"New" BSR Red Mtn 8..

SteveT

Member
Picked this hand-marked piece up when I went through Birmingham last week. I think it was the "hairiest" piece I've restored to date, but it's now in the oven warming up for the first round of seasoning. Sits pretty flat, but not quite "solid" on my glass stove top. That's a disappointment, but a risk I knew I was taking when I bought one so crusted.

Am I correct that it was made pre-World War 2?

Before:
The 8.. is visible at 7 o'clock.





Think I need to run to the store to get some buttermilk to make corn bread, to get the first coat of cooking seasoning going!

Steve
 
After 2 coats of Crisco, here's the result. I'm really pleased with this one, as it is the blackest (after initial seasoning) of any skillet I've restored; hopefully that comes through in these pics.





 
Thanks for the positive feedback on the cleanup. I'm finally learning to put a skillet in the lye and let it work, rather than rushing to apply a bunch of elbow grease.

This hand-incised 8 is what makes me think pre-WW2:


I believe the 8J is later, due to the non-hand made 8, and the smaller pour spouts it has, compared to the spouts on the 8..


8J on the left, and 8.. on the right:
 
I agree with KevinE. Nice restoration and probably no definite way to determine if it's pre WW 2. What I find interesting is how far off-center the 8.. was placed. Usually the are pretty much at the 6 o'clock position just above the handle. Maybe the molder was left-handed and easier for him to scribe to that side. Who knows?
 
The molder would not have made the marks. They are inscribed in the pattern. Molder's marks are raised, because they are pressed into the sand before the mold is reassembled and the iron is poured.
 
Donna, that's a nice looking old skillet! Did you restore it, or is it "as found?" I ask because both of the RM 8s which I've seen were HAIRY. I love the extra (?) marks on yours!

Made cornbread in mine yesterday, and it fell right out. Had too much bacon grease in there for my taste, but the primary objective was to start seasoning the skillet, and that was accomplished in spades. I'm looking forward to getting more use from this one...

Steve
 
I "found" it in an antique shop in Oregon, Steve, but I don't think it had much restoration. I plan to strip it and start from scratch. (I was actually thinking the bottom of yours looked to be in a lot better condition than mine.)
 
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