My grandmama’s no-name 12" weighs exactly 7lbs. Sears pretty good. Edit: the very nice 12" that Bill posted weighs in at 8 it looks like.
@MChang we all know how much you DB press. I think you’d be OK with a 12lb pan!
(Not saying you should change im jealous of a really nice vintage cast iron)
Also it looks like the 10” Made in is only 5lbs. Not too bad really
I have plenty of heavy Le Creuset Dutch ovens to move 
Why? Presumably, they’re enameled.(?). Did you buy something else you prefer?
No, I have to move them around the house, they are wonderful but heavy.
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Ahhhh … I thought “move” meant “get rid of.”
If anyone has heat retention challenges searing steaks on vintage, thinner cast iron, they’re doing it wrong. I cook proteins in my old cast irons every week and can’t think of a single time that heat retention was a problem.
There’s a reason a bunch of companies have popped up over the past decade who are trying to emulate the older style of thin cast iron with a smooth cooking surface. The modern iterations- heavy with pebbled interiors - are purely a function of economics. It’s cheaper to produce them, skip the interior grinding/milling to smoothness, etc. Lodge pans from the 1910s through the 1960s were much lighter and had smooth cooking surfaces, for example.
Here’s a daily driver Lodge from the 1920s: a number 8. We cook eggs in the #8 almost every day. You can see how thin the walls are and the smoothness of the cooking surface:
But I agree with everyone upthread who has mentioned that a modern Lodge works just fine. Absolutely! Temperature management and cooking fat use are much more important than pan weight, smoothness, etc. But these old ones are a just a joy to use.
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Greg - how do I get my Lodge pan to look like this? Thanks.
Buy a vintage one.
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Yep - this one is approximately 100 years old. My advice is always the same: just keep cooking in it. Cast iron and carbon steel pans and griddles just get better and better with use. Same with unenameled CI dutch ovens and uncoated carbon steel woks.
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For anyone interested this seems like a reasonably good deal.
Please update us once you take it for a drive.
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I have no dog in the Misen fight.
Pulled out one of my 12 inch “modern” Lodge pans to do some okra and did take a moment to look at the surface. After about 10+ years of use, it is now very smooth. Nothing but regular use (primarily for cornbread and dry fried okra). I pull out my Mom’s deep CI for other things fried. I believe she got it from her Grandmother. The identification marks on it have worn off for the most part. It is much thinner walled than the modern stuff and has fried enough chicken, fish and tomatoes to feed the multitudes.
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Yeah that guy does good work and has been slinging cast iron on eBay for a long time. I wouldn’t have any concerns.
Approximately 2 to 4 years ago, I was pretty unhappy with the seasoning in this cast-iron pan so I took it down and started over from scratch. I did a good handful of rounds in the oven with grapeseed oil. Since then, I just use it. This is from Emeril’s line of cookware, and it’s about 20 yo at this point – – – I have no idea who actually makes it (but maybe Greg or someone else here knows?). I assure you all it is not a fancy cast-iron by any stretch. The interior surface was very similar to that of a brand new Lodge, so maybe it is a rebranded Lodge? – – I don’t know if Lodge does that. It is damn near a nonstick pan at this point. The walls are a bit ugly, but that doesn’t really matter, but for aesthetics. 12”. 8.4 lbs. if I had to score this seasoning on this pan, I would probably give it an eight or nine out of 10.
Damn, that seasoning looks fantastic. The old advice ‘just keep cooking in it’ proves correct!
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Thanks, Greg — that assessment means a lot coming from you. It’s not perfect, but I’m happy with it. 
And, Yyyyep! A good amount of use is all she needs. That skillet in my pics sees soap and elbow grease after every use. When I had it really hot for an extended period of time, I may rub a few drops of grapeseed oil into it after drying, followed by a quick wipe with a clean cloth to remove any excess possible.
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Bam!
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