Author Topic: My Mom's Griddle (Read 12744 times)

Chris Stairs · « **on:** September 29, 2008, 11:10:42 AM »

This had hung on a nail in my father's shed for at least 30 years. My mom cooked pancakes on it when I was a kid. No maker's mark that I would recognize. It does have what appears to tag screwed onto the bottom. It is really cast right from the mold though, reads 1787. Also has a small "33" cast in the center of the bottom. I'm sure it's worth no more than 5-10 dollars. I would really be curious if anyone knew who made it .

Roger Barfield · « **Reply #1 on:** September 29, 2008, 01:07:51 PM »

Interesting Chris, I don't ever remember seeing one with markings like that before. Usually the handle griddles don't sell for much money. Since it was your mother's and you have memories of it, the sentimental value would be much greater than it's actual value. Hopefully others will have more to add.

Chris Stairs · « **Reply #2 on:** September 29, 2008, 03:11:05 PM »

Not for sale. I knew it wasn't a desirable piece to anyone else, but it sure cooks a mean breakfast, and I also use it to make ploys for my wife.

Chris

Jeff_Paden · « **Reply #3 on:** September 29, 2008, 05:41:56 PM »

I wonder if this was an employee piece or a piece made for a specific address? If it was a pattern number we'd have seen a lot more similar parkings on other products over the years. I never hear of CI being marked for loss prevention except perhaps for the USN marked Griswold pan.

Will Person · « **Reply #4 on:** September 29, 2008, 11:19:37 PM »

Chris, welcome to our little piece of heaven. Looking at your other posts, I see you are from Canada. I would have to guess it is a Canadian piece. Which one?? I would guess McClary's. They had a few items that had raised pads with number on them. But they liked to us the letter X in front of three numbers. So your griddle don't fit the pattern, but it is just a guess? McClarys and two other company's merged in 1927. Who knows everything that they did when the company got a new name 80 years ago!!! The new name of the company was..................General Steel Wares, or GSW!!!! I bet you have heard of that company.

Will 8-)

Chris Stairs · « **Reply #5 on:** September 30, 2008, 01:42:55 PM »

Thanks guys!
I guess I knew it would be almost impossible to ID for sure with no maker's mark. Maybe I will just have to settle for it being so unusual. Jeff and Will, I have included a closeup of the "tag".
It was attached with screws for sure. It could have been to mark for loss prevention, or maybe to cover the mark on the pattern, when the maker was merged.... It sure looks like the mark to really identify it would have been under this tag. If that was their intent, they certainly succeeded. I'll have to keep an eye out on Ebay to see if anything like this shows up, but then the seller wouldn't know what it was anyway.
Oh and Will, my father's one and only skillet is a GSW. I did not know this until about 6 months ago when he finally allowed me to clean and season it for him. Many years of buildup!

Chris ;)

Will Person · « **Reply #6 on:** September 30, 2008, 05:44:49 PM »

Chris, I am one of a few collectors of Canadian iron. I have most of the iron makers. Have some different stuff. Wood handled GSW skillets. McClary flat bottom kettles with lids. McClary thimble just to name a few.

Will 8-)

Chris Stairs · « **Reply #7 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:14:34 PM »

This was one of my first threads when I first found this forum.
Of course, I still have this griddle and never did find out who made it. I did see a couple griddles like it at a flea market. The bigger one is identical to mine, and smaller one is marked 1786, one digit smaller. I suspect mine is a #7 and the smaller one is a #6.
At least now I know it is a part number. :0

Has anyone else seen a mark like this? It appears to be a tag attached to the pattern.

Chuck Rogers · « **Reply #8 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:22:53 PM »

Never Chris, but then I haven't seen as much iron as some. If I do, I'd be sure to grab it. If it's different in size, I'll be sure to let you know.

Chris Stairs · « **Reply #9 on:** August 20, 2009, 10:28:00 PM »

Thanks Chuck,
I did buy the smaller one. I would be interested in an 8 or 9 but I don't even know if any other sizes were made. :-/

Sandy Glenn · « **Reply #10 on:** August 20, 2009, 11:38:10 PM »

Chris, Is that an embossed "2" I'm seeing on the 1786? A molder's mark perhaps?

Chris Stairs · « **Reply #11 on:** August 21, 2009, 07:50:45 AM »

Sandy,
Both my mom's griddle (1787) and the #6 I just bought (1786) have what I believe to be molder's marks. "33" and "2" respectively. The numbers are on slightly raised pads that are not flat to the bottom surface, so I think they were stamped into the mold sand before pouring.

Also, I should post a pic of the tops of the handles. Maybe someone will recognize this shape.

Chris Stairs · « **Reply #12 on:** May 31, 2014, 08:09:47 PM »

5 years since the last update. :o

Last year, I found another cast iron item with this same tag attached with screws, a skillet this time. I was on my way back from the annual Sussex Flea market, and found it at a yard sale.
I was becoming convinced that the only place these items were showing up was in New Brunswick. I thought maybe one of a few small foundries that used to operate here. Maybe next door in Nova Scotia too, maybe.
As with the griddles, it appears that an ERIE skillet was used to make a pattern.

Chris Stairs · « **Reply #13 on:** May 31, 2014, 08:23:10 PM »

I then I won this little cook stove at a local auction.....

And nearly every part of it has pattern numbers cast right in.

Chris Stairs · « **Reply #14 on:** May 31, 2014, 08:28:58 PM »

This is the rack for the oven shelf, and it's pattern number. I'm pretty sure I know now who made these items, including my mom's griddle.

Jim Fuchs · « **Reply #15 on:** May 31, 2014, 09:09:39 PM »

That is amazing to connect the dots on this,Chris. The good stuff takes time, and through your hard work, it all paid off. Nice digging !

Dwayne Henson · « **Reply #16 on:** May 31, 2014, 11:13:30 PM »

That's amazing Chris! Great investigating.

Roger Barfield · « **Reply #17 on:** May 31, 2014, 11:21:54 PM »

congratulations, that is really cool! ;)

Raymond Dube · « **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2014, 09:08:06 AM »

Great detective work, Chris! Amazing how some things just come together after years of waiting....

Paul Okarma · « **Reply #19 on:** June 01, 2014, 09:25:03 AM »

Wow! Fantastic detective work. All you need is a rumpled raincoat like Columbo. :)

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Author Topic: My Mom's Griddle (Read 12744 times)

Jeff_Paden