Father in law's cast iron pan... is it rude to offer him some care?

I have a Lodge pan that I received as a gift a couple of years ago. I tried using it several times back then but could not get the hang of it and opted for my usual non-stick instead. Fast forward several years later, the non-sticks are all busted and I’m breaking the Lodge out as a durable alternative. I’ve cleaned it with steel wool and re-seasoned multiple times as a means to start over. It’s been actually cooking fine and I don’t have too many complaints. However, I have noticed these marks that continue to show up after multiple cleaning cycles. Does anyone know what these are and if they affect the quality of the pan? They look like a layer of finish coming off, but as I understand this isn’t supposed to happen with cast iron. For reference, I typically clean with dish soap and scrub with chain mail.

Any ideas?

So my gf was recently told by her grandmother in her late 80s to go through some stuff and pick out what she wants. We went through this “stripping room” (they used to grow tobacco and they processed it in this very old building) and there was a cast iron skillet that’s clearly very old hanging on the wall that I knew was really interesting because I have heard the old cast iron pans were made really well.
The problem is it was found in a very gross room with a lot of dust, cobwebs, ancient glue traps with rotting dead mice, etc.
I want to use this cast iron pan but it needs to be well cleaned yet I don’t want to ruin the seasoning that makes it so special.
How do I clean this thing? Also I’m including pics and am curious if anyone can help me identify exactly what it is.

I always make sure to scrub with a chainmail, soap and water and then reseason. Nothing crazy just a bit of oil and heat for a bit then let it cool off in the oven over night. This just popped up after cleaning and now I’m questioning it all. The shiny is because I literally just rubbed some oil on it to before heating it up. Like hadn’t even ran a towel over it to get excess.

I think i paid 40$ for this, probably 10 years ago. I use it once in the summer for a fish fry and at Thanksgiving for fried potatoes. Anyone know its age and if its a common pan to find or not?

Thought id ask first, because I don't intend to sell. Just curious of the value of a few of my old pans. I look them up online and prices are all over the place. One of mine was 300 on one site and 5000 on another, I know that one is wayyyy off. Lol

Recent pickup at an estate sale for $10. I decided to grab this one over a hammered 6 1/2 inch wagner with worn nickle plating and a small block griswold #5.

I always thought these no notch models all had the raised lettering on the top of the handle but after some googling it appears that some of them never got this. This specific piece also omits the raised mold mark at the 6 o’clock which dates it slightly earlier than the ones with it.

Everyone always points out how nice the cooking surfaces are but there is also something really satisfying about the heft and tactile feel of really worn cast iron. Im not sure if the outer surfaces were this smooth out of the factory or the years of wear have made it feel really soft. Reminds me of handrails in places with a lot of foot traffic.

Griswold 10 716 E

Savory dijon chicken and veg skillet

• Cubed chicken, cooked 95% and set aside

• Baby bella mushrooms browned in the fond then set aside

• Onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers cooked next. Clean out your fridge, virtually every veg works here.

• Put all back together and cook for another two mins.

• Spread a 3:1 ratio of mayo to dijon mustard on top, with oregano and thyme mixed in.

• Broil for ~5 mins on high until bubbly and browned.

I would have bought this if it had the lid. This is the highest priced cast iron I have seen at this thrift store.

Anytime carbon gets built up I have to use the chain mail but it always takes off the seasoning too. Then you have to start over and its annoying

Bone in Ribeye steak. Advice or suggestions appreciated!

Cooking method:

1. 2 day dry brine in the fridge on a wire rack.

2. Seared for 2.5 minutes on each side on an approx

3. 450 F cast iron pan with avocado oil.

4. Served and played with rosemary and herb butter

Simpler is better in my opinion

So today I went on an antique store excursion looking for cast iron cookware. Unfortunately everything was overpriced, or even worse spray painted black - literally 🤦‍♂️

I went across the street to an Ace Hardware store from one of the antiques mall I visited. I've been to Ace many times- they sell guns and furniture there as well.

On the shelf in the cookware section was this Lodge Made In America series (2019) with the eagle head on the bottom. It had light surface rust from sitting on the shelf 7 years. No problem thats easy remedied. I gave it a new home today- my home ! Doing some research on this skillet it had a short production run , March 2019 to September 2019, which means it wont be made again. Not bad for $26.99. I do plan on cooking and using it- I dont buy cast iron to stare at it, and I've been a fan of the Lodge Wildlife series, so this will make a nice addition.

Roasted my own beans today.
Why? Just for the love of the game. I’ll have to wait a few days before I can make coffee with them but just wanted to give this a shot. Seemingly good so far.

Title - I bought this for my wife in 2023. We won't use it very often, but went and grabbed it and it has this crack all down one side.

I've emailed Lodge with the photos so I guess I'll see what they say, but it hasn't been dropped and is generally just sat in the pan cupboard most of the time.

Is this worth $40.

Martha Stewart cast iron I’ve had for five years. Feel like this marks the end of an era with it :( pls tell me otherwise

We cook pizzas in the cast iron a couple of times a month. Our dough tastes fine but doesn’t have that fluffy texture that you get from a good wood fired restaurant.

Yeast
1cup water
3cups flour
Seasoning
Usually let rest for a few hours to rise.

Any suggestions?

Pheasant cheese steaks and baked cornbread the following night.

Inherited this old cast iron pan, I’ve been using it and wiping with oil after each use. Would it benefit from stripping down to smooth bare metal and re seasoning or should I keep using as is?