I think f&w means fanned and watching. Not positive though. I love these. I know a few people that only use cast iron to cook with and they would love these. Are there any markings on them as to who made them?
I don't know if they would be all that good to cook with. I always thought they were just for decoration but I guess you really could use them. they just say Taiwan on the backs. f & w. makes sense.
I think that if they are solid cast iron, they can be cured and used just like skillets are. To me they look old like antiques. Are they heavy like cast iron?