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Author Topic: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard - GhostMarks Discussion  (Read 12829 times)

Offline Rick Gilley

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Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard - GhostMarks Discussion
« on: January 29, 2010, 05:01:13 PM »
Made my weekly trip to the cast iron junkyard today. Don't have any pictures yet...and an even worse memory, but I am going to try.

(1) One Notch Lodge #6
(2) One Notch Lodge #8
(3) 3 Lodge (I think) #8 round griddles, old style
(4) Erie #7 crudded up badly...hope its not cracked
(5) #8 gatemarked skillet with two big letters on...(there was a discussion about these may be very early Lodge) **just re-read that post, David Smith did not believe they were Lodge**
(6) #7 gatemarked skillet with two big letters on back
(7) A #8 skillet, it screams old with a handscribed No. 8 on the back. (I know I need a picture, but this skillet is old, if you are holding the skillet up by the handle like you normally read a skillet number, the handscribed No. 8 will be at handle upside down. (gonna get a picture of this one for ID, its in the lye barrel now.
(8) 2 James Johnson skillet covers for their combos
(9) and two more skillets I can't remember

and I bet I found 50 three notch Lodge #8 skillets...that I passed on..
« Last Edit: November 18, 2012, 11:29:55 AM by lillyc »
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Offline Anthony Richerson

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2010, 02:47:45 PM »
Please remember I'm just a beginner when I ask this question------What do you mean by hand inscribed skillet? The name and/or number is scratched on the surface after casting?
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Offline Will Person

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2010, 03:19:05 PM »
Quote
Please remember I'm just a beginner when I ask this question------What do you mean by hand inscribed skillet? The name and/or number is scratched on the surface after casting?



Anthony,   I am not really a beginner and I am going to ask the same question.   But I am going to assume it looks like they put the number there by hand,  and not perfect like a machine would do.    Remember,   there are no stupid questions,  just stupid answers.


Will 8-)
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Offline Rick Gilley

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2010, 03:34:04 PM »
Yes, Will and Anthony...it looked like it was free handed written in the iron.
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Offline Anthony Richerson

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #4 on: February 01, 2010, 08:54:08 PM »
That free hand made me think about a skillet in my waiting to be cleaned box, is this what you are talking about? By the way, why did a sidney script wind up on an erie skillet?
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Offline Anthony Richerson

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #5 on: February 01, 2010, 08:54:57 PM »
#2
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Offline C. Perry Rapier

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #6 on: February 01, 2010, 09:54:55 PM »
Anthony, you have a very nice "ghost" skillet. I would say that Wagner acquired "ERIE" patterns and then modified them. If Steve Stephens was on here, he would tell you that somebody took an "ERIE" skillet and used it as a pattern, but he would not know that, and neither do I, but, of all the "ghost" skillets that we see, in my mind, I am of the opinion that these manufacturers sold patterns to each other when they were finished with that particular type of run.

Now when they modified these patterns, the former words were not supposed to show, but over time, from use, the material used to cover the former words/markings would wear away, and again the former would bleed through in the mold, thus making what we call a "ghost" pattern. Clark Rader has a skillet that has the current manufacturer, and two ghosts, so that pattern had been modifed two times.

And Anthony, your ghost is very pronounced, some, most actually, are not that pronounced at all.
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Offline Chuck Rogers

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2010, 10:06:54 PM »
Favorite must have done the same thing. I have a Favorite #9 long griddle with a "WAGNER" ghost on it.
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Offline C. Perry Rapier

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2010, 10:22:23 PM »
Quote
Favorite must have done the same thing. I have a Favorite #9 long griddle with a "WAGNER" ghost on it.


Yes they certainly did Chuck. I have seen plenty Favorite pieces with ghosts on them, the Smileys come to mind. Also, griswold modified its own patterns as well, you can see ghosts in them from former series.

I have a NOS number 310 Wagner made Griswold camp oven, that came with the box, and it says Griswold and all that on it, and you can see the "ghost" of "Erie, Pa USA" and also the ghost of "180" which was the number of it when Griswold made it.
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Offline Chuck Rogers

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2010, 10:35:57 PM »
The ghost marks are pretty cool. They give a glimpse into some of the history of CI. I know some folks collect ghost marked pieces. That can get to be a huge collection with all the different kind of ghosts there are.
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Offline C. Perry Rapier

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2010, 11:53:30 PM »
Quote
The ghost marks are pretty cool. They give a glimpse into some of the history of CI. I know some folks collect ghost marked pieces. That can get to be a huge collection with all the different kind of ghosts there are.


Chuck, I never even thought of that, collecting ghost pieces. I have always said, well not always, but, the thing about collecting cast iron is there is something for everybody, and you can collect so many different ways, and you don't have to put a lot of money into it either, it just depends on how much looking you want to do, which of course is part of the fun. So many ways to collect. I know some people just like Griswold, and some people just like Wagner, and then certain parts of each, and some people just collect toys from the various manufacturers. There is something for everybody if you like cast iron.  ;)
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Offline Ed Allspaugh

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #11 on: February 02, 2010, 09:08:45 AM »
Another with the fancier style script...........
« Last Edit: February 26, 2015, 03:03:08 PM by lillyc »
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Offline Jeff Seago

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #12 on: February 02, 2010, 09:58:48 AM »
Ed I really like that skillet!  I am going to have to find one of those now!!  Thanks for the photo!
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Offline Dwayne Henson

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #13 on: February 02, 2010, 10:00:23 PM »
Here is a discussion on ghost's that is from the past on the member's side.

http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1242097085/0
« Last Edit: February 02, 2010, 10:01:07 PM by ddaa99 »
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Offline Ray Benash

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2010, 10:07:56 AM »
I think those "Sidney Script" Erie Ghost examples are pretty cool. I think I would have to pick one up if I saw one. Just for the fun factor. A triple ghost? Way cool! I'm of the same opinion as Perry AFA why we see these ghost skillets.
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Offline Chris Stairs

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #15 on: February 03, 2010, 10:37:22 AM »
Quote
I think those "Sidney Script" Erie Ghost examples are pretty cool. I think I would have to pick one up if I saw one. Just for the fun factor. A triple ghost? Way cool! I'm of the same opinion as Perry AFA why we see these ghost skillets.

Ray,
  If you like triple ghosts, you should check out Clark Rader's Frankenstein skillet.

http://www.griswoldandwagner.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1227718876

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Offline Ed Allspaugh

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #16 on: February 03, 2010, 10:43:46 AM »
Look a raised "J" on the handle... Imagine that.
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Offline Dwayne Henson

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #17 on: February 03, 2010, 05:23:09 PM »
I share Joel's and Steve Stephens opinion about most ghostmarks. That they were usually created from using some one else's skillet, for example, as a master pattern. The reason I go along with these guys is that it explains why, usually these ghostmarked items are smaller than the original. That in Erie, PA a pattern makes a certain sized skillet, but if that pattern is sold to another foundry the finished skillet size shrinks makes no sense to me. From what I've seen most of these ghostmarked skillets are about 1/4" smaller than the original skillet. That is a huge difference. Why does the shrinkage rate increase when a pattern is sold? I would be interested to see if we could compare Ghostmark items with the original items and see what ones match. For example I bet Perry's Wagner made CO would match a Griswold made CO as the same pattern was used. I would be interested to see if there are others out there. I have two skillets that are ghost marked and match.
Here they are; they match, no difference in size, but they were cast in different foundries.











 
« Last Edit: February 26, 2015, 03:05:22 PM by lillyc »
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Offline Dwayne Henson

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #18 on: February 03, 2010, 05:24:30 PM »
They are both #11 here is the Wagner, it is hard to tell on the photo but there is a EY that is circled. It is a Sidney ghostmark
« Last Edit: February 26, 2015, 03:07:16 PM by lillyc »
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Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson

Offline Dwayne Henson

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Re: Trip to Cast Iron Junkyard today
« Reply #19 on: February 03, 2010, 05:25:16 PM »
Here is the Sidney with a Wagner Ghostmark. The small circle is were the apostrophes are. The larger circle shows were a "butter smear" is covering the rest of the Wagner
« Last Edit: February 26, 2015, 03:09:06 PM by lillyc »
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Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
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