[OKSooner]

The Lodge stuff is probably okay, but after the bad experience with the hibachi and the poor finish on the stuff that I've seen it's hard to accept that I can't find anything better SOMEWHERE. Maybe my nauseating experience with the hibachi has something to do with it. I would buy lodge before I'd buy the Chinese stuff that probably has nuclear waste leached into the cast iron.

The alternative, of course, is the French stuff that's coated with porcelain, which eliminates the nutritional benefit of cooking with cast iron.

[ArrogantBustard]

I've a Lodge brand skillet that I bought at a grocery store in the mid 1980s. It has turned out reasonably well, though it doesn't heat quite as evenly as I would like. The really good stuff, IMO, is Wagners, from "Sidney, O". But they went out of business (or at least quit making cookware) years ago. My preference for seasoning is either corn oil (I don't find it to leave a sticky mess), olive oil, or bacon grease.

[BallandPowder]

Powder..Patch..Ball FIRE!

I use cast extensively in our reenactments and the many vouz's that my family attends. You've gotten good advice except for one thing... and a couple of observations.. I use Lodge exclusively and have over 150lbs of cast I carry around (I know, I know but it looks good!) and if you inspect it before buying to look for roughness, I've never had a problem with any of it.

Cleaning with salt and towels works good, boiling a little water in the pan also works very well for sticky/stuck stuff, but NEVER use soap or scratchers or you'll regret it.

Seasoning is best done with animal fat, I use unsalted lard and I can cook sausage gravy in my dutch and then wipe it out with some towels when done and it is clean and ready to use again. To make sure the outside doesn't rust I get the cast to hot to hold with bare hands and then use a beeswax candle and coat the outside and wipe it in with a towel. Will NOT rust, and once you do it a couple of times it never needs done again..