mi pet d.o.

[woodpile]

Greetings: Does anyone know if there is or was a relationship between Chicago Hardware and Western Foundry Co. I have picked up a very nice D.O. #8 Western Foundry Co. Mi Pet Keeps Food Tasty. With a smoke ring and an unmarked top that resembles the later Piqua Oven tops. I have had mi pet skillets which I thought were somewhat klunky, and have got rid of them. This piece is very well made, nice handles, light in weight and nicely finished. A quality piece. Any info re the above would be appreciated. Thanks George V

[Steve_Stephens]

Hey George,
There is a Mi-Pet oval roaster with the original trivet on ebay now.  That is only the second one with trivet I have seen and all their oval roasters have been finely cast and quality.  But I have only seen a No.4 oval roaster from Mi-Pet.
Steve

[woodpile]

Greetings Steve: Thanks for your mail. I took a look at the oven and the lid style is similiar to my lid. I wonder if piqua made oval roasters and what shape their lids were? I have not seen any but I would suspect that they are out there. Talk to you later. George V

[Steve_Stephens]

Hey George,
Yes, Favorite did make oval roasters.  There have been several on ebay in the past few years.  They seem to be quite old, a bit clunky but still ok stylewise, and are numbered with an old numbering system where a 1 or 2 is very large.

Also, another Mi-Pet oval roaster came up on ebay yesterday.  Black bottom and chromed top with no trivet.
Steve

[John_Myers]

Favorite made 4 sizes of oval roasters O,1,2,3 With O the smallest. Some are marked Favorite Ware without the Piqua. These were probably made by Chicago Hardware foundry. Shaped a little different than the Griswold or Wagner more like a true oval. We use our No.1 all the time. It did a good job on a duck for Thanksgiving. I am looking for the No. O and an upgrade on the No. 2 lid

[Steve_Stephens]

John,
Long time; not much talk with you.  I know what you've been up to:  learning a lot about cast iron.  Great to have you posting here and adding knowledge.  I can't and don't know it all so the more the merrier.  Let us know what else you know that we don't.
Steve

[John_Myers]

      LOL  Steve you have forgotten more than I will ever know. I did learn a little in the last 10 or 11 years thanks to people like you and Craig L.,Bob K., Dave S., Dave S., Joel S., John M., Tom M., Tom T., and quite a few others who were willing to share info they had. But I could have bought a block 4 heat ring skillet every month for about 3 years with what I spent on phone calls and that is not an exaggeration. When ATT starts sending you cookies for Christmas you know you are doing something wrong. But I do need to thank all of you guys who I probably drove nuts with all of the questions I had. I can see where this site will enable a lot of new collectors to learn a lot more much faster and for a lot less money.
  I am looking for a camera now so I can show some of my treasures to you or anybody else on here who is interested in anything I have. I think I have 1 or 2 items you would like to see. I have probably told you about them but a picture is worth a 1000 words. Still nothing like having something in your own hands to look at. We all see different things in the same piece. John

[John_Myers]

   George,
 If you have a copy of the Blue Book by Dave Smith & Chuck Wafford there is a yellow Favorite dutch oven on the back cover, that is the style of the Favorite oval roaster lid. I have not heard of any of the Favorite oval roaster lids that are marked in any way. No name or size marked on or in the lids. The handle on the roaster lid is a seperate casting. The roasters that are marked Favorite Piqua Ware will have a lid handle that is attached with a threaded stud or screw that is cut off and peened over will be a little harder to take apart. The roasters that are marked Favorite Ware and were probably made by Chicago Hardware will have a lid handle that is attached with a slotted screw and is much easier to take apart. These roasters are heavy but pretty good castings as cast but pretty smooth castings. Trivets are very hard to find. Next to impossible but not quite.
  I do not know of a connection between Chicago Hardware and Western Foundry you may have a Mi-Pet dutch oven with a Favorite lid? I just got a round very old W. C. Davis lid with an 1863 patent date on it and was telling Steve that it looked a little like a Mi-Pet ( I said a little ). We all have a lot to learn when it comes to some of the less common stuff. John