The 7-way Universal Tool was patented in 1881 by W.H. Thayer.
Cast Iron, General & Miscellany
Posts that deal with miscellaneous cast iron pieces and accessories, identification, and posts that just don't fit anywhere else on the blog. :)
Two Quirky Filley Stories
I couldn’t figure out where to put these two odd stories that both involve antique G.F. Filley cast iron pieces, so…here they are! THE SUNKEN STEAMBOAT BERTRAND AND ITS TREASURES The steamboat Bertrand sank in the Missouri River on April 1, 1865 after hitting a submerged log about 25 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska. Bound…
Videos of the O’Neil Cast Iron Museum
Four videos of the 4500 square foot vintage and antique cast iron cookware museum display of Marg and Larry O’Neil of Tacoma, Washington.
Griswold Cast Iron Vintage Quaker Ware Dealer Ads
One handy way to learn about the pieces in a particular line of vintage or antique cast iron cookware is to get your hands on an old catalog or old advertisements for the product. As I like to say, “Follow the paper trail!” The paper can give you verifiable information about a product. Dealer ads…
Three Versions of Vintage All-In-One Cast Iron Dinner Skillets
I recently had the pleasure of seeing three different vintage All-In-One cast iron skillets/separators within a time span of about 2 weeks. (Note: this writing was originally made and posted in 2018). Purpose of All-In-One Cast Iron Dinner Skillet My understanding of the all-in-one cast iron dinner skillet is that the division in the pan…
How To: Identify a Cast Iron or Aluminum Pan Using Google Images Search
A Google images search can be a great resource when trying to identify unmarked vintage and antique cast iron cookware. Often, old cast iron pieces that you find do not carry the manufacturer’s name. Or if they do, you might need help figuring out what the piece is, when it was manufactured, or how it…
2018 Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Convention in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association Linda and I made the trek to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the April 2018 Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association (GCICA) convention. This convention marks the 26th year that the association has held a convention, and the fourth that Linda and I have attended. GCICA is a fun group…
Linda, the Griswold Lamb Cake Mold, and the “Brenda” Standard
In 2013, I gave Linda a Griswold Cast Iron Lamb Cake Mold for Christmas. Linda’s last name is “Lamb,” so it seemed appropriate. For the next two years, Linda repeatedly said she would make a lamb cake in the mold, but she procrastinated. In 2015, when we attended the annual convention of the Griswold &…