Mikasa Cake Stand, Set of 2, Brown

I bought these cake stands for a photo shoot, and to be fair, they did the job. However, revisiting them a few months later revealed some serious quality issues. I found rust in critical places—not exactly what you want when showcasing something that’s supposed to be all about elegance! I live in a pretty mild environment, so I’m not sure how these ended up with such a bad case of the rusties. One of the stands has a riser lock that has completely rusted shut. I guess a little WD-40 could save the day, but it’s disappointing nonetheless. The other stand also has rust in a different area, like it's trying to win a contest for “Most Unfortunate Cake Stand.” To add to the drama, I struggled to secure the top to the stand base. I had to use some serious muscle, and even then, there was a gap between the screw threading and the column base. The other stand had a riser that somehow decided to go rogue and popped off the decorative base, exposing some unsightly silver threading. I twisted and turned, but it just wouldn’t go back. All in all, I’m pretty disappointed with the construction quality of these stands. They look decent, but I wouldn’t recommend them for anyone planning to use them for more than a single photo shoot. I was surprised to see Mikasa venturing into this territory, as I usually think of them for their elegant glasses and plates. It seems they reached a bit too far from their usual focus, and it shows in the hardware. If you’re looking for something that lasts beyond a photo op, you might want to keep searching!