Back2Life Cast Iron Restoration

Back2Life Cast Iron Restoration A restorer of cast iron and enameled kitchenware. Also a history buff who enjoys researching advertising sample pans. I also sell homemade pot scrubbers.

I participate in a few sales a year to support my hobby.

I have a customer who for the last couple of weeks has brought me some gorgeous to strip and reseason. One was a gorgeou...
08/25/2026

I have a customer who for the last couple of weeks has brought me some gorgeous to strip and reseason. One was a gorgeous Griswold #20 skillet that barely fit into my oven. Fortunately it cleaned up nicely since it is rare and cost him $$$$.
Last week he brought me 4 more pans. I looked them over. Spotted some small amounts of rust on most of them which caused me to just shake my head since he had paid top dollar for these pans as well. Today I put them into my 50/50 vinegar bath and within no time 3 of the pans showed fire burn. The seller restored these and pretended like they were worth top dollar. Extremely frustrating and makes the rest of us restoration folks seem untrustworthy. Won’t call out the place in CR, but if you ever find a store that has a room and wall full of cast iron and it’s slick like machine oil was used to “season” the pans, don’t even consider purchasing anything. Not saying all the pans have issues but I’m having to clean up too many. Anyway, including some pics of the #20 and also what fire burn looks like.

08/25/2026

Let’s talk about buying cast iron. Yes, you can go into most stores and buy a Lodge and that suits many people. But sometimes you want an older pan that is lighter, smoother inside, and can be an heirloom to pass onto future generations. First place you might consider would be an antique store. And you might even luck out and find some that have already been restored. But always carefully examine the pan for cracks and a wobble. Just because it’s old and has a high price tag doesn’t mean it’s worth that amount. One of the hidden “flaws” can be rust or fire burn and though it might not have damaged the pan, it definitely makes a pan not worth as much. I have reseasoned pans with fire burn and they still work great and look very good because the reddish tint is no longer visible. But I always make sure to let buyers know the pan has had a rough past life. My next post will explain the issues one of my customers is experiencing.

Got an update from a customer…The Griswold that I restored for him is working great for steaks and as shown here, frying...
08/07/2026

Got an update from a customer…The Griswold that I restored for him is working great for steaks and as shown here, frying up a batch of crappie.

When traveling by plane I have to think a little harder about what I can bring back with me. Had to pass on the lovely 7...
07/23/2026

When traveling by plane I have to think a little harder about what I can bring back with me. Had to pass on the lovely 7 Qt Birmingham Stove and Range Dutch oven whilst in WA; I couldn’t pass up some unique pans for the right price. Always wonder what goes through security scanners minds when they see multiple 10” skillets in a backpack.
What is the most unique thing you’ve hand carried onto your flight, and did security stop you? For me, I had several boxes of Tastykakes and I was ready to fight for them when security thought it necessary to check out the bag. I’ve also had 2 large bags of processed dried catnip that I labeled “This is catnip-Weed for my cats not humans!”

I'm one of the folks heading this up and hope some of my cast iron followers can make it. We have several tables full of...
07/14/2026

I'm one of the folks heading this up and hope some of my cast iron followers can make it. We have several tables full of fun prizes to give away during the bingo time, great raffle prizes, and a couple dozen items available to "purchase" with all proceeds going to Critter Crusaders of Cedar Rapids. And I have several pieces of cast iron available to win or "purchase for donation amount". Food, fun, and prizes! Save the date!

Appreciate the shout-out! I'm also including the recipe. Think I'll have to try this one soon.
07/14/2026

Appreciate the shout-out! I'm also including the recipe. Think I'll have to try this one soon.

Lodge makes a massive 15" diameter pizza pan. Which also works great for fruit pizza, just fyi. I'd say the only downsid...
07/14/2026

Lodge makes a massive 15" diameter pizza pan. Which also works great for fruit pizza, just fyi. I'd say the only downside is that you can't just pop it into the fridge with leftovers, but honestly, that just means you should eat enough that there aren't any leftovers! Kudos to the KP for making us a delicious dessert for the holiday.

This is why I love doing restorations.
06/28/2026

This is why I love doing restorations.

Sometimes I wonder if I really need so many pans. And then we get to pizza night and I get to pull out 6 to use at once!...
06/28/2026

Sometimes I wonder if I really need so many pans. And then we get to pizza night and I get to pull out 6 to use at once! Tonight’s pans featured a Wagner, a Favorite, a McClary’s, and an older Lodge produced in Venezuela.
Pretty sure Anwyn Hubbs has eaten wedge style for the last decade.
The 16” pizza pan is perfect for s’mores pizza.

If you’ve ever seen LeCreuset in a store, you know it’s not cheap. It’s hard to drop $$$ on cookware even when the quali...
05/29/2026

If you’ve ever seen LeCreuset in a store, you know it’s not cheap. It’s hard to drop $$$ on cookware even when the quality is much better.
Here’s your chance to get a LeC skillet at a third of the new price. Is it in perfect condition? No. But the cooking surface is in excellent condition and there are no chips or cracks. I’ll have this available at the Newbo sale May 30th!

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Hiawatha, IA

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