Many Le Creuset Pan Handles Have Been Made, As Outlined Below ....

  
 
The "Pan Handle" story started back in 2011, when I was asked "Can you make me a couple of these"? At the time I had no idea how many handles I would finish up making.

Please Note: These handles SHOULD NOT be considered water or dish washer proof. Prolonged exposure to water WILL result in damage occurring.

I use a variety of timbers to make replacement handles, often English Oak and Ash, but I regularly have Mahogany and Iroko in stock (African and American hardwoods). These materials are hard wearing and burn resistant, and are "Fit For Purpose".

Normally I use the timber I have available when an order is placed, and unless otherwise specified, all handles are supplied sealed and varnished without any additional colour.

Nothing is ever kept in stock, all my handles, lid knobs and fittings are made to order, normally, with a very quick turn-around. Other materials can been used, but often, they are subject to additional charges. Also, if additional work is required (or if fittings need to be replaced), the customer is ALWAYS advised up front.		  
         
         
 

Le Creuset Pan Handles (long and short handle)

      
         
   



For me, this is where the journey into "Pan Handles" started.

My friends Gill and Jeff needed some replacement handles for their Le Creuset pans.

These are the completed handles, before a finish had been applied.		  
         
 

Andrew Buckle says "After searching the Internet I came across Jon's website.

I contacted Jon and asked if he could turn me some new wooden handles for our Le Creuset pan set which is over twenty years old.

I had previously contacted Le Creuset direct, but they were unhelpful and did not stock these particular handles any more. Jon made these replacements in Oak and I think they are better than the originals. The finish is great, they are resistant to burning and they are sturdy. I can only say that his work is of a very high standard and if you use his services you will not be dissapointed. I found his communication to be friendly and prompt, and it was a pleasure to do business with him."		    
         
    An interesting project that was much larger than anything I had ever done before started with "Dear Jon, I found your website online and one element particularly caught me eye - the saucepan handles. I liked all the other examples of your work too but it is the handles I am enquiring of". This was closely followed by "I'm looking for about 180 handles in all".

My reply was "An interesting prospect, and yes, I am happy to work with you. I am a hobby turner, not a production turner, so I would need this job to be spread out over a few months, rather than giving you a one batch hit".

A simple response came back, "I am delighted to hear such a positive reply from you, I am indeed".

Some discussion took place between myself and the customer regarding the timber to be used. We all know that Teak was the original wood used by the manufacturer, and it is very expensive to replace, using Teak would more than double my costs. Also, I felt that using something that looked close to Teak in appearance would always be just that (close, but not quite).

A couple of pans were sent (one long handle, one short handle), and some trial pieces were made and sent off, one Ash, one Cherry, and 2 Oak. After a few days, the customer came back with a decision to proceed, with Oak.

The overall timetable for this job turned out to be:
(pun intended)

      23rd August 2015, the original enquiry.

      5th September, four handles made and sent for
      assessment, they were two Oak, one Ash and one Cherry.

      23rd September, 18 handles dispatched.

      26th October, 40 handles dispatched.

      26th November, 110 handles dispatched.
      Total number of handles completed in 3 months was 170.
 		  
         
   
         
 


Yet another Le Creuset handle.
The owner is not known.		    
         
   










My cousin Karen asked me to make these for a dear friend of hers. Karen and I are special friends, and I am pleased to make these Le Creuset handles for her.		  
         
 





Easter Monday (28th March) - the weather was absolute pants. There was only one thing to do - make another 6 Le Creuset pan handles and send them to Frances Gillyon.

On 30th March Frances said: Hey Jon, the handles arrived thank you very much! they look fab. I'll get on with the the Danish oil & send you a photo when they're done, or perhaps you've seen enough of them!!! ha ha, thanks again though, I'm really chuffed that I can keep my pans going..... Fran.

And then on 1st April Frances said: Here you go, 3 finshed & fitted already. Many thanks to you they look fab again.
Fran x

P.S. The old handles had so had it - I oiled the long screw too.		    
         
     
         
 
I had a 'Scottish' enquiry for some pan handles. They were completed with due dilligance, and I had some photo's back of the completed job, along with the following words.

"Many thanks, the handles arrived in the post this afternoon. They are great and I have already fitted them to our set of pans - a perfect fit. Thanks again for supplying these lovely handles and for the speed and ease with which you handled our original enquiry".		  
         
     
         
         
         
  As is often the case, I had a typical "Le Creuset" enquiry, and I said my customary "YES", not appreciating that replacing an old phenolic handle with a new wooden one was going to be slightly different. Regardless of that, Adam and Abby said the following:

We bought some old Le Creuset pans in a charity shop but didn't want the old black phenolic handles.

We found Jon via Google, his work and reviews looked great and priced very reasonably. We had a swift reply to our initial message and all subsequent ones and found Jon very easy to deal with.

Initially we received handles from him that didn't fit - no fault of Jon's - but our pans seem not to take the standard size he had produced for others. 		   
 
We returned them without problem and he replaced them very quickly with new ones that were perfect (he even bought new equipment so that he was able to do this).

We are really happy with the product and they look lovely. We felt the service was impeccable and would certainly recommend Jon to others!		  
         
   




On 14th December 2016 I had an email from Ben Gregory saying "I stumbled across your site and am pleased to finally find someone who can make Le Creuset Pan Handles?"


On Friday 16th December the relevant bits arrived for me to replicate. Also on Friday 16th I sent an email saying that the handles were done and were on their way back via 1st class post.


On Sunday 18th December I had an email saying "Just a quick note to say a massive thank you for the handles, they all fit perfectly! The service and craftsmanship cannot be questioned".


When asked "Was she happy with them", Ben replied "Absolutely!... she wasn't expecting them back for Xmas". 		 
         
 


A simple request, could I make a replacement handle for a
Le Creuset frying pan.

A simple reply, "Yes".

Until now I have not been asked for one of these, so all the bits were requested. Fortunately there was just enough information left within the old handle to leave me with a set of measurements to work to.

When the job was complete, John Poulter from Stirling (Feb '18) replied: Thanks Jon for the pan handle. It fits perfectly and looks fabulous - from so little to work from, incredible results.

 
         
   
No sooner had I done the pan pictured above I had anther request, from James Dough.

Having done the first one, it was simply a matter of replicating all the measurements, a quick and easy job which was well received.		  
         
 



Like all good buses, requests do seem to come along in 3's.

A Le Creuset frying pan arrived on the doorstep with a simple request, "Please make me a new handle".

On completion, the owner paid, and said "Thanks" (Feb '18).
It doesn't get much simpler than that.

 
         
 
It is now late February in 2021, and it is many months now since the frying pan notes were written above, so it won't hurt to add a new comment.

Bert Preist from Wolverley in the West Midlands emailed me, asking about a replacement handle for a Le Creuset frying pan.

Just 10 days after the original enquiry came in I had another email from Bert saying "I have just received the Le Creuset frying pan handle you made for me in the post this morning and I have to say it is fantastic. It fits perfectly and the finish looks great. Thank you once again."

Thanks for the comment Bert, I hope it serves you well.		  
         
         
   
In late March 2018 I had an email from Victoria Hoskyns, North London, saying that she had a 28 year old Le Creuset milk pan with a non stick base and a double lip.

She had managed to take off the handle but the metal stem was completely rusted and seemed as if it were welded to the pan.

The question was, "I imagine if I try to pull it out it will snap. Is it a lost cause?"

I asked about the state of the chrome ring and the hanging loop, and the reply was "it looks like it needs a complete refurb, a new stem, handle, loop and ring".		  
 
 
When the pan arrived, all became clear. The steel rod was rusted into the pan, the chrome ring was weak and damaged, the wooden handle was disintegrating, and the end of the rod had broken off in the hanging loop.

After a couple of days waiting time, I was able to email Victoria, saying "do you recognise this ??".

It is good to get a before and after shot like this.

A simple reply came back from Victoria, "it looks AMAZING".		    
 
 
    A normal type of enquiry in November 2022. "Can you refurbish my Le Creuset pan".


When the pan arrived in my workshop I found that there was no ferrule or bolt, and the loop and handle had been glued onto the pan with some form of epoxy, so, a full re-build was required.


After the pan was returned, Simon said "Just wanted to say many thanks for the work you did to bring my Le Creuset pan back to life. It works perfectly and looks beautiful. I couldn't be happier. Craftsmanship such as this is a joy to witness".		  
 
 
 

Le Creuset Repairs and Refurbishing

      
 
   







The most common problem I encounter with Le Creuset pans is rust inside the handle. Most often (but not exclusively) this is caused by putting the pans in a dish washer.




The net result means that the stem thread corrodes into the loop fitting, and at the same time, rust weakens, and eats through the main threaded bolt section.




Then, the moment you apply the slightest force to the loop end, the bolt snaps, and major surgery is then required.		  
 
 








When broken pans arrive in my workshop they are inspected with care, to see what parts can be resurected, and what parts need to be replaced.





As shown in this pair of pictures (here and above), stem bolts can be re-drilled and re-tapped to allow a new bolt to be inserted.





Sometimes, an old bolt can be removed from a loop fitting, but not often, so these need to be carefully drilled as well.		    
 
 




Typical wear and tear on a Le Creuset pan is first and foremost a burnt handle. This is closely followed by water damage, often caused by putting the pan in a dish washer.




Handle replacement is simple and straight forward, so long as the pan can be dissassembled.




If the metal ferrule needs to be replaced, I have a stock of chromed steel tube which is a very close match to the original. I do have a VERY small stock of old "loop ends", some of which have been drilled and re-furbished.

  
 
 
 

An Alternative For Your OLD Le Creuset Loop Fitting

      
 
For a long time now I have been searching for ways to improve what I can offer with regard to repairs and re-furbishment of Le Creuset pans, and finally, I have come up with a solution that works well.

Here I show the fittings I now use. Actually, it is a 5mm lifting ring screwed into a 5mm thread coupler, all attached to a standard Le Creuset pan stem.

Having put that assembly together, all I had to do was design a handle that would fill the gap, and below you will see several examples.		    
 
 
 


Finally, I have found a suitable alternative. Made of stainless steel, this ring fitting serves as a good fixture for the handle, while retaining the essential look of the original.

I have often thought that the original "short" handle was a little too short for comfort, and here you see my new fitting attached to a slightly longer handle, all mounted on a standard pan and bolt. I believe it looks good, and I am sure it will you serve well.

  
         
 

My first commission for the new style loop fitting says:

I acquired 3 Le Creuset saucepans via my late mother who got them in the 1970s or 80s!

Two of the wooden handles were badly worn, possibly because they had been through a dishwasher too many times. I embarked on a local search to find suggestions of how they could be fully repaired.

This proved to be totally unsuccessful so I resorted to the internet and came across Jon's website. I instantly thought this is exactly what I'm looking for so contacted Jon through Email.		    
         
   

I sent some photos to Jon and within 1/2 an hour I had a reply. The saucepans were despatched and were returned within a week. I am absolutely delighted.

The quality of the workmanship and value for money is superb, these pans will now last for years. I reckon the cost of the repair for both is less than 1/2 the cost of one new equivalent pan.

I'll be forever ever grateful and if you have a similar problem you will too. Its a strange world, I have never meet Jon, and probably, I never will.

Peter Crean, Sandwich, Kent (Nov '19)		  
         
         
 


The following enquiry came in from Iwan Roberts (Cardiff) in January 2021.

We have a wonderful set of 5 saucepans which are 30 years old and were inherited from a relative.

For many years we have done a terrible thing, we have washed them in a dishwasher, which as you can see has had a serious damaging effect on them.

The hangers have discoloured, the wooden handles have faded and become lose and the metal shafts break when you try to take them apart.

I see you have renovated some sets with new handles, hangers and possibly the shaft. My enquiry is to see if it's worth trying to repair them or should we look for replacements.		    
         
   
When the set arrived in my workshop I took the "before" photo shown above so that I would have something to compare with later.

All the old rods were cut off and the 5 pan stems were then re-drilled and threaded, ready to accept new rods.

I tried to re-drill the loop fittings with no success, so with Iwan's permission, I proceeded to fit new, replacement stainless steel loops.

One long and four short Oak handles were made and varnished. They had already been drilled to accomodate the needs of the new stainless steel loop fittings.

New rods were installed in the pans to the correct length, and assembly was completed.

The "after" photo shows what can be achieved with just a little effort, and before you ask, YES, it is the same set.

SO, DO NOT PUT WOODEN HANDLES IN A DISH WASHER		  
         
 

Another big Le Creuset job completed this week which was very satisfying.

A full 5 pan refurbish, complete with replacement knobs, all carried out for Derek and Heather O'Brian.

Each pan had to be drilled to receive a new stem bolt. A new Iroko handle was fitted and retained by a stainless steel loop fitting.

Add to that, the 5 new wooden lid knobs to match, Derek and Heather were well pleased with the fully refurbished set.

Not a difficult job, but a very pleasing result considering that when they arrived they looked very similar to the set shown above, (Oct '21).		    
 
 
 






Jon, we were very impressed with the professionalism and quality of work that you provided.



Our Le Creuset saucepan handle was falling apart and you not only made a new handle but also replaced the old rod and provided a new loop while I waited. Our saucepan now looks as new.



The cost for this work was very reasonable and we would have had to stop using the saucepan without your help. I would highly recommend you to anyone.

Richard Wyatt, April 2024.