What Do I Have Here? Griddle and Skillet Id Help

CorneliaP

New member
Hello!
I bought a lot of cast iron cookware from a neighbor and am struggling to I'D these two items

The first is a small skillet with a 3 on the handle and a dot under it. It is very light compared to a lodge that size. After the cleanup it looks and feels like my old Griswold. But the number doesn't look like a Griswold 3. No other markings.

The second one is a griddle. It has an unbroken heat ring and the letters 8D on the bottom. Can this be a bsr? Without any logo?

I appreciate any help, maker, date. I don't care so much about the value since these will be for myself

Thank you very much!
 

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First is likely some small unknown foundry using another maker's pan to create a pattern.

Second is BSR, ca. 1950s. No logo would be the norm for them.
 
Thank you very much!

So my guess with bsr was right. Good to know I am getting better at identifying :-D

Is there a way to guess the age of the small no3? As I said, it feels exactly like my Griswold from 1930. So smooth. And it has the same shine. I am a newbie to all of this, so here comes a stupid question. Is the quality of the cast iron different or is it the manufacturing process that gives these results? Does anyone now a days still manufacture smooth pans like that? I am always fighting with my lodge, it is getting better, but still most times I have some sticking. With these smooth ones never.
 
If a copy using another pan as or as basis for its pattern, the 3 could have been made any time after the pan it copies. Smooth bottom (no heat ring) skillets generally date from the 1930s on.

Smooth castings are the result of fine mold sand and mold surface dressings which filled even tiny voids between the sand grains. Cooking surfaces were further smoothed by polish grinding. All these things eventually went by the wayside after automation came into play.

Boutique foundries using older hand pour casting and finishing techniques exist today, but their products are relatively expensive.
 
Wow, thank you for all the information. One would think with automation these things should be easily achieved.

I guess I have a lot to learn.
 
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