The Foster Line

B

Bonnie Scott

Active member
I recently purchased a skillet the reads "The Foster Line" on the bottom. I can see in the information here that the Foster Company bought out Favorite in 1935. Does anyone know if this skillet was made before or after that?
 
Re: The foster line

IIRC, their acquisition was limited to the stove stuff. CHF got the hollowware patterns.
 
Re: The foster line

It may be a piece for a defunct railroad.

Or it could be from this company.

"In the late 1940s this company sold home-shop machinery. The products used the Foster Line name except for the planers which used K-Line."

Possible it was promotional for them?
 
Re: The foster line

That company was in NY. The Foster associated with buying Favorite's range line was Foster Stove Company of Ironton, Ohio.
 
Re: The foster line

Well yes. The idea was that this is a promotional piece, could have been cast at any manufacturer rather than just associated with Favorite. It's just a thought.
 
Re: The foster line

I was thinking it was made by the Stove company to be sold with their stoves. Therefor I assumed it was made before 1935? It doesn't have a heat ring so that seems a little odd? If it was that old and was sold with the stove would it not have a heat ring?
Hello Steven. I love your collection of fancy handles skillets.
 
There are enough sizes and types of the Foster Line pieces seen, plus a skillet lid with raised Foster markings that suggest more than a promotional produced by a third party. They appear to have borrowed from both Wagner and Griswold Iron Mountain for their pattern designs. Bonnie, it's Steve Stephens who has the fancy handle skillets collection.
 
Those fancy skillets are pretty. The skillet I purchased also says the Foster Stove company on the bottom along with the town in Ohio.
 
I have been collecting cast iron pieces for four or five years and have several name brand pieces (Wagner, Lodge, Griswold, BSR etc . . .) Just recently, I learned of Foster cast iron pieces that were made in a foundry in Ironton Ohio. Since I live about ten miles from Ironton Ohio in Kentucky and do a lot of cast iron hunting I thought I might be able to pick up some old pieces since living so close to the original factory. Can someone tell me if there are characteristics of the Foster line that are universal to all pieces or what I need to look for? I see in this thread that Doug said they borrowed from both Wagner and Iron Mountain Griswold. Any help or pointers would be appreciated.
 
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