Gate Marks on "new" iron ??

[miniwoodworker]

Can you help me figure out what I have here? It's a 3 legged frying pan with a gate mark and a 12in in the handle.  I was under the impression that gate-marked pans indicated that the pan predated 1900. Yet, this pan carries the "inch" designation (I think).

The pan is lightweight for it's size and the casting is very smooth. It really doesn't show any signs of use, but that could be deceptive, at this point.



Old? New?

Thanks in advance for any insights that you may have on this.

Lee

[C. Perry Rapier]

It looks to me like you have a new looking, not much used, old pan in great shape.

[C. B. Williams]

Lee: The 3 legged pan you have is known as a "spider".  Used to cook on an open fire or fireplace, the 3 legs would normally sit on 3 rocks or bricks to support it above the fire. With fire all around it, the long handle is of obvious use. If this is old, and I think it is, it is in remarkable shape. I have one that looks like a dog compared to yours, but most do. I have never seen a newer bottom gated pan, but I have never seen an older pan with the 12 in. so that is why I used the word "think" when giving an opinion as to it being old. I am sure you will get some more thoughts here about your pan. thanks for showing it. C B

[Greg Stahl]

it is old and the INCH or IN markings are sometimes on the OLD iron.  As an example Savery & Co put IN on their pieces, not all of them but some of them.

[miniwoodworker]

Thanks, guys! That makes me feel better. Being new at this, I was afraid that I'd paid $35 for a recent imitation of an old timer.

It's in the lye bath now. It has a few small surface rust spots on it that I didn't want to get any worse until I have time to clean it up and season it.

Thanks, again!!
Lee

[C. Perry Rapier]

It's in the lye bath now. It has a few small surface rust spots on it that I didn't want to get any worse until I have time to clean it up and season it.

Wow Lee, you're sounding like a pro.

[Nollie Neill Jr]

Lee,

This style bottom is found quite often in the south east.   I probably see one or two a month, with this same handle & number pattern.   Don't know who made them, but one similar is shown in the Glascock catalogs.  But the Glascock bottoms, that I know we made have a hollowed out handle and don't have the number on them.

Have always wondered who made these bottoms.........

Nollie

[Troy_Hockensmith]

Nollie,
 I too have always considered a gate mark to indicate pre1900ish. You indicated that on the spiders Glasscock used the same pattern through the 40's which would suggest to me that just because it has a gate doesn't mean the first two numbers in it's circa is 18 for these type pieces.

 Just trying to make sure I understood our discussion.  

[Nollie Neill Jr]

Troy,

Let's say at least up until WWII, for Glascock on the lids & bottoms of their 3 legged Spider, both with gate marks.   One family member went to work for foundry in 1937, got special permission to be late to Boot Camp in 1943, due to helping foundry put in new cupilo(sp), came back in 1945 worked for foundry until Union strike of 1946.   This family member told me they were still making this spider during this period and he gave me a never blacked #9 lid.    I never discussed gate marks with this family member, but am just going by the spiders that they made.  

I to have heard the gate marks are suppose to be old, but I also think it depends on the foundry and how they operated.   A lot of other Glascock products from this time period don't have gate marks, so who knows.  Personally I've always thought the large production items(stoves), probably didn't have gates marks in the later years, but the smaller items, made off in some corner of the foundry, probably were made the old fashion way.

This same family member told me that Skillets & these Spiders were made of left over iron at the end of the day.  

Of course this was Glascock, I'm sure Griswold & Wagner, were like Lodge today, doing modern things for their time period.

Come see us when you can.
Take Care,

Nollie

[miniwoodworker]

Thanks all for a great discussion. There's so much to learn about this fairly new passion of mine. (I've always cooked with CI, BTW.)

So, at this point, it sounds like I may have a pan that was done in the 1800's or as late as in the 40's or 50's. Whenever, I'm happy with it. Just didn't want one that was mass produced last year, for example.

Any idea of what it may be worth? I'm not planning to sell, so this is just from curosity standpoint.  :)

Again, thanks, all. If anyone has more thoughts on it, please do share them. Trying to learn all I can.

Lee

[Troy_Hockensmith]

If you had the undisputed manf's lid it would have more interest to a collector but these bottoms are fairly common and don't sell well. One in great shape would net somewhere in the $50. range but that is just IMO.

Thanks Nollie,
 My thinking out loud response is I think maybe, while they produced some of these in the first part of the 20th century their probaly wasn't a huge demand. Therfore they probaly didn't require replacement of their patterns and since there were legs the gatemark was really not an issue. I could see them continuing the older pattern use into the 40's. All just speculation and I could also see other foundry's using them until they wore out as well.   I imagine once/if they had to replace the pattern it would be updated to accomidate a side gate. All just food for thought.

[Troy_Hockensmith]

Lee,
 I got one of these ole babies with a sprue mark. Really neat piece.

[miniwoodworker]

Thanks, Troy.

It was priced at $55. Bought it for $35. So, think I did OK.  :) Like I mentioned earlier this is a keeper that'll probably go to my niece one of these days. Just wanted to make sure that something I'm holding for her isn't one of those "K-Mart Specials", if you know what I mean.

Thanks, again.
Lee

[Fusion_power]

I have one similar to this that my Great Great Grandmother used.  This type pan was made from at least the mid 1800's.  Mine is different from the photos above in the shape of the handle where it joins the pan.  It has a support rib similar to the rib on griswold slant logo skillets.

[moosejaw]

Lee,

You have a beautiful spider.  The price was great.....I am envious.