Cleaning old Griswold Crispy Corn Stick pan

I bought an old Griswold Crispy Corn Stick pan and it looks nice and black and seasoned and doesn't have rust, but when I wipe it down with oil and a paper towel, so much black stuff comes off. I wipe it over and over and it just keeps coming off blacker and blacker. What do I need to do? Very hard to wipe down in those little corn kernel divets.

Sounds like it was treated with 'Stove Black'. Many resellers use it to make it look like it is shiny-new.
Get an old tooth brush, and use that to reach into the dimples. Keep washing with vegetable oil...it should come off.

I concur...stove black.

Oh, I've never heard of that. So, no scrubbing with soap and starting over?

"Stove Black" is made by many companies (as well as home made). There are several 'basic recipes' for it, but most consist of 2 parts: a pigment, and a vehicle. The "black" is usually 'lamp black' (carbon powder), and/or graphite. It is suspended in the vehicle which is most commonly a wax, but may be an oil instead.

Water and detergent may cut the vehicle. You might try it to see if it cuts it. Oil, on a rag, may cut it. You might have to resort to something like Ajax/Comet for the abrasiveness to cut it. Depending on what they used, you may need all three...water/detergent, oil, and abrasives.

Good luck...it will come off, either easily, or with some work. You will need to re-season it after it is completely cleaned. All this work will probably make you appreciate it even more, once it is done.

EDITED to add:
Personally, I like to use lard for seasoning. That was the seasoning of choice 'back-in-the-day'. Vegetable oils are a new invention.

Thanks, John - I'll get to work!

John, as usual, you are an amazing font of knowledge! I never knew what was in stove black.

John Polk wrote:You might have to resort to something like Ajax/Comet for the abrasiveness to cut it.

Just a quick non-toxic tip here: use salt, baking soda or wood ashes instead of Ajax or Comet. You won't need the bleach and the chemicals in those two, just something gritty. Baking soda is my go-to scouring powder around the house.

John Polk says:

"Personally, I like to use lard for seasoning. That was the seasoning of choice 'back-in-the-day'. Vegetable oils are a new invention."
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That has been my experience also. But let's not forget beef tallow, which works splendidly. And lecithin sprays, such as Pam, work well in a pinch and are convenient.

Jocelyn Campbell says:

"Just a quick non-toxic tip here: use salt, baking soda or wood ashes instead of Ajax or Comet. You won't need the bleach and the chemicals in those two, just something gritty. Baking soda is my go-to scouring powder around the house."
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I use coarse kosher salt. It takes some rubbing, but eventually it loosens even the stickiest crud. I have learned to lower the heat and stir more, to avoid sticking. This is necessary when stirring roux, or cooking anything in cast iron (like my three Dutch ovens) that has sugar in it.

get a drill, and a wire metal buffing end. buff it down to the metal you want. and re season to your liking. ive taken pans like this before from flea markets where they try to make shit pans look good to sell them for more. the persons reasoning must have been why sell a 5$ rusty cast iron when you can sell a 30$ "black and shiny" one.

it will be brand new practically.

hubert cumberdale wrote:get a drill, and a wire metal buffing end. buff it down to the metal you want. and re season to your liking. ive taken pans like this before from flea markets where they try to make shit pans look good to sell them for more. the persons reasoning must have been why sell a 5$ rusty cast iron when you can sell a 30$ "black and shiny" one.

it will be brand new practically.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can do this since it's the corn-stick pan with all the little corn cob divets in it.

It's easier than you think Suzy. I have one of those, and when needed, I just use a fine wire brush on it.

Thanks, Ivan - think I'll now be trying a fine wire brush and baking soda.