Thoughts on Differences

TinaO

New member
Hi, I am new to old cast iron and would like to gets some thoughts. While looking for some old skillets to use outside I came across 2 3 leg skillets, first time I ever seen one, a 11" & 12". I noticed several differences about them. The 11" has crisp size on handle, defined lip around rim and a thick bulky gate mark and pitting inside. The 12" has messed up size on handle, different shaped lip around the rim and a thin clean looking gate mark and no pitting. They were marked higher than I wanted to spend so I just took pics and waited a couple of weeks before I went back and bought the 12" I did get $10 off, paid $65. The gate marks really make me wonder is one fake? And if you don't mind, let me know how I did and is the 11" worth $50-$60? Oh I also posted a couple pics of the Wagner Ware Pie Logo my husband found. Too bad is just a wall hanger but he and seller has learned that cast iron can be cracked. Thank you.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmKJ7dUx
 
Not sure how the differences in characteristics would lead one to suspect that one is fake and the other not. The legs are also shaped differently and set at different distances from the circumference. More like just different makers, patterns, and mold making technique (creating the gate). $65 on the 12" doesn't sound ridiculous, if no damage or defect. The pitting on the 11" devalues it quite a bit.
 
Thank you for your response. I apparently didn't word it correctly to get my thought across. Guess I'm bad about that. I am not wondering if one of the skillets are fake, I think they are from different makers. I had read somewhere that gate marks or what looks like gate makes have been added to some skillets so they appear older. I still do not know if all 3 leg skillets have gate marks. Are there some out there that don't have a gate mark? If there are how could you tell it it was added later? In my mind if gate mark was added later than its a fake. Sorry for the confusion and thank you for your info.
 
Adding iron to an already cast piece to convincingly make it look like it is bottom gated would be improbable.

Recasts, those pieces made using an actual pan as a pattern to create a mold, often are bottom gated because the individual who cast them didn't have sufficient expertise or resources to do the more-advanced side gating. In that case, if a modern Lodge pan was used to make a recast, someone unfamiliar with both molding technology and manufacturer dating might believe the pan to be old simply because of the bottom gate.

Pieces of this design still being made into the 20th century would be more likely to be side gated.
 
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