I've got a really old Griswold cast iron skillet. I bought it several years ago. Whoever sold it had cleaned it up really well. Looks like they worked the inside of it down to super smooth. So smooth in fact I can't get a seasoning to hold very well on it. I have several others that started off nowhere near as smooth as this one and they are fine, and have a beautiful non-stick seasoning. Thinking I just need to rough the surface up just a bit on this one so the seasoning will take better.

So do y'all know the best way to do that? Stiff wire wheel brush? Angle grinder?

Sweet Kitten Feet said:

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I've got a really old Griswold cast iron skillet. I bought it several years ago. Whoever sold it had cleaned it up really well. Looks like they worked the inside of it down to super smooth. So smooth in fact I can't get a seasoning to hold very well on it. I have several others that started off nowhere near as smooth as this one and they are fine, and have a beautiful non-stick seasoning. Thinking I just need to rough the surface up just a bit on this one so the seasoning will take better.

So do y'all know the best way to do that? Stiff wire wheel brush? Angle grinder?

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What oil are you using and how are you trying to season it? I have had a couple I had to strip down and just used a 150 grit sand paper to smooth it down, then used a light coat of avocado oil and cooked it at 450 in the oven upside down over a baking pan for about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and let it cool, then repeat as necessary. Some may take 2-3 coatings and cookings.

I'm on like attempt 5 at seasoning. What I've done is strip it down and then I apply a think layer of oil, heat it a few minutes, wipe it down, then heat it for an hour in a450 degree oven. Repeat 3-4 times. I've done this with crisco, vegetable oil, flax seed oil. Then I typically cook some bacon or sausage on it.

Then I just use it and eventually it develops that nice seasoning and is fairly non stick. This has worked on 4 other pans (both griswold and wagner). Heck my lodge one is more non-stick than this one.

I sanded and smoothed down a new Lodge skillet before, and the same thing happened. It was too smooth and wouldn't hold a seasoning.

I ended up getting heavy grit sandpaper and hitting it hard with elbow grease. A lot. It holds a good seasoning now.

After you wipe the pan down with the oil, do you wipe it off? That may be the issue. Too much oil and a thick layer of seasoning. You want very thin layers.

Yep I wipe the excess oil, then heat for a few minutes then wipe it down with a new dry cloth and use some elbow grease so it's just a real thin layer. Not sticky at all. I basically follow this guy's method, but have used different oils, and tried more layers too.

Particular pan in question I bought already restored though. I did strip and reseason like this video though.