So, the learning curve continues... visiting GW yesterday when they pulled a cast iron skillet out of their placement bin. I decided it was in good enough trim to give it a shot. Turns out to be a current era Lodge (U.S.A.) 12 " skillet... (the kind with the proprietary sprayed/baked on vegetable oil pre-seasoning). I gave $9.00. After I got home I found I could have purchased new from WalMart for $17.00.! 
(I did not know the newer stuff was so inexpensive). I opted to remove the pre-seasoning and see what I was dealing with... heavy, un-polished work surface, no burrs, chinks, cracks, elevations, depressions or flaws. Bottom lacks any convex/concave sources of wobble or spin. In other words...a nice piece of new era cast iron.... just not what I was hoping it would be. I will now season it, and, use it. I did not have a 12" skillet in the pile until now. Next time .... maybe vintage... at least this didn't break the bank. Still learning. :wink:
p.s. I wouldn't have stripped the pre-seasoning, but, the bride demands it.... "you never know what that was used for !".
Charles
http://imgur.com/a/zVQh8
(I did not know the newer stuff was so inexpensive). I opted to remove the pre-seasoning and see what I was dealing with... heavy, un-polished work surface, no burrs, chinks, cracks, elevations, depressions or flaws. Bottom lacks any convex/concave sources of wobble or spin. In other words...a nice piece of new era cast iron.... just not what I was hoping it would be. I will now season it, and, use it. I did not have a 12" skillet in the pile until now. Next time .... maybe vintage... at least this didn't break the bank. Still learning. :wink:p.s. I wouldn't have stripped the pre-seasoning, but, the bride demands it.... "you never know what that was used for !".
Charles
http://imgur.com/a/zVQh8