Thank you so much for this--keep the test results coming, please! I'm going to look at stones tomorrow, with Danby on my mind.

Yes please keep us updated, I'll be following your experiments closely.

Blondelle-

Thanks for sharing your (to date) test results with everyone.

Danby it a tremendously rugged Marble that has been used
for centuries in kitchen and food prep applications because
of just the things you are seeing in your own performance
tests. I think either Danby or Soapstone was probably
the first domestically obtained Natural Stone to be used
as a countertop material here in the then "Colonies".....

I have a theory because of this, that Danby is way more
widely used on the east coast and eastern half of the US..
Just a theory mind you, but I think it would also be interesting
to see some demographics on where Danby is most popular.

Hopefully, My Brother Bill Vincent will chime in on this too,
as he is in Maine, and would be (in my theory) in the heart
of Danby & Soapstone country... I think that Bill's input,
and VRJames, and Stonegirl's opinions and observations
would also be extremely valuable to this particular
discussion.......

Like erikanh said - please keep us all posted on how any
other tests you do turn out.

thanks

kevin

Kevin, how does Danby compare with Alabama marble in ruggedness?

Writersblock:

To my knowledge, they are similar, but as I have not
worked with Alabama personally, It's hard for me
to give you a definitive answer on your question...

I had a client last week that had a job comming up that
they were fabricating out of AW, and I looked at the slabs-
they looked pretty good, and I would presume that the two
would perform similarly.

Hopefully, VR James or Stonegirl or Bill Vincent or Maurizo Bertolli
will chime in on this, as I would presume that they have worked
with both, and can give you a more accurate assesment than
I can... We don't have too much demand for Alabama White
here in AZ.... :-(

kevin

I couldn't find this in a search on the topic, so I hope it's okay to ask here:

How is the heat resistance of Danby? Can you set a hot pot on it?

Thanks, kevin. Blondelle, I hope you don't consider this a threadjack, but I'm really interested in how the American marbles compare with each other. Ironically, although Alabama is right next door, I can find local suppliers of Danby but not AW.

I'm pretty sure that you can get AW through G&L...
I think that's where my client got their's last week

kevin

Blondelle, I know you've been searching for the perfect marble countertop for so long and have considered so many options, that I have my fingers crossed that this is THE one for you! Sounds like it coulbe be!

Thanks, kevin. I have another question so I'm going to start a new thread so as not to drag this one too far off-topic.

the three main creamy looking domestics are equivalant in durability to the Italian marbles.
Vermont-Alabama- Colorado are equivelant an durability to Calacatta-white Carrara - Statuary.

They all will etch, so should only be used in kitchens honed.

They will need to be resealed every 1 to 2 years, and might stain in some situations. sealed or not.

Blessings

I thought some pictures of my island's Danby Marble might help make this thread more meaningful for those who might not know what it looks like yet. Pictures don't quite capture how dreamy and beautiful this stone is! We etched it quite easily, however, with a bottle of red wine that had a drip go down the side of the bottle after pouring. The drip made a ring that was there for about 30 seconds before I wiped it up. Oh well, it's like that first ding on a new car. I put it on my island knowing it'd get well used, LOL! No stain at all, btw, and of course we had it sealed.

It looks positively scrumtious. Thanks for the photo!

Blondelle - you mentioned you have polished Danby and that you would try to seal the stone before attempting to test again.

By the results of your first tests (the pink stain test in particular) you have found that the stone is very, very dense. Sealing it will make no difference in the results of the tests. It will also make no difference in the vinegar test either, since etches are the result of a chemical reaction and not absorption.

Marble will etch whether it has been sealed or not.

It sounds like you will be happy with the marble, but I would still advise that you think of getting it honed, specifically for the etching issue.

Oh erika... wait and seek out the Danby. I love marble and love love love Danby marble. I'm hoping I can find it down here if Fla. when the time ever comes.

remodelfla, I was looking at the Vermont Quarries site a few weeks ago and was interested to learn about all the different variations of Vermont Danby: Imperial, Royal, Olympian White. There is even a very dark green called Vermont Verde Cavendish which has a hardness of 107 compared with the Royal and Imperial which have hardness of 12.1 (whatever that means).

Do you know which of the Danby marbles you prefer?

Here is a link that might be useful: Vermont Quarries

Gee erika... I thought all Danby marble was the creamy color with the caramel and beige colors runnign through it. Looking at the site you linked I'd have to say Imperial and Royal are my first two pics then Calcutta, Montclair, and Olympian White. Man... I can't wait till I actually get to pick out slabs of anything! That and backsplashes... will be undoubtedly my favorite part. The layout thing just doesn't do it for me.

Me too I got sooo excited just looking at those gorgeous marble slabs today! I was very eager to plan my layout in the beginning, but now after countless iterations, my enthusiasm for the design process has definitely waned.

Smarge - your Danby Imperial is beautiful! If you don't mind me asking, what did you seal it with and how often have you done it? Anyone else out there with Danby marble - please chime in!

Thanks!

Thank you, tantadoodles. I sealed it with "MB Stone Care MB-4 Stone and More Impregnator/Sealer" which is supposed to last 10 years according to the label. (The owner of the company is a guy named Maurizio, who is pretty much of a stone expert on the internet. He sure knows more than I!)

I have to say that since posting my picture, I have further etched the heck out of the island with plain water, tomato juice (wiped up without staining, but left an etch mark), etc. It is going to etch like crazy and I'm not worrying about it. All the marble in our house is etching from plain water droplets, and we have a water-softener and whole house filter!

I bought our Danby at Dente Trading Co., Inc. in NJ. they had both honed and polished and the honed was dull and pretty boring. The polishing really brings out the colorful swirls you see in my picture above.

Our fabricator (Globe) offered to do a lower polish level for the marble, to more closely match the duller sheen of the perimeter counters, which are Caesarstone Raven. (For those who don't know, the manmade quartz countertops have a less shiny polished finish than regularly polished granite and marble.)

Knowing what I know now, I'd still get the same marble, polished. Just know it won't look perfect or brand new for long.

Good luck with your decisions, everyone!

Here is a link that might be useful: Maurizio's Stone Care Site

What are the biggest differences between Danby and Carrera, both in terms of looks and durability? Thanks!

Did you ever do a chip or scratch test??

@Amy Farell, Water's Edge Design it will be interesting to see if any on this thread respond to you, as they last commented 14 years ago.