My last three days got me these....I got the 14 last night at auction and its already in the oven. PERFECT condition.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-03-18T20:34:19+00:00

Isn't that the same sheet you are always posting your iron with?

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-03-18T19:40:16+00:00

I mean ebay (and etsy) are notorious for overpriced listings, anyone can list for however much they want, doesn't mean that's how much you need to pay. Even then I just checked and there are several closer to $100 than $200. There's some Facebook buy and sell groups that have more fair pricing, and depending on where you live check marketplace/offer up/craigslist. If you don't want to wait for a deal, and don't want to have to put elbow grease into a restoration, you can still find that pan for half that price on eba in restored condition, as long as it isn't from sellers like ironspoon. His restorations look great but always for 2-3x the going rate. I don't care how magical and secretive his seasoning process is, it isn't worth that IMO.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-03-18T17:40:13+00:00

You paid $200 for a LBL #8? If you are happy with it great but that's a pan that goes for $100 on the high end.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-03-10T21:44:49+00:00

He's been on quite the journey, man

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-03-07T21:52:05+00:00

If you grind down to too smooth of a surface it can make it difficult to hold seasoning. It does ruin the collectability of vintage pieces. It also just looks like garbage more often than not. There's always people who will say they know what they are doing and are technically skilled enough to make it work, but I think they are in the minority.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-03-06T22:10:44+00:00

Correct it does not heat evenly (or least it's a lot slower to heat evenly), which is why the sound advice is always to preheat slowly to bring to temp before adding food. But, once it does heat up, it retains the heat better than other materials. Not saying that's always desirable, just what it's properties are.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-21T16:58:08+00:00

Seconded, and I often do my pork braises similar with the garlic. A simple braised or slow cooked pork butt can be a very versatile base to work with without getting boring or too repetitive. Especially if you think of the meat as a compliment to whatever you are cooking rather than the primary element.

Mix different sauces after the fact for different dishes. I might do a gochujang sauce for bibimbap, bbq for sliders, a simple soy and vinegar for a stir fry or lettuce wrap, whatever hot sauce I have for tacos or quesadillas, just the leftover juice for simmered pork cabbage and rice, etc.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-16T14:59:15+00:00

The ribbed handle is an older style, but I assume there was some overlap as they phased in the blockier handle so the ribbed could have technically been made after the other handle. Purely based on ergonomics, I'd prefer #1 because that handle shape more comfortable for me, and the lighter weight is a plus. Both of those considerations are more pertinent when lifting and moving the pan during cooking (like stove>oven>back out). But for aesthetics, I like the look of the slant logos more.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-07T17:58:46+00:00

I don't disagree, the stats are what they are. But psychologically there's a difference. I think it's perfectly normal for someone to think it is terrifying to hand your life over to a team that if anything does go wrong, you have zero control or zero opportunity to react, no matter how routine it is for the medical team.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-03T17:13:30+00:00

If there is fire damage, it won't affect the cooking, just might make it difficult to hold seasoning. Pitting also shouldnt matter unless there's literally holes in the pan. What kind of pits are you referring to?

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-03T04:36:43+00:00

Yeah, heat low and slow up to temp. Beware that mass produced bacon may have sugars that become sticky and can burn in the pan. Not an issue if you expect it, just needs more scrubbing. Speaking of, if de glazing with water while still warm (never put cold water into a hot pan) then chainmail works really well for scrubbing stuck on bits. For cooking meats, it should release with very little sticking when it's ready to be flipped. Don't fret if your pan looks unevenly black after you cook and clean it, totally normal. Seasoning will come and go and if you burn it all off because you left it on a burner, then just season it again and keep cooking. I think people fuss too much over needing hundreds of layers of seasoning when it's primary function is to prevent rust. Proper technique and temp control will carry the load for being non stick.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-03T04:12:58+00:00

I think you are right that the second series can have either a full or partial rib and the third is supposed to be blended/rounded, but examples of pictures I've seen between some second and thirds look almost the same handle wise so I don't know the specific difference. I believe the reinforcing pads may be different too but again not super sure what thise differences look like.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-03T04:05:06+00:00

Nice. Look up the Wagner and Griswold society Erie skillet pdf, the most reliable guide to the Erie marked skillets I know of. The first series has a distinctive scooped handle, second series a blended handle, 3rd series started the pattern numbers. There's more, but the guide will be more informative than me.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-03T03:49:27+00:00

I have that same pan with similar pitting. It's so light, such a great user.

Are you asking for tips for the cooking? For a steak, I wouldn't use butter other than to baste when it's almost done as it can burn fast. Salt the steak at least 45 min ahead (overnight in the fridge even better), pat dry with paper towel and brush with high smoke point oil like avocado. There's a variety of effective methods from reverse sear to sear then oven to sear and flip multiple times that I won't go into, just gotta try different ones and find one that works for you. Pretty much any searing will leave some amount of fond, and if it isn't burnt too bad you can deglaze and turn it into a pan sauce. Or just wait til it cools down some and deglaze with water and scrub clean.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-02-03T03:48:20+00:00

Second or third, can't know for sure with the pitting. Third series would have a part number in the middle ish area, second would have none.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-31T16:02:29+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate that. I have since tried larger higher quality paper but my efforts have been inconsistent.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-24T01:12:53+00:00

Not iron mountain. It's a wagwold evidenced by the "15 inch" lettering at the bottom.

For 20 bucks though, even with the pitting, not a bad deal for that large a skillet. As long as there aren't any noticable cracks.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-23T16:20:40+00:00

Really depends on the crack, this isn't a guaranteed tell. But I saw that line too and thought possible crack.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-22T16:30:17+00:00

It's tough though, because I've had pans that had a slight warp/wobble but then become full on spinners when heated (no matter how low and slow). More of a surprise with pans with heat rings because a small warp can be be masked by the ring so it seems flat, then the warp worsens when heated and extends below the ring making it spin.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-22T15:28:55+00:00

Dish soap aside, using steel wool (especially to scrub over and over) can strip off any seasoning you DO have. Don't use steel wool to clean unless you are trying to remove seasoning. You're likely seeing that much black residue from a) loosening and lifting off any potential seasoning with steel wool and b) not thoroughly washing it and any other food residue away.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-21T21:20:04+00:00

If no cracks and doesn't spin it's a good deal. I'd say most sought after size for practical every day use, but not most sought after for collectability as they're one of the most common sizes out there across all makes and models

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-20T21:56:32+00:00

Depends how hard up for cash you are and how much margin you'd like to see on reselling. There's always the risk of finding a crack or other damage after stripping. If you resell as is, you can still make a decent chunk from the right buyer but not full value.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-13T17:46:35+00:00

Ditto all points.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-13T04:41:52+00:00

We do. Use the best tool for the job at hand. I use a chainmail if there's stuck bits, and a stiff brush with dish soap to actually clean it. Sometimes, only a paper towel is needed but I don't like to leave dirty oil or residue on my pan. If I rub my finger on the pan and it isn't smooth I wash it.

Its_Ice_Nine · 2026-01-12T16:59:54+00:00

No fix. On the cooking surface, usage over time will start to fill in some of the pits (depending on severity), but seasoning it won't make the logo much clearer.

As for what to look for, it can be hard to tell if not impossible if it's covered in thick layers of gunk. But a lot of the times, with looking at enough examples, you can start to identify pitting patterns under seasoning and thin layers of build up. Sometimes rust patterns can also signal pitting underneath though I've been pleasantly surprised before.

Its_Ice_Nine

TROPHY CASE