Flush with fryers

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jul 16, 2007 by Jan Biles

By Jan Biles

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Topeka resident Ed Schlarman is never at a loss for frying pans. His living room walls are covered with cast-iron skillets of varying sizes and models.

Schlarman, 72, estimates he has about 100 skillets in his collection. The value of each skillet ranges from a few dollars up to $75.

"Most all of this stuff is garage sale stuff," he said. "Buying a bargain is what drove me."

Schlarman, who retired from the Topeka Fire Department in January 1991, said the collecting bug bit him about 10 years ago after a friend gave him a Martin Stove Co. cast-iron skillet.

"I studied up on it after that," he said, explaining how he enjoyed looking up the skillets and their values in collector's manuals.

Brand names in his collection include Griswold; Wagner Sidney and Wagner National; Puritan; Maid of Honor, sold at Sears stores; and Wardway, sold by Montgomery Ward. His favorite is a shiny, lightweight skillet made by the Sidney Hollowware Co. in the 1900s.

Some of his skillets are designed for specific purposes. One skillet is divided into three compartments so bacon and eggs can be fried separately but at the same time. Another skillet has an indentation on the handle where a chef can rest his thumb.

Cast-iron skillets often have glass lids, but they are difficult to find.

"The lids are like hen's teeth. They're just not around," he said.

In addition to the frying pans, Schlarman's cast-iron collection includes tea kettles, a chicken fryer, griddles, a Dutch oven, an 1880 Great Western wood stove, corn muffin pans and ashtrays shaped like skillets.

Some of the skillets are "seasoned" and ready to use right off the wall. To season a skillet so it won't rust, Schlarman rubs a thin layer of lard on its interior and then places it in a heated oven for about an hour. Some cooks use vegetable oil instead of lard.

He said a seasoned skillet should never be washed in soapy water. Instead, it is recommended the skillet be cleaned by wiping it with a damp cloth after each use.

"I occasionally will use one to make pancakes and grilled cheese sandwiches," he said. "But most of the time, I use nonstick skillets because it's easier."

Jan Biles can be reached at (785)

295-1292 or jan.biles@cjonline.com.