How to identify cast iron skillet?

[Foodiology]

I have a very old cast iron skillet from my late grandma, and it still rocks but i can't seem to find anything written on it like brand name or anything. Is there a way to identify it without that information? It's a big 20" skillet with sharp edges.

 

[charli3do3s]

Can you post a photo of your skillet?
Or at least give us more descriptions like the handle shape, the presence or absence of a heat ring on the bottom, or any numbers or letters non the handle or bottom?
And by sharp edges, do you mean like a raised line or scar on the bottom, like a gate mark?

 

[flashydashy]

I read somewhere that skillets with sharp edges are pre 1930 because most later ones have rounder edges to clean easily. Since it's over a century old, can you take a closer look at the bottom for some ghost markings?

 

[Villian]

Some collectors won't say it, but many unmarked vintage cast iron skillets cook just as well, if not better than the hyped-up Griswolds and Wagners everyone obsesses over.

 

[SweetAndSpicy]

I read somewhere that skillets with sharp edges are pre 1930 because most later ones have rounder edges to clean easily. Since it's over a century old, can you take a closer look at the bottom for some ghost markings?

yep, the "sharp edges" OP mentioned are a key detail. This could be a gate mark, which is a raised scar on the bottom of the pan. It's a sign of an old casting method from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it can help date your skillet to a very specific time period.

 

[bad J0k3R]

I agree with them! The other option you have is to compare your cast iron skillet using reference photos from cast iron collector sites. The earlier production is less refined and you should also notice sharper edges.