Somewhere between heirloom and obsession lives the cast iron skillet — a piece of cookware people inherit from grandmothers, rescue from barn sales, and argue about on the internet with startling intensity. This week we're exploring the surprisingly rich world of cast iron: its history as an American kitchen staple, the almost meditative ritual of seasoning and care, and the collectors who think nothing of spending a Saturday restoring a century-old Griswold to its former glory. It's about the pleasure of owning something built to outlast you — and the strange comfort in that.