I'm new to cast iron. I have stripped and reseasoned several pieces in the last couple of months. Today I was working on a couple that I just purchased, one of them I knew was rough but it was only $5. I figured it could be a good learning experience, I was right. The center of the very bottom of the pan is pitted and flaking. I was able to get most of the flakes off. Can I save the skillet, the cooking surface is very nice? I attached a picture. Thank you in advance!
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Pitting, can I save it?
- Thread starter HeatherK
- Start date
That type of pitting is merely the dissolving of the metal by sulfuric acid formed by the burning of coal as stove fuel. It detracts from collectible value but not from usefulness. I cook with my grandmother's sulfur pitted Griswold all the time. That type of damage should not cause the kind of scaliness that fire damage does, so I would think whatever you have flaking off is just carbon build-up from cooking residue.
This kind of pitting is normal for this era of CI. It's caused from cooking over a coal fire, there is a lot of sulfur in coal. Of course, the worst the pitting, the less value it has but I believe there is no way to "fix" it. You could sand or grind it down but then the pan is worth even less than it is right now. Looks like you did a good job in the cleaning!
Scott
LOL you beat me Doug. I must have been typing as you posted
Scott
LOL you beat me Doug. I must have been typing as you posted
That skillet cannot be saved. Please PM for my address so you can send it to me for proper disposal!
Seriously though, that National will be a great user. I have a #9 Wagner (I think) shallow skillet that the bottom is so pitted on that I cannot be sure of the maker. Cooking surface is smooth as glass and it cooks like a dream.
Seriously though, that National will be a great user. I have a #9 Wagner (I think) shallow skillet that the bottom is so pitted on that I cannot be sure of the maker. Cooking surface is smooth as glass and it cooks like a dream.
Skillets like that National make the best users. They cook as good as anything that came out of that time period without any worries you might have cooking on rare and much more expensive iron.
I have a #8 large block logo Griswold I bought for $9 like that. Its sulfur pitted on the bottom badly enough you can barely see the double ring but sits perfectly flat and has a glassy smooth cooking surface. Its pretty much a permanent fixture on my stove top now.
I have a #8 large block logo Griswold I bought for $9 like that. Its sulfur pitted on the bottom badly enough you can barely see the double ring but sits perfectly flat and has a glassy smooth cooking surface. Its pretty much a permanent fixture on my stove top now.