Customer Reviews

Johnson Brothers Friendly Village 28-Piece Set with Square Accent Plates, Service for 4

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Okay. I got them, and 4 pieces were broken in a set of 16 place settings ... a hassle, but Amazon is sending replacements, and I get to ship back for free, so could have been worse.

But, the biggest disappointment was discovering, that printed only on the paper tags, these were made in China ... not in England like all my prior pieces. I am actually strongly against made in China products. But, a relative saw the sets, asked if they could buy them from me ... so I'm okay in that I can now go out and see if I can find some still Made in England (I have my serious doubts, and I may be back to ordering more from here).

On the upside, the dishes are gorgeous (the painting is a little different than my old pieces, but nothing you would seriously notice). The look great on the table, and this is a set that you can use for years. They are NOT china for anyone looking for china, these are stoneware. But, this is a pattern I love.

Due to the made in China aspect, I am thinking about buying Spode Woodlands dishes, though ... I wonder if they are made in China as well now days.

The order of Johnson Brothers Friendly Village 28-piece set I just received is on its way back to Amazon. The shipping box was so flimsy and had so little packing paper I am surprised it made it here at all. The box was giving way and ripped at the corner. The inner box wasn't in much better shape. It was on its side and the top was ripping. Three pieces were pretty well shattered since all were so poorly packed, only in cardboard with edges not protected and nothing sealed. I am amazed more weren't broken. That was bad enough, but the quality of the china was so very poor. I have some of this pattern from when it was made in England, and the difference in quality is striking. I have always loved Johnson Brothers china but will have to look for it in antique stores. These dishes are not worth buying at any price.Johnson Brothers Friendly Village 28-Piece Set with Square Accent Plates, Service for 4

I bought two of these sets and just love the look, but after reading the reviews (after I purchased and did not notice the made in China stickers that were on my own dishes), I was concerned with lead content since "Made in China" often times have a lead problem. I had my daughter do a lead test for me (she has a tester kit and has tested other items). NO LEAD CONTENT showed. We checked every color thoroughly.

These dishes are just beautiful. I love them and so does my daughter-in-law.I bought them as a gift to her. They fit a young life-style with mugs instead of cup and saucer and lots of bowls.

The dishware arrived very timely and extremely well packed. I am very pleased with the accuracy of the pictures on-line and what arrived.

Four items in this set were broken and very kindly Amazon will ship an entire second set. They will not require me to send broken pieces. What company do you know who is so considerate of their customers? Only other one which comes to mind is Zappos.

These were replacement plates for some we had purchased several years ago, but lost through wear and tear. the order came through quickly, and safely, which was important since it was fragile china.

We are VERY happy with the quality of the product as well as the quality of both the price and the service.

Thanks,

Pat & Connie

I ORDERED 2 SETS OF THE VILLAGE FRIENDLY DISHES. I HAD 1 SALAD PLATE THAT WAS BROKEN, AMAZON SENT ME A NEW SET IN ITS PLACE. WOW. HOW AWESOME. I LOVE AMAZON. I HAVE BEEN SHOPPING HERE SINCE 1998. NOT ONE TIME HAVE I BEEN DISSAPOINTED. AMAZON WILL MAKE ANY PROBLEM RIGHT. THE DISHES ARE SO VERY PRETTY. I'M ONE HAPPY CAMPER. THANKS AMAZON.....

This set arrived with three broken pieces. I'm not surprised because of the distance it had to travel.

On the positive side, I called Amazon and they are sending an ENTIRE replacement set for free! Anyway, Amazon asked me to send the broken pieces back (okay, but strange).

In summary, despite the problems with delivery I must say that this is a very nice set... it is home-y. It's also pretty nice for a single guy to have; I think it is masculine and classy. Why shouldn't a guy have the finer things?

My original review is below. I have downgraded my review by one star from 4 stars to 3. Here's why: I am feeling it's not right that the description doesn't say these are seconds. My set has many bare spots in the glaze along the edges. It has many slight bumps. I can live with these for the price. But seconds must be identified as such.

My set arrived in fine shape, i.e. unbroken. These aren't bone china, but they're a good sturdy stoneware. I think they'll last. The colors and print quality are fine, too. Each dish group has a different print, with the exception of the fruit bowls, which repeat the pattern found in the large soup bowls. Anyway, most of the prints are charming. I'm fond of the colors: soft dark brown with subtle yellow highlights, along with the delicate blue and pink. Since I got this set from Amazon for about a hundred bucks, down from 400 something, I don't want to discourage anyone from getting this set at such a good price. That said, these are seconds. I can recognize inconsistencies in the glaze, like tiny bubbles, and spots that are matte and probably shouldn't be. For example: where there is a pale blue highlight, that color seems to sit on top of the clear glaze, and is matte. I think that's unusual and it leads me to wonder if the chemical nature of the blue color is apt to leach out or if the blue will wear off. I just don't know, and since these are food plates made in China (according to previous reviewers), I am left feeling a bit wary.* A couple of pieces have faults created in the firing process - little shards of clay that blew off other pieces in the kiln and adhered to the others. I think the seller should be upfront about this. I realize the bargain price might indicate such to some people, but I like honesty. I'm still happy with this set - even with the small imperfections, it's a bargain.

*Update: After handwashing the set, the matte finish over the blue highlights disappeared. Good, i guess, but I still think it was odd.