Wagner #8 with Lid

[JoshR]

I'm just getting into vintage iron and found this skillet and lid at an estate sale a few days ago. I can't find a lot of info on the lid, but as there were only a couple pieces of iron at this sale (this combo plus a modern lodge DO) I'd assume it came with the pan it was paired with. The pan looks like it was made between 1924-35, safe to assume the same for the lid?

I'm setting up my first lye bath and vinegar bath as well. There's a little bit of gunk on the bottom ring of the lid, would it be more prudent to try to hand scrub this off or should I just strip the whole thing to start fresh and clean? How would I go about seasoning the lid without being able to easily wipe down the underside?

The pan's a spinner, but I was more interested in the lid anyway and will either re-sell the pan or use it to bake in. Not sure if $40 was a good deal, and if they were priced separately I probably would have just gotten the lid. But it was my first find in the wild, and I missed out on a couple of nice LBL Griswolds at another estate sale because I didn't wake up early enough. So either way, I'm happy with the purchase which is what matters, but curious if this is something commonly found at lower prices for future reference.

https://i.imgur.com/nbH7lEq.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ardSnNk.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1SAZxda.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Z3UwD2b.jpg

[Doug D.]

Somewhere between the 1924 and 1927 catalogs, self-basting skillet lids were added for regular skillets 7 thru 14 and the 8 and 9 deep. By the 1940s, the "writing top" had given way to simple incised concentric rings, and a #5 lid had been added.

[JoshR]

Thanks Doug. I'd like to get a matching pan that doesn't spin like a pulsar, and wanted to make sure I was in the time range.

[Rodney Walker]

How important is spin on a coil burner electric stove?

[GTurner]

Originally Posted by Rodney Walker

How important is spin on a coil burner electric stove?

How flat are your coils? My coils aren't flat on mine. One actually make most skillets spin as it's bowed upward on one side.

[Scott.L]

If the warp causing the spin is big enough it can cause liquids to pool/flow unevenly creating issues during cooking.

[Rodney Walker]

I just picked up a flat bottomed Wagner Ware #8 skillet that shows some shine in the center of the bottom. Probably why I was the only bidder. It's in the mail so I haven't had a chance to check it in person yet.
The coils on our stove are on the old and beat up side. I doubt they're all that flat.

[BarryL]

A pan that spins a little will still cook just fine for many dishes. I have an old Griswold DO that was gave to me a few years ago. It has a small pit on the bottom and it spins a little, but it still cooks great.

[Rodney Walker]

Thank you.