I need to keep my man card...

So I need a crash course on the Griswold #5 pan.

What to look for

What to stay away from

Is ebay a good place to get one

I hear ...there are fakes ...out there

So who's the TMAN expert ?

And thanks

Griswold Porn also accepted...so post pics

Catch22 should be able to answer your questions

I resemble that remark lol. Ok Nessy.

Firstly, to me everything is the same with CI, no matter the brand, Griswold, Wagner, Wapak, BSR, and all the rest when it comes to condition. The thing that separates them is users and collectability which with some are the same. There are fakes but mostly with the #0, 1's, 2's.

I personally don't care for the smaller pans to use, but I may be a tad weird lol. I'd rather cook a couple eggs in a #8, that's just me. If your looking for a #5 pan for eggs, a Griswold, then decide if you want both a user and a collectable which you will pay more for, or just a user. Griswold has had a bunch of logo's which determine not only years when it was made but also collectability such as Erie, Erie ghostmark, Griswold Erie, Griswold slant, Griswold large logo, Griswold small logo, the Wagner Wagwold after they bought them out.

Condition is key, what you want to ask the seller, ebay, marketplace, ect, is does it wobble on a flat surface, does it have any cracks, make sure it doesn't have a orange tint to it because that means it was introduced to high heat. There are a ton of older CI that make great users and you can score for cheap, a lot of them are unmarked like the #5 in the pic, the left one. It's a Wagner with a great cooking surface. The one on the right is a National #9 made by Wagner. It's my go to skillet that has been in my family a long time and the sulfer burns have ruined the collectability value but it's an amazing user.

So, if you want to buy from ebay, buy from a reputable CI person, you might pay a bit more but you know it'll be a good skillet. If your thrifting, yardsales and such, put the skillet on a flat surface and with your thumbs at both noon and six, then three and nine, see if it wobbles any. Then tap it all around with a wooden spoon or your knuckle and if hear a thud, it's cracked, it should ring like a bell.

If you want a cheaper moneywise Griswold, go with the smooth bottom small logo. If you want a user/collectable go with the large logo or slant with heat ring. To me there's nothing wrong with using a collectable skillet as a user if you maintain it. That's what they were made for. Hope this helps ole boy.

#7 Griswold small logo. Great user for eggs.

I agree that any cast iron is / can be made use able. If you have rough cast iron sand it smooth. New lodge is cheap, but pretty rough. Griswold was finished better inside than most others and is lighter. That is both good and bad. One thing you need to watch too, is that they are not warped and sit flat. It is often in the discerption and if not I would ask. It is less common in small pans. If you are running an electric stove I would shy away from the heat rings.

You're not likely to run into any fake re-pop #5 Griswold skillets - not a size that warranted any copycat activity due to the higher quantities of that size made. Pretty common size along with the #3 and #8 sizes which were often sold together as a package deal. That said, there are a few "harder to find" #5 skillets depending on the particular logo/pattern, i.e. the #5 ERIE, the large block logo (LBL) with heat ring, and the slant logo without heat ring (smooth bottom) skillets.

I've bought/sold/collected cast iron for many, many years - this is one rack with mostly skillets of various makes that I still have. Much to my wife's chagrin there's quite a bit more.

I would disagree with that, respectfully. I don't see where Griswold finished their cooking surfaces any better then the others. They were all machined and I have a #14 three notch Lodge with swirl marks and a smooth as glass cooking surface.

The vintage skillets are smooth and lighter. A lot of people think the seasoning makes them great users and "nonstick" but that's a small % of what makes them awesome. It's learning how to cook with them, using the proper heat. Slowly bringing them up to temp and knowing what temp to cook with. CI was vastly used in the day and now most don't know how to use them and they get discouraged.

Great info

Thanks !

Catch I should have said smoother than new cast iron. Look at some new lodge. I have seven cast iron skillets on the stove and hanging above it right now. It is all we have used for over 35 years.

Check here for buying tips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWKlU2aTCT4

I use cast iron daily. Much more enjoyable to cook in

Yes, I got ya. Lodge is the last of the Mochicians, kudos. They changed their manufacturing process from unseasoned to making the rough surface so the "preseasoning" would stick.

Great info catch how far back would you say to get the lighter ci like grandma used what years,

CI that was machined surface kinda died out in the mid 50’s. Most pans older than that had a smooth surface. Some were lighter than others. That is something you need to look for specifically. I have several brands I use. Griswold is one, some were made thinner and some were made thicker. CI is odd, there are very few constants. Companies changed manufacturing process and logos constantly it seems to me. Some companies had several lines at the same time with the most expensive being the most machined, smoothest, and lightest.

Especially if you are looking at the smaller CI pans, I would invest in a lead test kit. I always run my CI through the cleaning cycle of my oven to get rid of the seasoning when I buy them. Right after that is a good time for testing.

How is a little warpage a bad thing?

You folks have a ton of knowledge on the CI cookware. I am slowly replacing all of my cookware with CI both old and newer makes. It is a product, if taken care of, that will last way beyond my lifetime.

Reduces the value for collecting but doesn’t affect usage much unless you have a glass cooktop. Can be annoying at times if it’s really warped.

Dang GW, that's a bunch of CI. You got a #5 Gris to hook up Nessy?