Iron Mountain Question?

[Craig1952]

Maybe I just have cheap taste, but I find myself attracted to the Iron Mountain line. Plus it's a set that I can actually afford to assemble. I've never had one in my hand and hence the question. If I've got it right, the line was made to compete with the lower priced competition without sacrificing the Griswold name? Were they otherwise of the same quality (smooth surface etc.) of Griswold skillets from the same era? Seeing Chucks complete set, all laid out and looking purdy, has me wanting to start on a set.

[Rick Gilley]

Craig, my main kitchen skillet right now is a #7 Iron Mountain, its very smooth inside and as good as any Griswold, or old Lodge I have. We use it for most everything except we have a seperate corn bread skillet. The quality is excellent.

[Jeff Seago]

I agree that they are the same quality as any other skillet of their time!  I use my dutch oven and chicken pan all the time and I love them.

It has been said that if you want to put the whole set together to start with the #4 and #14 and then pick up the rest  ;D  These two will set you back the most money as they are hard to find pieces.  I have the 4 and I paid a pretty penny for it but it was a good price.  They have been selling in the $200 range and that is a highly deflated price when you compare it to what they used to sell for ($500 range).

[C. Perry Rapier]

Craig, not to tell you what to do, but, if it was me, and I did not have a "set" of skillets, and I wanted to put together my first "set", it dam sure wouldn't be the IM set. You'd be much better off to put together the Griswold smooth bottom large block set, they come in 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, much more doable, AND, you'll have a lot of nice skillets to use, you can probably get all of them for the price you pay for one of those IM's. Those are just my thoughts. I think I got all that right? :-/

If not, somebody please let me know?  :)

[Chuck Rogers]

That was my first set Perry, and you are correct. It was the easiest set to come by. I have to admit though, that I got lucky finding the #2, but if it was going to be a user set, the #2 really isn't needed.

Craig, like you, I was attracted to the IM skillets. They are high quality pieces. The #4, and the #14 will be the toughest to find. The #14 I have is the only one I've ever seen for sale, or in person. But again, for a user set, you can pick up the others, and be happy with them. I can't see the #4 and #14 getting a bunch of use anyway. The largest skillet I use now is a #10, and the smallest is a #6. I'm not a chef or anything, but I can cook. But I don't require a bunch of sizes.

The IM are easy to spot because of the handle design. They are mislisted on ebay alot, and can be snogged at a decent price.

[Jeff Seago]

Perry don't forget about the #2 Large Block Logo.

I agree that the LBL set is one of the easiest to put together so like always Perry gives good advice  ;)

[C. Perry Rapier]

Perry don't forget about the #2 Large Block Logo.

I agree that the LBL set is one of the easiest to put together so like always Perry gives good advice  ;)

Thank you Jeff, yes, I did forget about the number 2, why, I have no idea.  ;D ;D ;D

Its presently about a 260.00 range skillet.

And I have some IM skillets, I don't know which ones right off. But I know I don't have the 14 and the 4, so I ain't worried about it. When, AND IF, I ever get them, then I'll start looking harder at them.  ;)

[Craig1952]

Perry, I'm actually working on BB set and on an "ERIE" set. BB I have 3-5-6 (hopefully #4 tonight) and "ERIE" I have 7-8-9. All came from WAGS members by the way. As you can see I've only got the easy to find ones ;D I find it strange that in this depressed market, some pieces have gone down while others have gone through the roof. The blue book has an IM #4 at $60-$80 and the #14 at $75-$100! Much the same with the "ERIE" skillets. Cheap Chuck actually had a couple of #6 "ERIES" that I need, and at a price I would have gladly paid to a WAGS member. I didn't even consider it and that guys pocket will never find a dime of mine.

Thanks for all the great advice guys! PS: Do all the Iron Mountain skillets have heat rings? They seem to from the pictures I've seen.

[Chuck Rogers]

Yes Craig, you are correct. All of the IM's do have HR. If you miss out on a #4, I have a few to chose from. But if your bidding on Jeffs' #4, go for it. I don't want to take sales away from him, and the one he has listed is sweet. I don't have any #7's. I have an 8 or two, but I don't know how good they are. They are in line for the electro. And I just don't know about the others. I'll have to dig around. I'm also trying to put a set of them together for my daughter as a house warming gift. All except the #2 of course. She told me not to bother spending that much, and that she would be happy with the others.

[Chuck Rogers]

I saw those same #6's that Cheat Chuck has listed. One of them was, or is, a #6 with the 700 p/n. That's a rare one. Most of them have the 699 p/n. I'm with you though. Not one dime to that cheat. I have the 2nd, and 3rd series #6's, and a #6 w/ #700 p/n that's nickeled. Those are in my sets of ERIE pans already. One I found by luck for cheap, the other I had to pay for, and the plated one was in a box with all that iron I grabbed a few weeks ago.

[Charles_A._Burger]

It sounds like the IM line is just as good of quality as the Trademark stuff.  So how did this effect the Griswold bottom line at the time?  From what I understand of the process, its a rather labor intensive. And if the same starting materials went into the IM pans then where is the profit going to come from aside from selling a whole lot more of the IM line?

[C. Perry Rapier]

It sounds like the IM line is just as good of quality as the Trademark stuff.  So how did this effect the Griswold bottom line at the time?  From what I understand of the process, its a rather labor intensive. And if the same starting materials went into the IM pans then where is the profit going to come from aside from selling a whole lot more of the IM line?

Well, yes and no Charles. Here is my opinion, as always others have theirs too.  :)

The IM skillets are shorter, therefore less iron, so they cost less to make them, not cheaper made, there is a difference that I am sure you can readily see. And, as you note in volume, if they could not sell them one of the costlier "name brand" ones then the best alternative is to sell them one that costs less. Same thing today, if GM can't sell you a Cadillac, they would sure love to sell you a Chevy rather than seein you buy a Ford.

Like I said, thems just my thoughts.  :)

[Charles_A._Burger]

The IM skillets are shorter, therefore less iron,

New piece of information for me.  I do have a #5 IM skillet and didn't even realize that.  How much of a difference is there?

[C. Perry Rapier]

The IM skillets are shorter, therefore less iron,

New piece of information for me.  I do have a #5 IM skillet and didn't even realize that.  How much of a difference is there?

Not to give you a smart answer Charles, but how much difference depends on what you are comparing it to, because all skillets are not the same height, but, the IM is shorter than the rest of the Griswolds.

[Prairie_Gal]

I agree.  My only "sets" so far (well, minus the #2) are the LL block smooth bottom Griswolds--plus a #8 long griddle--and the three (7,8,9) diamond Piqua Miami skillets.

I was able to put together these without very much effort, over the course of a few months, and with a VERY limited budget (that means, "you paid more than $25 for a piece of cast iron????!!!"   ;D) as well.

I love my LL block smooth Grisies, too. I wish I could hang them and display, as I find their design/logo the most attractive of all.

[Ghenipus]

It usually goes against my better nature to boast, but sometimes you get lucky and you feel boastful...

I was at an auction today that was full of Wagner (which I do not collect, being strictly Griswold) but had a few scattered pieces here and there from other makers, as well as just about anything else you could want to see in the realm of antiques.  But they were just giving stuff away all day long -- depressed economy combined with a strangly disinterested crowd and a beautiful day outside.  I didn't buy much, but I was sweating it out when they threw an Iron Mountain 4 (and a reletively clean one at that) in with a box lot of Taiwanese or otherwise uninteresting CI.  I asked one of the helpers to sell the 4 by itself, which they then proceeded to do.  I was prepared to pay up to the high end of the blue book price for it, but I must've been the only one in the room (including the auctioneer) who knew what it really was.  I paid $5.00.  As in five.  As in Abe Lincoln.  The tax brought it up to $5.30.  That's where they get you... ;)

I felt pretty good about it just with blue book in hand.  Having read some of the claims in this posting, I feel even better.  Again, I'm not normally one to boast, but are they really selling in the $200-$500 range?  Nothing like a 50%-100% profit...

(Of course, I'm not planning on selling it.)

[Jeff Seago]

Well I will tell you tomorrow night what range they are selling in as I have one up on EBay right now.  It is not perfect but it is still an IM #4.  You did very very very well getting that one for $5 as you will likely never run across that deal again in 10 lifetimes.

I think I have heard of 1 deal as good as that and that was a fully marked Victor skillet that I believe was a #5 but might have been a 6??  One of our members had to stand in the rain or cold at an auction to win that one.  Who was it??  

[Will Person]

Well I will tell you tomorrow night what range they are selling in as I have one up on EBay right now.  It is not perfect but it is still an IM #4.  You did very very very well getting that one for $5 as you will likely never run across that deal again in 10 lifetimes.

I think I have heard of 1 deal as good as that and that was a fully marked Victor skillet that I believe was a #4 but might have been a 5??  One of our members had to stand in the rain and cold at an auction to win that one.  Who was it??  

I got the Victor #5 standing for hours on packed snow in 30 degree weather outside.   No rain,  just frozen feet.    Got it for $5.00      Sure is nice!!!    

The #4 IM skillets were last selling for $150-200    I picked one up on ebay for $150 just to have one.   A week later found one at a flee market.   He had the blue book and charged me almost book price for the #4 >:(    Well, it really made me happy. ::)   Open the blue book :o


Good find.   That is what keeps this hobby FUN!!!!!!!!


Will 8-)

[Clark Rader]

First the IM 4, & 14, than the rest will be a piece of cake. Oh I bet the IM #12 will be the last to finish the set. ::)
clark