Swan??

J

Jeffrey R.

Well-known member
Has anyone seen a swan makers mark on the back of a cast iron skillet?

Well it could be a #2 but looks more like a swan.:icon_scratchchin:

Sorry, no photos as it jumped into the lye tank and it is dark and cold. 36deg.
 
Well The swan sounded good, but I think it is the #2. Any idea on the maker?

%2525238%25252Cswan_1506.jpeg
%2525238%25252Cswan_1507.jpeg


%2525238%25252Cswan_1508.jpeg
 
I also was thinking it was a #2, until it dawned on my slow brain that there was a #8 on the handle. Guessing it is a very cool maker's mark, as shown on pages 17 and 18 of the Blue Book?
 
I can't recall any graphical maker's marks on any skillets other Eries that weren't just letters or a maybe a star. Odds are, what looks like a 2 is most likely just a 2.
 
So if it looks like a duck (2) acts like a duck (2) it must be a duck (2). Problem How does a 2 act like a 2. :icon_scratchchin:
It must be a #2

BenjaminO, Both handles do look the same.
 
It could also be a "Shift" mark. I bought a pan that was described as a "Number 2" but it turned out to be a #3 with a #2 shift mark.

Live and Learn :)
 
Incised marks on the cast piece would have to be in the pattern. Marks added at the time of molding by making an impression on the inner surface of the sand mold cavity would be raised on the cast piece. One would therefore expect a mark denoting a foundry work shift to be raised.
 
I just bought a similar number 8 pan. It has a 2 on the bottom that looks like a Swan and a similar 8 on the handle. I did not think mine was worth anything so I was going to grind off the heat ring and sand the cooking surface to improve the cooking properties. Then I found these posts and it made me think twice.
Thanks,
-Nick
 
Looks like a 2 to me also..... It looks great. I just got a unmarked number 8 DO . The 8 looks like a snow man....
 
So after about 7 years I am still not kicking the swan idea to the curb just yet. I was just given another swan / #2 skillet, this time with the heat ring. The same as the one NickB posted in 2018. Sorry same as my first post no photos as of yet. But looking at both of mine, I believe they are both recast. In the photo of my first one you can see a ghost mark of a gate mark. Similar to the post from BenjaminO posted #4, but my first skillet did not have the inset heat ring as his did. The new one I now have has the inset heat ring, but you can make out some faint ghost marks in the center where the molder tried to cover over.
Photos soon.

Any ideas on a maker after 7 years? Will say this, the skillet is very well made.
 
Birdsboro Casting Co. The imperfections and sprue marks sometimes seen on their bottoms are apparently common. Some sizes have handles resembling those of BSR.
 
Looks like a hand incised #2 to me. Probably a shift mark, to keep track of production. Just my 2 cents.
 
As I noted above, markings applied at production time are never incised. They are made by making an impression in the sand mold after the pattern is removed, resulting in a raised marking on the casting. Incised markings are necessarily in the pattern, as they leave a raised area on the sand mold which creates the incised mark in the casting.
 
I admittedly haven't done a deep dive on Birdsboro, but the raised number on the handle seems unusual compared to what I've seen before. All other things considered about it, I'd continue to call it Birdsboro until proven otherwise.
 
After you mentioned Birdsboro Casting Co. in post #14, I spent some time searching and it seems to be at this time the best we can come up with. Until someone finds some better history on the foundry or the foundry that supposidly did there casting.:unsure:
 
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