I have a soapstone sink made from slabs. Yes it has some chips in the sink but I don't let them bother me. I have no chips around the edges. I will say because it has seams I am constantly concerned about germs so every time I boil water for tea I pour the extra around the edges. I doubt it does much except make me feel better.

Good to know - do you have a hard variety of stone? We have a Minas on hold, and I'm kind of surprised at how easy it is to chip. I'm totally fine with some dings and scratches, but the big chips are scaring me a bit...

no, remodelfla - haven't seen hers - will have to check it out! Thanks! :)

trailrunner has one too...

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

and I think segbrown

I can think of two considerations which might not be important: 1) glasses that are dropped in a stone sink will be more likely to shatter than if they are dropped in a stainless steel or copper sink, and 2) most soapstone sinks are made from glued slabs, as is the one you are considering, and so the bottom is flat -- might not drain as well as a sink that has a pitch in it. It's possible to get a carved solid soapstone sink from a quarry that has a pitch carved into it, but I reckon that is mighty pricey and has to be purchased sight unseen since the quarry tends to be in a remote place, like Brazil.
Lynn

Thanks, farmgirl. I've considered both of those issues. I spoke to the fabricators regarding the bottom of the sink. They assured me that they do create a bottom that slopes to the drain. I'm assuming that the do that by sanding it? I am a little worried about the seams being epoxy and how easy those corners would be to keep clean.

As far as the glasses breaking - that's a bigger issue for me as we use all glass...plates, bowls, glasses, etc. My biggest worry, though, is how soft this Minas seems to be.

Soapstone is the only counter on my list because I'm looking for something completely organic without any sealants or man-made resins needed. I'm in love with the looks, love how easily I've been able to oil out scratches and water marks and that I can use my sample as a trivet (and won't need them at all once it is my countertop). It's those pesky chips that have me doubting my entire plan now.

I can imagine that the front of a farmhouse sink could begin to look pretty ragged if one were to lean against it and catch a button or zipper on it.

I suppose I need to decide if I can live with that. I know the occasional nick isn't going to kill me on the counter, but I hate the thought of my sink looking completely beat up.

I sent a message to our fabricator explaining my concerns about the Minas stone. I was delighted to find out they have another black soapstone called Anasazi coming in sometime in August that is a 4 on the hardness scale rather than the Minas's 2.

Thanks for listening to me vent - I'm so happy to find out we can get the beautiful black soapstone in a harder variety. I've been checking out those sinks and they are BEAUTIFUL! Can't wait! :)

Go for the Anasazi!!! I tried to get enough for my kitchen and could not :(

My soapstone slap sink is sloped on the bottom. The sides and slabs are all rabetted to interlock so the joints are not just straight pieces epoxied together. The corners are not very rounded so the do take some care cleaning them.

No chips in the sink or edges.

We have broken glasses in it.

The sink Does have a distinct patina to it. it is a bit darker and less uniform than the countertop. Since it is a living finish, this does not bother me.

That said, in my next house, while I would like to do soapstone counters again, I may consider a stainless sink, because of less potential for breakage and more options. However, its also a modern (1963) house. If I lived in another 18th-19th c. house, I would likely do soapstone again.

Not every sink is built equally. A flat bottom on a soapstone sink is poor build quality. It takes time to grind down the bottom of a sink prior to putting it together. They should be sloped from edges to center. Not just a little at the drain. Butt jointing a soapstone sink is poor quality. Not saying it won't last for a little while, but we wouldn't guarantee our sinks for life if I built them like that. Our sink joints are tongue and grooved, and at the very least on the harder varies we rabbit joint them.

The bottom of the sink will get patina on it if you have soft or hard soapstone. The softer variety will be easier to fix when you decide you would like to move, or refinish your stone. This is something people forget about. It's a product you can refinish to new 5, 10, 15, etc, years down the road. The harder the soapstone the less talc, the less like soapstone it really is. The talc in the stone makes soapstone what it is. If it were any different it wouldn't be soapstone. The patina on traditional soapstone is why people love it. It's why we love soapstone.

I just had our PA Original Green installed about an hour ago, and I'm loving it!! We chose an undermount SS. The SS sink didn't sing to me for how much more it was than a great Kraus or Franke 16 gauge sink, and so I spent the extra money elsewhere, naturally. :) The 0 radius corners would be a sticking point for me. I didn't want 0 radius in my stainless, and I wouldn't want it for an SS sink, either. Cleaning sinks is not my strong suit, and I can only imagine how much gunk would be building up in the corners on a blackish surface where I couldn't see it.

But they sure are a treat to look at! Good luck with your decision; I'm not too familiar with Anasazi, but I'm sure it will be fantastic!

Go for it!

I love my sink. I had one in my last house as well. I have broken many crappy Ikea wine glasses and a beloved non-ikea serving bowl. But all my mason jars have survived, despite many clanks and drops.

There is a bit of scuffing on the apron where I regularly bang full 5 gallon pots against but other than that, no damage!

Epoxy is our friend.

The bottom of the sink is graded to drain (duh!).

$850 sounds like a fair price for a 30-36 inch sink. Mine is 60 inches and was around $2000.

Easy to clean. I swear.

Focylrac has an undermount soapstone sink that looks HOT!

I linked my sink below. It is my blog--which is a kitchen/cooking blog. If you go to my homepage you will see that I am serious about using my kitchen! Just like my budy REmodelfla said, I can, bake, cook, and just make a huge mess wherever I go! 2 insane kids + baby. No babying this sink (or my marble countertops!). Buy it. Love it. Have a baby with it. You won't be sorry.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

Wow, what a lot to think about.

florida_joshua - I'm happy to see you chime in here. I've read so many of your posts regarding SS. I'm curious as to what you mean when you say that the less talc, the less like soapstone it is. What properties am I giving up by going with the harder stone? Will it be shinier, like a granite?

Here's a photo of one of the Anasazi slabs they will be getting in:

As far as sink construction, the only thing I know for sure is that the bottom is fabricated to slope towards the drain and that the seams are seamed together using epoxy. I will definitely ask about how the joints are made. I've included a link below that shows photos of their sinks. I don't know if you can tell about the quality from the photos, but I thought I'd put it out there...

palimpsest - thanks for your honest opinion about your sink. Our home is only 12 years old, so your comment about the feel of the house makes me wonder if I need to go with the SS.

lithigin - the thought of the gunk has me questioning if this is the best choice too. They ARE beautiful...*sigh* What to do, what to do?

Here is a link that might be useful: Soapstone Sink Photos

sabjimata - that is STUNNING!!! I want to curl up in it and take a nap! :)

It's nice to hear such positive feedback. I WANT to love it...I'm just afraid of special ordering a sink, it not working and then trying to find something that will fit there to replace. But, when I see one like yours, it's hard to say 'no', isn't it?

I have a soapstone sink from Buck County, one of their block sinks with no seams or sharp corners. We love it. I think it is made from a different variety than our counters, as it does not ding/scratch as easily. Worst I can say is that we have broken glasses in it; otherwise, completely happy:

Always exciting to see a post from Florida Joshua, the zen master of soapstone!
lynn

Just saw this post. My sinks, I have two antique ss sinks from the Alberene quarry, are chipped and dinged for sure. I love the over 100 yr old patina. As others have said , it all blends and grows on you with time. One of the beauties of soapstone is that it never looks damaged just aged with grace. I hope you find what you are looking for. c

I know it's late, but I wanted to chime in. I have a green mountain sink for almost 2 years. I love it. I have had no problems. Best remodeling decision I've made.

A fabricator we are talking to about making a soapstone sink uses butt joints. He said he can use a rabbet joint if we want but it's the epoxy quality that he uses that makes them not leak.

Should I have him rabbet the joints, doing something that he doesn't do all the time or have him build it the way he builds all of them which apparently works?
The fabricator was referred by the big soapstone dealer here in SoCal when I called them asking about having a sink made.