Folding handled Skillet

[Ringel05]

Spence, there are those who have no interest in any sort of historical accuracy, and those that do. Frankly, I'd rather be told something may be inappropriate for a particualr time period, as it may keep me from wasting money on something that'll be useless on down the road.

That said, in response to the original question----the folding handle skillet from Crazy Crow (India) is a good one, with a decent hinge, and a very good pan. It will serve you well. I have one, but being one of those evil anal retentive stitch counters, I removed the hinge and handle, and forged up a straight handle with a loop on one end for mine. I utilized the two rivet holes in the pan to attach the handle, and presto---a nice, correct frying pan that'll pass any muster. If, however, you've got your heart set on a folding handle, then that is one I'll recommend.

Rod

:thumbsup:

 

[coloradoclyde]

I have never been to a Rendezvous where someone was chastised for being HC/PC

 

[coloradoclyde]

Back to the skillet! Ok so it’s not HC/PC and the folding handle can make it a little tricky to operate sometimes. But, it’s not Electric, Teflon coated, or aluminum. It works great on my kitchen stove and it is very packable for a variety of outdoor activities from trekking (historical or modern) to ice fishing.

 

[Rod Lassey]

True---I'd rather see a plain iron folding handle skillet than speckelled enamelware any day---or aluminum, there's no disguising that. Or worse, the non-stick pans (and yes, I've seen 'em at events billed as pre-1840).

Rod

 

[coloradoclyde]

Umm so which suppliers offer a PC skillet ?

 

[tenngun]

I thought towsend had one.or one set on a trivit (a spider) that you could remove. For all the above I can add my bit of experince. We know for sure they were used by the 1830s , and I believe some may have been tried earler. But they can be a pain . One of our earlest sorces say to make sure it has a good hinge. I used to own one and put it on a blanket in a shoot. Hinges foul with grease and crud or fold at the wrong time. I think one reason we dont read about them earlier when they are know to have existed to antiquity, was fixed handles are a lot more fool proofe.
If we could say something like "they wern't used" I can say I would rather see that then speckel ware. But you might serve your self well with a fixed handle instead...and no one can give you a ration of manure.
By the by I am a big fan of both townsend and turkey foot. They will serve you right if you go with one of thier foldes.

 

[coloradoclyde]

They do! Actually it has attached legs. A wee bit pricey and anything but packable. Intended for hearth cooking and I’m sure its quality though.

 

[Coot]

Spence, there are those who have no interest in any sort of historical accuracy, and those that do. Frankly, I'd rather be told something may be inappropriate for a particualr time period, as it may keep me from wasting money on something that'll be useless on down the road.
Rod

Exactly :thumbsup: If HC/PC is of no interest, simply ignore the comment.
While some members are very vocal about having no interest in the hc/pc thing, it is often hard to guess whether a poster is interested or not, whether they know what questions to ask or which sub forum is the best place to ask. All information offered should be considered & then each of us is free to act on that information as they see fit. Just like asking a question about a .45 vs a .50 will get responses that say get a .54. No, that is not what was asked but the suggestions were offered in good faith and as with the hc/pc thing may influence a decision or simply be ignored.

PS - I found a good sheet iron metal pan but with a spot welded handle. I drilled out the spot welds and put iron rivets in the holes. Works for me.

 

[Ringel05]

Spence, there are those who have no interest in any sort of historical accuracy, and those that do. Frankly, I'd rather be told something may be inappropriate for a particualr time period, as it may keep me from wasting money on something that'll be useless on down the road.
Rod

Exactly :thumbsup: If HC/PC is of no interest, simply ignore the comment.
While some members are very vocal about having no interest in the hc/pc thing, it is often hard to guess whether a poster is interested or not, whether they know what questions to ask or which sub forum is the best place to ask. All information offered should be considered & then each of us is free to act on that information as they see fit. Just like asking a question about a .45 vs a .50 will get responses that say get a .54. No, that is not what was asked but the suggestions were offered in good faith and as with the hc/pc thing may influence a decision or simply be ignored.

PS - I found a good sheet iron metal pan but with a spot welded handle. I drilled out the spot welds and put iron rivets in the holes. Works for me.

If I'm by myself or at an event that demands a high level of authenticity I use HC cooking tools. If I'm cooking for a bunch of people I use what works best for a group and usually that's not HC tools. When the cooking and cleaning is done all the anachronisms get put away out of sight.

 

[Claude Mathis]

I assume the OP didn't ask in the "Historically Accurate Equipment" for a reason. His question was, "Who makes a decent one of these that won't break the bank?" Why can't that be taken at face value?

 

[tenngun]

Just looking up on civil war sites. They offer stamped steel skillets in 7" size. They have solid handles. To make hc you would have to replace the handle with rivited handle. If you were not concered about perfect hc ( as some one has to look close to see if it was riveted or not)you could leave as is and have a primitive look.

 

[tenngun]

jarnigan has a rivited frying pan, and a soketed "treking"pan but no piture of it so I dont know if its hinged.

 

[satx78247]

WELL SAID.

This forum has a wide variety of members including re-enactors for a lot of different periods, competitive shooters, ML hunters and even a few "politicals" (like me for example), who just ENJOY COLLECTING & SHOOTING muzzleloaders.

Note: In my "wagon train days" (before "duckie" was paralyzed & I had to dispose of livestock, tack, horse trailers & most of my other "toys", I didn't worry much about "weight", as I had a team/wagon, pack-saddle and a pack-mule, who was 13 hands tall. - Toby's mother was a Shetland Pony & he was stocky & "H for stout").
Therefore, personally, I never needed a "folding anything", as I traveled with a 12" dutch oven & cast iron skillet & pots BUT I've never seen a folding-handle skillet that LOOKED rigid.
(Btw, a 6 or 8 inch cast iron skillet doesn't weigh much & an 8-incher will "cook for two" easily.)

ADDENDA: Remind me sometime to tell you about cooling 6 lemon-meringue pies on a log.
(Funny story that left me with considerable "egg on my face".)

yours, satx

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well for those thinking of round socket folding skillets, you may want to take a hammer and go out to the sidewalk and tap the opening of the socket into a [] shape so it won't twist as easy on the stick...

$48.00 for a plain, steel, skillet with rivets? :shocked2: Holy manure ona cracker!.

You can find plain, carbon steel skillets for under $15 including shipping from restaurant supply stores. They are spot welded, so if you want to have HC you will need to drill a couple of holes and add rivets, or in my case don't worry about it. If you want it to fold, you can cut the handled, drill a hole, and add a wingnut and bolt, and fold it horizontal instead of a vertical hinge. Goes back to Roman times. (OK you will want a forged wingnut and hand forged bolt if you go for historic accuracy).

LD

 

[Ringel05]

Well for those thinking of round socket folding skillets, you may want to take a hammer and go out to the sidewalk and tap the opening of the socket into a [] shape so it won't twist as easy on the stick...

$48.00 for a plain, steel, skillet with rivets? :shocked2: Holy manure ona cracker!.

You can find plain, carbon steel skillets for under $15 including shipping from restaurant supply stores. They are spot welded, so if you want to have HC you will need to drill a couple of holes and add rivets, or in my case don't worry about it. If you want it to fold, you can cut the handled, drill a hole, and add a wingnut and bolt, and fold it horizontal instead of a vertical hinge. Goes back to Roman times. (OK you will want a forged wingnut and hand forged bolt if you go for historic accuracy).

LD

Does that mean I can use my Calphalon cookware in camp? :wink:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Dave's comments about Rome made me think of the carry method of the Legionnaires themselves which amounted to everything the needed slung to a cross-shaped pole. I've tried it and it works fairly well and is much less tiring than having it slung on like backpacks.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com...737UJvGpM6OLjkhU2qhhjRGG2nZyhsR0cYNng7Ef1pslQ

This'll give a better idea of how much size and weight they carried, cooking pots and all their personal gear.
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com...jclmxmaVVCZQiPF7x62xTVrnaHGJU726Furtn1swYxcxQ

 

[mmahlock]

PEACE RIVER.
A
CANOE VOYAGE
FROM
HUDSON'S BAY TO PACIFIC,
BY THE LATE
SIR GEORGE SIMPSON;
Governor, Hon. Hudson's Bay Company.)
IN 1828.

In describing the baggage taken on the trip includes the following.

"Baskets." Also with compartments, and suitable tin cases, for meats, sugar, and other groceries; those for meats being invariable finely perforated on the top. Here also, that indispensable-the frying pan, which by the way, should be made with a good strong hinge-has its place, to wit on the top of the contents.

I add this to the comments here only to support my OPINION that the skillet sold by Turkey Foot and Townsend appear to have "good strong" hinge as opposed to that sold by Crazy Crow which appears to to just two pieces of metal trapping the pinched end of the handle with rivet.

I think you made a good choice for a good price. I've been thinking of one myself.

 

[tenngun]

I love to cook in cast iron and all my cooking at home is in it. As I camp alone now I stick with my tin kettles and sheet metal pans. When trecking I find any cast iron to heavy to carry, in fact I often leave my sheet metal frying pan at home. A post by black hand on a corn boiler thead had a photo of his treker cooking gear and mine is almost the same.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Does that mean I can use my Calphalon cookware in camp?

You can use whatever you want in camp..., I'm just saying I can get a skillet made for the cooking industry that is identical to the Jarnigan skillet ..., for way less than $48.

Now if somebody wants to pay me $48 for a $10 carbon steel frying pan to which I have added a couple of rivets... I'd be up for that....

:haha:

LD

 

[Ringel05]

Does that mean I can use my Calphalon cookware in camp?

You can use whatever you want in camp..., I'm just saying I can get a skillet made for the cooking industry that is identical to the Jarnigan skillet ..., for way less than $48.

Now if somebody wants to pay me $48 for a $10 carbon steel frying pan to which I have added a couple of rivets... I'd be up for that....

:haha:

LD

:haha:

:thumbsup: