helena Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Do you/would you eat off dishes that contain lead? My MIL gave me a set of desert rose cups and saucers which tested positive for lead :(. Now I'm certain that my cupboard is full of poisoned dishes. I collect random old dishes, I like to set the table in a shabby chic hodge podge sort of look. So sad. What do you do with your grandmothers dishes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Do you mean the Franciscan Desert Rose pattern? Heavens! I hope not! I have the apple pattern by Franciscan. I'd always loved the pattern and about 5 years ago dearest darling hubby bought me a huge set of it from a wonderful antique store in Denver. We have only used it at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas but lately I have been using it whenever the whim strikes. It never occurred to me to check it for lead. heavy sigh. Where/how did you test your dishes for lead? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Most of mine sits in a china cabinet and looks pretty. :D I gave away some stuff and sold others. Check your everyday wear too especially if it is imported. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 Do you mean the Franciscan Desert Rose pattern? Heavens! I hope not! I have the apple pattern by Franciscan. I'd always loved the pattern and about 5 years ago dearest darling hubby bought me a huge set of it from a wonderful antique store in Denver. We have only used it at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas but lately I have been using it whenever the whim strikes. It never occurred to me to check it for lead. heavy sigh. Where/how did you test your dishes for lead? Those are the ones... I bought the tests at a hardware store. I just want to go back in time and pretend I never tested them. I used to date a guy who's father was the head of some health dept. here in Ca. He worked to get all the playground equipment at parks tested and so on. He gave me some swabs to test my mothers mexican bean pot. Of course it was positive. I grew up eating out of that pot, I still have it...for decoration :sad: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbsweetpea Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I choose to NOT test my pretty china (denial is bliss). We RARELY eat off of them though. Mainly because I hate to handwash all of them. I figure my great grandma lived to be almost 101 and most of her siblings did the same so it can't be as bad as we think... right? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 bump :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 ...by usually using them for non-acidic foods, and even better, for foods that are sort of self-contained and at room temperature, like cake or scones. Unfortunately, tea or coffee would probably be among the worst choices, and even worse would be any kind of citrus juice like orange juice or lemonage. But if I used them at all, it would probably be milk in the tea cups and room temp dessert on the plates, and I wouldn't use them very often, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 So I'm wondering, just how dangerous is the presence of lead? I hope that doesn't sound naive, but I am wondering if I should check my everydays, they are pretty cheap. Is it an issue because we are a microwaving society? How do we know what the effect on previous generations actually was? I missed the onset of the lead concern, I'd appreciate some more info to let me know just how concerned I really should be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Thanks, Helena. Hmmm, I guess we could just use them for special occasions. Kind of a bummer, though. I wanted to be more civilized by using the nice china. :) I really don't know how dangerous lead is/the amount needed to cause a problem. Google, here I come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 I wouldn't hesitate to use them. I also use my vintage Fiesta dishes without hesitation and I don't even care of they're radioactive. (But I don't own any vintage red or white so it's unlikely) Lead leaching becomes a problem when you store acidic (particularly acidic liquids) in them. Some of the finest stemware in the world is lead crystal. Yes, drink your wine out of it; no, don't store the wine in the matching decanter indefinitely. IMNSHO, drinking tea out of your cups isn't going to damage you. (Except you tested them so there might be some psychic trauma) Remember that most of us grew up through (at least) the 70s, when we were breathing lead car exhaust and playing in the yards where it landed, eating off lead-glazed dishes, surrounded by lead dust from the paint in our houses, schools, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Lead can cause learning disabilities among other things. That's just the thing I remember off the top of my head. My littlest one used to have a problem with her hands being turned in very badly (called posturing), we chelated and during one session, she dumped alot of lead and her hands straightened out completely. Lead is free floating in the body for only a small time, then it gets stored in the bones and causes bone problems later in life. I think if your liver makes enough glutathione and you can detox, it won't harm you; but if you have any sort of stoppage in your own personal detoxification systems (liver & kidneys) it can build up and hurt you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artist Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 We have been using Vernon Kilns' souvenir plates and Franciscanware dishes over 10 years now. Now I am afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artist Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 I just ate dinner on Vernon Kilns' Carlsbad Caverns. I love the plates with scenes from the opera. Right now I am drinking wine from a Franciscanware apple teacup. What now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrskitty76 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 In my understanding, many ceramics of that time were made with lead but were plastered (e.g. antique sinks, etc.). I think it would only be a problem if the plaster has worn down or has chipped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldenecho Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Oh my...if it's Franciscan Desert Rose a relative of mine has those (just looked it up). They are lovely though. Maybe you could use the plates under other plates (find smaller plates that match). And the cups could be used to serve wrapped candies or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caffeineandbooks Posted July 18, 2021 Share Posted July 18, 2021 Eating from lead plates is a well-known cause of becoming a ZOMBIE 🧟♀️ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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