Martin vs Griswold

Steve J.

New member
Hey folks. I am a new collector of cast iron. I have purchased and restored several Griswold pieces now, as well as a single notch lodge skillet. I have found the quality (weight of pan, polished cooking surface) fairly similar between the two manufacturers. This weekend I bought a Martin #7 skillet. It is in pristine shape which I am thrilled about. However, I find the cooking surface not as smooth as the Griswolds. Granted, it may improve with seasoning. I am curious if this is the opinions of others as well, that Martin's, although a great skillet, are heavier and a little rougher than a Griswold. Thanks!
 
Hi Steve. I'm also a new collector but have always had a CI pan or two in the house. I recently picked up a #8 One Notch Lodge that I cleaned, seasoned and it's my favorite pan even over the #8 Griswold I refurbished. The cooking surface is smooth as glass!
 
Every Martin I have is a heavier, rougher casting. Very nice pans, I like them. I can't say I have one that is a user but I have had rougher cast pans become seasoned to the point of being smooth.
 
If anything can be said of Martin vs. Griswold, it's consistency. The Martins I have are all over the map. Deep markings, shallow markings; smooth cooking surface, wavy cooking surface; crooked markings, straight markings. The worst you ever see on a Griswold is the occasional minor casting void, mold sag, or overly-aggressive gate grinding. And the cooking surfaces, if undamaged, are never anything but glassy smooth.
 
I second Dougs comment, I have looked at a few Martins and bought 2 of them and the castings seem to bad overall from the pieces I have seen and heavy too compared to other makers of the same time frame. I have a monday morning and I want to get a normal #3 but that is all I will have of them. I have seen and bought many griswolds and all of them have been of very high quality.
 
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