I have two copper farmhouse sinks. I LOVE them. I did have some vinegar in one of my sinks and absentmindedly didn't make sure it went down the drain (flat bottomed) so it sat there for quite awhile and my dark finish is a bit worn away in some places and the shiny copper is coming through. However, that should return to normal and turn brown again. (I just did this last week). I love the patina of them. I ended up getting mine at a specialty hardware store here in town but I probably should have gone with coppersinksonline.com. Do a search and a few come up. I could have gotten mine cheaper, for sure.

I've lived with copper sinks in the kitchen for close to 2 years and would echo the comment above - we love them!

My recommendations is to only go with 14 gauge (not 16 gauge - that is too thin IMHO for the kitchen). As southern_2008 points out, CopperSinksOnline.com is one of the few (if not only) company that sells these thicker gauge sinks. And when you price compare, their pricing is very competitive even against the lighter gauge sinks. They were great to deal with and I would buy from them again.

I've put a link to an article on their site that is very informative.

Here is a link that might be useful: Copper Sinks 101

Another big fan here!! I ordered mine from coppersinksonline and love, love, love it! I've had similar experiences as southern 2008 as far as items/foods mingling with and altering the finish. Makes me love the sink even more! So much character. Everyone who sees it thinks it's amazing.

Mine are from mexicopper (ebay seller) and are fabulous. I only regret not using copper in more areas of the house, and will do so in our next house.

You want to watch guage as noted above, but also look to the welds. You want to be sure that the welds are copper as well as the sink. I saw a gorgeous 1000 sink at our local plumbing supply and was suprised to see the weld was not copper (the patina is different).

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my copper vessel prep sink (purchased from Great Lakes Copper on Ebay). It is one of my favorite things in my kitchen. With it's "antique" patina, it never looks like it needs to be maintained. Additionally, copper has anti-bacterial qualities, which make me like it even more. Since in most homes kitchen sinks are one of the germiest places in the house, I love knowing that my sink is probably one of the cleanest.

We have a copper bar/prep sink and I love it. Ordered it from ebay and I believe it is only 16 gauge but doesn't seem to be a big deal. We did have some lemon juice sit for a bit on Christmas day which removed the patina but was back to normal by New Years.

LOVE mine, they are so unique and different! I have a rustic theme home so they work out super. If they do get a little discolored or shiny spots it does patina all back out, and yes they do slow growth of bacteria like someone else said.
The best tip I read on here was clean them with soft scrub or comet til you get desired shiney-ness then coat with light film of baby oil! OMG! that works SSSOOO good and keeps them looking nice and shiney for atleast 2 weeks, my half bath which is not used so much has been looking for for like a month or more. In my bathroom sinks which always have goo, toothpaste and hair products...they stayed clean and shiney for about 2 weeks with just rinsing them out...no cleaning whatsoever!
I also got mine from E-bay dealer was in San Antonio but the sinks are form Mexico and not had any problems at all with them for the 3 years I've had them...good luck!

Thank you all so much! I'm a total ebay addict, so I was wondering about those vendors on there. There is one ebay seller who has a 15 guage farmhouse sink for something like $799 - and it looks beautiful. I love the look and am glad you are all so happy with yours after some time of usage.

I also have had my eye on a copper farmhouse sink. It was the first item I knew I absolutely wanted in my kitchen and about the only decision I never wavered on. You know there is a "but" coming, right? My DH and I recently went to a home show and hubby got to talking to a kitchen guy (I was at another booth) who had a copper sink on display (he doesn't sell the sinks) and he said it was a terrible idea and hard to maintain, etc... Well, now DH is giving me a hard time. To be fair, I am not the neatest person in the kitchen (I keep thinking a beautiful kitchen will change my ways) and often leave a pot in there overnight. Will something like that harm the sink? How about when we color Easter eggs with vinegar - I can't poor that down my sink?

I've done the research and the only place I can find a 14 gauge sink is Copper Sinks online. The rest all seem to be 16. Does that really make a difference? I've also read that you should wipe down your sink after use? Is that necessary? Many of you might do that anyway but I don't. But I think I could change for the right sink! Here is another website I found that claims their sinks are the only ones totally maintenance free. Of course, they don't have prices on the site so who knows what we're talking about. http://www.rachiele.com/coppersinks.htm

I guess i just would love to hear from more copper sink owners who have had their sinks awhile. Really, just more of what's already been said so I have back up when I insist to DH that the kitchen guy was uninformed and this is what I want and it won't be a costly mistake!

jacksopcam,

Having lived with copper sinks for several years and a lot of friends of mine have them as well, my comments:

1) Yes, a thicker 14 gauge sink makes a BIG difference. I've seen them in the thinner 16 gauge and they dent fairly easily. I have a friend who bought a thinner gauge sink on Ebay and ended up returning it and buying the thicker gauge sink. When I was looking it came down to two companies selling the thicker 14 gauge sinks - Copper Sinks Online and Linkasink. Since Linkasink was sold through showrooms, they were 30% - 40% higher (they have to make a profit too). If you are willing to spend the money on one of these beautiful sinks, buy wisely.

2) Rachiele can make a claim that they sell the only "maintenance free" copper sink, but they make a lot of claims... Copper is copper (unless you buy a copper sink made in China or India - then who knows that is mixed in with the copper...).

3) We do not wipe our sink out - ever. ...we just let it do it's thing. The patina will change slightly over time and sometimes we leave something in it that lightens up the patina in spots - but it always darkens again (like a penny) and we love the rustic nature. We simply clean with soap and water and about once a month we wax it with the stuff we got from Copper Sinks Online. If you pour something really acidic down the sink - just rince it out with water.

4) It is easy to try and price shop copper sinks and think that by buying that $800 sink from the Ebay dealer you are saving money. These sinks have big quality differences between them. Remember, these are crafted by a copper artisan. I was told it takes almost a full day for a craftsman to make one kitchen sink! As with any artisans, there are good ones and not so good ones. What I liked about the company we bought from is that they seem to be one of the largest out there and have been around the longest. They have their own artisans making their sinks. If there is an issue with quality - you just return it.

5) Several Ebay dealers try to mask this, but they are selling out of Mexico. If you want to return the sink, you could be in for some major hassles. To me, it is best to deal with a company that has offices and a warehouse in the USA IMHO.

I can't find the posts in the archives (a lot of history was wiped out on this site), but about a year ago there were at least 6 - 7 folks that chimed in one thread about how they loved their copper sinks and there was a big discussion about where to buy, thickness, etc. Bottom line is that every person I've spoken with or who has posted on this site that has bought from Copper Sinks Online has been very happy not only with the company but their products.

Hope this info helps.

flyinghigh - thank you so much for your response! I wasn't sure anyone would even read it at the end of this post but I started typing and couldn't stop! But your response has sealed the deal for me. I too have read the positive posts about Copper Sinks Online but then found Rachiele and their website is so convincing & then my DH talked to that darn kitchen guy that the doubts started creeping in. Hearing from someone who has had the sink for several years and uses it like a kitchen sink would normally be used reassures me tremendously. Now I just have to scrimp and save, beg, borrow... whatever it takes. Can't wait to post pictures when I'm all done! Thank you again so much for responding.

I just had my copper sink installed and I LOVE IT! I got it from www.coppersinksdirect.com. It is a custom kitchen sink that needed to fit an existing opening in my granite. I sent them a paper template and they made it and it fits perfectly. The staff is awesome, thanks Jenny, and very helpful. Answered all my questions and even sent me photos of it from Mexico before it shipped. Even better, they turned it around in a little over 2 weeks. A+++

I have a hammered copper farmhouse sink and prep sink. I love them, would absolutely do it again when we build. I agree with everyone on the gauge being the important factor in quality. My mom just installed one and it may look like mine to the naked eye, (less of a lustre under the patina maybe) but it feels less sturdy...kinda hard to explain. I think hers must be a thinner gauge, and the difference is noticeable to me. I would do your homework, and be prepared to spend a little more for a good quality one.