Ravenscroft Crystal Tradewinds Decanter

This is a great lead-free decanter for the price. It will easily hold a standard 750ml bottle of your favorite spirit.The decanter itself has a nice heft to it, my only concern is the lack of a lip at the top of the short neck. You'll either have to have a firm, sure grip on the bottle when pouring, or you'll have to use two hands. I haven't had a problem so far, but after a few drinks I could see it becoming a little more difficult to keep a grip on it.

The decanter looks wonderful on my bar. It looks even better when it's full of Scotch. The problems begin when you want to get what's in it back out. There is no easy way to do it, you either have to pour quickly or risk of having whatever is inside running down the side and making a mess. I'd recommend it if what your keeping in it isn't needed very often.

It is a nice decanter, though for the price, I thought the crystal could have been smoother and with no bubbles in it.

Beautiful design and very hefty. I bought this as groomsmen gifts and a few have commented that the pour is difficult out of this shape. You are basically grasping on to a neck with a lot of weight as you make a pour. Doable, but not the most functional.

I also purchased the Larchmont by Ravenscroft and received it before this one. The Tradewinds is not a bad looking decanter, but it is a borderline failure compared to the Larchmont. The Tradewinds is light and feels fragile in the hand. The stopper is also very light and does not feel like it gets a good seal in the neck. In comparison to the Larchmont, there are some pretty rough edges on the neck of the Tradewinds. I would give it 4 stars if it were cheaper. I would recommend leaving this be and picking up something else by Ravenscroft.

I purchased this, along with two other Ravenscroft decanters, to give as a gift. The decanter is nicer than most you'll find at department stores (Macy's, Dillard's, etc.), but it seems a bit cheap, in my opinion, compared to other Ravenscroft offerings. The Wellington and Taylor decanters have thick bases, necks, and stoppers that give them a nice weighty feel. This particular model is fairly thin at the neck and the stopper forms a hollow bowl above the neck (difficult to see from the picture).It is well made and the quality was flawless. If you're looking for more of a light-weight, modern design this would probably be a good choice.