Thinking About Buying Secondhand Vintage Cast Iron? Read This First.
Once you’ve identified a cast iron piece of interest, inspect it closely. This is where a flashlight, a ruler, collector’s reference books, and a rust eraser come in handy.
Wing suggests first looking for signs of cracks or warping. “Cracks are most common on the walls of the pan,” he said. Run your fingertips along the surface, or use a flashlight to detect any fractures or hairline cracks.
Unfortunately, cracked pans can’t be restored, and they aren’t safe to cook with. Cracks can worsen with time, and fragments can wind up in your food. A cracked pan can also become a safety or fire hazard if spills seep through the cracks and land on a hot cooking surface. If the piece is intended solely for display, however, its condition is less important.
Warping can be a sign of heat damage, caused by factors such as thermal shock, which can impact the cast iron pan’s durability. It may also be difficult to use a warped skillet over a flat, electric stovetop, but you may be able to use it on a gas stove or grill. To detect warping in a pan, Wing recommends setting the piece down on a smooth surface, like a glass tabletop, and seeing if it wobbles or spins when you give the handle a light push. If it does, then the skillet is warped. If a flat surface isn’t readily available, Wing suggests using a straight edge, like a ruler, to check whether the edge sits flat on the bottom of a pan.
While rust isn’t always an indication of damage, Michael said you’ll want to look for signs of pitting — irregular indentations on the surface caused by rust or corrosion, defects, or chemicals used during previous restorations. Pitting is irreversible, and it can make seasoning a pan more difficult and cause uneven heating and cooking.
And if a cast iron pan is rusty, it can be difficult to accurately assess its markings, including logos or numbers that can help determine its value. A rust eraser can help you carefully remove rust particles, and a flashlight can reveal any engravings so you can better identify a piece.
