Perfection Heart Pan

[ysageev]

Just got this and some other items of Ebay.  I'm wondering if this is the perfection pan listed in the Lodge section of the Red Book, or if this is a Repro.  They mention that this pan is being reproduced.  Here are photos before I use electro.  It is unmarked as far as I can see, quarter is for scale.

[ysageev]

bottom

[Steve_Stephens]

I have one of these pans and another 12 cup one that are both bottom gated.  But bottom gates seem too early for the Martin made pans and I wouldn't know what a Martin (Perfection) pan even looked like exactly.  I doubt that any are marked "Perfection" on the pans.  Yours looks newer but hard to tell from the photos.  Did you clean the pan?  If there was a lot of buildup it may be an older pan; if not, probably newer.  The rust looks like new, intentionally done rust.

Steve

[ysageev]

I haven't cleaned the pan, Steve.  It doesn't look like it was used and yes, the rust looks new.  I don't think the seller was the sophisticated type to add intentional rust (I chatted with her a bit over the purchase).

IMO, the casting and finish are pretty darn good, especially the bottom.  Does anyone here have a certified reproduction of this pan and can post a photo, or vice versa (a known authentic Martin pan)?  

[Tom Neitzel]

The John Wright Foundry in Wrightsville, PA has been making high quality reproductions of this pan for at least the last 30 years.  The do great work and is one of my favorite foundries.  It can have a variety of markings, some as simple as a JW or even just a 1 or 2.  Some more complex, like an oldtime tombstone with the John Wright logo on it.

Here's a link.

http://www.jwright.com/index.cfm?ProductID=124&do=detail

If it has any markings at all it is likely Wright.  You have to be careful with the current Wright work though.  If it doesn't say that it is made in the USA it is likely Taiwan.  The outsourced many of their consumer items in the late 1990's.  They seem to be bringing some of it back though.

The also own many of the Book of Knowledge and Hubley original molds.  They will issue very high quality castings from those originals from time to time.  Some mechanical banks too.  Just spectacular work.



Tom


(I'll go look at my older Wright repros to see if the handles are more similar to the one you have.)

[ysageev]

Awesome Tom.  I've cleaned and seasoned the pan and here are some photos showing the mold entry point and the finish.  The casting looks good but the finish is slightly rough.  There are absolutely no markings on this pan.

[ysageev]

2

[ysageev]

3

[Tom Neitzel]

If it's not marked it is not Wright.  I think Virginia Metalcrafters also reproduced this pan.  If so it would have been marked with a 5 digit (xx-xxx) catalog number, a stylized VMC logo or both.  Unmarked - not VMC.

Here's a picture of one Wright version with what I call their tombstone logo (likely from the 1980's).


Looking at your newest pictures, I think the casting looks a little bit rough and the grinding on the side a bit coarse.  My inclination would be to think modern and imported, but I don't have it in my hand.

Tom