Customer Reviews

Spode Christmas Tree 5-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

My wife received some Spode Christmas dishes as a gift from her mother, and bought some more on her own, and we've been VERY disappointed with them. We've had repeated problems with the painted trim and designs flaking off. We've returned some of it for replacement, but the replacements have had the same problem so we finally gave up. Everything we own has been hand-washed and handled very gently -- even though they claim it's dishwasher-safe, I wouldn't DARE put it in the dishwasher given our experience. They're beautiful when new, but they just don't hold up to even gentle use. Caveat emptor!

I too have a collection of the Spode Christmas Tree pattern and the green paint has chipped off of several of the dishes. I returned them and vowed never to put one in the dishwasher, which I haven't and the new ones have the same problem. With very careful care, hand washing, drying etc. the green trim continues to flake off. I have given up on this pattern and am now collecting the Lenox "Holly" Pattern,

On Thanksgiving we were shocked to open up our china storage cases and find that the green band on our Spode was chipping off. Mind you, these plates have been used only a few times over the past 12 years. We store them in cushioned cases, with bubble wrap between each plate. We have NEVER put them in the dishwasher. They have been treated and stored with great care as they were a gift from a deceased loved-one.

Now on Amazon, I see that there is a clear problem. Too many people are reporting paint failures for this to be caused by dishwashers or improper care. The people that have had their sets for 20+ years - obviously there was a time when Spode took great care to produce quality china. Today however, you never know what you will get. The Spode name is no longer necessarily a sign of quality.

What I am most surprised about is this comment on the Spode website: "Certain tableware patterns will expose you to lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm." Certain? Which? The ones that are flaking apart on our holiday tables??

When lead paint chips/peels/flakes, lead dust can land anywhere. This is a serious health concern far more important than just our plates not looking good! E-mail Spode and let them know that this is unacceptable!

12/29/08 Follow-up: We had lead testing done on these plates, and they WERE VERY positive. They were made in England, early 1990's. Spode has offered to replace them, but I don't want them in my home.

I have been collecting this pattern for 30 years and I have many of the plates and cups with the chipped paint as well.
Old ones, new ones.....drives me crazy. I have too much invested in them to not use anymore.

Very frustrating.

I started collecting this pattern about 3 years ago because several of my family members have had it and I have always loved it because it is such a Christmas classic. I love the pieces I purchased a few years ago. But BEWARE, this pattern is no longer made in England, but now made in Malaysia. I just returned from Macy's where I was planning on purchasing many more pieces. I picked up a plate today at Macy's and noted that it seemed cheap, so I turned it over and it read "Made in Malaysia". Every single plate, mug, bowl at Macy's was marked "Made in Malaysia." The prices have stayed the same, but the quality has plummeted big time on this. I'm very sad and plan on getting rid of my entire collection and starting over with something made of better quality.

I have been buying Spode for years. I love them. They are really beautiful. However, recents purchases have not had the quality as my older dishes. I've noticed that on the newer dishes, the bottom bottom side is not smooth. It's rough, has bubbles and holes. I don't like the way they feel.

I purchased 8 place settings of the Spode Christmas Tree pattern for my wife for Christmas. Every set was seriously defective, many places had no glazing at all. There were rough spots throughout, including very bad places on the rims of cups. This is the worst quality in dishes of any price I have ever seen. Do not buy this product; you will be deeply disappointed.

I have been using mine for every meal, Thanksgiving through New Years for all meals. I pack my regular everyday dishes away when the Spode comes out. I use the dishwasher, bake in the casseroles, and only hand wash the glasses with the gold chasing. I've never had a single chip. The only breakage I've had was when my husband dropped a plate on the driveway in temperatures way below zero.

I adore this pattern and have quite a collection by now. We, too, use it from the Thanksgiving Day dessert course through Epiphany. However, as other reviewers have mentioned, we have indeed noticed problems with flaking trim, especially on the cups, which seem to receive the hardest wear.

Our family traditionally has Thanksgiving dinner on Spode's Woodland pattern. For dessert we get out the Spode Christmas Tree dessert plates for the pumpkin pie, and the Christmas season has officially begun! We use our Christmas Tree exclusively from Thanksgiving through Epiphany. That's 6 weeks of the heaviest eating and the most entertaining of the entire year. Our Spode Christmas Tree china gets us through the holidays with ease. It is durable and dishwasher safe, and can be used in the microwave. I am a klutz in the kitchen, but have never so much as chipped a piece of our Christmas Tree dinnerware. I almost forgot to mention that it makes Christmas shopping easy too. Each year one of our gifts to each other is a new piece of Spode Christmas Tree. It is always a perfect match to our older pieces, always the same great quality, and always a well-received gift. Friends and family really enjoy when we entertain because our table always looks so festive and welcoming. Five stars for Spode!