I was purty concerned bout th easily 3/8-1/2" gap between th lid, an DO...
My guess was that would give a 'less-than-ideal seal', when cookin...
It's much more visible in th second pic:
Ok Spinaker I will call your Smithey and order a #10 Finix with a cover. I said in the other thread I would wait for your review but what the heck I don't think I can go wrong on the Finix. If you like the Smithey I can always get that too! If the Finix performs as good as it looks I'll be happy!
Upon further investigation, I discovered th reason fer th ridiculously wide gap in my new 2 qt. Lodge DO:
Turns out, it was stuffed with th Lodge 1 qt DO I had also ordered...
Now, th lid fits jus fine!
I figgered th 1 qt would make a nice individual servin vessel, th 2 qt a nice small batch sides cooker/server...
Testin will commence soon...
Ok Spinaker it's a done deal. Ordered the #10 Finix with lid from Williams-Sonoma they had 20% off and free shipping. They hit me for just over $12 in tax which dang near made me go somewhere else. That's almost 10%! I don't get how these sites figure sales tax. Amazon's tax never makes any sense either. Anyway it came in at just over $170 with 3 day delivery so I bit the tax bullet.
Ok Spinaker it's a done deal. Ordered the #10 Finix with lid from Williams-Sonoma they had 20% off and free shipping. They hit me for just over $12 in tax which dang near made me go somewhere else. That's almost 10%! I don't get how these sites figure sales tax. Amazon's tax never makes any sense either. Anyway it came in at just over $170 with 3 day delivery so I bit the tax bullet.
Dang! Tax man never quits. Well at least you have the pan coming! Congrats, you will be happy with it. I can't wait to see you rip that rip . You are really going to like the coil handle, it feels great in larger hands. Oh hey, I just made an omelet in my No. 10. Slides right out of the pan. Gorgeous!
Congrats buddy!
Yep! I know just what you mean. I am headed to the bar right now, for my second breakfast/Sunday funday with the family. We meet there every Sunday, to have breakfast. Today, I was up at 5 this morning to get the BGE rolling, so I need a second breakfast! Frozen Smoke
The Smithey came in yesterday, and I am very very impressed with this skillet. First of all, the packaging is beautiful. I always love unboxing a new piece of cast iron, and this one was a pleasure for sure. Smithey is an ironware company that is based out of Charleston, South Carolina. Which means this baby was made in the good old US of A. Just the way I like all of my cast iron pans. I was amazed at how gorgeous this pan was, before I even took it out of the box. The pan itself is heavy, not quite as heavy as the Finex but as heavy as a Lodge No. 12. and much lighter than the Field Skillet.
The surface is polished almost smooth. There is some texture from the milling process, but I think this helps secure some great base layers of seasoning. The finish is very similar to what you will find on a Finex or Field Skillet. This skillet did come "Pre-Seasoned" and usually that is always taken with a grain of salt, not with this pan. (More on that later.)
The back of the pan is classic. I love the raised heat ring on the bottom of the pan. As you can see this is a NO. 12 pan, with the Smithey logo, and the place of manufacture. All very much a throw back the vintage iron casting.
The handles on this pan are interesting. The main handle is a true throw back the years past. The underside of the handle elegantly meets the pan just like the vintage Griswolds from the 1930's. (My favorite handle style) This also provides addition back bone to the handle. While I love the design of the bottom of the handle, it is a bit short overall. Not really a good thing for a guy with a five pack of Johnsonvilles at the end of his arm.
The helping handle at 12 0'clock is very unique. Smithey says they use three holes so you have more hanging options and to reduce weight. While I agree with the weight reduction, I think the three hole design is more about looks than anything. A design decision that I really like. It is something fresh and new in the world of cast iron.
So.....How did it cook out of the box? Exceptionally well! This is the best pan I haver used, right out of the box. The layers of Flax seasoning appear to have been done correctly, because this pan was the most Fresh-out-of-the-box pan I have ever used. It actually was, for the most part, non stick. While I use plenty of oil for the first cook, I still have to give it up the Smithey for doing an exceptional pre-seasoning before shipping.
Normally, I never would have agreed to cook scallops on in a fresh pan, I really had no choice. Right? I added a liberal amount of olive oil to the pan and let it heat up. I added the scallops. I was amazed as soon as I flipped them. There was just a little bit a sticking, but none of the flesh was torn buy the sticking and the flip went great. As you can see, the sear I have on these scallops is exceptional. These were some of the greatest scallops I have ever made.
All in all, I am very happy with this pan. I was very impressed at how non-stick it was out of the box. By far the best non-stick out of the box I have seen. I can't wait to get a lifetime of use out of it. Thanks for reading and delving into my cast iron insanity.
That is a BSR or Birmingham Stove and Range. Cast after 1967-1968. BSR started to put "MADE IN USA" on all of their skillets. These newly designed "Century Skillets" were the first to have the Made in USA mark in the BSR line. In addition, this was also one of the first pans to be cast in BSRs new DISA cast machines. These automated machines were known to produce skillets at a much higher rate. Actually, they made BSR the top producer of cast iron for a short period of time. Cool find!
Here are the results. Picture of the bath after I was done.
Here is a shot of the pan after 4 coats of flax oil and 2 coats of the Larbee puck. I may add a few more Larbee as I was hoping for a blacker finish. I see what you guys are talking about the brownish finish with the flax oil. Can't wait to try it as the finish in the pan is incredibly smooth!
Thanks for all the tips from the people on this site. Now I'm looking for more CI! Here we go!
Beautiful Restoration, Brother! Very Nicely Done!!!
Loves me some BSR Iron!
No worries; it is really fussy to add pics, with th forum's software-it ain't jus yerself has troubles...
Hey, Spinaker, so I’m thinking pretty strongly about diving into a higher end skillet, the Finex is beautiful but man they’re not cheap, the stargazer looks like a great option BUT I was really leaning towards a 12†since my current CI is a 10†and often times I find I’m too limited on space. Long story short...what do you recommend?
JakeT Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. Let me first say, Stargazer pans are great pans. I love the handle design and the weight of the skillet. They have a nice, smooth cooking surface that was very good right out of the box.
That being said, I reach for my Finex before my Stargazer. Ultimately, this comes down the personal preference. Finex pans retain heat very well, I find that I don't need to cook as hot because the pan needs much less recovery. I found that they also pick up seasoning easier than the totally smooth Stargazer pan. There is still some texture to the surface of the Finex pan, from machining. This is not to say you can't get a great layers of seasoning to adhere to the Stargazer, but I found the Finex is better at picking up rounds of seasoning.
The octagonal shape is also a great feature. I love the octagonal shape of the pan, and the nice, thick handle. If you have larger hands, the coil handle is a huge plus. The octagonal shape makes it easy to pour the contents out, at any angle. This can be really handy when you have a skillet full of food that you need to transfer. Grease is also more easily managed.
Last but not least, Finex pans are simply gorgeous pieces of cookware. I LOVE the way they look. Especially when they are all hanging or cooking together. I like to display my cast iron, and it is great to have such unique pieces in my collection. I own around 55-60 pans of cast iron, and I would say my Finex pans get the most use.
I do love the Stargazer as well. They are reasonably priced and they offer great performance. As I mentioned above, the handle on the Stargazer is very ergonomic, I would say the most they have the most ergonomic design as far as handle is concerned. It really feels great in the hand. And it stays cooler, longer than any handle I have used. That being said, it will eventually get hot too, just like all the others will. And obviously it doesn't matter once it is on the grill or in the oven. But that handle is still great with a towel in the hand. Where some other handles make it tough when they are hot, the Stargazer handle still feels great, even with a towel in hand. The large Finex handle can get a little awkward with a towel, unless you have larger hands. The Stargazer also has a great helper handle on the opposite side of the pan. This handle really helps you carry the loaded pan. It is large and square, which gives you a nice, wide place to set your towel or heat pad. In doing so, the heat does not make it to your hand as quickly. This is a great design feature and one you notice for sure. The rounded edges of the Stargazer pan makes it easy for pouring out food and grease, but grease will still run if your not carful.
There is no doubt that you will be happy with either pan, but for me, I went with Finex first. That is no knock on Stargazer, it is just what I prefer. I have the new Stargazer 12" on order, so I will be very curious to see how the new finish preforms. Let us know what you come up with!
Spinaker, I honestly never saw this reply until now! As you know I ended up going with the Stargazer. If money weren't a factor I definitely would have gotten the Finex, but all things considered, my lack of CI experience etc...I'm happy with my choice. My heart was set on a 12" but Stargazer told me in an email they didn't expect to be releasing their 12s until later this year. I think I'll end up with a Finex 12, I'll just loudly talk to my 18 mo and 6 mo old children about how great they are within ear shot of my wife around my birthday in September...You know...subliminal messages and all. Haha!
Thanks for the great review though!
In other news, I did my first round of seasoning last night. I had a little too much oil on it. It isn't sticky at all, but it did come out with some run marks and somewhat splotchy. Is this fixed with continued seasoning rounds but more lightly? Or should I just scrub the crap out of it and start over?
Attached Files
Last edited by JakeT; May 25, 2018, 07:02 AM.
Reason: Add photos
JakeT. I was reading the post and was thinking is Jake quoting something I don’t remember writing? I’m born in Sept and have two kids the same exact ages! Lol
No stickiness at all, smooth and all the rest, but not too aesthetically pleasing. That pic is after the second round of seasoning. Season 3 is in the oven now.
it looks great. The spottyness is from the smooth surface. That is one of the trade offs with having a smooth piece of cast iron. Eventually, it will all be a dark color. It just takes time. JakeT
I wouldn't go back to scratch; it'll even out, over time.
Then, again; I try not to be too overtly OCD.
(Uh-Oh! Definitely a spot on my CI skilet! Uh-Oh! )
Not sticky is good, in my book; if ya wanna/haveta, ya can always smooth out th spots with a scotchbrite pad, or summat, then proceed.
Me?, I'd jus roll with what ya got goin on, already...
I got a few pieces of CI, my dang self...
Perhaps, Brother Spinaker , our Resident CI expert might weigh in on this, as well?
Thanks for the advice Mr. Bones I figured I'd keep rolling with it and see where it goes. Worst case it'd be a good learning experience to strip seasoning off and start at step 1!
Just keep rolling. It will get better with time. (Sorry I have been non responsive.) I am out in Montana, fishing. Only have service, very sporadically. Trying to jump in when I can.
I have always enjoyed watching a pan change colors and hues while seasoning. Well once I realized nothing was wrong. Spotting always occurs with mine. Soon you'll forget all about it worry only about your cook! JakeT
Well, after a looooong wait, I have received my No. 13 skillet from Marquette castings! I was an original backer a couple of years ago and now I have my skillet. At the time these were going for about $150. I know they ran into some production issues and they even started making skillets in China. (An instant no buy for me) However, these skillets are made, right here, in the US of A.
These skillets are light, only 7.4 lbs for a No. 13 pan is impressive. And they are polished to a satin finish, then seasoned with Flax oil, by hand. You can tell as there are minor color differences in the surface of the oil, which gives each skillet a very unique look.
Additionally, I love the back of this skillet. It is a throw back to the old days. A clear mark of where the skillet was cast, the size and the company logo. The raised heat ring is also a classic look that I love in any skillet and all but forgotten in modern casting. (For good reason, modern stoves don't have notches for the ring to lock into.) Especially a true heat ring that is set inside the out side rim of the skillet. (Most are just on the leading edge, like in a Smithey or a Field skillet.)
The unboxing was nice, I love opening the lid on a new skillet, and this one was no different. The skillet was perfectly laid in the box with a note from the manufacturer that had the production date and marks that it is a Investment, 1st production run pan.
I am really looking forward to giving this pan a run! Thanks for reading!
Last edited by Spinaker; August 8, 2018, 02:30 PM.
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I don't get how these sites figure sales tax. Amazon's tax never makes any sense either. Anyway it came in at just over $170 with 3 day delivery so I bit the tax bullet.
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