Smithey’s genesis is in Morton’s affinity for vintage cast-iron cookware, which he had spent his free time finding and restoring while working in banking and real estate investment.

But those bygone brands (Wagner shuttered in 1952 and Griswold closed up shop in 1957, right around the time Teflon was popularized), along with most antique cast-iron cookware, have grown ...

Antique and vintage cast-iron cookware were hand-poured into sand molds and hand-polished to a smooth finish. These labor-intensive pans were cast from thinner molds, which makes them lighter than ...

Now a regular at the monthly Antiques Faire, Affoumado has become a go-to Bay Area specialist in cookware restoration.

Cast-iron skillets have soared in popularity over the last several years, introducing a new generation of home-cooks to this ...