Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I had high hopes for this product especially being an owner of several Lodge cast iron products. Received the carbon steel skillet tonight and attempted the egg test. The pan appeared to be seasoned well per factory seasoning process like the other cast iron items I've received (no chips or dings). I added a generous amount of olive oil and let it heat a while on medium (gas burner). Cracked the egg and dropped it in and it stuck to the pan almost immediately. I've uploaded some photos of the egg's journey... # Pros - Lighter than cast iron - Rugged, and will be used on a campfire and grill - Should last a lifetime - Long handle # Cons - Nothing like the cast iron which passes the egg tests on first use - Price, more expensive than the cast iron but performed the worst on initial cook I will be scrubbing down the pan and re-seasoning it myself since other reviews mentioned the same problem I faced. The cast iron items get better with use so I'm hoping the same thing. First impression cooking with is pan was horrible. Hopefully I can update this review and increase the stars since I'm a huge fan of Lodge. # Update 2017-03-22 I've had to bump it up from 3 to 4 stars. Second time using the pan, the egg did not stick! I had scrubbed it down with a chainmail scrubber and re-seasoned the pan on the stove top and not the oven. I added a light coat of vegetable oil to the entire pan after washing it. Then placed it on the stove top with high heat setting until it started smoking. I reduced the heat to medium and allowed it to cook in some more. I wiped down the pan after it cooled down. Then I heated it up again, added a little olive oil and cooked an egg that didn't stick. I've uploaded more photos of the 2nd time cooking an egg with this pan. I'm a very happy customer and will update this review as I use this pan more. # Update 2017-03-26 I've had to bump it up from 4 to 5 stars. This carbon steel pan has become my favorite frying pan in the kitchen! My first impression cooking with this item was poor due to the factory seasoning. After using it several times and washing it properly, it's non-stick and works amazing. It's now my go-to egg pan. The factory seasoning seems to only help with actual continued seasoning. I'm pretty sure the factory seasoning is there just to keep it from rusting and it provides the new black finish look without the toxic metals/chemicals and paint that most non-stick frying pans come with. I haven't ran into issues that other people have reported with the warping issue. I use a gas range and heat the pan up on high with the biggest burner and experienced no warping. I noticed my pan has started to build up a nice patina with only several uses. For those who are experienced with carbon steel know what a good patina does and how it helps to prevent rusting. I'm very happy with this purchase and will be ordering the 12 inch pan soon. Next and final test will be using it at the campfire!