UFS Unidentified Frying Skillet #10, any info?

[Alan M]

Picked up this #10 skillet at a flea market Sunday Morning. Fits well in between a #9 Griswold/Wagner, and #11Wagner, concentric ring & grinding marks in bottom of skillet, debossed 10 on handle & RD on base, external heat ring, eye of handle poorly finished, the rest not so great either. Small nipple on bottom of pan, ground down. Any info would of course be appreciated. I think it'll cook fine once cleaned and reseasoned. The only other iron I own with ring marks were my 1st pans, sold in a set, and made in Taiwan, so I'm assuming this is a cheap foreign pan just based on the quality of the finishing work, but I'm pretty new at all this.

 

[Doug D.]

Actually, it's more likely a rather old domestic piece, ca. 1900. Outside heat rings, raised size numbers, and raised molder's marks aren't things you typically (read: never) see on imported junk. Some might even go so far as to suggest a Blacklock foundry connection, but that is probably wishful thinking.

 

[Alan M]

Thanks. When it comes to identification, I always err on the side of caution, and am never disappointed. I've never picked up a piece as crudely finished as this one. I read the info on early Lodge/Blacklock, but all the pieces identified as Blacklock on the web have had an interior heat ring, so I thought maybe, but most likely not. Is the RD on the bottom probably a molders mark?

 

[Doug D.]

Actually, the opposite is thought to be true, that Blacklock skillets, in keeping with their era of manufacture, have an outside heat ring. Yes, raised marks on the bottoms, particularly letters, are indicative of placement by the molder at the time of casting.

 

[Alan M]

I was trying to communicate that before, but hit submit before proof reading, and figured out the edit feature after it was too late to rewrite. I read the guide about Lodge/Blacklock here on the site, and logic dictated to me that this was indeed an outside/exterior heat ring, but when I googled Blacklock skillets, all the images that came back on the web (with the owner/seller identifying them as Blacklock) had an interior heat ring, so... I figured I didn't know enough about heat rings. So now I know I can identify one from the other.
As for what you wrote about the raised/debossed markings, I have a few other pieces of old iron a broiler/grill pan, some gem pans, and it's either a griddle or sad iron holder, and they all have that style of marking, raised.
Basically I'm still a novice, and need to be able to see more pieces that have been accurately identified before I'll get a feel for this stuff. Whoever made that skillet, it's in a good home now, and will be placed into service soon. Doug, if you put this site together, it's been a real big aide in helping me have a better set of cookware, and a great learning tool. Thank you!