Wear on a cast iron skillet?

looks like some build up but Lodge pots do not have a slick smooth bottom like an old Wagner or Griswold. I redid a lodge last weekend, this was taken down to bare metal and then seasoned. You can still see the texture on the bottom.

If you want the bottom smooth, sand it down. It will be like glass.

I can't stand a new lodge. I always sand the factory seasoning off to a smooth finish and then reseason it myself. An orbital sander works pretty good then finish with some elbow grease and 120 grit.

Same here. I use a 1/4 in. angle die grinder and a range of sanding discs from Harbor Freight. It takes about 30 minutes to produce a mirror like finish.

New cast iron skillets usually suffer from the casting itself. The factory finish is anything but smooth, and the seasoning always smells like motor oil.

I typically take the angle grinder with some different grit flap wheels to them, and reseason them with good old bacon grease.

One I did about 8yrs ago is so nice now that my daughter can cook eggs in it without even leaving much stuck. to get what's left out, I just rub a paper towel on it, a sheen of grease, and that's it.

Nothing I prefer better to cook on then my cast iron.