Curiosity Question..( WAPAK )

[SeanD]

I was just cleaning my skillets this morning, and something dawned on me. Has anyone ever seen a Wapak #3 with a heat ring? Mine and all the others I have ever seen are smooth bottom. Also....I think they only made #3 with the tapered logo? Any input would be great.

[Doug D.]

Wapak, being notorious for "borrowing" other makers' pans for its patterns, was probably content with the Wagner #3s made just down the road that they used to make theirs. And, since Wagner only made smooth bottom 3s...

There is a #3 smooth bottom made from a Griswold LBL marked "Wapakoneta, Ohio" that at least one eBay seller has advertised as Wapak, but it is more likely a variant of an Ahrens & Arnold, whose more fully-marked pans its markings are consistent with.

[SeanD]

Using others molds would make sense, seeing as it a Wapak.....must have been easier and cheaper to use them Im assuming. Thanks for the info!

[Doug D.]

Pattern creation involved the carving of a pan first in wood (and sometimes other materials), then from it creating a master in brass to which runners and gates were added to create the aluminum version actually used to make sand molds.

For Wapak (and some others), starting with an actual pan in the creation of a pattern cut out a large part of the expense of skilled craftsman work. To account for the ghost marks of other makers on pans, some assume that foundries sold worn or obsolete patterns, but it makes little sense to enable your competitors. We can see from same-maker ghost marks that patterns were costly enough that making alterations was preferable to outright replacement.

[SeanD]

I wondered about giving the other makers free or sold patterns. Why would they help out? I have no clue if the ghost marks are from "stolen" molds, or free ones they gave out? Thank you for the replies.....I learn a LOT on here!

[Doug D.]

While selling or giving the competition patterns are both extremely unlikely, making pans from stolen patterns would be unfathomably foolish, especially if you put your name on them.

[StanG]

They exist: https://imgur.com/JOmbuUC

[Doug D.]

The OP is talking about Wapak 3s other than the Indian head medallion skillets which all have heat rings. My comment about Wapak being notorious for "borrowing" other makers' pans for pattern creation also is only applicable to their pieces other than the Indian skillets.

[StanG]

Originally Posted by SeanD

I was just cleaning my skillets this morning, and something dawned on me. Has anyone ever seen a Wapak #3 with a heat ring? Mine and all the others I have ever seen are smooth bottom. Also....I think they only made #3 with the tapered logo? Any input would be great.

Sorry, didn't see anything in the original post excluding Indian Head pans.

[Doug D.]

The assumption was based on the OP having previously identified himself several times as a "Wapak guy", and that as such he would already have been aware of the Indian medallion skillets.