How to Identify a Vintage Cast Iron Skillet
To identify a vintage cast iron skillet, turn it over and check four things in order: the exact wording on the base, the numbers, the raised heat ring and the shape of the handle. A readable logo can point to a maker and series. When there is no logo, several features together can still narrow the field.
Take three photos before you start
- The full underside. Include the handle, the entire rim and both sides of the pan. This shows where each mark sits and how the base is shaped.
- The clearest mark. Move closer and light it from the side so shallow lettering or a faint number casts a small shadow. Keep one photo showing the mark in context.
- The handle from below and at an angle. Include the hanging hole and the point where the handle joins the pan. If the ring or a raised casting seam is hard to see, photograph that detail separately.
If you can measure the skillet, record the diameter across the top rim and the diameter of the flat base separately, and note where you measured so you can compare like with like.
Use one orientation for everything
Collectors describe positions on the base like a clock face: hold the pan bottom up with the handle at 6 o'clock. A number “at 12” is then at the edge farthest from the handle. Using the same convention as the references makes them much easier to compare.
Read the logo and wording
Write down every legible word, including place names and abbreviations. Note whether the lettering is straight, slanted or curved, and whether it sits inside a cross, circle or other shape. Match the full layout against a reference image. Griswold, for example, used several versions of its cross logo; the letter style and logo size distinguish versions that share the same brand name. See the Griswold and Wagner pages for the versions and their dates.
Once you have a likely match, compare the number and the base shape with a second reference. A period catalog can show that a design was offered when that catalog was issued. Use a documented range if you want to estimate when a particular skillet was made.
Sources: The Cast Iron Collector: Trademarks and Logos · Griswold Manufacturing Co.: Catalogue No. 45 (Internet Archive) · Wagner and Griswold Society: Reference catalogs
Read the numbers in context
A large number such as 8 is a maker's size designation, not a measurement. These designations go back to the openings of wood-burning stoves, and a No. 8 can measure differently from one maker to the next. A longer number elsewhere on the underside can identify a pattern or catalog entry.
Two marks are easy to over-read. A single small letter usually identifies which working pattern the pan was cast from; it says nothing about age or quality. A size written in inches, such as 10 5/8 IN., generally points to the 1950s or later. More in what the numbers mean.
Sources: The Cast Iron Collector: Numbers and Letters
Look at the heat ring and handle together
A heat ring is the raised ridge near the perimeter of the base. Check whether the base is smooth or ringed, whether the ring sits at the very edge or is set in from it, and whether there are gaps. Note each gap's position on the clock face. Also look at the underside of the handle where it meets the bowl; the shape of that junction can separate pans with similar rings.
Example. Say the base shows an inset ring with three gaps but no readable name. Unmarked Lodge skillets made from the 1940s to 1987 have notches at 9, 12 and 3 o'clock, with a size number about three-quarters of an inch tall at 12, so Lodge belongs on the shortlist. It is not proof: other makers copied the three notches, and collectors have ruled out Lodge on such pans because the handle and pour spouts were wrong. Compare those before narrowing it further. More in heat rings and notches.
Sources: The Cast Iron Collector: Identifying Unmarked Iron · Cast Iron Collector forum: three notch with no markings
What if there is no logo?
Check the base for faint letters in angled light. Then compare the handle, hanging hole, pour spouts, ring and any raised casting seam. A gate mark is a trace left where molten iron entered the mold. It usually indicates an older piece, but gate-marked skillets are often impossible to attribute to a specific foundry. A good description such as “unmarked skillet, ringed base, raised size number on handle” gives you a useful record while you look for a closer match. More in identifying unmarked cast iron.
Sources: The Cast Iron Collector: Identifying Unmarked Iron · Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association: Collecting and identification
Keep a record
Before you put the skillet away, write down three things: what you can see clearly, the closest documented match, and what you would need to check next. Keep those notes with the photographs so you can revisit the identification when you find a better reference.
Common questions
What does the number on my skillet mean?
The large numeral is a size designation that traces back to stove openings. It is not the diameter in inches, and the same number can mean slightly different dimensions from different makers.
Is my skillet a Griswold?
A marked Griswold says so: look for GRISWOLD, usually in a cross inside a double circle, or ERIE on the earliest pans. Griswold also made unmarked lines such as Iron Mountain, which are recognized by their numerals and handle. Be wary of pans with faint lettering and rough casting, which can be recasts.
Is my skillet worth anything?
It depends on the maker, the exact variant, the size and above all the condition. Identify it first, then look at what similar pans actually sold for rather than asking prices. Each result on this site links to recent sold listings.
Updated 2026-11-10. How we check and correct this site.