Live & Learn

I mentioned in another thread recently about my over-eagerness to buy. Here's an example. I saw my first Puritan piece the other day. It is one of those made by Favorite. Fortunately, I only paid $10 for it because here's what I've found upon cleaning (and at least some of it, I should have seen before buying but I was blinded)

Pretty pan, huh?
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Now, let's look closer. Somebody scratched the seasoning out of the pattern number with a sharp object:
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They tried to scrape the seasoning off on the inside and really gouged it up badly.
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And I believe the red color is not rust... it is from being overheated, most likely trying to burn the seasoning off in a fire.
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The sad thing is... I know enough to have seen all of these problems, had I taken the time to look and been willing to walk away.
 
The walking away from a really nice piece is hard. I've seen some fairly rare (around here) pieces lately that while cheap enough, were either cracked, had holes drilled in them or were just too far gone (No remarks Jeffrey! :tongue:)

I did pick up a badly rusted cracked flat bottom ERIE pot a month or so ago, I got it with a couple other pieces for a few bucks more, dropped it off at my Mother's house for use as a planter.

It's really easy to look at a piece, quickly, ask a price, and start to reach for your wallet. Whoaaaa Boy, slow down.. Inspect carefully. If you're at a flea market, you have plenty of time, and it's yours until you put it down.
 
Look, I have a plan for both of you. Just follow me around and pick up what I leave behind. Oh! Rick, your mom called, said she needs more planters.:icon_rofl:

Sorry RickC, just could not hold back. It is going to be a long winter, snow this weekend.

Well, I will try and make you both feel better. Here is my story and I am sticking to it, not proud but I am sticking to it.
Note; I went to the eye Dr. yesterday. Doc told my I have 20/20 and eyes like a hawk. So why this happened to me the 2nd time ????

Took a trip over to Maine a year ago and stopped at one of the shops that I hit quite often. A side note, I have been purchasing from the shop owner for quite a few years, nice guy? Let you decide that. I picked up a real crusty Griswold Colonial Breakfast Skillet, and I do mean crusty. Tools on hand, flash light , straight edge, glasses. Lets check it out. Ring tone, not with all the crud, next straight edge, not with all the crud, flash light, not with all the crud. So I purchase it because it could not pass all my test. Hold on this gets much better RickC.
I get home that night and in the dark it goes into my lye tank with my other new pieces. I take it out in 36 hours. What do I see, a nice crack. I wash it off and tell the wife we will be going back to Maine soon. Well, soon came fast, I showed the owner and he gives me the speal that antiques are sold as is, before I can say anything he says, but you are a good customer go pick something else.:eek:
He tells me that he will weld it and someone will purchase it for their camp, what ever works. I picked up a new piece and went on my way for a lobster dinner, all proud.

So this fall we take a trip over to the towns all around the White Mountains, good food, good people, good shops. We see this new shop / barn selling antiques. Never seen it in the past, so we stop in. Right away I see the pile of cast iron that someone has tried to do some cleaning and seasoning to most of the iron. I spend around 15 minutes looking every piece over. The shop owner tells me that the person that is selling the cast iron is here if I have any questions. So I have in my mind what I am looking at, but do not put them in a pile as to show my interest. We start talking about the cleaning and seasoning, or lack of. Seller seems like a nice person. He tells me that he read a lot on line how to do what he has done ( or not done). He is just starting out. I pick out one piece to see where he will go with the price, good so I end up getting 4 pieces from him. I like him as he is willing to work with me on the $$, but he needs help with the cleaning and seasoning. So I explain to him the process and why. Deal done happy seller and me. I get home that night and in the dark they go into my lye tank with my other new pieces.
Next afternoon I start taking them out to see how they are doing. Out comes a Griswold Colonial Breakfast Skillet. I wash it off and in my face a crack. I tell the wife that we are going to take a trip back. So we hit the road making our way over to the towns all around the White Mountains, good food, good people, good shops. We go in and right away the shop owner tells me that Jack would love to talk with me about the cleaning and seasoning of cast iron. She tells me he is in the other room and will get him. Now the pan is in my hand and they pay no mind to it. He shakes my hand all happy and starts to ask me questions about the cleaning and seasoning. Well, me being me has to empty my hand of this broken pan before we go much further. I tell him that I have my eye on another of his skillets and would like to swap them. He agrees and wants to talk about cleaning and seasoning. He tells me that the shop where he purchased it said that the person that he got it from had cleaned it in a lye tank. My bells were all going off. But then he lets out where he picked up the Griswold Colonial Breakfast Skillet. You got it right at the same shop in Maine where I purchased it and returned it.

Drop my head and leaves the room. 20/20 and eyes like a hawk, right on Doc.:icon_rofl:

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Look hard you might see the crack.

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Sometimes one has to take a chance, I usually lose but hey, it's the thrill of the hunt.

Found a gate marked round griddle at an antique mall a couple of months ago, someone had a go at the seasoning - top and bottom - with what must have been a flat top screwdriver. Paid $20 for it and did it hesitantly. Turned out to be a beauty, there are very light score marks from the scraping, really need to look to see them - and it's not for sale either way.
 
Sometimes one has to take a chance, I usually lose but hey, it's the thrill of the hunt.

Found a gate marked round griddle at an antique mall a couple of months ago, someone had a go at the seasoning - top and bottom - with what must have been a flat top screwdriver. Paid $20 for it and did it hesitantly. Turned out to be a beauty, there are very light score marks from the scraping, really need to look to see them - and it's not for sale either way.
You are absolutely right. That Favorite Puritan #5 that I mentioned above has become my favorite egg pan. The screwdriver scratches on the sidewall are barely visible anymore.
 
Jeffrey.

Wait... So... You bought the same cracked pan TWICE!? Wow. :frown:
Is the crack in the bottom right hand square, towards the left side?

Lucky they both took it back. Flea markets, thrift stores, antique stores, around here, NO RETURNS!
 
Jeffrey.

Wait... So... You bought the same cracked pan TWICE!? Wow. :frown:
Is the crack in the bottom right hand square, towards the left side?

Lucky they both took it back. Flea markets, thrift stores, antique stores, around here, NO RETURNS!


Same cracked pan TWICE, Good Job Right. Drop my head and leaves the room.

Same pan, from two different states. When I returned it to the antique shop in ME and NH it was striped. Someone reseasoned it in-between.

The crack is seen in the small photo, to the left of the wooden handle.

Yes, The thrill of the hunt.:D
 
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