Please help ID this Turks Head muffin pan

[Jeff McGrady]

[size=12]Snapped a pic of this one as we combed the antique malls this past Saturday.

When I first saw it, I wondered at the age as I don't recall having seen one with similar 'gate marks' on the base (if, indeed, that is what these are....)

Your thoughts on manufacturer, age, and value are appreciated![/size]

[Cheryl Watson]

These were made by so many different manufacturers over such a long period of time, that without markings, we will most likely never know who dunnit! :)

[Jeff McGrady]

[size=12]Thanks, Cheryl !

Do you reckon those are true 'gate marks' and indicative of actual age, or might they just be an indication of lower-end manufacture (poor QC, poorly mass-produced, cheap foreign-made item, etc.)?

I just can't recall ever having noticed such on the base of any other pans that I've seen.....[/size]

[Russell Ware]

Jeff,
Gate marks are typical on this style of pan.
See my comments regarding gate marks in this post:
http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1487117016/5#5

[Jeff McGrady]

[size=12]Thanks, Russell ! Good info!

And I am going to have to better keep my eyes open from now on, with regard to the gem pans, to see how the above pictured base compares to others.... [/size]

[Valerie Johnson]

Jeff I have had probably had several of those pans over the last several years,
I currently have one I use. The one in the link below is almost identical to the one you have.

http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1416603579

[Jeff McGrady]

[size=12]Thanks for commenting, Valerie, and for including the link to your thread.[/size]

One thing I watch for regarding gate marks is their size and quality.  The heavy, clunky marks like you see on you pan, in my mind, tend to be recasts.  Maybe shop projects.  The folks making the old pieces wanted the gating to break off easy and clean so they didn't risk breaking the piece or have much cleanup to do.

I would expect old gate marks to be thin and relatively clean.   If the gate mark seems to fit the overall quality of the piece, then it is likely good.

Look at yours.  Overall, it is not a terrible casting, but the gate is just so ugly it doesn't seem to belong.

Just my thoughts.

Tom

[size=12]Tom's comments, there, echo exactly what I was thinking/feeling upon seeing the thickness of the gate marks on the Turk's Head that I pictured, and so similar to yours: Not only did they evidence no sign of any real factory 'clean up' but they also just didn't seem comparable in size or character to the older gate-marked items I was more familiar with!

Learning!!  8-)
[/size]

[Valerie Johnson]

I think what also should be taken into consideration is that since these pans go inside an oven and sit on a grate the need for a thinner less obvious gate mark is not required because they are not sitting on top of a range top, The gate marks on the bottom of my pan fall in between the rails on the grate/rack in my oven and therefor do not cause any wobble.

[Jeff McGrady]

[size=12]Good point....hadn't thought of it that way[/size]