Saturday, October 23, 2010

Replacing Dinner Plates

Beware of Cabella's dinnerware
I'm on a roll with rants about junk products.  You have to walk through a mine field when purchasing anything these days.  Three years ago my folks gave us a nice service of stoneware dishes, purchased no less at the high end outfitter store Cabellas. While the dishes themselves seem to perform well enough in the oven/microwave/dishwasher, the moose images have just about been scraped off from occasional use.  These were never used every day.  As you can see, the picture is from a salad plate.  Needless to say, I have stopped using them for fear we have been ingesting lead paint.  The plates were made in China.  Several wildlife themed coffee mugs purchased from Cabellas should have been marked 'for decoration purposes only' ... and who would buy them knowing that?  Seems the mugs were coated with a shellac type finish so the image wouldn't rub off.  These were marked 'not dishwasher safe' ... now I know why .. tell that to kids that don't read the fine print.



 

Of late I've been picking up vintage odds and end pieces of Homer Laughlin, Shenango, Syracuse and various other dish brands made in the USA that once graced diners and private homes.
Homer Laughlin & Shenango


I rather like the look of mix and match .. and at 25 & 50 cents to $1 a plate on days the thrift stores give a 50% discount, you can't beat the price.
Homer Laughlin


My favorite plates are the oval diner plates made of vitreous china (the same durable product sinks and toilets are made from;).  

Jackson China, hotel supply, Portland, Oregon

They are great to heat up before use to keep the food nice and warm.

I think it's time to pay Cabella's a visit to see about getting a refund.  Buyer beware!