Griswold Iron Mountain

[Austin Anton]

Hey everyone,
It's been an eternity since I've last been on here. I just wanted to get some more info about Griswold Iron Mountain skillets and griddles. I'd like to start collecting them, but don't have a lot of info on them. So I'm just curious about what sizes they've made for the skillets (I've seen from #3-#14 minus #11 and #13) and the griddles (only seen #8-#9).  I of course know about the chicken pan and Dutch ovens, any other rare/unique pieces out there?
Thanks,
Austin.

[Adam Hoagland]

There was an old Cast Iron newsletter published in the late '90s and early 21st called "Kettles n' Cookware."  It's available as a download somewhere on the members' side of this site, and I'm pretty sure that it was put out by one of the two authors of the blue book.  In the Mar-Apr. '98 edition, there is a reproduced Iron Mountain ad dated to 1923.  It's a little more complete than the list given in the blue book, but then again the line probably got bigger or smaller with time.  It lists skillets in sizes 3-10 inclusive + 12 and 14, Handle Griddles in sizes 8 and 9, Long griddles in sizes 7-11 inclusive, Dutch Ovens in sizes 7-10 inclusive, and the covered Chicken Pan.  As far as rarity goes, I think that the low numbered skillets are fairly common (except perhaps the 4,) but the 14 is a little tough to land.  I haven't come across too many of the long griddles -- the blue book lists a 7 and an 8, I think, but I did see a badly pitted 9 once, so I guess that they trimmed the roster at some point.  I haven't ever seen a 7 or a 10 DO myself, but I know that others have.  I think that the two handle griddles aren't very rare.  The chicken pan is common.

I know that they also made skillet covers in this series, but I don't know how many sizes, and I've only seen pictures.   They're less common, I'd say.  They do exists, but they aren't listed in the aforementioned ad reproduction.  They are in the blue book p/n appendix.  The high-dome cover that was made for the chicken pan was NOT a part of the IM skillet cover line, by the way.  I think that the IM skillet covers were all low dome.

Some people group the 754-755-756 Victor-like unmarked skillets into the Iron Mountain family, but I don't personally agree with this.

Speaking only for myself, so far I've been able to obtain skillets 3-8, a size 8 handle griddle, a size 7 long griddle, size 8 and 9 DOs, and the cover (but not the skillet, darnit) of the Chicken Pan.  I've seen 10 and 12 skillets, but none have ever come my way.  I've never seen a 9, but for some strange reason I just have a hard time finding size 9 skillets in some of these series, and I've never seen a 14, either.

[Austin Anton]

Hey Adam,
Thanks for letting me know. I'll have to look for that download, but it's good to have an initial perspective of what I can expect.  This line seems much more manageable to me to collect than other griswold lines...price wise for sure. Sounds like you have a pretty decent collection as well!

[Adam Hoagland]

I guess that they're a little easier on the wallet to collect than branded Griswold hollowware is.  If the seller doesn't realize that the piece in question was Griswold-made, they may price it to be generic, and you can do pretty well, but the popularity of the blue book and similar photo reference price guides have increased awareness.  Sometimes you get lucky, though.  I got my IM size 4 skillet at an auction where I persuaded the auctioneer to pull it out of a goodie box full of junk pots and pans and sell it separately.  I started him at $5, and was the only bidder.  Nobody else knew what it was, I guess.  I don't remember what it is listed for in the blue book, but I was pleased.

Of course, the down side of reduced recognition is reduced demand, which reduces resale value.  I don't personally buy with the intention of selling, and I'm not a dealer, but I'm as mortal as the next fellah.  Some day after I've griped my last gripe, my heirs are going to have to have an auction to get rid of my cast iron stockpile.  So resale value is something I've been keeping in the back of my mind more now than I used to.

I still like the off-make lines, though.  Some collectors don't want to be bothered by them.  There's also the Good Health line (about which less is known,) and the Best Made and Puritan/Merit lines, all three of which were made for Sears to sell through their catalogues.  But you have to know what you're looking at if you want Griswold-forged specimens, since the words "Puritan" and "Merit" were used by Sears no matter which foundry did the casting.  Once again, it really helps to have a copy of the blue book handy to grab.

One last point of observation; as far as I know, there was no waffle iron made specifically for the Iron Mountain line.  That's a little bit odd, since the Puritan, Merit, Best Made, and Good Health lines all had Griswold-made Waffle Irons that were more or less specially cast just for their rosters.  Griswold did make an unmarked Waffle Iron, but not an Iron Mountain one, or at least not one with p/ns consistent with other IM items.