Hammered #5 8" skillet

Hey all. Looking at the pages around here and I believe this is one of the Chicago Hardware Foundry skillets. I was hoping to gift this to a friend who has chickens, and I am trying to convince them that eggs on a cast iron skillet is epic!

Here are some before and middle of restoration pics. The e-dip didn't do much for the last of the carbon buildup, and I moved to lye.





My main curiosity is telling how old some of these skillets are. I'd really love telling him potentially when it was cast. I also seen that the foundry experienced a riot. Did they close up their doors after that and stop making cast iron, or did they keep on keeping on?

Thanks in advance,

Wade

Evidence that these were sold as a mid-line Sears store brand in the early 1940s would indicate that they survived the labor strike.

Thanks Doug! Keeps me honest when telling him about the pan. Still looks like a great user to me. My first hammered find. Did you see how the top of the 5 was missing? Looks like they put it under the B. :wink: