Iron Pot Update - Restoration and ID

Hello ATSers, last November I made THIS THREAD about magnet fishing. In that opportunity I found a beautiful iron pot. The rusty object had been underwater for an unknown amount of time, plus almost 2 months in a box at home until I had time to restore it.

I simply brushed and then soaked for 8-10 hours in a 50-50 vinegar/water mix. Then brush it again, rinse with baking soda and dry it. Finally I coated with olive oil and bake it for about 2 hours at 350 degress, cool it down and wipe it with a cotton cloth. Here is the result :





Beautiful isn't it?....Now, here is where I need your help. It's been impossible for me to have a full ID of the artifact. The circle in the bottom makes me think it could be a Griswold, but no symbols/letters/numbers are visible and I couldn't find a pic of a Griswold pot similar to my pot, so maybe it was made by other company.





I'd love to have more information before I exhibit it at home. Of course I can bring it to an antiques expert but maybe there is a chance that I can reveal it with your help my friends.

a reply to: Trueman
Just a thought...

You could take some pictures in RAW format with a reasonably high resolution camera, then use some filters in a photo editing program to bring out any markings or letters. I don't know if you have access to such, but it's worth a try if you do.

a reply to: Klassified

I spent few hours looking at it with a magnifier. Nothing conclusive.

I think my best shot is try to find another one with same shape and dimensions.

a reply to: Trueman
I should have been more clear. Sometimes filters in a program like Photoshop can bring out things the human eye can't see otherwise, even with a magnifier, but if you can find another pot like the one you have...even better.

Good luck, you've got me curious.

Where did you find it. This had to be a common pot in the area IMO and likely of value if it was transported across water. Pond, lake, river?

I know Cajuns, their iron pots were the most valuable things they possessed. When studies were done by the US Government on how people were making out during the depression, they reported back that it had no impact on the Cajuns. They lived off the land. Made no difference to them. They had plenty of food and resources. I'm sure the Amish would fair the same.

I would look into the historical records from that area around the water where you found it. It was probably a common pot.

It is actually a nice pot, too bad you do not have the lid for it.

I wonder what the history about that is, did some woman whack her boyfriend in the head with it after he complained about her cooking, then she tossed it into the water along with the body? Ahhh. it feels good to make non-political conspiracy theories again.

Actually it does resemble one of the old spittoons they used to have in bars back years ago, some were cast, others were porceline coated cast iron. They were heavy so nobody would kick them over.

That's a very old cauldron. The seam running down the center is called a "gate-mark" from the old methods of casting iron cookware. That method stopped being used around 1890.

Sadly I have no further info for you.

Try here:
www.amazon.com...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438023514&sr=8-2&keywords=the+book+of+wag ner+and+griswold" target="_blank" class="postlink">www.amazon.com...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1438023514&sr=8-2&keywords=the+book+o f+wagner+and+griswold

Beautiful pot nonetheless, glad to see it back in its glory.
Good job.

Maybe it is a junior witches cauldron

a reply to: visitedbythem

i don't have any information on the pot but I do have something to say about proper seasoning:
sherylcanter.com...

I have used her method using organic flaxseed oil- wow oh wow - what a difference.

a reply to: Trueman

I believe that what you have is a smudge pot

www.etsy.com...

The dimensions are right but the lid is missing and the wire handle.

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

You know what? I think you may be exactly right!

I'm pretty good with cast iron, but this one had me stumped with the small size. I think you may have nailed it!

To the OP...you really lucked out on a unique piece of history with this find! I would cherish this thing for a very long time if I were you! I think a lot of 'magnet' guys would give their first born to find something like this. Seriously!!

Great job on the restoration...and THANK YOU for the follow up; I was very interested in this piece from the very first post!

P.S. - I hate to say this, but your find may very well be the best thing you ever find magnet fishing. You are likely the envy of virtually everyone in the sport right now! Serious find!

I think so too!

RARE find!

Great job!

Yep, that's it!. You wouldn't get the lid, because its non ferrous, non magnetic. It may be down there too. If its not to deep, Id dive for it

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

One comment though about "smudge pots". I don't claim to know the derivation of them, but the way I remembered them they were these iron pots which looked like cannon balls, and they had a small opening on the top which a big cloth wick was pulled out of. Then they dumped fuel oil inside them and lit the wicks.

They were like lighted markers. The reason I say this is when I was a kid we used to land our plane on the road by them after dark in southern Florida back in the late 60's. We'd fly over from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale and call the Old Marco Beach Hotel (ATC was the front desk of the hotel). They'd send a guy out in an old Willy's Jeep and he'd block the road, and light all these "smudge pots" which served as runway lights. Heh, they'd shine flashlights up on the windsock so we could see what way the wind was blowing, make a couple passes, and then land on the road. Then we'd taxi back to the parking lot of the hotel (in the plane) and park in the lot next to the cars. I remember I used to love to go ride with the guy in the Jeep to go put the smudge pots out (and then he'd open the road again).

When I got older, I always used to joke about this saying we'd often ... "land by candlelight".

It's a fond memory, probably something which could never happen today.

I remember thinking we were always the coolest, taxiing up into the parking lot in a Beech Baron. Everybody else in cars probably thought we were nuts (but we weren't the only ones doing it).

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

I think I was wrong when i called it a smudge pot. I believe it is actually a fire starter pot. The wand has a pumice stone at the bottom

The person who wanted to start a fire would put the want into the pot of kerosene or some kind of fuel to soak the pumice stone. After several hours, you would take the wand out of the pot and set the pumice stone on fire. Then you would put the on fire pumice stone under a log until it caught fire.

I am looking to see who manufactured these things.

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

I would go back and look for that wand!!! and the lid of course

a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

Good find on Etsy! Thank you for the info you are digging up!

a reply to: Trueman

I remember the other thread and am happy to see the results of your restoration. Half the fun is discovering information on an item. It's a great mystery at first and then really cool when you discover what it is and what it was used for.

originally posted by: TiredofControlFreaks
a reply to: TiredofControlFreaks

I would go back and look for that wand!!! and the lid of course

I would too

a reply to: Night Star


I have looked and looked but the most information that I could find is that if you have something with a gate mark that has been ground down, it is highly unlikely that you will find the manufacturer.