I know this is an old thread, but I feel I should weigh in. I've just finished installing the same tile, Walker Zanger Gramercy Park in Pipe Smoke. I had absolutely no problem with the tile except having to wait because it was backordered. Evidently it is very popular, and for good reason. It is a great tile with a terrific color and finish. I purchased it from a reputable tile store that delivered it to my home at no charge. Before accepting it, I had the delivery man open ALL the boxes and inspect them to make sure that they were the correct color and amount (we counted every piece), and that none of the pieces were damaged. I would not have accepted the goods had something been wrong. Also, before I placed the (over $2000) order, I showed the sample to my tile installer to make sure that the quality was such that he would have no problem with the installation. He assured me that Walker Zanger tile in general and this tile in particular is manufactured of the highest quality and is a pleasure to work with. As consumers, it is up to us to be vigilant when spending our hard-earned money, and it is our responsibility to do all we can to make sure that the products we purchase are in good order before we accept them or make the final payment. That being said, on occasion some products are defective, but those instances should not be taken as representative of the entire company or indeed of all their products. I hope that anyone reading this thread will realize that this is a highly unusual situation and not make a judgement about this particular tile from this one person's experience. P.S. I do NOT work for Walker Zanger!

Not sure if it's the same color or just similar. They have a pale gray that's really great and a pale beige (impossible to tell what's what online -- their repro is awful). Some of those have a halo effect, which is not my personal preference. It makes a beautiful floor for a bath which won't get a lot of daily traffic. Expect you've seen the herringbone marble mo with the color dots, another favorite. The one I linked above is good for an entry or a large room as it's rather dark and Vic'y but it's really stunning.

Yes, eventually I spoke with someone higher-up who not only apologized, but also provided a partial refund. They also offered to provide tile for a future renovation, but I didn't choose to take them up on that offer. That was 3 years ago and the crackle tile has held up beautifully in a very busy kitchen. Behind the sink and range top look as good as when newly installed. I'll never forget having to scrub those tiles, but glad it all worked out in the end. You can read more about the ordeal in the kitchen forum. If you're considering purchasing tiles from Walker Zanger I would still recommend their tiles, and they did come through with a little persistence.

I have Walker Zanger Gramercy Park in Bone China with dark grout. I love them but will tell you that when the arrived the tiles were a little less crackly than the samples from the store (that had been made many years previously). I was disappointed at first but I am real quite happy now. I looked at so many tiles and kept coming back to these.