S/O: Where can I buy AFFORDABLE Fair Trade/natural/safe dinnerware? - Page 4

[mercy589]

Should have checked that next link first! How did I miss seeing this? Agh! I've been waiting for that!

[melissa17s]

Originally Posted by MettaSutta

I made a commitment to buy locally made dinnerware from a very creative potter here in town. I wouldn't exactly call it affordable, but I've been slowly adding to my collection. It's handmade, lead free and I'm supporting a local artist.

That is my thought too, but then I share a studio space with about 30 other potters. Sometimes, you can get a price break by buying a set or many pieces at once. Or, you could also take some pottery classes and make your own.

[Manonash]

Buying local pottery appeals to me too. Is there a way to tell what's in the glazes they use there too? Since lead in glazing is legal in the US, what's to prevent it from being in the glazes that the custom potters use?

[melissa17s]

Originally Posted by Manonash

Buying local pottery appeals to me too. Is there a way to tell what's in the glazes they use there too? Since lead in glazing is legal in the US, what's to prevent it from being in the glazes that the custom potters use?

Lead is NOT legal in the US in food grade ceramics. There have been laws prohibiting the use of lead in ceramic since the late 1970s. The risk with lead and glazes are more for the potters than the person using the pottery anyway because very little would ever leach if you came across the rare piece that does have it.

[Manonash]

Thanks melissa17s. I did not know that. I have so much to learn -- so are ceramic and stoneware not the same thing, or does the law only apply to pottery shops and not large commercial operations? I'm also thinking about ceramic mugs and things I used to see that had a label on them that they were not to be used for consumption of food/drink; does that mean that lead was used in those?

My head is spinning!:

Oh, I was telling DH about the pottery thing last night and he loved the idea, but said that if DD helped make them, we would cry elephant tears if we broke one.

[MrsMike]

My mom has a Correlle set. It's about 19-20 years old. It's held up pretty well. She also has a Pfalzkraft set as do I.
What about Bamboo? I saw some Bamboo sets out there that were made in china? Safe?
Where do you get lead testing kits? How much are they?

[Serendipity]

what about just plain glass dishes?

[sora]

I just ordered Lead Inspector test kit to test dishes and toys. I heard Lead Check brand is pretty good too.
Is it really true that embedded lead in the glaze wouldn't turn up in the test?
What's the point of testing then!
Lead Inspector claim that it can test surface lead in dishes.
Should I throw out all the dishes just to be sure! I have Corelle and dishes made in Japan. ARGHHHHHH!

[annettemarie]

How can I find out about the Longaberger dishes my MIL got for us? This is all so overwhelming.

[mommy2maya]

I've read and heard that the lead test kits aren't made for testing regular everyday stuff, it is mostly for testing paint & house stuff, and that the testing isn't accurate. I have also heard that the testing that the news people are using is a more accurate test for the items most people are wanting tested.

From:

http://www.centerforhealthyhousing.o...estconprod.pdf

Color Change Tests
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated that color change tests are not reliable.2 These tests, which are available at many hardware and home repair stores as kits (sometimes called “swab” tests), rely on a color change to determine the presence or absence of lead. In the most common consumer kit, chemical reagents are mixed within a tube, which has an applicator on the end. The reagents then soak the end of the tube. The applicator end of the tube is rubbed on the surface to be tested and the tester then determines if a pink or other color change is observed on the applicator after a short time. These tests rely on the ability of the reagents in the kit to contact the lead directly and to dissolve some of it. If an overcoating is present, or if the lead is embedded within a plastic, no color change may occur, even though lead may be present. If an object is tested using this method, it should be thoroughly washed after the test to remove any remaining chemical residue. The results are available within minutes. Lead may still be present even if it does not turn red because:
•
The liquid did not contact the lead surface or dissolve the lead;
•
The amount of lead removed with the swab was not enough to cause the color change;
•
If the paint is bright yellow (which may be lead chromate paint) the swab may not adequately detect lead in this type paint
The cost for these tests is generally about $2-$5 per sample, depending on the kit size

[SleeplessMommy]

Originally Posted by Manonash

Buying local pottery appeals to me too. Is there a way to tell what's in the glazes they use there too? Since lead in glazing is legal in the US, what's to prevent it from being in the glazes that the custom potters use?

Training. Potters learn in their pottery classes about glazes and the dangers of lead. It is well understood among craft potters that lead is a bad idea, especially for the potter. Glazes are often mixed from powders, so there is lots of possible exposure. The university and community college based "open" pottery classes all use food safe glazes... any exceptions are ones the students would be told about, and these are few and far between.

I know lots of potters, and have taken classes, but only one potter (a specialist!) has ever used lead glazes, that I know of. All of the "craft show" pottery in food-holding shapes is (or really should be lead free). Where lead is used, the glazes would be mixed and applied in a different studio than where food safe pottery is made. Probably even different kilns.

If you want to see high lead containing dishes, look in a thrift shop or discount store (like Marshalls) for red-decorated, made in China plates that have a hole in the foot for hanging on the wall. USA regulations require the lead glazed pottery be marked (on the reverse) with "for decorative purposes only, not for food use.) This also applies to imported pottery.

The pottery regulations apply to stonewere, earthenware, porcelain, etc.

My favorite potter:

http://pigfutures.blogspot.com/ scroll down for pottery pics.

[boysrus]

Cross-posting this from the N&CE post on the subject:

According to this, the corelle line has no lead leaching, except in the fruit painting, and that is still pretty low (I guess, I am not sure what the numbers mean)
http://www.kutv.com/sites/kutv/conte...es-results.pdf

The report also states that made in the USA plates have been found to have lead in them, and older ones have higher levels. So made in the USA from a thrift shop might be a worse way to go.

It is interesting to find this conversation here. I was just posting about his in another thread. Last year, we bought a set of beautiful plates fromt he Dollar Tree. I think they were Gibson, but they might have been something else. Anyway, when we would microwave food, the plate would get super hot to the touch,n your hand after a minute,but the food would stay cold. As we started using them more, the finish started coming off at the adges, and I could see a shiny underlayer! We dumped the plates as soon as we could, and bought white (some with blue ridges) corelle. We felt it was the only safe way to go on a total budget. We couldn't trust any other brand. we picked them up at the thrift shop for $1 a plate.
We have to clean up our cups and bowls though. We have some corelle bowls, but I am getting rid of everything else in favor of Corelle or glass. We have some Dansk cups I am keeping (the report showed them to be clean, and I would think Danish standards would be very high) and some Ikea ones.

[rainbowmoon]

www.greenfeet.com has some neat recycled plates and glasses. (we have the recycled rings glasses) they were made in Spain.

[Manonash]

Sleeplessmommy, thank you so much. Very helpful!

[mamadelbosque]

My family has always had "grannyware" plates/bowls... They're metal and as such are safe to put in the oven and do *not* break! (So, perfect for little ones.)... Obviously, the aren't microwave safe, but I suppose you can't have everything!

www.lehmans.com has them... I think they come in blue, green, red and black now, though we've always just had blue

[sora]

Are wooden bowls dishwasher safe?

Are wooden bowls dishwasher safe?

I have a very beautiful dinner set I bought from Pier 1. It says on the bottom "Made in China" "Hand painted" They were very expensive. I asked the clerk before buying whether they have lead. She told me that their stuff meet the American or Canadian Standards (I'm in Canada) and I'm pretty sure she said they don't have lead in them. But I'm stupid just to believe her. I should've done my research before buying because now I suspect them to have lead as they are made in China and hand painted.
They are by "DAKARA". But I can't find any info on this company on the web.
I'm so frustrated...
I'm going to do a lead test on them. Are these test kits pretty accurate in reading lead in dishes? I heard lead can be embedded so wouldn't be detected.

[KaraBoo]

so IKEA dishes are safe?

[Manonash]

The report also states that made in the USA plates have been found to have lead in them, and older ones have higher levels. So made in the USA from a thrift shop might be a worse way to go.

This is a bummer to me. My grandmother gave me an old set of "apple" print plates and dinnerware that she's had for years and I'm afraid to use it. Also, not being able to buy thrift makes just one more thing I can't reuse now. I can't buy most toys, and now most plates and such.

[Gunter]

have you thought about thrift stores? we get a lot of our stuff from there.

[rainbowmoon]

Originally Posted by mamadelbosque

My family has always had "grannyware" plates/bowls... They're metal and as such are safe to put in the oven and do *not* break! (So, perfect for little ones.)... Obviously, the aren't microwave safe, but I suppose you can't have everything!

www.lehmans.com has them... I think they come in blue, green, red and black now, though we've always just had blue

doesn't all enamelware contain some lead?