I've been told this is a BSR

DaleR

Member
A gentleman with a lot of cast iron experience believed it was a BSR but wasn't sure. The only markings are a "14". (If the handle is 6 o'clock then the marking is also at 6 o'clock) The assist tab "hole" does not go through. Other than that I will differ to the pictures. Thanks for any help!!!
 

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I have seen that same pan elsewhere recently. It has a lot of things in common with BSR, and other things not so much. I have also seen a #14 BSR in person a few months ago that I do not recall having that unusual reinforcement pad. I seem to remember its handle was also not unusual for BSR. Jury's still out, IMO.
 
Why would the hole in the "helper" handle not go all the way through?

I'm wondering if this might be a reproduction ... :icon_scratchchin:
 
I can't tell if the roughness is poor casting or pitting. I would tend to agree that it looks like a recast, even though those are usually bottom-gated.
 
Its sitting in electro right now...its smooth. Will post pics.

---------- Post added at 07:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:10 PM ----------

Also I have a known history on it of at least 50 years
 
I've had this skillet both with and without the reinforcement pad on the outer skillet wall below the handle. I seen them with handles that look both like Lodge and like BSR and more recently saw with with Century markings instead of BSR.

That said, Saunders Jones, Jr., the last president of the BSR didn't know. Apparently his father didn't either who is still alive and moved from running Atlanta Stove Works to Birmingham in 1959 to run the consolidated company. Saunders' cousin Hugh who worked their even longer and who is apparently responsible for the design of some of their cool things like the handled rectangular corn bread pan didn't know either.

I think possible BSR because of the marks but...
 
I don't know if this will provide any additional info, but I took some pics in between the trip from the lye to electro.
 

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There seems to be a tendency to sometimes makes inferences about certain markings or characteristics, a la the (U.S.) on some #14 mid-century Lodge skillets being indicative of a US government connection, but with the determination having been made that it was merely an early attempt to adhere to regulations that products be marked as to country of origin. There are some Wagner popover pans marked U.S.N. that have been accepted as being connected to the US Navy, but only because no other explanation as been offered. In this case, I think all that can be conjectured is that a proposed design change may have somehow made its way into production, the best guess being that such a large, heavy skillet may have experienced too many broken off handles, either in production or in use.

What really needs to happen is a comparison of dimensions with a regular BSR #14. If the same diameter, we could more safely assume BSR made it; if slightly smaller (around 3/16"), it would indicate a copy made with an altered BSR pan as a pattern.
 
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