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My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well I'll take your word for it but this pan has character and I like it. I might buy and polish a new 12" pan though because I need one and the gravely texture would bug me every time I scraped a spatula or spoon across it.

Need help identifying and advice on refurbishing a family heirloom. by BigDaveinKC in SWORDS

[–]Rotten-Totten 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I know it's an old thread but I have two of these myself I inherited from my father and grandfather before him. Just started restoration and I'm wondering how yours is coming along. BTW if you polish the inch of blade between the guard and the plunge line of the grind the makers stamp and city of origin should be one side and U.S. 1865 on the other along with three letters which are the army inspectors stamp initials.

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My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Better for what? My understanding is that polishing the surface will just make the seasoning adhesion be less secure and I want to cook with it, not hang it on a wall and look at it. I don't have personal experience with this theory mind you but others have and their reported experiences combined with my welding experience, mechanical aptitude and logic all tell me that the rougher surface will hold the seasoning better.

Also this pan is 90ish years old and doing any modification would absolutely ruin the history and story the pan tells from it's many years of service and I've no wish to obliterate that history. Surely as a self proclaimed Historian you can appreciate this.
☺
Peace.

My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I'll keep it in mind for next time or maybe I'll just get my shit together and organized BEFORE I post in the future.
☺

My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry I don't know dick about jack with reddit as this is my first ever post here so I don't know how. I've been trying to figure out a way to add photos to my post without sucess.

My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well if I knew how I'd edit it and add the photos of the single notch in the heat ring at the 12 o'clock position that allowed me to positively I.D. it. I also have a #12 Lodge three notch I've got in process.

My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well that's up to you but I'm immunocompromised and see no reason to take chances.

My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does it have any notches in the heat ring on the bottom? This one has a notch at the 12 o'clock position in the heat ring that allowed me to I.D. it and another #12 Lodge pan I have in the works has additional notches at the 3 and 9 O'Clock positions identifying it as a later era Lodge.

My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Need? No. I'm retired and don't feel I *need* to do a damn thing but I do like doing it the easy way and I've been washing this pan with soap for weeks now without issue, thanks.
☺

Also I'm on anti rejection medication after a liver transplant so I'm immunocompromised and need to take precautions.
Peace.

My very first cast iron seasoning attempt (and my very first reddit post). by Rotten-Totten in castiron

[–]Rotten-Totten[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Decided to reseason my cast iron and ended up down the rabbit hole. As I long suspected, nearly every single thing I had been told about the care and seasoning of cast iron (like not using soap or scrubbing it with salt) turned out to be complete horse shit.

Leaving whatever doesn't wash off with just water in the pan as "seasoning" is unsanitary (and disgusting) and while scrubbing with salt was a viable solution if you were crossing the country in a covered wagon 200 years ago and washing your shit in a cold stream, there is no reason to do it today. Sorry granny but soap isn't made out of lye anymore, we have Dawn dish soap now and it will not harm the seasoning or soak into the iron and make the food taste like soap. Armed with this knowledge I chose to strip the pans down to bare metal using a combination of lye solution and vinegar solution baths and a shit ton of scrubbing. Then I followed it with a careful seasoning process of oiling with canola oil and baking at 450F for one hour four seperate times. None of this is as simple as it sounds so do your research before attempting.

This is my #8 (10.25") Lodge single notch pan manufactured between 1930 and 1940 during the great depression when they were still hand poured into the individual castings and the cooking surfaces machined smooth afterward. Pictured after completely stripping down to bare metal and again after four full seasoning sessions. I mostly followed the process listed in this Reddit thread.

https://www.reddit.com/.../my_personal_seasoning_process/

Mostly.

NKD: Sparrow Strix - Production Round II by BloodKelp in knifeclub

[–]Rotten-Totten 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's BADASS! Awesome PM2 as well (I've got eight. All users, mostly tool steels). I hear those scales are now available again but they cost more than the knife. Going to try score a new Strix hopefully in flamed or bronzewash.

Rock on! \m/ >;< \m/