I hope this is a good one..

I have been searching for a grill pan, and wanted an old one. I am hoping this one is real, and from the 30's. I may have paid too much, being new to all of this, but I really wanted one of these :tongue:

Sorry for the lousy pictures - they are from the auction page. It says Axford Broiler on the bottom, and Pat. Pending on the handle. 11" dia x 2 1/4" tall. Needs to be restored. Is it old

Looks like the real deal. I don't think these are seen reproduced. The red book pricing is on the old side-- $50-60. Being heavier than regular skillets of the same size, and with the ribs adding strength, I don't think they are seen warped too often. If yours isn't cracked (did you ask?), I'd say you maybe did OK if you didn't have to pay to ship it, too, but that's how it goes sometimes these days. I see others have gone for less recently. Look for a Lodge ghost at 12 o'clock when you get it.

I didn't think to ask if it was cracked! But the seller has 100% feedback and from what I saw on his feedback history, I'm not overly concerned. My favorite line in the auction was "Some cooking history remains." hehe!

I paid just shy of $67 with shipping. I'm ok with that because I really want a grill pan of this size. I will post pictures after I strip and season it...my first time!

Thanks for your great website!

P.S. What is a Lodge ghost? A barely visible mark?

His feedback is impressive; his "don't ask, don't tell" policy would make me ask a lot of questions about anything not expressly addressed in his descriptions. According to the red book, Lodge made these for Mission Foundry of San Francisco, using modified Lodge skillet patterns, it would appear, from the ghost mark of the Lodge trademark seen on some of them.

I am not at all certain that Lodge made these for Mission Stove. Mission had their own foundry in San Francisco since the late 1800s I think it was. The inventor and patent holder for that skillet grill died about 12 years ago about 5 miles from me. I think Lodge may have made some of the Axford Broilers and probably they would be the somewhat later ones. Wagner also made some Axford Broilers but they are unmarked. I have original Axford "hang tags" for those Wagner made pans with the San Francisco address.


Also, I don't think many Axford Cloverleaf Pancake Griddles turn up east of the West Coast leading me to think that they were definitely made by Mission Stove in S.F. Those griddles are not common out here but they used to show up from time to time. I've had two of them for years and one is my frequent pancake user. Anyway, I think the book authors decided that Lodge made the broiler skillets because of the frequently seen Lodge ghost mark. But it could be that Mission Stove used a Lodge skillet as a pattern and then made all of them themselves. It would seem to me logical, though, that Lodge may have made the skillets that were sold in the east to save shipping. I don't know if we will ever know the whole story and I hate to see history rewritten as it appears to have, at least partially, been done.

After reading Alan Axford's obituary in our local paper I went and interviewed his second wife. She did not know too many details but was the one who said that Alan used Wagner for a time, probably in the later 1950s or early 60s.

I should add that the first of the Axford Broilers have no opposite handle. Later ones have a 1931 patent date on top of the handle that is missing one of the digits usually. Then there were the Broil-Rite Axford Broilers which are probably a bit later still and I think they don't have the date on the handle. Lots of variations. There are even covers (a double skillet type) cover for the pan and a smaller Axford "Jr." broiler skillet. That's the one I kept and use. Oh, and the huge Axford Broiler. Very few of them around; very rare and pretty impressive. I've seen only one or two. If Lodge made any of the broiler sklllets I bet that it was only the regular sized one. Who knows, maybe I am all wrong but seeing the pancake griddles out here in the west and seeing that Joel in NY didn't even have one whlle i had several tells me something. Only one of the griddles was unmarked and there are two versions of them.

Doug D. said:

Look for a Lodge ghost at 12 o'clock when you get it.

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You are spot on! There is indeed a very faint LODGE at 12 o'clock!

The pan is in great condition - perfectly flat, no cracks. Just needs to be stripped and seasoned, which I will attempt this weekend.

I've been hoping to run across one of these myself. But more in a slightly rusty at the bottom of a stack at a flea market kind of way.

I know where there is a #8 very similar to this, the bottom needs decrusted is all to see any markings, for $20. I'd planned on getting it for my mom, she loves these kind and I'd never seen one before that looked older. Now I'm keen to snatch it up on my next foray.

Thinking on it, I don't remember it had the tab, but it did look smooth and thinner cast with large pour spouts, and definitely it has the same inner heat ring, with enough carbon buildup to be hiding anything. Looks like I'm going on a mission tomorrow, being single is awesome because no way could I indulge in this to this extent otherwise.

Turns out it wasn't so similar, but it was $22 so I grabbed it. It's clearly older, at least pre 1960's would be my guess, and it doesn't have the grab tab. I say pre '60's because it has pronounced pour spouts and isn't thick cast or rough on the exterior. The grill pattern is completely different, think four pie pieces that the lines meet in the middle, so it'll leave some decorative grill marks. It has an inset heat ring on the bottom, looks like not enough carbon to hide any marks but anything is possible. I don't think I got hurt, it's fairly clean and in very nice shape. I'm going to hazard a guess and say it's a Lodge.