I have had it a year and have wacked it a few times and no chips but it seems as though if you hit it right with the striations and fissures that it would chip. I think there is alot of difference in soapstone. Some seems more consistant in texture and harder than others. The only thing that has happened is that a child took a pen and scratched it back and forth. I have never oiled mine. I think you are more likely to chip glass or ceramic materials putting them down if not careful. At a party someone put a pitcher down and it broke. I have silestone on my island because I expected it to get more use. I do love both of them.

Yes, my husband chipped our Alberene soapstone (a very hard stone). He hit the edge putting a drinking glass on the counter. (He felt terrible; I still remember how he came into the family room and told me). As the months went on, we got small chips under the counter over the dishdrawer, and several small chips around the sink.

Nevertheless, I am getting soapstone again in my new kitchen (a different "flavor" this time) and this time I am getting a 3/16" rounded edge. I don't love it as much as the eased edge I had previously, but I think it will be a safer edge.

So, as one who has lived through some damage in one kitchen, I am repeating the choice in another. I am not getting the soapstone sink this time. I didn't like living with the SS sink, tho' it looked beautiful. This time it's copper.

lucy--you may wish to post this on the "Kitchens" forum for a beter response.

I've seen people say it's a concern, and others say it's not. This leads me to think wekick is right - it varies from slab to slab. My only experience with it is one friend who put it in his kitchen and was (still is) extremely disappointed. Aside from the fact that it looks like crap unless it's oiled weekly, it chips at a blink of an eye. Even delicate wine glasses have chipped his island, but the worst area is the edge in front of his sink - belt buckles have done a job on it. Over time I supposed it's evened out to a nice "worn" look, but he's not happy nor would I be.