Differences between 2 Dutch Ovens

[DonnaM]

I have these 2 Griswold Tite-Top Dutch ovens and can't find much about them--an 8 and a 9. The interesting thing is that the smaller 8 is actually heavier to lift than the 9. They were both patented on the same date. The number on the 8 is 833; on the 9 it is 834--does that indicate the 8 is an older version?

Any info on them would be interesting and welcome. Thank you!

(I will need to put the inside of the #9 lid on another post.)

 

[DonnaM]

Hmmm....I see the patent inside the 9 lid isn't the same as the bottom of the pot. Looks like they don't match....bummer.

 

[Doug D.]

Pattern numbers (833, 834), are unique to each size and shape, they do not indicate relative age. Patent dates refer to characteristics or features that have been patented, not the item as a whole.

https://www.castironcollector.com/patents.php to see what patent the dates refer to.

 

[DonnaM]

Does anyone have any input on relative age?
Any idea why the smaller one is heavier?

 

[Bruce Lockhart]

The NO. 8 lid appears to have a ghost pattern on the inside. That might mean it's the newer of the two. I don't know how the ghost pattern fits in to dating the piece, but it stands to reason that anything with a ghost pattern would have been made well after the original. Hope this helps.

 

[Doug D.]

The #8 lid has the "Clean Easy" enamel coating. Its button logo style is, however, later than the "writing top" style of the #9.

 

[DonnaM]

The NO. 8 lid appears to have a ghost pattern on the inside. That might mean it's the newer of the two. I don't know how the ghost pattern fits in to dating the piece, but it stands to reason that anything with a ghost pattern would have been made well after the original. Hope this helps.

I had not noticed the ghost mark, but now that you mention it, there it is. Thanks for pointing this out.

I'm curious about ghost marks and how they occur. Do they attempt to remove something from a mold and a little bit of it remains behind, making a slight impression on the new pieces?

 

[DonnaM]

The #8 lid has the "Clean Easy" enamel coating. Its button logo style is, however, later than the "writing top" style of the #9.

Thank you, Doug. I don't know how to recognize an enamel coating if it's not shiny and new. Since there's s slight bit of rust on it, I just mistakenly assumed it was bare iron.

 

[Doug D.]

No ghosts here. The enamel blurs the markings by partially filling them in.

Ghost marks explained here: https://www.castironcollector.com/ghosts.php

 

[DonnaM]

Thanks for the link—I’ll read up on ghosts. And now that I enlarge the photo, I can make out the Griswold symbol inside the lid. I totally missed that on the actual lid somehow. And the explanation as to the enamel filling it in—very interesting clue that the lid was enameled, even when it looks like iron. (I wonder what the enamel looked like when it was new.)

And I’m guessing a lye bath would be bad for this enameled lid.

 

[Jeffrey R.]

And I’m guessing a lye bath would be bad for this enameled lid.

This is True, No Lye with your enameled lid.

 

[DonnaM]

This is True, No Lye with your enameled lid.

Does the fact that the inside of the lid looks dark and like iron mean that someone used lye on it, I wonder?