SRO Case-Hardened Skillets

I recently bought Self Reliance Outfitter's "case-hardened" skillet and used it for over a month and started noticing pits in the metal. I tried getting a refund and they said the soap I used was "not on the list". If you've ever used salt and oil to cook with, who hasn't?, I'm pretty sure that's what did it. I just told em they were failing and I wanted a full refund. They told me Simple Green will harm "case-hardened" steel. Avoid any skillet claiming to be case-hardened, and no, I will never buy from those crooks again. If you want a decent carbon skillet chefknivestogo has one but it aint cheap. Just a heads up.

 

Simple green may eat the seasoning out of any cast iron. In fact, my cast iron never sees soap. Just hot water and scrubbing, then oiling and heating dry.

 

Smithey Ironware Co.
If you want a quality cast iron or forged pan made in America this company in Charleston SC makes quality stuff. Not cheap but will last life time and pass it on to your Kids. Definitely not the cheap china crap

 

My Hoosier Mom once washed my Southern Dad's favorite cast iron cornbread skillet. That was the maddest I've ever seen him.

 

I have no problem using soap on my CI, it does not, by itself, remove the seasoning. Over scrubbing stuck on stuff does remove the seasoning.
Much of our CI cookware is Lodge that we got from their "seconds". Usually there were blobs or something that does not impact using the CI. A little bit of extra work to get a smooth surface, but I usually do that with Lodge anyway.

 

Yes, me too. Wagners and Griswold run fair expensive but given that they last generations still makes them cheap.
My dutch ovens are various brands but i advoid china made ones.

 

We have several old cast iron pans my wife uses, I've learned not to scrub them with a pot scrubber as the wife as yelled at me and she has to preseason them.

 

When you get old cast iron it's a good idea to check them for lead contamination.

 

This is true ,,, a buddy in Georgia a few yrs back ,, was sick for a while ,, kept going to the doctor ,, they did some blood work,, found high levels of iron in his blood ,,, kept giving him pills and stuff ,,, later on ,, the doc asked about cookware ,, if he used cast iron pots and pans ,, he said yea,, anytime he cooks .
Doc told him to quit using them for a while ,, went back a month or so later and his blood/iron levels were down to about normal.

 

It would probably be tens of milligrams of lead. Won't kill you. Just make you a little more like chell.

 

Simple green? one of the last tings i would use on cooking ware, On the house and lightly on a sailboat maybe?

 

Case-hardened is not cast iron by a long shot, not even close. I am more interested in the new high-carbon skillets. Chefknivestogo had one but in only one size and ~250. I've seen one other recently though I don't know who made it offhand.. Treating your food with love should always extend to the cookware, otherwise what's the point? If I cook in the same cast skillet 5 times without washing, simple green will be good for it. The new high carbon's are the ones to get. Better metal, better heat.