[Sca-cooks] Dutch ovens vs Cast Iron was Cast Iron Cookwar/ Bronze Cookware

[Saint Phlip]

Yeah, I'm a blacksmith too- was trying to keep it simple, because I
know what happens when I let my enthusiasm carry me away ;-)

Have you taken a good look at the Mastermyr find, and the cooking
stuff therein? Amazing what they did with what they had ;-)

http://www.netlabs.net/~osan/Mastermyr/

On Sat, Aug 28, 2010 at 8:53 PM, H Westerlund-Davis <yaini0625 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> A few months back this topic came up. I wrote a response to it then and it
> should be in the archives. Besides cooking, fiberholics, and Saami culture my
> husband and I are blacksmiths and white-smiths. We have both period and modern
> equipment we "play with" in our yard.
> Briefly, the words cast iron and Dutch Oven are often interchanged and used for
> the same item which leads to some confusions. During the smelting process of
> iron, the iron alloy was "cast" into "pigs" (pig shaped ingots) for transport.
> Thus "pig iron." A pig could be melted and poured into a mold to cast an object.
> Thus "cast iron." A pig could be heated to white hot (not melted) and hammered
> or bent (thus wrought) into a shape. The Blacksmith would pour and hammer sheets
> of iron and rivet them together to form a wrought iron pot. Examples have been
> found from the Middle Ages.  Bronze bowls were cast, mostly sand cast. Google
> Umha Aois to watch a demo. Amazing!
>
> The Dutch Ovens, those cast iron pots with the legs that can be placed in the
> oven or over coals, are historically from the 16th Century and later (may want
> to check on the actually dates).
>
>
> In the U.S. bronze, pewter and iron should be lead free. But, it is only a
> recent development and any "item" should be tested if made before 1990. Europe
> laws vary and differ on lead and tin contents and I would be cautious about any
> item purchased if not stated otherwise.
>
>
> Bless Bless
> Aelina
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
> Duct Tape is like the Force: It has a light side & a dark side
> and it holds the universe together.
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Saint Phlip <phlip at 99main.com>
> To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Sent: Sat, August 28, 2010 4:17:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Cast Iron Cookware was Bronze Cookware
>
> The problem with cast iron as a material is that for many years, it
> was considered junk left over from smelting iron. Cast iron has a
> great deal of carbon in it (1% and up), compared to iron or even high
> carbon steel (which Medieval folks DID know about, although they were
> unable to produce it in any quantity through most of the MA because of
> their smelting methods- and HC steel still has less than 1% carbon),
> and isn't ductile like iron, but instead is very breakable in
> comparison. Since in period, iron was considered very valuable for
> weapons and armor, it took a while for a use for cast iron to be
> found. Once they did, it took a while for this "junk" stuff to spread
> out, particularly keeping in mind that iron in the MA was nowhere near
> as common a product as it is today.
>
>
>
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>



-- 
Saint Phlip

So, you think your data is safe?
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/01/23/schneier.google.hacking/index.html?hpt=T2

Heat it up
Hit it hard
Repent as necessary.

Priorities:

It's the smith who makes the tools, not the tools which make the smith.

.I never wanted to see anybody die, but there are a few obituary
notices I have read with pleasure. -Clarence Darrow