Good morning, SF.

I know there have been a lot of cast iron skillet threads here, so I figure here's the best place to ask: what's up with my skillet?

I've got this old skillet, and honestly I'm not sure where or when I got it. The inside of it is almost marble-smooth, and I love cooking eggs in it. The outside, however, is as crusty as the surface of Mars.

So my questions today are:
* What's this crust?
* Should I remove it? If so, how? Sandblast?
* What have I really got here? The only marks I see on it are as shown below.

Carbon, you make a point of really scrubbing the interior but the outside gets a simple wipe. As oils migrate thru and get stuck on the outside they add layer upon layer.

I take a knife or other tool and scrape the shit off once in a while. I’m sure someone who is really industrious could go at it with a flap wheel or something of the sort. You could burn it off but would ruin the seasoning inside too.

I’m no expert but I’m fat and understand cooking enough to stay that way.

I don’t bother with the outside on any of mine; the inside is smooth, like yours. The pour spout is only really defined on one side, but I don’t know if that means anything. I love my old cast iron. Works great moving from cooktop to oven.

That's just carbon crust, and it looks like based on the amount, it's mostly from food spillover during cooking that never got cleaned off, and just carbonized over time.

This is the Wagner/Griswold Society's Care and Maintenance page. I use the lye method (please read the instructions page and be VERY careful with lye or oven cleaner, it's VERY nasty stuff!!) to de-carbonize, vinegar method for rust, and prefer good old-fashioned lard for seasoning. YMMV

http://www.wag-society.org/cleaning.php

Your skillet may be a 1950s Birmingham:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/6...=nla_listing_details

https://www.etsy.com/listing/8...=nla_listing_details

There's no reason to worry about it but if the appearance bugs you, I would just go ahead and do a full oven cleaning cycle and re-season process. You will lose none of the smoothness you have, and you will burn off all of the carbonized gunk on the exterior. Unless you have rust (you don't appear to) there is no need to use lye, vinegar, or electrolysis. Do NOT use any kind of sanding implements on the carbon. Watch "the video"...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...feature=emb_imp_woyt

Follow the process and you will have a beautiful, functional pan again.

Your pan was made before 1960. That is the year regulations in this country required a country of origin be stamped on it. Old dino is correct. Your pan is a Birmingham Stove and Range pan made some time in the 50's. After 1960, It would have Made in the USA stamped on it.

Fast forward to 14:10, then to 16:35 for your pan type exactly.
https://youtu.be/2hmDBvgTWFE

That definitely looks like carbon build up from either overflows or whatever. My concern would be that thick areas would hold more heat longer than thinner areas. In the extreme that might cause undesirable cooking temperatures differences across the pan.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

Sign #1 that you've got a dirty stove/burners/grates, and/or, spill-over of food that was never cleaned up. The good thing is, the outside isn't what's important but, the inside surface, which looks like you're kept in good shape.
If you must, you can take a soft wire-wheel to it. However, several cleanings by scrubbing with salt, will help reduce and soften that 'outside patina'

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
Old dino is correct. Your pan is a Birmingham Stove and Range pan made some time in the 50's. After 1960, It would have Made in the USA stamped on it.

You guys rock. Thank you for the maker and date information.
Given that, I'm thinking it's an old family piece... that's way cool. Now I'm wondering how many thousands of breakfasts were prepared in it.

It's certainly the oldest one I have, and definitely the smoothest.

I'm not sure if I want to clean the outside or not -- it's some really cool "character." I do know I don't want to mess around with the lye treatment. I might like to get the gunk off the bottom of it, but the sides I'm not going to mess with.

Irreverent: the definition of the pour spout is probably simply from the angle at which I took the pic -- both sides match, really.

Here's an interesting thing: in the pics in old dino's second link, there's a 4 stamped in the handle. I'm going to have to go look at mine and see if that (or some other number) is there.

Here is a link that explains the number on the handle:

https://unocasa.com/blogs/tips...cast-iron-skillet-is

Thank you, old dino. I should see a 7 there, once I get the crud off it.

No reason you should need any lye, use your oven's self clean cycle, steel wool and wire brush if its bad and it will take it right off. However, it will also strip the inside pan. I have recently done quite a few using this method and reseasoning with organic grapeseed oil. Here is a Griswold Victor 1920s-30s, last pic is one seasonings with the grape seed oil.

Just redid a skillet that looked exactly the same.
3 hour oven cleaning cycle and let cool. Season 2x and it's GTG.
My grandmother's set of Griswold had the same thing done to it when I found it in the basement after a decade or so.

Wow, David, that Griswold looks so good I'm tempted now to try cleaning this one.

A good oven cycle resto would do wonders for your pan.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...935/m/1780055254/p/1

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
A good oven cycle resto would do wonders for your pan.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...935/m/1780055254/p/1

FWIW, I just ran my oven on the self cleaning cycle for the first time ever. Shortly thereafter, the ignitor quit.

When I went to the appliance parts house that I've been using for years to get a replacement GE ignitor, I was told never to use the self cleaning function to save on ignitors and possibility of a fried control board.

BS? Maybe, but it has kept me from cleaning my great grandmothers Griswold skillet that looks much like the OP's.

For curiosity: how hot is an oven's self-clean cycle?

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:
For curiosity: how hot is an oven's self-clean cycle?

An oven cleaning cycle is in the neighborhood of 900 deg F. I have never done this to clean my cast iron, but I have read that many have done so with great success.

Check with your stoves manufacturer stats, they will vary, but 900-1000 is an average. If you do it, remember to put a sheet of foil on the bottom shelf to catch debris as it cooks off. Place the pan on a lower shelf as there could be some flaming from heavier buildup.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
Check with your stoves manufacturer stats, they will vary, but 900-1000 is an average. If you do it, remember to put a sheet of foil on the bottom shelf to catch debris as it cooks off. Place the pan on a lower shelf as there could be some flaming from heavier buildup.

At what temp does foil melt?