Marketplace bacon generally will fry up crispy, even the thick cut.
What's the common denominator in store bought bacon -- it's all wet injected tumble cured with water added. This is not an attack on dry curing, but an attempt to explore the possibility that the inclusion of water may be a factor regarding crispness, since dry curing tends to draw moisture out of the meat block -- although frankly I have no evidence to make any conclusion.
Just finished 32 pounds of wet tumble cured bacon. The bacon is great looking, but does have a "chew" no matter how it's cooked, whether skillet fried, oven baked or fried in a commercial clamshell fryer.
This 32 pounds came from one three year old animal, it would be reasonable to attribute the chew to the age of the hog, but....
looking forward to the discussion.