I watch a tv show from time to time called The Texas Country Reporter. He goes around Texas highlighting unique and rarely seen things in Texas. The episode I saw yesterday was about 3 Nail Iron Ware. It’s a small family run black smith business that makes architectural iron ware and hand made carbon steel pans. According to the show these skillets and pots are hand forged in their shop and look great. When I went to their website I found some pretty pricey carbon steel ware. It looks great and I’m sure is incredibly durable. The beauty of carbon steel is it’s not brittle like cast iron. If it warps or bends you can heat it up and fix it. You can weld on it if you want to change the handle for instance. Some time this summer I will make my own carbon steel skillet. I’m terrible at working with wood but metal is what I’m good with. I’ll post pictures when I do. Take a look at the stuff 3 Nail is making. Hand made from the black smith shop is pretty cool stuff.
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I have one of their CS paella pans that I picked up at the Hatch Chile Festival in 2023. I absolutely love it! I use it for more than just paella. It’s a go to/workhouse for me and I would love to get a pan with a long handle from him as well. But this paella pans I have is like cooking on a sheet of ice, it’s that seasoned!
He’s at the Chile Festival every year and it’s hard for me to walk away from those, they are so nice! If anyone is looking for an heirloom to cook with and then pass on to family members at some point, this is one for that.
Here’s a few pics of it!
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That's some good looking stuff.
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Oh my! Simply gorgeous, and so old school.
I need another pan like another cooker. But...
These make Kenji's new wok look cheap.Comment
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Thankfully I am still waiting for the pizza oven to get here. But that 9" one would get a lot of use as an egg pan.Comment
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I fear that the 10 inch deep skillet is calling my name.
Gracias, Oak Smoke, for your perfidious post!Comment
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Those are some pretty nice looking pans.Comment
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Let me be the first to add my name to the list for an Oak Smoke Original Carbon Steel Skillet
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So someone chime in re the manufacturing process. Maybe start with a billet, pound it out? (I know nothing re steel.)Comment
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I absolutely love that you can add pour spouts, 1 side or both sides, and add the helper handle, and a lid. I would love to see a lid,
expensive for certain, but beautiful pans, and likely worth every penny, when you consider the craft knowledge mastered to offer this, it seems right
now we need to get Old smokie to start making them too.Comment
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Blu Skillet Ironware up in Seattle hand forges carbon steel. They are pretty and very pricey.
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I made the mistake of googling "artisanal carbon steel".
That opened a dangerous rabbit hole.Comment
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Well, I bit the steel bullet, ordered the 10 inch deep skillet. They will make and ship it in about 30 days.
These pans are like Rolex vs Timex; they both do the exact same thing. But when a brisket can easily cost $100, it seems easier to justify a fancy pan. At least that's my story.Comment
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As I contemplated my rash purchase, I recalled that I had spent more than twice as much for pre-ban ivory grips for an engraved Colt Python. And I will get far more use out of this pan.Comment
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