Question:
Hi there, Do you know if my Red Wing dishes (Bob White) from the 1950′s contain any lead? My Mother is a worry wort and won’t let me use them for the kids. Thanks for your help, Lisa Leuthold

Answer: It’s my understanding that the glazes used on Red Wing dinnerware did contain lead. That said, I am not aware of any health issues that have arisen from using properly made dinnerware with lead-containing glazes. Poorly made dishes produced in loosely regulated countries are usually the source of such concerns. Red Wing dinnerware with an intact glaze should pose no problem. Our family has used a set of Red Wing dinnerware as our everyday dishes for over 25 years. Avoid using chipped and cracked pieces, or pieces with crazing in the glaze. (Crazing refers to tiny cracks in the glaze which render the glaze no longer intact; this was a problem with older dinnerware but was resolved by the time Bob White was made.)

Larry