This is a hand forged–hand hammered 12″ skillet by Smithey Ironware. It is made of 2 mm carbon steel plate. That’s very thick. My 1959 Hong Kong carbon steel wok (at $12.87, the best wok money can buy) is less than 1 mm thick, so too the average crepes pan. At five pounds, this skillet is lighter than cast iron but heavier than aluminum. Smithey has designed and forged this skillet to a level of industrial art (notice the handle). On its first outing, the skillet did a good job with bacon lardons and Brussels sprouts, but that’s not much of a test (the smoked pork chop in the photo was slow cooked separately). Smithey calls it a Farmhouse Skillet. It’s beautiful, feels great in the hand, is well balanced and reeks of quality. My wok can take 22K BTU without warping, but it’s round. This steel skillet is flat, so I will start out carefully. Frankly, the farmhouse skillet is sort of a curiosity but I think it will perform well and be a valued addition to my rack of high-end performance skillets. At $275 at smithey.com.
