I hear that people LOVE their soapstone. We were going to go with soapstone, but the woman at the granite/soapstone/pietra de cardoza store discouraged us. I couldn't see myself oiling it every few weeks - I would in the beginning, but I know in the end I wouldn't. I thought the scratches would bug me. However, I saw a posting that said much of the maintenance depends upon how well the fabricator does his job. We ended up chosing Labrador blue granite in leather finish. It will be installed in a few weeks. I empathize with you - choosing our countertops was the most difficult part of the kitchen. Good luck to you!

Thank you. the problem is that I live in rural MT and don't have much choice as far as fabricators. My other countertop choice is nordic black granite with satan finish. I also have looked at concrete but I don't like the seams-they are too visible.

oh, I looked for nordic black satin back when I was deciding. I love it, the look of soapstone and the ease of granite. Since you don't have many soapstone options near you, I think I would go with nordic black.

Here is a kitchen with it that I think is beautiful.

Here is a link that might be useful: jen4268's kitchen

Just as far as the oiling--I have a sample of Black Venata that I oiled maybe every 7-14 days 4 times. I haven't oiled it at all in 6+ months and it still looks great---not quite as black as when originally oiled, but still quite dark and lovely.

I also scratched mine with a knife just to test, but I always use cutting boards anyway! Our house is over 100 years old, though, so frankly we don't mind a few scratches--just makes it look like it belongs! :-)

People here have said before that if you want things to look perfect all the time, soapstone may not be for you. It will get a 'lived-in' look. But really, it seems to be low maintenance (you can oil or not oil for looks, I don't believe it is necessary for performance); you can put a hot pot right on it; and it is nice and cool if you like to bake and roll out doughs etc.

There are people here who have reported issues with their soapstone too. If it is not finished a certain way (you may want to search the name 'floridajoshua', he has helped many with advice and hands on work), some people have a bad time with water rings, and others have mentioned chipping especially around the sink where pans are banged around.

In the end, it's "can you live with imperfections--will you think they are beautiful reminders of a loved and lived-in kitchen, or will they make you cry every time you walk in the room?"

Hope that helps, and good luck!

I agree, I love the Nordic Black. Plus with local options available, it may make the whole process easier and less stressful for you - good luck!

We've had Beleza countertops for two years and while it is true that I --could-- scratch them with a knife, we haven't had problems with scratches or dings (Beleza is a particularly hard variety, I think). We have a few tiny dings around the undermount sink (I only notice them if I run my hand along the edge; no one else would notice) and a couple of times I've noticed some minor scratches, which I've been able to buff out with a green scrubby pad.

We've never oiled our stone. It is naturally quite dark and I think it's darkened some with use. So as far as maintenance ours is really just wiping it down every night (or more depending on how messy we've been).

Don't get the satan finish, I hear that's the devil to take care of :-)

We're going through the same controversy with countertops. We have a lot of natural light in our kitchen (especially right at the sink) and in my old New Orleans kitchen we had polished Ab Black granite which would nearly blind me at dinner prep time. I am not going with a shiny surface this time, but it's really difficult to find soapstone here and my contractor is nervous about buying DIY slabs and fabricating on site (which can be done). People here still actually put tile countertops in which may explain our lag behind with materials.

Soapstone can be waxed with a combination of bees wax and mineral oil. The finish lasts longer than mineral oil alone and it is less oily to the touch.

My soapstone is very soft. It scratches easily, however most of the scratches are on the surface rather than deep into the stone. A stone with more variation in color (veins and very small, light blotches) has the advantage that the scratches blend in with the color variations of the stone. I have a few dings from knife points, banging the edge of the stone or something tumbling down from the wall cabinet. I always use a cutting board. I have learned to be careful sliding some things across the stone and I know what will scratch and what does not scratch. The bottom of the mortar is groved-pressing to grind spices or mix ingredients leaves a nice little pattern in the stone. The dings are a nice way of making memories of the wonderful times in the kitchen. They often appear after a friend has been cooking with me :-)

The bottom line for me is the bullet proof properties of soapstone: heat and cold tolerance, density prevents staining, extremely easy to clean, great for thawing are most attractive. And it just belongs in my 1892 house's kitchen.

wow-this is all amazing advise and feedback. I am learning a lot. The person that would do the Nordic Black is in Idaho-7 hours away. I don't know if the local fabricator would do it in the satan finish-i don't want shiny. I really do like the soapstone the best as it is so rich! but it is the most expensive option and i really do have to live with it the rest of my years in the house so i want to be sure it won't look awful after a few years.

I should say that the pictures I posted are Nordic Black Antiqued. Not sure what the difference between that and satin. It might have a slight texture to it.

I don't think I would take a chance on a soapstone installation with someone that is not experienced with it.

I'm a new soapstone owner, and I am sooo happy with it. I've learned that it matters who is doing the fabricating, it makes all the difference. We were lucky because Bucks County Soapstone did our install, and I've had no problems as so many have with rings, and lots of other things.

I can't stress that educating yourself with soapstone is important due to all the misinformation out there about soapstone. For instance, I read over and over about the high maintenance of soapstone, this isn't true. The only maintenance is self inflicted. IF you want your stone dark..oiling it is something you will want and love to do. I definitely wanted a dark, very dark stone, and to my delight after a few short weeks of oiling, my stone is still dark. How nice is that.

If you do a search here on soapstone you will find a ton of threads to help you. I found this site invaluable, especially regarding soapstone.

Now about the scratches: yes, soapstone will scratch, but that's the beauty of this stone. Scratches can be sanded out unlike granite, or other surfaces...and some of us crazy soapstone lovers actually like the bit of imperfections that will occur. My DH surprised me with a new cast iron piece and well, he hit the edge with it, and took a little chunk out of the edge,,oh well, it blends and no one has noticed it. Heck, BCounty makes a Franklin edge that is purposely uneven.

again, it's personal, and yes, it's expensive, and yes, I knew for us we didn't want a shiny surface.
and one more thing, I started out wanting little to no motion in the dark stone I pictured in my head. I live in an area where there are lots of places selling soapstone, so as I continued snooping around I found myself liking the motion in the stone more and more. When I decided on Bucks County he smiled when I chose our slab saying he finds as people are ready for soapstone they also end up liking motion. To me that was interesting, but again it's personal.

Do your homework and imo, make sure you don't put one penny into soapstone that has been sealed. If they seal it you might as well buy granite. It ruins the reason for choosing this wonderful inert product.

Here's a quick pic of our stone, I need to post our kitchen, but I can't find my camera and I can't get these pics any larger.

Hope this helps with your decision.

After reading my post to you I realized I really didn't answer a lot of your concerns. I look at the beautiful nordic black satin counter posted by positano, and that is the exact counter I had in my head for months. Obviously, it's a far cry from what we chose...you really can't see how lovely soapstone is in that teeny picture. Heck, if Bucks County didn't have a great showroom to get a visual I wonder if I would've ever bought soapstone, and that's unfair.
It does matter who does the fabricating, and Scott is so knowledgeable it makes me sad for anyone who can't at least see and talk to him or Joshua regarding soapstone. So, I don't think I can help you very much, I'm still a new owner who loves her choice, yet I'm not the pro, Scott and Josh are, and you live in MT....btw, I do own Black Venata, the only thing BCounty sells.
so again, good luck with your choice.

cicley,

I am going to suggest PA original, as most of the soapstone that comes out of this quarry is black with green undertones with veins. Sometimes minamal and sometimes dramatic. Take a look at our website www.gardenstatesoapstone.com. If you have a kitchen layout you can fax or e-mail,we can determine the square footage and price to ship the soapstone slabs to you. Or if you do not have a fabricator in your area maybe we cut to size.
Don't hesitate to call or e-mail.

Jay
jay@gardenstatesoapstone.com
732-828-7000

Sweetpea, your kitchen looks amazing! The countertop is a show stopper.

Is there a fabricator near you who works with the soapstone? He should be able to get you whatever stone you want. Have you ordered any samples from M. Teixeira? They seem to be the source of soapstone to everyone in the US and their soapstone prices are very good compared to what else is around.

We are getting a custom sink shipped from NJ to Florida from them and it is costing less than if we went with a Florida fabricator. Including materials and shipping.

You can have your fabricator template the countertops and M. Teixeira can ship it to you. The Belvedere soapstone is the hardest soapstone and it is in the cheapest price category.

Another trick for soapstone that I learned here: a black Sharpie marker fills in small dings and scratches. Works perfectly!

great info everyone. I am checking out the gardenstatesoapstone web site although that is a long way from MT! I am worried that the local fabricator won't be qualified to do the soapstone after reading these-they have only done soapstone twice before. They are very experienced with granite-will that experience transfer to soapstone?

We hadn't EVER done soapstone (or granite) before DIY'ing ours -- and it's fabulous!
So IMO, an experienced granite fabricator can absolutely do soapstone, PROVIDED he's willing to admit he doesn't know everything already and is willing to do a bit of reading beforehand. There are a few simple tricks -- like having a simple edge with no sharp corners, not sanding to a high gloss, not sealing the soapstone, planning for tiny seams (1/32"?) and using a black knife-grade epoxy (not epoxy grout) in the seams. If your layout is simple and you're not planning a soapstone sink or runnels, that's probably all he needs to know that's any different from granite fabricating to do a good job.

That's certainly not to say someone like FloridaJoshua wouldn't do even better --
Just that a competent granite fabricator could probably, with a little education, do a competent job with soapstone.

Also, before deciding that granite would be lower maintenance, be sure to read all of the posts about black granite. When it's polished, it shows EVERY little speck of dirt; and when it's honed, it shows every little smudge of oil. Not quite sure where a 'Satan' (or is it satin?) finish is on the scale, but worth testing yourself to make sure it's as easy care as you think.

I have lived with my soapstone counters for over two years now and I will never have anything else. Yes, you can scratch them, but even if you don't do anything to the scratch except live on it and wipe it with the dishrag you'll hardly notice it in a week. When they were new I oiled them weekly and nearly every night I'd wipe them down with an almost-dry oil cloth to make sure they were "perfect" before I went to bed. I haven't oiled them in over a year now and they have darkened beautifully, have the most wonderful organic, cool feel, and everyone compliments on how great they look. Being able to set a hot pizza stone right on the counter and know that nothing bad will happen is great -- and I literally never worry about them. Small dings that are indented do disappear if you touch them with a sharpie -- but they also seem to disappear in time no matter what. If there is any way you can see an installed counter that has been lived on for a while you would be so impressed. That is the good -- but I would be concerned that an installer who only does granite may not be as good at soapstone as he needs to be. My seams are invisible and you have to know how to cut soapstone in order to make that happen.

sabjimata,
thanks, we really have a great slab of soapstone, and our KD is well..unbelievable! He's custom, and a true craftsman, yet he's known to underbid Lowes! Is that crazy?. I can't wait to share it with everyone due to how much help this site has been. I simply must come to terms I can't find my camera and get one!

cicely, I sure hope you find your way, I can't wait to hear what you decide on.

I have made the decision to go with soapstone because it feels so wonderful and it was the only stone both my husband and I can agree on. My architect has had it for years and let his kids abuse it and it still looks good (not perfect, but that is part of the beauty). However, the next dilemma we are having is which one..We want something which looks mostly black when oiled, but has some movement and interest in it, and is very hard (as soapstones go). I am concerned that although it looks dark in the shop when oiled, it may be green in the kitchen. Any suggestions?

Thank you everyone-I really appreciate your responses. Great info. I boiled it down to two choices (made from some tiny samples);Brazilian Black and Beleza. I put that on this forum and got some great pictures. My fabricator wanted to go with Brazilian Black as she could get it trucked in easily. I asked for pictures of the full slabs and they are quite busy. I want these to read black from across the kitchen. Anyone have an opinion? Is there a way to get the pictures from my e-mail to this link to show you? This is tough and I think the fabricator and my hubby have about had enough. thanks again for all the help and responses.

Cicely-

Did the pictures you get of Brazilian Black have a corner oiled on them?? What can seem like a busy stone will usually tone down much much more once its oiled. We take all of our pictures with a corner oiled so our customers can see what a huge difference it can make with most soapstones. I would recommend you ask for pictures with a corner oiled so you can see if it will read dark enough for you. We also carry Beleza and it will turn COMPLETELY black if you oil to the maximum, just as something to keep in mind :) Good luck with your decision! Id love to hear what you end up going with!

~Carrie

Keeping a counter oiled to "showroom black" can be exhausting.

Taking everything off it, working the oil into it, watching out for traces of oil. (It's actually NOT oily with the right amount of oil on it. Just that super shiny "showroom" look.)

Most people end up with something backed off from that. A happy medium. Just about every stone is more like charcoal gray in its oiled-just-occasionally state, unless you love to oil, that is. And if you do, have fun!

But just so you know (in general), if you're counting on the oil blackening the movement and color out of a stone, "quieting" it down to a level you like it, it won't stay that way. Be sure you like the stone with all its color and movement at about 80% showing through, or maybe consider a stone that's quieter to begin with.

I love my soapstone (Minas, a hard-ish, quiet stone.) And I hate to oil. I just want everyone to be as happy with theirs as I am with mine.

We had soapstone counters (Julia) installed last week. Right now I'm loving the oiling process--and the results. But I also loved it when it was first installed, and not oiled. So either way, I'm happy. Julia has some beautiful green veining, but overall it looks pretty neutral to me. Except for some houseplants, we don't plan to use green as part of our decor. jbrodie's kitchen inspired me.