Bellflower handle iron

[Mick M.]

I've been using cast iron for over half a century now and never got concerned about age, just performance.

All of our pans are the typical mid 20th century brand marked and except for the odd ball sizes rather common and useful.

I was digging around in the kitchen cabinet this morning and pulled this jewel out.

I can't remember where it came from but I was rather wowed when I had it in my hands.

Very light, rather early, gate marked pan with a COOL ornamental handle.

12" pan that was made (my guess) 19th century. It could be Victorian (mid to late 19th century) but the "bell flower" in the handle could place it much earlier (Federal period ornamentation)

Since I have no way of knowing, I thought I would join this forum and let others talk about this long lost and recently re-discovered pan of ours.

 

[Steven C]

That is a very pretty looking skillet and I like it a lot. I've always said I was only a user of CI. But I'll tell you guys and gals I could very easily find myself
collecting the fancy handle ones. Every time I see one posted here I keep thinking I'd love to have that. Like I need one more hobby

BTW what is a ballpark value of those. I know size and other variables make a difference but. And how often do they turn up in the wild.


Steve,

 

[MikeZ]

Mick, what a pretty skillet. More reenforcement of the old adage that "they don't make them like they used to".

Look at Steve Stephens' blogspot: Earlyskillets.blogspot.com. Do you see yours in the second group of pictures, in the nestled stack on the left side of the picture? I've been going back and forth and they sure look like yours.

 

[Michael Talton]

Beautiful. Ornate handle, bottom gate, single spout - I'm guessing the folks who know a lot about that type of skillet would put it's date around 1870-1880, give or take a decade.

 

[Dan Farmer]

I picked up a pan just like yours while on vacation in Tennessee last fall, Mick. I have a couple of pictures of it here: http://www.castironcollector.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2853

Mine is about 7 1/2" diameter at the bottom. Is that what yours is, too?

That is one of my favorite pieces, by the way.

 

[Jeffrey R.]

Interesting, as I see no number on the bottom of yours. I have 2 of them #9 and #10. The numbers are both different on the bottom.

My #9

Anyone care to put up photos of the bottom so we all may see the style of numbers. I will get a photo of my #10

 

[Dan Farmer]

Mine has no size on the underside, nor does it have a smoke ring. Just the gatemark. It is also somewhat rounded on the underside... apparently that was deliberate according to Steve Stephens.

Incidentally, it looks like the same pan in the picture in his newsletter, third from the left: http://www.castironcollector.com/CICN/cicn12.php