GRISWOLD(ERIE)PATTERN NUMBERS

[lowball]

WHEN DID GRISWOLD START PATTERN NUMBERS? I BOUGHT A SKILLET AT THE SAME THRIFT STORE WHERE I BOUGHT THE SIDNEY HOLLOW WARE #9 SKILLET IT WAS HEAVELY CAKED BUT I COULD BARLEY MAKE OUT AN E AND R SO I BOUGHT IT AND GAVE IT A LYE BATH AND SURE ENOUGH IT WAS A ERIE#8 BUT HAD NO PATTERN NUMBER BUT DID HAVE A PATTERN MAKER MARK(ASTRIK)OR STAR IS THIS A 1870 TIME FRAM SKILLET? AND DO THEY HAVE MORE VALUE THE A ERIE WITH A PN NUMBER AND NO PATTERN MAKER MARK?

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hello Dennis, Welcome to the forum. While the early "ERIE" skillets are not the most expensive they are high on my list of favorites. They are pure and simple, smooth as silk, light and well balanced, and cook as good as the day they were made. And besides that, I think they are neat looking and easy on the eyes. The number 8 griswold spider is from that series. One sold here awhile back on ebay for over 3600.00. So turn over every number 8 you find and look at the back. Also, Dennis, now I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but, when you use all upper case letters in your posts, it makes it a little harder to read. Like I say, I'm not telling you what to do, because I enjoy reading your posts.

[lowball]

hi and thank you for the response,and advise
any idea on the age and value?

[C. Perry Rapier]

According to the books. Those skillets were made between 1870 and 1900. Value for a number 8 in excellent condition is 30.00 to 40.00. Excellent condition means different things to different people, for instance buyer and seller. You see the word mint used and abused alot as well. There have been discussions on this forum about what mint means and what excellent means.

[lowball]

were there different series of erie's i have seen some where the erie is smaller than others and some with pattern numbers and some with out as well where there are pattern markers  on some and some and where there are not? mine has no pattern number bur has a pattern marker mark i mwould like to know the circa of the one i have is it 1870's or 1880's

[Steve_Stephens]

Dennis,
ERIE skillets are not easy to catagorize.  There must be 5 or 6 series of them and not all sizes made in each series.  Within each series (pans with distinctively different details) there are very many minor variations.  I had a friend who collects ERIE skillets and, though I never saw his collection I did see a lot of his pans and talk to him a lot about ERIE skillets.  We were both amazed when new variations kept turning up.   There are probably more variations of ERIE skikllets than any other Griswold skillet marking.

1870 for the first ERIE skillet?  I don't think Griswold (Selden & Griswold until 1884) had even considered making iron cookware that early.  They started in business making hardware.  I do know that in 1883 they had a full line of cookware.  Maybe in the later 1870's they had some skillets but I would bet it wasn't until the 1880's that they made any.   I don't know where that 1870 date came from in the book and no documentation is given.  Also, I think ERIE skillets were likely made to around 1905 or even later.   The first use of the slant TM was in 1909 from what I have been able to ascertain.

There are roughly two series of ERIE skillets without pattern numbers which started around 1891 or 92 (possibly a little earlier on skillets).  Look at the bottom of the handle.  The "scoop" handle like blue book p.15 bottom right is the earliest style handle identified.  The next style of bottom of the handle is like the spider skillet on the same page.  Some late scoop handle skillets have the reinforcing pad on the side of the skillet where the handle joins the pan and some of the second series pans have a rounded or anthill shaped reinforcing pad instead of the more usual curvy triangle pad.  Red book p. 131; two top skillets are scoop handle pans-one with the reinforcing pad and one without.

Also, scoop handle pans have a top rim of the skillet that is raised slightly above the top of the handle.  Pouring lips vary more on these early pans with some like a No.10 being very pronounced and deep.  It's almost as if every ERIE skillet pattern was different from any other.  There are that many variations.  ERIE comes in many different sizes, is placed closer or farther away from the outside rim, has quotes or not, etc. etc.

Keep an eye on completed items on ebay and you will see an average value.  These pans don't bring much more or less than other Griswold pans throught the 1920's unless unique variations or in exceptional condition.  They even made wood handled ERIE skillets and ERIE extra deep skillets.

Steve

[C. Perry Rapier]

Steve, As I said the ERIE is one of my favorites. Thanks for your insights on them. I'd like to find one of the deep ERIE skillets. I'm still looking. When I go somewhere and start turning over skillets sometimes the owner will say there aren't any good ones in there, or they've already been looked thru. I look at them anyway. That is if he thinks you are a serious collector. If he thinks your looking for a user, you may be right up his alley.

[Steve_Stephens]

Perry,
I found a deep ERIE 9 on ebay for a reasonable but not cheap price.  But be prepared to bid rather high as there is at least one ERIE collector who wins most of the older ERIE skillets and has for years.  I'd love to see his collection which includes a lot more than ERIE skillets.  The deep skillets were made without pattern numbers at the start.
Steve

[lowball]

steve,the erie i recently bought is some what different than the #8 with the pattern number i also have,the one without a pattern#has a reinforcement and is like the handle on the spider ,the reinforcement is pronounced and the raised part in the center is like stairs or notched if that makes sense. the one with the pattern # is like a ant hill ,i am goin to take a picture of the two so you can see.also does a pattern makers mark add value

[Steve_Stephens]

does a pattern makers mark add value

Dennis,
Regarding pattern numbers:  They can add value by identifying the piece as a Griswold piece for certain.  But, on the ERIE skillets, at least as far as I am concerned, I fine the pre-pattern number pans to be of better casting quality and more interesting detail wise.  But those early pans are very thin and about 25% have hairline cracke, mostly by the handle.  You always have to be concerned about those cracks.  Later ERIE skillet are a bit thicker and not so prone to crack plus they are younger in age.  I collect iron that I LIKE regardless of value or interest from other people.  Doesn't have to be rare or expensive and some of the pieces I like the most are very inexpensive pieces but they just have the quality or style that interests me.

You will also find, on the first ERIE skillets that have pattern numbers, that many sizes of skillets will have more than one pattern number (not on the same pan but on other pans of the same size).  That was soon stopped and Griswold went to using a different letter (or no letter) for each different skillet pattern.  So, you will occasionally find a No.6 ERIE with a p/n of 700 when they are usually always 699.  I  think value is only determined by quality and, somewhat, variation.  I don't much bother with ERIE skillets with pattern numbers but, instead, prefer the earlier ones that are more interesting to me and that have the reinforcing pad on the handle and around the top rim-the first p/n ERIE skillets are also this way.  Start looking at all the minor details and you will see that some ERIE pans are pretty clunky in style or detail while others are much finer in detail.

The "anthill" reinforcing pad should not be on a p/n skillet.  Don't be surprised if you keep finding ERIE skillets and can't find an identical one in any book.  There are that many small variations.

Steve

[lowball]

steve,what about pattern maker marks the one i found with no pattern # has a star(astrik) like on page 18 lower left do they add value?...i am not so concerned about value as i am in having the older skillets i am collecting slant erie and any erie item i agree the quality of cast iron is far better than the others.

[Steve_Stephens]

The pattern maker's marks appear mosty on series two ERIE No.8 skillets.  My  thought is that it was a way to differentiate among all the different No.8 Erie skillet patterns before they started to use pattern numbers to do the same thing.  Only my guess but it makes sense to me.    I think they do add to the value  to most buyers who know what they are all about or that they exist in large numbers of variations.  

Some of the slant Erie is of great quality but many pieces have faint trademarks and are not the quality of casting that many other Griswold pieces are.  I really like the finely cast slant/E pans.
Steve