The stray marks seen here are from a stiff wire rotary brush attached to a drill. Cleaned bare, this 14 inch skillet is very large and has "MADE IN USA" incised on the lower half of the bottom which means it was made after the early 1960's. Other manufacturers waited until the late 1960's to do the same.

A nice feature Wagner skillets tend to have are the rounded edges which make cooking and cleaning a little easier. The letter "B" seen twice is probably a pattern designation or molder's mark on the bottom of the skillet and the one on the handle is probably a mold marker.

The bottom after two passses in the oven at 350-375°F with a thin even coating of vegetable shortening. Really don't want the oven any higher unless for short periods of time like 15 minutes.

The bottom after four passes in the oven. Getting much darker and probably good to use at this time.

The bottom after eight passses in the oven. Twice it went in without any additional shortening covering the surface. Some of the seasoning was a little soft. Needed more time to harden up. The flash from the camera is very bright because the skillet is very black.

Top of the skillet after it was cleaned bare. The rings seen on the surface are factory polishing marks to make the skillet smooth. A more necessary process when the skillet was made through an automated process.

The top side after two passes in the oven. A 14 inch skillet with a size 12 designation on the handle for a skillet without a smoke ring seems very odd.

The top side after four passes in the oven. Can still see ultra minor scattered surface imperfections.

Another shot after four passes in the oven.

The top side after eight passes in the oven. The seasoning is very hard and very black.

Closeup of the bare surface.

Closeup of the interior surface after two passes in the oven. Not sure what these little rough spots are.

Closeup of the interior surface after four passes in the oven.

Another closeup of the interior surface after four passes in the oven.

Closeup of the interior surface after eight passes in the oven. A very smooth satin finish, but a little discolored.

The lighting was shifted to show that there are dark brown spots that are not quite as seasoned as the surrounding areas. The shortening has polymerized, but hasn't carbonized.

Another closeup of the interior surface after eight passes in the oven. Small marks left over from sanding.

Bare skillet side after much hard scrubbing. Very difficult to get these last bits off. Helped determine how old the skillet is based on the difficulty in removing old seasoning and also the seller's semi-vague description.

Side after two passes in the oven.

Side after four passes in the oven. Looks brighter than it really was. Ready to use at this point.

Another photograph of the side after four passes.

Bare handle with mild factory polishing marks. Notice that it is smooth.

The handle after eight passes in the oven. The handle has seasoning that didn't cook evenly and caused the handle to look rough. Will have to detail with a finer grit sandpaper to even out.

The bare underside shows a scooped handle loop similar to Birmingham Stove and Range. Noice the triangle flat near the skillet wall. This is indicative of a Wagner skillet. The letter "B" located here is probably a mold marker used to determine which mold a skillet came from. The other letter "B" on the bottom of the skillet is probably a pattern designator or molder's mark. Do not think either "B" is a maker's mark since this skillet was made with automation machinery.

This skillet is too heavy to handle with one hand. Full of food on a hot stove would make it more difficult. Perhaps having a handle that is a little rougher would decrease the chance of mishaps, particularly if using a silicone glove.