Lodge Blacklock Warp

Mike_M

Member
Was out hitting shops today looking for cast iron and came across a blacklock #10. It was at a surplus store so it was an open box item. When I looked at it, there was an obvious heat mark in the middle. Rest still had oil on it and looked brand new. I checked it for flatness and found it to be warped upward with a hump where the heat mark was. Was a great price and really cool skillet. Didnt want to deal with the warp though. Anybody else see this happen with the blacklock? Wondering if since the skillet is 14.5" in diameter, if warpage is inevitable.
 
Assuming you are speaking of the modern line Lodge is calling Blacklock? I wouldn't say warpage is inevitable, assuming the user doesn't do something negligent like placing an empty pan on a high burner and walking away.
 
Yes, I'm aware of their new premium Blacklock skillets. I wasn't entirely sure you meant that or the old unmarked pans people like to think are late 19th century Blacklock.
 
Meant the new premium skillets. Hope I didn't make a mistake not buying it if even a brand new one right out of the box would do the same thing. I would hope these aren't prone to warping. However, the metal is so thin to make them light, I'm not surprised it did warp.
 
When I looked at it, there was an obvious heat mark in the middle. Rest still had oil on it and looked brand new. I checked it for flatness and found it to be warped upward with a hump where the heat mark was.
My assumption would be someone probably did as I described above, warped their nice new skillet, and it somehow ended up where you found it. Older (and newer) thinner castings don't take abuse as well as thicker late-20th century ones do.
 
I gave a couple of family members each a skillet that I had restored. I asked them both what kind of stove they had and both replied glass top. So I didn’t know much about them and thought that a pan without a fire ring would sit flat and make better contact with the heat source. I gave them smooth bottom unmarked Wagner Ware pans. They were lightweight nice pans. They are now spinners. I don’t know if they left them on and walked away, turned the burner on and it heated too fast too hot or what happened. But I do know a thin pan especially without a heat ring will warp!
 
I have a few of the new Blacklocks. I have the 12" but not a 14". I also have MANY other Lodge skillets and DO's. I also live relatively close to the Lodge Foundry in South Pittsburg and visit their store often.
I have had no problems with the new Blacklocks and I use them daily. The new Blacklocks save their weight by thinner walls and not on the bottoms. Lodge claims the Blacklocks are 25% lighter. I love them and I do smooth out the bottoms a bit but they are smoother than their regular line.
At the Lodge store in South Pittsburg, they have a section/area of cast iron "seconds". It contains all cookware that did not meet their quality inspections. These may have small marks on them, a scratch, and minor flaws that do not affect the cooking ability/quality of the item. Really just cosmetic flaws. I have bought a few over the years and they have been perfect. The savings is significant too.
I was there a few weeks ago and they had a pallet they were unloading of "seconds", all just cosmetic issues. Any item they have that are functionally flawed they do not sell at all and melt/re-cast them. They have an excellent quality assurance team!
If the 14" Blacklock is warped, I would say it was done by who ever owned it previously. All the new Blacklock items in the store are all in sealed boxes. They can be opened and looked at but I find it hard to believe Lodge would let a warped pan slip by. Just MHO.
 
I would buy a Lodge Blacklock in an instant if I was in the market. They seem well made, and I think its a great ode to the past.
 
I like them due to the lighter weight! My wife and I noticed right away using and comparing the Blacklock to the Logic. The tad longer split handle is also a nice feature.
I did not see any Blacklock "seconds" at their store either....if so, I would own more!
 
All the new Blacklock items in the store are all in sealed boxes. They can be opened and looked at but I find it hard to believe Lodge would let a warped pan slip by. Just MHO.

It wasn't warped from the factory. It had the box opened and you could clearly see where it was heated in 1spot. The store sold like surplus, auctioned items, or maybe goods from a truck wreck so maybe it was on its way back to lodge or something.
 
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