ID help with this #8. Possible weirdly configured Martin?

[Spurgeon Hendrick]

This skillet has been in one of my favorite antique stores for over two years. I finally couldn’t stand the “not knowing” and bought it today. At the least it will be a great user.

Can anybody identify it. It has a big, fat, raised #8 on the handle. The bottom of the handle is scooped out but it doesn’t have a raised rib. The bottom of the handle, up by the skillet wall, looks more like a Lodge. No breaks in the heat ring. And no visible marks on the bottom.

Edit: now that I’m home and able to compare it to other skillets I own, the bottom of the handle reminds me of a Martin. And, the raised 8 is kinda like the rounded 8’s on the pictures I see in here on Martin DO’s and some of the pot handles. Could this be some weird, unmarked Martin that they decided to use a raised number in? Or maybe it’s a Martin recast?

[Dwayne Henson]

Surgeon remind me Sunday to pull out my raised number skillets for you if nobody has an answer.,

[Spurgeon Hendrick]

Roger that. Thanks.

Did Martin make a raised number skillet? I don’t remember seeing one. I know they put raised numbers on their round griddles. But the 8 in the picture of Jonathan Davis’s set looks a little different than this one. This #8 is a really fat font.

[Roger Barfield]

That's not a Martin.  I don't know who made those but have seen a few over the years similar.

[Duke Gilleland]

To run across a "RAISED"  number on a handle like that seems to bring about a slight drool to the salivary system [smiley=drool1.gif]

[Lee Bowen]

I know that the raised number skillets, round griddles and large pot that has been my great fortune to acquire seem to be of a higher quality than the majority of the ones produced at a much later time.  Could it be that the raised numbers seem to have been phased out about the time of the bottom gate have anything to do with it?

[Spurgeon Hendrick]

Here it is after cleaning/seasoning. The handle kind of reminds me of the #7 Erie I have. Here are some pics. In the side-by-side handle pic. The Erie is on the left. Also, the scooped out part of the handle is kind of rough ... like it didn’t come out of the mold clean, or was damaged in some way.

[Spurgeon Hendrick]

Would this be another clue? When turned upside down on the table, you can see the handle doesn’t sit flush with the skillet. Here it is (the one on the right) compared to the #7 Erie.