Nice Persian rug.... :-)

I saw a very nice leathered granite at an open house several weeks ago. It wasn't black, but a dark green.

I find that a honed black finish shows fingerprints and other grease marks more than a brushed or leathered one. When you are looking at slabs, press on them with your thumb to see if it leaves a mark. If so, consider if this will bother you on a daily basis.

In our previous home we had Blue in the Night antiqued/leathered granite. Didn't show fingerprints, but would show dust if I got lazy with wiping down in an area.

Cherry shaker kitchen · More Info

Loved leathered AB in our last kitchen, disliked it with almost the same intensity in the family bathroom...

Clueless- mind sharing a few more details as to why you found a difference in the rooms? I’m considering the same as op so following this thread closely.

There were four of us in the family bathroom. Too much toothpaste, shaving cream, and product to keep up with. For some reason though, it was a dream in the kitchen. Soft texture (if that's possible with granite) - it felt luxurious. Not a problem at all to keep clean, and I loved the matte finish.

Two cautions about black granite. One is that some granites sold as black are not; they're actually more charcoal or gray and have been dyed. That is so that an inexpensive granite can be sold as an expensive black granite.

The other caution is that a true black granite should not be sealed. There is this zeal to seal granite--any granite--but the appearance of some granites, esp. black ones, can be ruined by sealant when it's not needed. The granites that are the very dense types, like Absolute Black or some other granites, cannot absorb the sealant. So the sealant sits on top of the stone causing haze and streaks. Ask a potential fabricator if he will be sealing the black granite. If he says yes, find another fabricator cause that one isn't knowledgeable about granites.

I have honed absolute black granite on my desk/office area. I love how it looks and functions there, but it does show fingerprints and grease marks from whatever touches it.

The house I've lived in for the last 15 years has black granite counters with a semi-gloss appearance (not sure of the specific treatment as I'm the second owner). At any rate, friends sometimes ask what I do to maintain them so beautifully and I explain that the only thing I've done for as long as I've been here is to wipe up messes. I agree that the whole business about sealing granite and fussing about it is overdone.

My honed granite also does not stain. It is Verde Lavras, which without the "color enhancing" sealer (put on by mistake) is a soft gray-green, similar to some un-oiled soapstones, but with that sealer is a black/gray. No fingerprints or smudges show , oil wipes off with a soapy cloth.

I have honed absolute black counters in the kitchen. I love them! Unfortunately the installers did apply some sealer that I had to work to remove-otherwise, as Friedajune says, the sealer sits on top of the stone and leaves smudges. Ours have a soft look and I love that I don't have to worry about stains. We've had our counters since 2009 and they look great.

I think honed black granite is gorgeous. My friends who have it also say it shows prints.

Someone will chime in who knows more than I do, but I don't think it's a stain. My impression is it might take a little work to make them go away, vs a simple wipe. I'm not positive.

We chose honed Negresco granite because we wanted Soapstone but it wasn't in the budget. We love them! Ours are unsealed and are so easy to clean. There are your typical grease marks by the range after cooking but those are easily wiped clean. We don't have any issues with fingerprints, smudges or staining. Highly recommend!

I have 4-year old honed granite that is black with white streaks in it - similar to a soapstone look. I think it always looks dirty and streaky and I am always cleaning it and have actually considered replacing it. Reading this thread, I wonder if it is the sealer that is doing it. I will look for a granite specialist around here (Cambridge) to see what I can learn. Thanks, everybody.

Richardparker - If the sealer is the problem, you don't need a specialist to remove it. The sealer can be removed by acetone yourself. You need just the smallest amount. Google it for instructions. If you are not sure if the sealer is the problem, just apply the acetone to a small spot in a back corner or unobtrusive place and see how it looks.

Acetone is highly flammable, and the vapors can be set off by an open flame (like a pilot light) or a spark (such as might occur when unplugging something nearby from an electrical receptacle or flipping a switch). It can also result in respiratory distress and other health effects if the vapor levels get too high. If you intend to work with it, have the windows open, consider wearing a chemical respirator with organic vapor filters, and use it sparingly. I'm not saying you shouldn't use it...I use it in my shop occasionally when I need a small amount of solvent. However, be aware that you're dealing with a large surface area, and that poses risks.

https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/text_version/chemicals.php?id=1

I hear what you are saying, but I take off my nail polish at least once a week with a big ol' bottle of acetone nail polish remover, as do millions of people. You put your face right up to those fingers and toes while you're doing it. If I go to a nail salon, they've got a gallon of it at least.

The sealant smells worse, yet HD sells a ton of the stuff to homeowners.

I agree with the open window. I think the respirator to take off some counter sealant may be a bit of overkill. It's a wipe-on wipe-off quick thing, and we don't see anyone giving the same warnings for applying sealant. Heck, WD40 is poisonous (skull and bones on the label) and explosive, and people put it on their shower doors to prevent scum buildup, and on their fridges and hoods to prevent streaks.

I know it's commonly used, but that doesn't mean inhaling it at least once a week is good for you over the long term. And working in a nail salon is definitely not an ideal job: Chemical exposure in nail salons

However, my comment was mainly directed at someone who was unfamiliar with acetone's risks and would be working for several hours in an enclosed space on a large surface.

As far as the sealant, I don't know what chemical vapors are involved, but I'm one to read labels. I don't worry that a single occasional exposure to most solvents poses a risk, but repeated exposures and concentrated exposures give me pause. We each have to determine what risk levels we're comfortable with, and to do that one needs to have the info in the first place to make informed choices.

Yes, what you say makes sense. But "several hours"? I think it will take 20 minutes at most. Wipe on, leave on for 5 minutes, wipe off.

My house burned because of a flammable product which released vapors in my basement by tile contractors. No one knows for sure but It was thought that a pilot light ignited the fumes. The workers had just left the house.

my twin babies and I barely escaped the house.

it may not happen often but it’s worth heeding good advice.

Your body makes acetone.

Yes, the body produces all kinds of chemicals in small amounts necessary for it to function. But just because my body produces such things as acetone, acid, hydrogen, alcohol, methane, etc. doesn't mean that exposures to high levels of these things from other sources are harmless....

Let’s get back to the honed granite! Does anyone have Vermont black honed granite installed. It is more of a gray in color. Not as dark as absolute honed. I looked at it today and when I put my hand on it it did leave a print, but then faded away. Love the color and would hate to have a sealer make it any darker. Does anyone have any experience with this particular granite?

I have a black honed granite called jet mist and it was pretty originally. It is an off black, which I like, with white streaks so it looks very much like soapstone. However, it streaks and worse, it leaves marks from everything, so it always looks dirty. If amyone has experienced this and knows a cleaner or polish to get rid of the marks, I would appreciate it. I have been using the SCI (Stone Care Institute) products from Home Depot and after hours of work in a very small kitchen, they look just OK, but mark up immediately. If it is a sealer that is the problem, can I remove the sealer myself or must a professional do it? thanks, all!