I have a large frypan. It is 1-1.5 mm and has a brass handle. I can get a replacement that is 2-2.5 mm and has a cast iron for about $60 more than retinning (actually less because the retinning also requires two way shipping and shipping is free on the other pan. It seems logical yet somehow frivolous to forsake my old pan. What do you think? I’ll decide when I am guzzling coffee, not whiskey.
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Just my opinion here – but I had a situation (somewhat) similar.
About a year ago, my old Bulova watch stopped working. It was a gift from 1986. I wore it everyday while I worked and still wore it from time to time. It stopped working, I had a battery put in it – but that wasn’t the problem. The watch guy wanted a minimum of $100 to open it up and do a basic service on it and if it needed more the price went up from there.
I started thinking about what to do and poked around on ebay, I found a basic watch (from China) for $2 (shipped to my home). I purchased the $2 watch and put my dead Bulova away in a drawer, where it will probably stay.
The $2 watch from China has been working fine (about a year, now), when it stops… I’ll purchase another $2 watch.
As I age, I try to make the most logical decision.
Again, just my two cents.
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Some things in the kitchen just fit like an old shoe, that, though warn, still feels just right. I’m a loyalty wuss to cookware I know, and have known well. I’d retin. " I seem to lean on old familiar ways ." -PS
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There’s the rub. The current pan doesn’t fit like an old shoe. Sure, it has turned out a lot of good meals, but it is thin enough that it heats super fast, and that heating includes that brass handle.
I think you’ve answered your own question. Kind of like tossing a coin to decide then listening to your inner self re its response.
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Yep. Thanks.
You may have answered you own question (“not an old shoe”), but let me offer one thing to consider:
If you have a hole in your frypan batterie, fill that with the newer/better pan, and take a stab at retinning the thin one yourself. Success or failure, you can always get a few bucks for it on eBay, or tolerate a learning experience. Hell, you can even strip the lining completely and use the old pan bare for sugar or searing work.
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The only problem with that excellent idea pertains to my own situation. There is not really room for more things in this kitchen, and my wife is very focused on that fact!
I’m in that boat, as well.
Sunshine & I received a Christmas gift basket from a friend – a bunch of neat ingredients and a beautiful baking dish. So I got rid of (donated to a Veterans Charity) one of my clear glass baking dishes to make room for this new one.
In my case, Sunshine is right – I have enough cooking/baking “stuff”, anything new and something has to leave.
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Yes indeed. We underwent a pretty ruthless purge a couple of years ago, and it covered every room but the kitchen. I am taking small steps towards the winnowing of the kitchen, but then I start surfing and check out Bernal or Etsy Pillivuyt/Apilco and…oh noooooo!
Me, too. I’d like to say she’s “making me” thin out; but, she’s right, and you can only hold so much in house.
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Regardless of how this is handled, I am pretty sure I’ll be offering a few pans for sale. There are just more than I need.
It seems as though you’ve made your decision, but here’s my 
. I think I’m viewing things a little differently than the direction most of the replies are going. Usually I’ll lean towards repair/refurbishment whenever possible, even if the cost is a bit higher than replacement. That cost can come as money or it can come as time and effort, but all costs should be considered. A big part of my preference is environmental, since repair/refurbishment is almost always the better earth-friendly choice. Even if the purchase price of a new item is a fraction of the cost of repair, the total environmental cost (that we never hear about) is going to be higher. I guess that means I’m willing to subsidize a bit of eco-friendliness whenever I can.
But you’ve got another aspect, which is functional performance. The new pan will presumably perform better, which means you’ll probably enjoy using it more than you do your current pan, and that adds considerable value to your decision. You’re at a decision point because your old pan needs a significant repair. You need to do something if you want to continue (i.e., you’re not simply swapping out a perfectly fine thing for a different new thing). On top of all that, your old pan is still repairable and enjoyable to someone else, which means it’s sale-able, which further reduces the expense of replacing it. 
I always agonize over those very same things. The old pan is now listed on the HO Buy/Sell page at what seems to me to be a decent price. I hope it (and the two others listed) end up in a good home. Every other bit of tinned copper I own would get re-tinned. I take delight in either loving dents and dings or repairing things. I am a devotee of wabi sabi.
I am in agreement with being willing to subsidize eco friendliness. I buy made in USA 100% natural fiber clothing. Made in USA reduces shipping and natural fibers are biodegradable and do not contribute to microplastic proliferation. In the grocery store and other places I always opt for glass or metal packaging when I can, rather than plastic. BTW check out Blueland. I find their stuff works exceedingly well, better than Tide or Cascade.
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One thing to think about is some people get frustrated by rusting cast-iron handles. Can’t harm them, just a little more work compared to brass.
(sigh) due to having read/followed various forums and the “thoughts” on copper . . . is why I opted for stainless steel vs tinned.
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The core of your batterie should be stainless, and it should be cookware you aren’t afraid to use hard. The problem with copper is that people buy it and worry more about it than the product in the pan.
It is possible to use copper without fussing and worrying about the pan, but this is something that simply will not work if you are someone who really wants everything to look good and match. The instant that copper pan hits the burner, its beautiful, polished surface begins to change into something like an unpredictable kaleidoscope of colors and eventually darken more evenly. Copper’s softness almost guarantees that it will pick up dents and scratches. Then there is that tin, which will quickly turn a dull grey, maybe but not always mottled. If you have copper in your kitchen, you need to be completely ok with these things or start buying copper polish in bulk. Another worry, overheating and bubbling the tin, is easily avoided by always having food in the pan and watching it carefully. Since good cooking requires attention, this is just not an issue unless you are going to leave empty pans on hot burners. Too many people pick copper for its beauty, probably not a good idea if you plan to use it! Curiously, the decorative effect of copper pans is also easy to achieve with dark old Lyonnaise carbon steel (or stainless). I like to have stuff out where I can use it, not in a cabinet where pulling it out is a bit of an undertaking. Pans are really like part of your mise, as are knives and other tools.
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Yep, take too much work to keep it looking nice for those folks hung up on that sort of thing. It’s fine if you have a full brigade to take care of it, not so great for the cook who has to do everything.
Oh, so it doesn’t work any better than SS, I see… It’s a distraction.
