We wrote last week about tracking eBay searches to find rare Revere Ware related items or to get a good deal on something that typically sells for a lot. Our example was square skillets, which usually go for hundreds. This week one of our saved searches happened to find a great price on exactly that, a square skillet.
That’s about half of what they typically list for.
For our 2-screw handles, which fit pre-1968 vintage style cookware, we provide specific measurements to compare existing handles with, to find the correct size. Still, people do seem to have difficulty with correct sizing often enough that we decided to make a helper sheet to help determine the correct size.
You can can download the PDF version of this sheet here. If you download the PDF file and print it in portrait mode on an 8 1/2 x 11 (letter size) sheet of paper, you can just hold it up to your old handle to determine the proper size replacement.
Some Revere Ware piece are very rare. For example, the square skillets.
As you can see, they are expensive and there aren’t that many listed. What I do when I am looking for something on eBay that is expensive, and I want to find a deal, or is very rarely listed, is to save a search, such that I get notified by email whenever new items appear. Notice the Save this search link at the top of the search results.
Once you click the link, you get a confirmation, and are automatically subscribed to emails when new listings are added that match your search.
When are looking for a long item, sometimes it takes playing the long game, being willing to wait as long as it takes to get what you want, at the price you want. I’ve gotten some great deals on all kids of stuff this way, as long as I’m not in a hurry to get them.
Our 1-screw handles fit the type of newer (post 1968) skillets and sauce pans that have a single rivet or screw through the metal part of the handle. The connection of the handle to the pot is the same on all handles, so, in theory, you could use the smallest handle in the largest skillet or sauce pan, but it won’t look right.
While we do include measurements of all of our parts in the part details, we recently came up with something simpler, this sizing sheet.
You can can download the PDF version of this sheet here. If you download the PDF file and print it in portrait mode on an 8 1/2 x 11 (letter size) sheet of paper, you can just hold it up to your old handle to determine the proper size replacement.
If your existing handle has a rivet, you can find the guide to removing the old rivet here.
Over the years, we’ve regularly been asked if we can supply new lids for the Revere Ware stainless steel mixing bowls.
Over time, the plastic lids wear out as the plastic ages, and they crack. Unfortunately, we don’t have a line on replacement lids of this type.
However, we recently came across an Indiegogo campaign for a new type of lids that is made to fit different sizes; The Unlid.
While we don’t have a set of the mixing bowls we might try the lids out on, they sure look like they will work. The lids are rubber and stretch to fit many different sizes snugly.
The only downside is that they aren’t expected to ship until May 2018.
Update
We’ve had an number of people ask us whether these will fit the Revere mixing bowls and how they can get them.
In answer to the first question, we don’t know for sure if they will fit. They look like they will from reading the specifications. We will only know once they ship and someone tries them out.
In term of timing, we originally reported that these were expected to be available in May 2018. As of April, the latest update from them doesn’t make a May delivery date likely, but perhaps later this year sometime. Please check the updates page on the campaign for the latest news.
In terms of how to get them, the only way we are aware presently is to sign up for one of the perks on the campaign.
Update 10/2/18
These have started shipping as of July and it appears you can still purchase them here (I just did). Just click on one of the perks to expand it and then select Get This Perk.
About 10 years ago, when I started looking into making parts for Revere Ware cookware that I couldn’t find elsewhere, I built up quite a collection of pieces to use as samples and to test the fit of the new parts. At the time, my wife and I loved going to thrift stores, which turned out to be a great source of Revere Ware (and Pyrex and other neat vintage cookware pieces). I think in all we ended up with about 80 or so pieces, all bought on the very cheap.
While they appear to be getting somewhat rarer (possibly because buying stuff from thrift stores to resell on eBay has become a popular activity), I still do see some good finds to be had when I visit thrift stores for used children’s books (those care free days are over, for now).
The point is, if you are resourceful, there are lots of other more local places to get Revere Ware that are cheaper than eBay (where you can find most anything admittedly) and won’t cost you to ship.
In addition to thrift stores, sometimes entire sets are sold on Craigslist, like this one.
I’ve looked at a lot of sets for sale on eBay; let me tell you, that is a great deal.
So, if you are looking at replacing some Revere Ware, or building a collection, consider your local sources. Many towns have thrift stores, secondhand stores, or stores that specifically consign items like cookware. Also, setting up a Craigslist RSS feed that you can check occasionally in an RSS reader is pretty easy. You may be surprised what you find, and you may just find a wonderful rare piece, or find what you need on the cheap.
One of the most frequent questions we get asked is how to reattach a handle that has separated from a pan, right where the spot weld attaches it.
Unfortunately, there is no good solution. A machine or weld shop may be able to braze it back on for you, but it probably won’t look that great and might be expensive, if you can even find someone willing to do a small job like that.
However, we recently came across this unique Revere Ware piece for sale on eBay:
That is a tarte tatin, or quiche pan. Turns out, when the handle falls off your pan, you can easily turn it into a win-win situation by just getting a set of grabbers.
Something like this will work even if you want to continue to use your pan on the stove top (some of us are nostalgic like that).
I call this a win-win because Revere Ware pans with Bakelite on them do not do well in the oven as the Bakelite can degrade from the heat and emit a very foul odor; but people seem to love using them in the oven nonetheless. If your handle falls of, why not embrace it and turn it into a tarte tatin or quiche pan?
Last week we wrote about the value economics of buying a new set of Revere Ware vs a vintage one. Our conjecture is that, it costs about the same to get a nice set of vintage Revere Ware from eBay, which will last for decades more, instead of mere years for the poor quality newly manufactured copper bottom Revere Ware.
Along these lines, there are often full sets of vintage pieces that are available for a reasonable c ost. Take this 12 piece set.
Or this 16 piece set.
Both sets (and the many more like them) are comparable to the per piece cost we outlined in the previous post.
In an attempt to make it easier to determine the proper sized replacement handle of the 2-screw variety, we’ve expanded the detail in all our 2-screw handle product listings. This seems to give people a lot of difficulty, so it is worth pontificating on it here.
We sell small, medium, large, and x-large size of the 2-screw style handle. It is fairly straight-forward to determine the proper size handle based on the height of the metal spline (the metal part the two handle halves go around) , the distance between the centers of the two holes, and the overall length of the Bakelite part of the handle. If you check your measurements and cant’ find a match, please contact us to ask for help before purchasing.
| Size | Metal spline height | Distance between hole centers | Overall Bakelite length |
| Small | 3/8″ | 2.75″ | 4.5″ |
| Medium | 5/8″ | 2.6″ | 4.6″ |
| Large | 3/4″ | 3.1″ | 5.25″ |
| X-Large | 3/4″ | 3.7″ | 5.7″ |
If you aren’t sure what the quote (“) means to the right of the numbers in the above table, it is shorthand for inches.
If you aren’t sure what the spline is, or how to measure the height, here is a graphic that should help.
It should be noted that cookware requiring the small handle is very rare in the wild. If you think you need the small handle, make sure. This is our most frequently returned part.
Just a reminder that if you want to order from us for delivery by Dec 25th, make sure you order early enough. We ship primarily by USPS First Class Mail, which typically takes 2-3 business days to anywhere in the continental US. However, as we get closer to December 25th, everything takes longer.
We can’t make any guarantees, but suggest ordering December 18th at the latest for delivery by Christmas.
