Respective weight differences between vintage brands

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EricC

Member
I may be mis-remembering but I think I once read that Wagner and Griswold were lighter pans than BSR.

Is that true?

Has anyone here ever taken same-size pans from these different brands and compared them on a scale? Any significant results?
 
Yes. My #7 BSR is 7 oz. more than the Griswold. BUT, this is not a rule of law. In general BSR is thicker and heavier than some G's & W's but not in every case depending on date of mfg., pattern, etc.. Too many variables to depend on. Like my BSR has more seasoning than the Griswold.

Hilditch
 
Even without the advent of automation, pans (skillets) got heavier over time. Erie and early Wagner pans are very light compared to pans in general after 1920 or so. To even try to make a general comparison, you wouldn't want to compare an 1891 Wagner or Erie to a 1930s BSR RM. There is even variation within brands which would make brand to brand comparison difficult. I have two Griswold LBL smooth bottom #8s that weigh significantly different from each other.
 
Doug D. said:
Even without the advent of automation, pans (skillets) got heavier over time. Erie and early Wagner pans are very light compared to pans in general after 1920 or so. To even try to make a general comparison, you wouldn't want to compare an 1891 Wagner or Erie to a 1930s BSR RM. There is even variation within brands which would make brand to brand comparison difficult. I have two Griswold LBL smooth bottom #8s that weigh significantly different from each other.
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I assume the variation within brands was due to different patterns for the same size, correct?

What about the general trend to get heavier over time? Any idea of the cause, as in an intentional change for better durability vs. some manufacturing side effect?
 
Yes, they are different pattern letters. There is even variation in the size and placement of the 8 on them.

My guess as to the general weight increase would be better survivability in manufacture, handling, and shipping. A little more iron and a lot less headaches and product replacement.
 
Doug D. said:
Yes, they are different pattern letters. There is even variation in the size and placement of the 8 on them.



My guess as to the general weight increase would be better survivability in manufacture, handling, and shipping. A little more iron and a lot less headaches and product replacement.
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Not to mention harder to warp the skillets.
 
Doug D. said:
A little more iron and a lot less headaches and product replacement.
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Have you seen the videos of the Lodge manufacturing process? They have a guy with a front-end loader picking up piles of broken skillets and feeding them back to the melting pot. If they have that much waste with modern technology, think about how much they had before? ... or maybe they had less? For example, it takes a lot longer to make a skillet when everything is done by hand, so the output is lower, but maybe the percentage of pieces with zero defects is much higher? Maybe the extra iron helps increase production and any waste it creates can be recycled back into the process. Just like the skillets having rougher finish due to Lodge finding the rougher finish is easier to preseason than a smooth finish ... changes to the product were made to increase output.
 
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