Approach to seasoning my NOS skillet

[the_viking]

I've got a NOS Lodge skillet on my hands and I'm finally getting around to seasoning this thing. It's pretty cool seeing one that's never been cooked on, the surface feels so much smoother than the modern Lodge pans you buy today.
How should I approach seasoning NOS pieces, am I supposed to treat them any differently than a regular pan, or just go through the usual steps?

 

[Bumpy.Lemon99]

Working with a NOS Lodge is a treat. The smoother finish matches the way cast iron was milled before the factory seasoning process changed. First, scrub it with warm, soapy water to remove oils or dust. Dry it thoroughly. Apply a thin layer of high smoke point oil, like grapeseed or flaxseed. Bake it upside down at 450°F for 1 hour. Let it cool in the oven. Repeat this process two or three times to build a solid base.

Decide whether you'll use it mainly for stovetop or baking. This determines how many layers you should start with. With regular use, pans develop a beautiful patina within months. Use it frequently with bacon, cornbread or other fatty foods to speed up the process.

 

[BigBob75]

And don't forget Lodge Carbon Steel Pans! I also have several and they get the same seasoning treatment. Very little food sticks and a plastic Lodge scrapper and Lodge brush do a great job cleaning using only plain warm water. I've been using the same seasoning method Bumpy.Lemon99 describes but using thin coats of Crisco.

 

[Howard Pippin]

When I was a lad An used to herd sheep for my dad, that was a kind of frying pans that we used in camp wagons, We referred to them as hen skin frying pans but they worked pretty good on a small chip fire in a sheep herder stove. I still have half a dozen of them, different sizes that I've had for probably 65 or 70 years. In those days we never did season them, but we used lard for cooking oil or Crisco in a can. If they got a little sticky we would put them on the stove and boil a little water in them and then scrape everything out and oil them up and start over. They're the best memories I ever had, I started when I was about 13 and I would herd sheep while the herd went on a layoff for a couple weeks or so, and it would be just me, my horse, my dog, and the old camp wagon. I generally carried a 22 single shot rifle with me on the horse.

 

[BigBob75]

Great memories. Thanks for sharing. God Bless. Bob

 

[Sol.ana]

Just treat it like a normal cast iron pan, clean it gently, dry thoroughly, then apply a thin coat of oil and bake it. Since it's NOS, you might want to do a couple extra seasoning cycles to really build up a nice, even layer, but no special treatment is needed

 

[ironk1ng]

I've got a NOS Lodge skillet on my hands and I'm finally getting around to seasoning this thing. It's pretty cool seeing one that's never been cooked on, the surface feels so much smoother than the modern Lodge pans you buy today.
How should I approach seasoning NOS pieces, am I supposed to treat them any differently than a regular pan, or just go through the usual steps?

The reason it feels so different is that older pans were sanded or milled after casting, a step that modern companies like Lodge stopped doing to cut costs and streamline production.
So you're holding a piece of history! Because the surface is so much smoother, be extra careful to wipe off every last bit of excess oil during seasoning.
A thick layer will create a sticky, uneven patch that's hard to get rid of, which is even more noticeable on a smooth pan.

 

[tiptiptoe]

Regular cooking will finish the job. Over time it develops the best nonstick surface and the heat is distributed evenly.