ID Help

BobbiC

Member
Although I've cooked on my late Mother's cast iron pans for years, I just recently became interested in completing her collection. I have studied this forum and have learned a great deal. But I sometimes still have trouble identifying unmarked pans. I was at a junk store last week and saw this with a pile of random cookware on a bottom shelf, out of the way. The Wagner and Griswold they were selling were out on a table, prominently displayed and priced way higher than a junk store should price stuff. Anyway, I saw this and it made me curious. I'm hoping someone can help me id it. Based on my reading here, I think it might be a recast? But of what? The pan has higher sidewalls than my Wagners and BSRs and it also feels a lighter than those. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I just really thought it was a cool pan, so I bought it. I also bought an unmarked Wagner 6, both pans sit flat and do not seem to have any wobble (although I'm still learning to judge that!). Thank you all for your help!

https://imgur.com/TAHSfcm
https://imgur.com/nZ36MLG
https://imgur.com/wRKz5hl
https://imgur.com/YYtKyCQ
https://imgur.com/9Zw2sdu
 
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commonly referred to as 'fancy handle, gate marked pans'.

usually they can be bought for very little money because they can't really be identified... but they are older than almost all of the griswolds and wagners... this style was common from mid-1800's up until about 1880's...

https://imgur.com/a/kJ27A

there is a group on facebook dedicated to gate marked items that was started by Steve Stephens... lots of people swear by these older pans.
 
I cleaned it over the weekend and just used it for the first time yesterday evening - I LOVE it. I'm probably the only person in the world not a fan of Griswolds, but I do love my Wagners and this pan beats my favorite Wagner - and it was only seasoned twice. I will check out the facebook page!
 
I cleaned it over the weekend and just used it for the first time yesterday evening - I LOVE it. I'm probably the only person in the world not a fan of Griswolds, but I do love my Wagners and this pan beats my favorite Wagner - and it was only seasoned twice. I will check out the facebook page!

sorry, I should have given you more info... the name of the group is: Bottom Gate Marked Cast Iron Cookware

https://www.facebook.com/groups/897167583672804/?ref=bookmarks

it is not an open group, so you have to request to join (they let me in so they will apparently let just about anyone in ; )
 
Not to mention better and purer iron. I have been collecting these before the the internet. I wish someone or multiple someones, kept better records on the production and company/caster information. Most may be from Dixie, Blacklock, P&B (Nashville & Knoxville, TN), Fair, Day &d.Kline and a host of unmarked casters who used the fine sand, bottom up, gravity casting methods. They obviously used each others examples to make molds for their production.
One upon a time those could be bought for $2 each because they were not a Griswold, Wagner, or Martin.
 
Not to mention better and purer iron. I have been collecting these before the the internet. I wish someone or multiple someones, kept better records on the production and company/caster information. Most may be from Dixie, Blacklock, P&B (Nashville & Knoxville, TN), Fair, Day &d.Kline and a host of unmarked casters who used the fine sand, bottom up, gravity casting methods. They obviously used each others examples to make molds for their production.
One upon a time those could be bought for $2 each because they were not a Griswold, Wagner, or Martin.

In the area where I live it's very hard to find ci less than $20 or $30 and that's for pans in not very good shape. I was at an antique store a couple weekends ago and they had a Wagner corn pan, in okay shape for $65?? The same junk store where I got unmarked skillet had a Griswold 3 LBL that was very wobbly/pitted/spin for $25. This old gal was on the bottom shelf, with some Northridge ci and very old teflon. It was on the bottom of the pile and priced at $15. It's a really cool skillet and it's been used multiple times a day since it was restored! I think it's my new favorite pan!
 
Not to mention better and purer iron. I have been collecting these before the the internet. I wish someone or multiple someones, kept better records on the production and company/caster information. Most may be from Dixie, Blacklock, P&B (Nashville & Knoxville, TN), Fair, Day &d.Kline and a host of unmarked casters who used the fine sand, bottom up, gravity casting methods. They obviously used each others examples to make molds for their production.
One upon a time those could be bought for $2 each because they were not a Griswold, Wagner, or Martin.

I just picked up another #8 fancy handle the other day... $9.99 it was at one of those consignment stores... there were 6 or 8 other pans hanging on the wall with it... made in usa wagners and modern lodges marked $20 - $25 each... they must have thought it was damaged because of the gatemark...
 
I think that when they get pans in these stores, if it doesn't say Griswold or Wagner, it's automatically priced lower. Or really any name - the Northridge which I think said made in China were more expensive than the old skillet I bought. They were smaller and a lot heavier.
 
I just picked up another #8 fancy handle the other day... $9.99 it was at one of those consignment stores... there were 6 or 8 other pans hanging on the wall with it... made in usa wagners and modern lodges marked $20 - $25 each... they must have thought it was damaged because of the gatemark...

Don't you just love some people who aren't informed. Good finds for us.
 
I like that 9 Gate Marked pan so much that when I saw a number 8 on one of the auction sites, I bid on it and won. I can't wait for it to arrive. The gentleman who I bought it from said he has an identical number 10 that he is going to sell soon. I'm watching that site like a hawk now!
 
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