Griswold Skillet Handles

Not sure if anyone is an expert on the differences in Griswold Skillet handles here, but I have an interesting find.

From what I have been able to figure out, there are three basic handle types for Griswold Skillets.

1. Early Handle: This is the tear drop shaped handle opening with a point on the end of the handle opening closest to the pan. Underneath the handle the opening has a recessed area that is larger than the opening, and is tapered, but still tear drop shaped with a point. This was used roughly from 1909 to 1944.

2. Late Handle: This style doesn't have a point on either end of the opening. It is rounded on both ends and tapers smaller as it nears the pan. The recessed area underneath the handle is still tear drop shaped and comes to a point.

3. Grooved Handle: This style looks exactly like the Late Handle when viewed from the top. The underside is however hollowed out for the length of the handle.

Now for the interesting part. In a post on the Wagner and Griswold Society forum back in 2005, Steve Stephens, an expert on Griswold, noted that there was a fourth, rarely seen handle style. He stated that he had only seen one example in 30 years of collecting Griswold cookware.

This past weekend I purchased a #8 Large Logo Block Letter EPU skillet for $12.00. I already own another. They are identical with the exception of the mold letter, and the handle.

When I started to clean up the new one, I noticed that it looked different on the underside of the handle. It has the pointed tear drop opening, but the recessed area is deeper and wider than the Early Handle.

Don't know if I have a one in a million rare piece here or not.

The early, late, and late grooved handles described pertain to small block logo skillets made 1939-1957. That fourth handle referenced was seen only on a particular pattern (marked 709F, if you want to try to find one) of a small block logo #3 skillet, and is best described as a cross between the early and late handles. Earlier TM Griswold skillets exhibit a variety of handle designs, with some variation seen between period mates of the same size and pattern number. Other variations exist similar to yours. I have two #8 smooth bottom LBL skillets with similar handles but different size and placement size numbers on the bottom.

So, basically I just have skillet with an early handle that falls within the normal variance of one mold to the next.

Well, for $12.00 I think I have at least maybe found my sister's Christmas present.

RLMuse said:

So, basically I just have skillet with an early handle that falls within the normal variance of one mold to the next.

Click to expand...

You have two skillets showing a variance in handle design among patterns for pieces of the same era. And there may be some with yet another variation. There are a variety of scenarios that could have taken place.

Perhaps there were a number of patterns created by the same pattern maker. Later, more patterns were required, so:

Another pattern maker was hired and he had his own take on handle design, or:

Some old slant Erie patterns that were still useful were dug out and modified with the new marks, but their handles stayed the same, or... you get the idea.

If you get enough Griswold skillets together in the same place at the same time, you'll see a bunch of things like these. I was noticing yesterday on the #5 and #6 LBL skillets I bought how different the pouring lips were:



They really protrude on the #5, but not nearly so much on the #6.

Hi RL Muse, I used to see that so called "expert" posting on WAGS; he sure had a lot to say.
Anyway, I know exactly the handle variations you are mentioning and picturing here. I know that the "W" pattern letter No.8 block TM smooth bottom has the wider hollowed out part and some other No.8 patterns do also and probably similar differences in some of the other sizes of Griswold skillets of that 1930s era. It makes little sense to me why the pattern maker made them that way but he did. Perhaps running changes as he kept making more and more no.8 skillet patterns in which all the letters were used except for the i, O, Q, and U plus there was a no pattern letter version as well. So that is 23 different patterns for the block TM smooth bottom No.8 skillets. Those four missing letters might have been made but I've never seen them and I looked for a long time, not to collect them but to document them which I did on charts. If you compare handles on other sizes and series of Griswold skillets you will see all sorts of variations. Until you get to the small TM skillets it's impossible I think to put together a full MATCHING set of skillets in any size with matching handles.

Yep, here's 9,8,6,5,4 smooth bottom LBL. #6 the oddball.