McConnellsburg, PA,

Dear Steve, Have another addition to your Griswold skillet chart on page 3 of your newsletter. Under your late large TM you only list a #3, Today I picked up a #11 that falls under that same heading. I am enclosing a copy of it for you to see. Also, about three week ago, I saw a #12 skillet that comes under your heading of GRISWOLD'S ERIE. I didn't buy it because it was plated. However, it definitely was a #12 GRISWOLD'S ERIE so you can add that one to your list.
Irv Wagenschnur, Norristown, PA

Thank you Dick and Irv for your information. (Irv also sent a photocopy of the #2 skillet mentioned in Dick's letter above, and suggested I make a chart for Griswold griddles similar to that done for the skillets. A good idea although I'd need seme help to make it as complete as the skillet chart). The #11 skillet you have Irv does not have the late, large TM. It has the same TM as is used on some pieces Made in the late 30's such as the oval skillets. It is exactly ½" smaller in diameter than the block TM used on most #11 skillets. I have seen several of these #11 skillets with the smaller TM but have no explanation why the change was made. Just another of Griswold's unique variations that keep showing up. Note, too, that your #11 has the large CAST IRON SKILLET and ERIE, PA. U.S.A. on the bottom which would indicate that it predates the sm.TM skillets while the late, large TM #3 skillet is marked with the small, type-style ERIE, PA. The #3 skillet is still the only regular, round skillet I have seen or heard of to have the late, large TM. -ed.
Add the following skillets to the chart on pg.3 of CICN. All have been verified:
GRISWOLD'S ERIE, Nos. 11 and 12
slant TM/ERIE, No13
slant TM/Erie PA USA w/smooth bottom, No2
sm. TM w/late handle, Nos. 6,8 and 9
Can anyone verify a No4 skillet with sm.TM and early handle?
(note: stand is roughly 32"w, 42"h, 15"d)

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Griswold items produced in cast iron Including non-cookware items and listed in no particular order. Compiled by the editor.
regular skillets scotch bcwls yankee bowls maslin kettles dutch ovens muffin and gem pans corn bread pans bread loaf pans flat bottom kettles regular skillet covers flat bottom kettle covers round waffle irons square waffle irons French waffle irons American French waffle iron shallow skillets skillet griddles N.E. qriddles flop griddles breakfast skillets patty & deep patty bowls patty irons wafer irons handled griddles bailed griddles long griddles oval griddles long iron pans or heaters sad irons dutch oven display racks skillet display racks griddle display racks waffle iron display racks skillet cover display racks toy cookware oval skillets oval skillet covcn: chicken fryers extra deep skillets deep dutch ovens dutch oven trivets decorative trivets oval roasters oval roaster covers oval roaster orivets dutch oven covers loaf pan loaf pan cover skillet grill heat regulator long broilers double broilers gas hot plates food choppers spitoons copying presses nut crackers Puritan & Merit cookware	All-In-One Dinner Skillet 3-section skillet insert square skillets square skillet cover food chopper display stand wood handled skillets wood handled griddles bakelite handled skillets stove pipe damrpers damper clips lamb, rabbit & santa molds bundt cake molds coffee grinders coffee roasters stove lid lifters kerosene heaters gas heaters parlor stoves Mortars & pestles sweedish plett pan egg poacher danish cake pan monk pan low kettles regular kettles eccentric kettles regular bulged pots extra large eccentric pots ham boilers teakettles dutch ovens w/legs flanged dutch oven covers gas/vapor stove griddles gas stove waffle rings gas stove sausage qriddles gas stove grates gas stove cake griddles gas stove burners mail boxes tobacco cutters fruit & lard presses gas stove skeleton grates advertising skillet clock round skillet ashtrays square skillet ashtray windproof ashtrays cowboy hat ashtray hearthstone skillet ashtray colonial smoking set nursery hot plate Griswold pup hammered finish cookware chromed finish cookware nickeled finish cookware "Cast Iron Grill" boot jacks Best Made cookware Mountain Grade cookware	deep fat fryer deep fat fryer cover oval bean pot cover barbeque grill rimmed kettles rimmed pots habachi type grill sad iron trivet ice shaver fluting iron lemon squeezers low bulged pots safety cookers flat bottcm kettle w/handles sundial sauce pans steak platters hot service plates casseroles & covers rarebit dishes service dishes fish service dish table service dish service kettles oval tree platter double skillets Washington Bicentennial Skillet Cover "Cliff Cornell" skillets square egg skillet odorless skillets coffee pot stands sealing wax ladle hinged skillets & covers hinged dutch oven no.14 bailed skillet hot pot or patty bowl & cover low eccentric kettles safety kettles flat bottom bellied sauce pans w/cover flat bottom round boilers odorless kettles Victor skillets Victor waffle irons oval waffle irons burglar alarm cylinder rings for stove pipe adjusters shovels stove pipe shelves tack hammers fire sets boiler handles pokers scrapers tongs

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Label that was placed in Griswold skillets for advertising. This label was generously provided by Charlotte Fitz, Santa Monica, CA,whose father, William F. Smith, was a sales representative for Griswold from 1915 to 1957. The pancakes and bacon are printed in their actual color on a black background. The bottom of the label is a medium blue with yellow and white writing. The rectangular "card" portion is in light grey-blue with red and blue writing. Note the "Life-Time Guarantee", Do you think that General Housewares Corporation, which now owns the Griswold name, would still honor the guarantee? Another label, P-530, has bacon flanking two eggs, sunny side up.
	Clipping from The Old Fanner's Almanac, 1988, courtesy of Jerry Predika, Santa Cruz, OA. For those of you who have skillets that give the food cooked in them an iron taste you might try this and report back if it works. I have never heard of it although I have noticed an iron taste after cooking some foods, especially acidic ones like tcmato sauce, in an unseasoned iron skillet. -ed.

Reverse side of label shown on previous page. Grey print on a buff background. Griswold is touting "almost 100 years" so this label must be from the period immediately preceding the end of production in Erie in 1957. Note that the dutch oven is now being sold with the stamped aluminum trivet. The Family Grill is actually the No. 18 "Cast Iron Grill" and the Corn Cake Pan is the common No.273 comstick pan being sold right to the end of Erie production. Finally, note Griswold's directions for use and care.

SHIPPING CAST IRON-SOME TIPS: Pack your piece more than adequately with a least 2" of space between any part of the piece and the box. Pack with crumpled newspaper, bubble wrap, styrofoam, or a combination. If using styrofoam "worms" be aware that your piece could migrate through the chips toward the sides of the box and, thus, could be damaged. Include some crumpled newspaper or other material to keep the piece in the center of the box. Protect projecting handles especially well. I know of a No.13 skillet that had its handle broken off in shipping. Insure for full replacement value or more in case you need to make a claim on a damaged piece. If you use a packing service check to see what liability they accept, if any. I use UPS but learned to pack extremely well as they tend to pile lots of heavy boxes on top of mine in transit. -ed.