WAPAK #9

[Wulfdog]

The other day I bought a WAPAK #9 skillet at an auction.  I Washed the rust out of it with soap and it has to be the best cooking skillet I've seen.  It works nearly like a non-stick pan.  The inside is super smooth, but the bottom of it looks terrible.  I don't mean from age or rust, it really has some wavy casting imperfections in it.  I noticed other Wapak skillets without the indian head on them also were rough on the bottom.  Does anyone know if this was normal for the Wapak skillets?

[Steve_Stephens]

Wapaks, for the most part, are not very well cast.  There are the exceptions (a friend had a super smooth, light one that was well cast) but most are wanting in the finish department.  Indian Head Wapaks are pretty heavy and vary a lot in their details as do the other Wapaks.  Many Wapak pieces have other makers' ghost marks for which we can't seem to agree on how the marks came to be but it appears that Wapak would cast many of their pans from another maker's pan as a copy or use old, modified patterns to cast their ware.  So your skillet has its particular charm but cooks really well.  Hold on to it and enjoy.
Steve

[moosejaw]

I only have one Wapak skillet and it is an Indian Head.  It is not the most beautifully cast piece on the planet.  Steve, as usual, is right on target.  I think we need to pickle his brain when he passes on......I would hate to lose all that knowledge he has about cast iron. ;D ;D ;D

[Steve_Stephens]

Pickle my brain????  Those smilies will do it!  Maybe you meant "pick my brain"?

Steve

[moosejaw]

We will have to pickle it so we can pick it for knowledge after you are gone.   ;D

[Steve_Stephens]

I won't be gone for a long time so hold on to the vinegar jar or just use the vinegar for rust removal.  My brain gets a lot of rust but, somehow, I seem to remember a lot of iron pots and pans details.

Steve

[Duke Gilleland]

A while back I acquired a Wapak # 9. Got it out and used it on Dec 26th. [smiley=alc.gif](my birthday) It's rough cast at best but it cooked great with very minor sticking [smiley=appl.gif]