"ERIE" 8 704L outside heat ring

[chipotledoggie]

Hi folks, I picked up this pan today and was so excited to actually have one of these older ones that I bought it immediately. Maybe some of you can help me understand my purchase a little more thoroughly. The ERIE has quotes on either side - and the quotes in front of the E are pointing backward.  Also, there is a perfectly round divet to the right of the 8, and also to the left at about 11 o'clock. Are these makers marks? I've read in other posts about one and two series of these Erie pans, but am missing the reference to this in the blue book. How do I know which this pan is, if it is ? Is this one of the older ERIE's? The picture in the blue book shows the same c/n, but with an H (i think) not an L... and it doesn't have the quotes...Are these minor differences? Anyway, any opinions re: condition, age, series, etc, on this pan will be... treasured. Oh, and how did I do: paid $18. Cheers, carla

[chipotledoggie]

Oh yeah - the inside is nice and smooth, no cracks, warps, etc. Maybe this shot is a little easier to see...

[C. Perry Rapier]

Carla, its a later ERIE, but still one of the early ones. The very early ones have no pattern number. As you can readily see, yours does. It is a beautiful skillet. You made a very very good deal. I would buy a pickup truck load of them like that for 18.00 each. Did you clean it up or did you purchase it this way?

[Steve_Stephens]

There are MANY minor and major variations on the ERIE skillets.  So many, in fact, that few people know many of them.  There are a few collectors (one in particular) who have large collections of the ERIE pans.  I think only they can compare and see the various differences.  Who knows how many series of ERIE skillets there are?  Only those who have or have seen them all but I might guess around 6 series at the minimum.  Your skillet actually has the inset heat rim and not the outside rim.  It looks like a nice casting and has good detail.  Don't be concerned about any letter after the pattern number.  All the letters indicate is which of several or more patterns of the same item the pan was made from.  It's of little or no significance to the collector or user.  Those little divits could be casting flaws but not pattern maker's marks which were only on the series two and, maybe, series 3 ERIE skillets.  Several collectors have written up information on the ERIE skillets but their info was not complete and, in some cases, was not accurate.  I know ERIE's fairly well but don't bother with the ones from the mid-production period as they seem to lack detail and pleasing design.  To know all these skillets you have to pay attention to them all; good and not so good.  But you have a nice pan there so enjoy using it.  It is likely c.1900-1905 period. The pattern number remained 704 for all of Griswold's No.8 regular skillets other than on some of the series 3 pans when Griswold first began to cast the number on the pans.  At first they used several numbers for most of the skillets but soon changed to one number for each size plus a letter (or no letter on one of the patterns).

Steve

[Greg Stahl]

this is an inside heat rim, isn't it?

[Sandy Glenn]

Carla, That is nice.  I second Perry's motion to buy a pickup load at that price.  Unfortunately Erie's are pretty scarce in my area.

[C. Perry Rapier]

this is an inside heat rim, isn't it?

You gotta look at it close, its the picture, but Greg I say its inside too.

[chipotledoggie]

I would buy a pickup truck load of them like that for 18.00 each. Did you clean it up or did you purchase it this way?

I bought it that way, although I have a lye bath in the garage just waiting for some gunk-covered treasure...I'd really prefer to clean one up myself!

[chipotledoggie]

this is an inside heat rim, isn't it?

Okay, I guess I don't understand the inside/outside/inset heat ring thing. I've looked at the book pictures - I must be a little dense. Here are a couple of photos of the ERIE bottom - maybe you guys can "diagnose" the kind of ring it has??

[chipotledoggie]

And here's another, closer look at the edge...

[C. Perry Rapier]

What we are trying to determine Carla is this.

There are two kinds of heat rings, which is a raised ridge on the bottom of the skillet. One is at the extreme outside edge of the skillet. The other one is more toward the middle or inset or inner, however you wanna say it. So, it either has an inner heat ring or it has an outer heat ring. And they are definitely two different animals.

AND, from the angle of your pictures it was difficult to tell which one it was. I thought that it was an inner and Greg did too, but the last picture, the very last picture, shows me that it is an outer heat ring. Thanks for your patience and sorry to be so wordy, but hey, thats me.

[Harry Riva]

You have an inset or inside heat ring on this skillet. The outside heat ring has the outside wall of the skillet dropping directly to the heat ring without any inset, that is none of the skillet bottom shows to the outside of the heat ring.
Harry

[C. Perry Rapier]

You have an inset or inside heat ring on this skillet. The outside heat ring has the outside wall of the skillet dropping directly to the heat ring without any inset, that is none of the skillet bottom shows to the outside of the heat ring.
Harry

Well, so much for what I said. Harry, I thought it was an inner ring too until the last picture. Its those angles. All the other pictures make it look like an inner ring too. Thanks for taking another look and clearing this up Harry.

[chipotledoggie]

Hey, thanks everyone. The bottom does curve in just a little before the heat ring begins. What I'm hearing you say is that 1) inset and inside are both termns for the same placement of a heat ring, and 2) this pan has an inset ring b/c the outside edge curves under the bottom before it gets to the ring. Got it (until the next pan ::)!

[C. Perry Rapier]

Hey, thanks everyone. The bottom does curve in just a little before the heat ring begins. What I'm hearing you say is that 1) inset and inside are both termns for the same placement of a heat ring, and 2) this pan has an inset ring b/c the outside edge curves under the bottom before it gets to the ring. Got it (until the next pan ::)!

What she said.  ;)

[Roy G. Meadows]

Carla,
I've been collecting info on "ERIE's" recently. Your skillet is from what has been designated as the Fifth Series. The most likely dates for manufacturing of this Series is believed to be the c1905 to c1907 period. Could you help me out by telling me if there is any kind of reinforcing pad where the handle joins the skillet? This would be a raised area on the side of the skillet around the base of the handle. We are trying to establish whether or not any skillets in this Fifth Series (i.e., inset heat ring, ERIE in quotes) had reinforcing pads. I would also welcome info from other collectors re this question.
                                            Thanks,
                                               Roy Meadows

[Steve_Stephens]

We are trying to establish whether or not any skillets in this Fifth Series (i.e., inset heat ring, ERIE in quotes) had reinforcing pads.

Roy, I think the last reinforcing pad was on the 3rd series ERIE's.  After that the pad seems to have been blended into the skillet wall.  There is still an area of thicker iron on some of the ERIE's.    

Somehow I think we need some photos depicting exactly what each series looks like.  (I only have the better known first and second series ERIE's).  Even I don't know nor do I know how many series there are as it is going to be up to some advanced ERIE collector(s) to determine how many series and what constitutes one series from the other.  Are there intermediate series that might not warrent being a series all of their own?

Steve

[gt]

I think from previous discussions, this is a series 2 1/2 or 3.

[Roy G. Meadows]

Gary,
Thanks, the above skillet would be from the Third Series (Outside Heat Ring, w/ P/N). From the info that I have there are skillets in this Third Series (c1892-c1905) with the reinforcing pad and some without. What I'm trying to ascertain is if there are any ERIE's with the Inset Heat Ring that have a destinct reinforcing pad. Steve Stephens indicates above that he believes the distinct pad ended with this Third Series. I don't have any concrete proof that any of the Fourth thru Sixth Series (all with Inset Heat Rings) had distinct reinforcing pads. That is what I'm trying to find out. Some info had indicated they might, but I've seen no proof.
                                               Roy Meadows

[C. Perry Rapier]

Roy, good luck on your information and collecting of information on the ERIE skillets. They are very interesting. In your opinion, would the skillet shown in this thread be an older series if not for the pattern number?

The reason I ask is, except for that number, the rest of the skillet looks to be what I would call, perhaps incorrectly, the very early and possibly the earliest, Erie's.