Hi everyone,
                 this may be old hat but here I go anyway. I bought a deep 12" Lodge oven the other day from the following in Melbourne.
http://www.redbacktrading.com.au
this chaps name is Ian Gill and he really is a top bloke he even refunded me some freight when he found out that the postal rates were cheaper than expected. He is getting in a whole stack of CO's soon (Feb) I think and I have my name down on a 16" version already. Yahoo Buckaroo, I used this gear when based in the good "ol USA and won a few chilli cookoffs with one. I even had one brew delivered to the base in San Diego on the back of a fire truck . It came in sirens blaring with my pot of chilli on the back, I speak with straight tongue. What a laugh we all had lucky the Budweiser truck was handy to extinguish the burning laughing gear.
All the best
"The Roosel"

I think what I want to say is that a lot of US residents get lost in 'buy USA' over iron qualilty.  Camp Chef also gets the nod for good iron quality.  Nor are they the only ones.  There is an oven made in Texas.

I know a lot of Aussies are on the buy Australian band wagon too, & I wouldn't try to say I really know what's good and being made now.  I just know of Billmans, Lodge and Camp Chef being available over there.  & there is one other I've heard about.

:-/

LK
I think most aussies would like to buy Australian made goods, but it is almost impossible to get what you want here, so buying imported goods is the only way out for us.
Muzz

---

Muzz, I was covering the possibility that when skiproosel was stationed in the US, that he hung out with some of those "made in the USA" only types.  & I think also that Camp Chef really ought to turn up for less than Lodge, for all that Lodge has a world wide marketing thing going.  Camp Chef are actually made in China, but the quality control is in the US.

If they arrive in Oz via container ship they will cost less than what one pays by ordering from this continent now, still here's a source:  http://www.rvingoutpost.com/cooksupplies.php  It's Julie's store, natch.

As I said Lodge has world wide marketing.  I'd watch the prices at the site above and see how they compare with Billman's.  & it might be nice to see some 'investigative reports' on the Made in China Furphy's iron quality.  Have any tests been done?

:-/

I collect camp ovens, mainly old Australian, and while I use them and get a lot of pleasure out of them I like to think that I'm preserving a bit of history.
Of all the old ones I've bought I think only one was in a usable condition, the rest were badly rusted, some were painted and some had the last meal they cooked still welded to the inside. I restore them and hopefully extend their life for the next hundred years or so.

pd

After seeing the photo of a Bedourie used for over 30 years I believe you PD and will looking far more closely at garage sales etc.   I see you are also from Sydney I hope you dont go treasure hunting in the same area  :D
http://images.meez.com/user02/01/01_10032716631_1199512863654.gif

G'day Carolyn. Slim pickings for old ovens around Sydney I can tell you and that holds true for any of the roads well travelled. I'm not going to give away some of my secret sources but I get the occasional (very !)good oven from mates who live in country areas but you have to be prepared to pay for them.
Clearing auctions on rural properties sometimes throw up job lots, a box of mixed ovens and lids, some broken. I got a box in Dubbo before Christmas, three pots and lids, old, mismatched and rusty for $30 but nothing special.
It's all in the thrill of the chase, gee it's lovely when you find something special the price doesn't matter, well that's if the missus doesn't find out !!

pd

Ok PD we can make a pact with each other, you dont tell the DH and I wont tell your SWMBO.

Deal?

OK, done deal but the bit you disclosed about living bayside worries me, north or south of the big bridge ? I get the odd oven from the suburbs around me and I don't need competition. LOL
I've never got a decent pot at a garage sale, got several good ones at market days and a few at antique shops in country towns but they are usually very overpriced. Most of my good ovens I've got from......


pd

Hey PD must of had a computer glitch I couldn't read your last sentence could you please repost.
The Roosel