Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Cast Iron Size Chart: A Cross-Brand Reference
Most vintage American cast iron uses a size number system roughly corresponding to diameter, but the exact measurement tied to a given number isn’t perfectly consistent across every maker — worth knowing before assuming a number means exactly the same thing regardless of brand. The…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Griswold Skillet Numbers: A Complete Size Reference
Griswold skillets are identified primarily by a size number cast into the bottom of the pan, running roughly from 0 up through 20, with each number corresponding to a specific approximate diameter — a reference system detailed enough that collectors use it constantly for both…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Griswold Cast Iron Fakes and Reproductions: What to Watch For
Griswold’s strong collector demand and premium pricing have made it the single most targeted name for fakes and reproductions in the entire vintage cast iron hobby — a genuinely serious problem worth taking seriously before any purchase where authenticity affects the price. Two Different Kinds…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Griswold vs. Wagner Cast Iron: How to Choose
Griswold and Wagner were the two dominant American cast iron cookware makers of their era, genuine historic rivals whose later corporate history became tangled together in ways that still complicate collecting and dating both brands today. Two Historic Rivals Wagner Manufacturing, based in Sidney, Ohio,…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Wagner Cast Iron Identification: A Complete Guide
Wagner Manufacturing, based in Sidney, Ohio, was Griswold’s closest and most direct historic competitor, producing a comparably broad range of American cast iron cookware under the “Wagner Ware” brand name for decades. Identifying genuine Wagner follows the same core framework as Griswold, adapted to Wagner’s…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Most Valuable Wagner Cast Iron: What Actually Drives Price
Wagner cast iron generally trades at lower average prices than comparable Griswold pieces, reflecting a smaller, if genuinely dedicated, collector base — but the same underlying factors that drive value in any cast iron collectible still apply within Wagner’s own market. Rarity of Size and…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Vintage Lodge Cast Iron: A Complete Collecting Guide
Lodge Manufacturing occupies a genuinely different place in vintage cast iron collecting than Griswold or Wagner — founded in South Pittsburg, Tennessee in 1896 by Joseph Lodge, it remains family-owned and in continuous production to this day, which makes “vintage Lodge” a real dating question…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
How to Date Lodge Cast Iron
Dating vintage Lodge cast iron requires a genuinely different approach than dating Griswold or Wagner, since Lodge’s continuous production means there’s no single obvious cutoff point separating “old” from “new” — the comparison has to be done piece by piece against known production markers. Seasoning…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Lodge Cast Iron Value Guide: What Actually Drives Price
Vintage Lodge generally trades at more modest prices than comparable Griswold or Wagner pieces, a direct consequence of Lodge’s continuous production keeping supply steadier and collector scarcity lower — but genuinely early and discontinued specialty pieces still carry real value within the brand’s own collecting…
Written by: Vintage Cast Iron Editorial Team
Posted on: July 10, 2026
Discontinued Lodge Patterns Worth Knowing
Because Lodge remains in continuous production, most of its classic skillet and Dutch oven shapes are still being made today in some form — which means the genuinely collectible “discontinued” side of Lodge collecting concentrates in novelty shapes and early production forms the company no…