No issues after 14 months. Much nicer than my previous arrangement using a tray to catch the water, which quickly got ugly. The runnels stay nice looking especially if you wipe them down after you put away the contents of the drying rack.

I've had my Belvedere soapstone counter with runnels for about a year and a half. No issues with durability, and I use that space daily. I think it's important when buying a soapstone counter to use a supplier and fabricator that has a lot of experience with soapstone.

My contractor builds custom cabinetry and works exclusively with Green Mountain soapstone. No other type of countertops.

Soapstone seems to be an "exotic" surface around here (MD)! Several fabricators I've called said they aren't familiar with it! Huh? Others have never done runnels and won't try.

quades: Is that Green Mountain soapstone? It looks perfect, exactly how I want mine to look. Is it very hard? Can you scratch it with pans, for example?
Do you worry that you might chip the edges of the runnels? Or is the soapstone so hard that it's not likely to break or chip under normal kitchen use?
I'm pretty hard on my kitchen, so I really ought to have stainless steel, but I love the look of soapstone and it seems to be the best material for runnels.

A bit OT, but quades: Is that an RO/water filter faucet on the right side of your sink? If so, would you mind telling me what model it is? Thanks!

This is just my personal observation, from doing quite a bit of research, a lot of it here on GW, but it seems to me that those who were most pleased with their soapstone counters were those who purchased from and had their counters fabricated by companies specializing in soapstone such as Green Mountain, M. Teixeira, Garden State, etc. My local stoneyards weren't a good resource for soapstone.

Edited to add: quadesl, your counter and sink are beautiful!

It is Green Mountain soapstone. I haven't scratched my sink or counters though I haven't tried to do so. :-) Green Mountain along with my fabricator recommends finishing the material with a 75 grit paper. It comes finished with a 400 grit and the underside of the overhang on my island is unfinished and feels much smoother. I think that type of smooth finish would be much more susceptible to scratches and I wonder if fabricators that deal in many types of stone who sell soapstone keep it at that 400 grit. Hence the number of complaints I read about scratches. Soapstone got it's name for how it feels like a bar of soap which is what the stone feels like when sanded to 75 grit.

If your one who bangs pots against the edges of sinks I would perhaps steer clear of soapstone. I'm fairly careful when washing in the sink though I have hit the edges a few times with no damage. The Green Mountain is one of the hardest grades of soapstone, perhaps not as exotic looking as some of the others I've seen, but a very nice looking stone all the same. There's many other reasons we had for choosing soapstone which you don't get from other materials.

The water faucet is from Auquapure, it's not RO, but they do make one that is.

eaga: I agree with what you say and thanks for the kind words.

I have Julia soapstone. I have a flat drainboard that slopes gently into the sink. Just a suggestion as an alternative to runnels. It's easier to clean and you can still use it as a countertop.

I also have a flat drainboard instead of runnels...much easier to clean (I'm guessing). No chips etc on the drainboard (although I do have soft soapstone and have chips in other areas of the kitchen). You can see this type as well as the other types on the M. Teixeira website. Scroll down to the middle of the page.M. Teixeira drainboard options

I have runnels in anastacia soapstone. It's considered a fairly harder soapstone. It's still 'perfect'. Just my opinion, but I would stick with the fabricating experts when it comes to doing runnels in soapstone. If the fabricator is hedging, I'd find someone else. Although I wanted two diff stones: soapstone and quartzite or even granite, I found that the granite/quartzite experts didn't know how to deal with soapstone and soapstone folks didn't feel comfy with quartzite. Although I wanted to get both stones from one place, to get the best of both worlds wasn't going to happen for me. So I went with just the soapstone. I used soapstone experts when purchasing and for fabricating. Never regretted the decision. I purchased my stone from m.teix who sent it to a local soapstone fabricator. It was really a seamless process.

Eaga, I'm sadly realizing that you are correct. It looks like I'm going to have to leave MD to find my soapstone! Green Mountain sent me to their distributor in NJ, but my job is so small they won't travel, so I'd have to template it myself. :(
Mags: What area are you in? I could buy stone from M Teix, but I (so far) can't find a local soapstone fabricator in the greater MDCVA area. I'm still looking though.

M. Tex's website says they're opening a sales office in D.C. this Spring.

Dripping water onto stone and letting it dry is never a good idea. Buy a plastic dish drainer if you must.

Alberene quarries are in VA. I wonder if they might have a fabricator to recommend in the DC area.

Charles Luck and Euro Stone Craft are listed in the DC area for Alberene SS.

Dripping water onto stone and letting it dry is never a good idea. Buy a plastic dish drainer if you must.

'Tis true...I have water spots (course I'm okay with that). It looks much better under there than it used to when I did have a plastic dish drainer...yuck! I keep a dish rack on the counter over the drainboard all the time and dry dishes in it all the time. (Yes...some of us don't keep our kitchen counters clear and photo ready all day).

My water spots wipe right off the Julia soapstone. Stonemasters in PA has many varieties and did a fabulous job with mine. Even with a travel fee into Maryland they were cheaper (and gave me samples of all their soapstones) than buying locally. You should email them with your layout to get a free estimate.

Standing water on soapstone hasn't been an issue and I also keep the stainless steel drying rack out all the time. Looks far better than having the scuzzy plastic drainer I needed with my older counters. Standing water is likely more an issue with other stone materials.

I'm in PA. I selected my soapstone from m. Teix in the north jersey location and they sent it to a local fabricator they had a relationship with. I only went to the north jersey location that one time. Contact their New Jersey location, they may have a fabricator in your local area.

"Standing water is likely more an issue with other stone materials."

It probably depends on your water more than your countertop. The water in Florida tears up granite.

I'm sure the quality of the water is a factor as to what's left behind after evaporation but since soapstone is non-porous and has no chemical sealant on it so there is no damage to worry about. It's one of the many reasons I chose soapstone. Soapstone was/is used in science labs for that very reason.