Crazy Crow non iron "Iron" cookware?

[springfield art]

So I just recieved from Crazy Crow a 9" folding pan, spatula, and roasting fork.
All are advised as "Iron".
But the little sticker on them say "Made in India..Steel"?

Okay, well the are heavily coated with some kind of blackish oil...I have worked with Iron and steel, I know it comes oil, often a fish oil; just wash it off and go....
So; spatula first. This stuff is So Sticky, did not want to wash off? I soaked and tried again - the sponge Sticks to it even under hot soapy water and turned the sponge black and sticky, then...the 'coating' began to come off revealing Bare Steel...Not "Iron".

Now my question is: is this Food Safe? Over a fire with oil will it turn my eggs and bacon black too?

I have not touched the pan and roasting forke yet - I called Crazy Crow:
Nice lady said she had not heard of this, insisted it is "food safe" and quickly said "You can Not return it if you Altered it!"

Is washing something "altering".
Is "Iron" supposed to be 'Painted Steel'?

My next question is: has anyone hear experienced this and how to you 'treat' it for cooking and food consumption?
I know how to Season 'cast iron' but 'Painted Steel'??

One last question: any recommended sources for good 'Iron' camp ware (preferably made in the US)

Question re-cap:
#1: Anyone purchased Crazy Crow's advertised "Iron Waers" only to find the are "steel" and not iron?

#2: Any use and can recommend how to 'handle/treat' this 'Fake Iron' cookware?

#3: Any recommendations where to purchase 'real' iron' cooking wares?

Yikes.

 

[andy52]

Drop a steak in a hot iron pan and you get sear, which you want, and you are not dropping the pan's temperature. A typical steel pan does not have the thermal mass of an iron skillet. They are alright for eggs and suchlike, but not beef.
If I am baking a potato to go with a steak I put the iron pan in the oven with it.

Steaks I normally do on the grill at camp, potatoes baked in a cast iron Dutch oven. This weekend at the event I'm going to do fried fish one evening and 3 pheasants on the spit the next. This is one of the few events where I can just buy breakfast. The event is on church grounds and they serve breakfast at the school cafeteria.

 

[rp77469]

If rubbing alcohol removed it, try some acetone. It dissolves almost anything except polypropylene. Anything already baked-on will probably require steel wool or a hotter fire.

 

[Tony Rothrock]

Probably high carbon steel. That could be period correct for your reenacting activities and is touted as good cookware along side cast. Still, you didn't get what was advertised and they ethically should accept a return regardless if you have "altered" it simply by trying to wash that sticky crud off of it. Tells me one should think twice before ordering from them and perhaps looking elsewhere for my wants...

 

[RedOneFive]

I've built a few little cooking items..
If it was me I would just burn it off really well, then scrub it up, then reseason it with several good coats...

 

[Jay Templin]

So I just recieved from Crazy Crow a 9" folding pan, spatula, and roasting fork.
All are advised as "Iron".
But the little sticker on them say "Made in India..Steel"?

Okay, well the are heavily coated with some kind of blackish oil...I have worked with Iron and steel, I know it comes oil, often a fish oil; just wash it off and go....
So; spatula first. This stuff is So Sticky, did not want to wash off? I soaked and tried again - the sponge Sticks to it even under hot soapy water and turned the sponge black and sticky, then...the 'coating' began to come off revealing Bare Steel...Not "Iron".

Now my question is: is this Food Safe? Over a fire with oil will it turn my eggs and bacon black too?

I have not touched the pan and roasting forke yet - I called Crazy Crow:
Nice lady said she had not heard of this, insisted it is "food safe" and quickly said "You can Not return it if you Altered it!"

Is washing something "altering".
Is "Iron" supposed to be 'Painted Steel'?

My next question is: has anyone hear experienced this and how to you 'treat' it for cooking and food consumption?
I know how to Season 'cast iron' but 'Painted Steel'??

One last question: any recommended sources for good 'Iron' camp ware (preferably made in the US)

Question re-cap:
#1: Anyone purchased Crazy Crow's advertised "Iron Waers" only to find the are "steel" and not iron?

#2: Any use and can recommend how to 'handle/treat' this 'Fake Iron' cookware?

#3: Any recommendations where to purchase 'real' iron' cooking wares?

Unless you’re buying cast iron, you’re not getting iron, you’re getting steel. It’s perfectly safe. I would use Citrus Strip or fire to get the black crud off. If you want a food safe black finish, heat the steel to a dull red, let it cool to black, and rub it with beeswax.
Jay

 

[Mad L]

Just got a call from Crazy Crow:
Their buyer did change vendor without their knowledge.
The lady said her supervisor checked it out and was "messing" with one of the Spatulas like I purchased....he agrees there is something wrong and say I can send it all back for full refund.

They don't know exactly what the coating is and he has not tested one of the pans yet.

Like one of the comments above: Do I want to trust cookery with such a funky coating from India, with no knowledge what it even is.
If the maker don't tell you what is then you can only hope - don't get sick, no problem but get some king of food poisoning....well I have been there before, if you haven't then you just don't understand.

Since Crazy Crow management say there is suspicion enough to off full refund, I will take it rather then risk it.

I will suck it up and get one from Townsend unless I can find somewhere for less.

 

[Mad L]

In closing I will make one final note about this:
My main issue is that I intended to Season the items.
To Season one must first Clean to Bare metal (iron or steel). I have not seen nor heard of any methods stating "Clean you pan down to Coating or Paint" - the oil must bond with Metal.

In cleaning the Spatula the paint (coating, whatever) was coming off, smearing but did not want to come entirely off (*see photo in first post); that can Not be properly seasoned, not in any way I have seen.
What is the oil going to bond to; paint? Dissolve into paint?
What exactly would happen I don't know because I went no further.

All I can see, since no one has stepped forward to say they have actual experiance with this coated (painted?) India cookware is that I would have a mess at the least, and probably some less then pleasing cooking experiences.

Oh, and as for the one who suggested just going into town as I would "get a better meal then I could cook": too bad you don't have a wife like mine! I can cook good enough and my wife can cook a meal ten times better then any restaurant!
Personally I hate going out to eat - I prefer home cooked.

Anyway; off to find Non-painted cookware....preferably made in the US this time.

 

[bud in pa]

I went too a flea market and bought an old steel frying pan. I put a steel hinge on it and got a folding frying pan for under $5

 

[Oldbear63]

The carbon content of iron and steel is a complex subject, there is apparently more carbon in cast iron than in steel. The only thing I worry about would be lead content as lead is added to make steel machine better, but sheet steel shouldn't have lead in it.
The coating sounds like they used too thick of a vegetable oil and it only partially polymerized. The stickyness sounds normal, but I would oven-cleaner it off or burn it off and start over. You can use any vegetable oil to re-season, but high polyunsaturated oils like flaxseed, walnut or grapeseed oils work best. Olive oil and mineral oil probably don't season well.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Very commendable (and responsible) for Crazy Crow to dig into your claim and recognize the problem, as well as giving you a full refund on everything even though it’s been “ altered”. Nice to see.

 

[TC Tommy]

I would go to the Lodge Cast Iron site, they have the regular cast iron series, a lighter thinner series, and a high carbon steel series.
Stay away from questionable countries cookware, especially if their customs include defecating in the street and waterways while
the guy next to them is down stream and brushing his teeth in said waterway.

 

[Mad L]

Very commendable (and responsible) for Crazy Crow to dig into your claim and recognize the problem, as well as giving you a full refund on everything even though it’s been “ altered”. Nice to see.

Yes, I was pleasantly pleased when she called me back.
I have purchased quite a bit from Crazy Crow in the way of craft supplies - beads, leather, sewing, even a few of their clothing 'kits' - and never been disappointed.

Their buyer must have just seen a lower price for what he thought was the same....could even be like so many others today that who he Used to buy from simply is no longer.

It's the Ups and Downs of such a hobby, this thing we call "reenacting". The thrill of the hunt, the sorrow of the loss, and the disappointment of the one that got away...

 

[SOLANCO]

Lodge Cast Iron. HC. PC. Probably available at a store in your nearest town.

 

[oreclan]

So I just recieved from Crazy Crow a 9" folding pan, spatula, and roasting fork.
All are advised as "Iron".
But the little sticker on them say "Made in India..Steel"?

Okay, well the are heavily coated with some kind of blackish oil...I have worked with Iron and steel, I know it comes oil, often a fish oil; just wash it off and go....
So; spatula first. This stuff is So Sticky, did not want to wash off? I soaked and tried again - the sponge Sticks to it even under hot soapy water and turned the sponge black and sticky, then...the 'coating' began to come off revealing Bare Steel...Not "Iron".

Now my question is: is this Food Safe? Over a fire with oil will it turn my eggs and bacon black too?

I have not touched the pan and roasting forke yet - I called Crazy Crow:
Nice lady said she had not heard of this, insisted it is "food safe" and quickly said "You can Not return it if you Altered it!"

Is washing something "altering".
Is "Iron" supposed to be 'Painted Steel'?

My next question is: has anyone hear experienced this and how to you 'treat' it for cooking and food consumption?
I know how to Season 'cast iron' but 'Painted Steel'??

One last question: any recommended sources for good 'Iron' camp ware (preferably made in the US)

Question re-cap:
#1: Anyone purchased Crazy Crow's advertised "Iron Waers" only to find the are "steel" and not iron?

#2: Any use and can recommend how to 'handle/treat' this 'Fake Iron' cookware?

#3: Any recommendations where to purchase 'real' iron' cooking wares?

The only place that makes (wrought) iron anymore was Sweden . Mild steel is usually used today for these type of items.
If you're not happy send back what you can, look in second hand sores for what you need, but most of those are items will be aluminum.
If you want mild cookware especially a folding skillet contact Greg Bray, Jymm Hoffman, or another blacksmith.

 

[Mad L]

Let me clarify, and correct myself;
Iron or steel (just not stainless or teflon) is what I am shopping for.

I was using the word "Iron" basically as that is what the items were advertised as.

But Painted or Fake Coated just won't do as I intend to Season them, to do this I need to clean to bare metal.

Oh, and a folding handle that can accept a stick to lengthen it.
Why? Because that is what I am looking for.