If you've got some free time:

Calling All Fantasy Brown Owners

Maintenance is discussed as well as all other things Fantasy Brown

I hope you also get some direct answers.

Thanks Barncatz, great link

Thanks barncatz, I've read that thread before. I'll look again but I really didn't see many negative comments. What I took out of it is to get a leathered finish and don't let things sit for a long time.

Twosit4me, that's my impression of it too. That's why I was curious to see if you would get any 'regrets' feedback.

barncatz I absoutley love the look. I did come across a video on You tube that showed certain things etching it--but it was almost always the polished FB that had the problem. I am blown away by the variety of the slabs.

I love the look of FB and when we visited our fabricator and installer she mentioned that while this is not as delicate as some white marbles that it will etch. She said it is not the staining as much as the etching. Honed is better but she steered us away from it because of what we were looking for. We loved our honed jet mist granite in the past but are looking for something with movement and a bit of drama for our new kitchen. Our past stone felt bullet proof. It did not etch and was easy to care for. It did not stain or stains did not show if they were there.

She directed us to this quartzite that while not as pretty as FB might be the one. I worry that it might be too much movement.. Maybe a quartzite could work for you too.

Twosit4me, I'd encourage you to choose the FB slabs you love. Just as your family overlooks your qualities that drive your coworkers nuts, or you get blind to the parking lot ding in your new car door, if you love FB, you will ignore etching. It might not even occur, so go for it!

These counters are a big investment for a lot of us. It's one kitchen element you should love.

I have Blue Fantasy in my warehouse... its a marble.. are you sure its a granite?

I looked at "Fantasy Blue Macaubus" and was told it was quartzite. It was gorgeous, but I couldn't get a sample to test.

I have no regrets about my Fantasy Brown "quartzite" errr marble. Yes, I have some minor etching but I don't care! I love it!!! Go for it!

Twosit4me, It is called Blue River but keep in mind these names change like the wind. I hope that helps you.

Boxerpal

Mine was Glossy and it was fantastic. Never had a single problem with it. It cleaned very easily with a spray bottle of alcohol and water. You didn't see many negatives on the thread because there weren't many negatives. Why not look at the positives rather than just looking for negative? It's a beautiful fantastic stone. Literally no upkeep. Super easy. Just spray it down with the alcohol and water and wipe clean period. Even baked on pasta sauce wipes right away.

Fantasy Brown is beautiful! We both fell in love with the leathered but neither slab yard had the right color in the right number of slabs in the right thickness so we chose something else that was cheaper. One slab yard had the polished and I didn’t think it showed the beauty as well. I don’t know why but it didn’t grab me like the leathered. It’s a stone that I love or hate though in pictures I see because the color is so varied. I like the ones that are more green and grey.

I have only had my FB island a few weeks, but I love it! I know my specific slab is very hard and the sample was impervious to my tests. It is polished. No regrets!

OP mine is polished. There's a pic of it near the beginning of that super long thread that was posted above.

I drove myself crazy over my Fantasy Brown Counter decision. Once I saw it nothing else came close to making me happy but all the reviews about etching etc. really worried me. In the end I went with it. OMG I love it and everyone who comes into my kitchen raves about it I have the leathered and would recommend that you get that. I had a guy from Granite Shield protect it the day after installation. No problems so far. I don't put blueberries or red wine on it. At least not yet. Maybe it gets its first etch (like when your new car gets its first scratch) I will not be so careful but otherwise I don't worry about it and just enjoy it.

When I first saw the fantasy brown there were lots of slabs that I stumbled across, just off a truck. I didn't start looking seriously until some time later...it took me a while to read through that giant thread. I didn't realize how difficult it was to find a specific slab that I would like.

I feel like you MomMom, nothing else comes close to making me happy and to make matters better it is inexpensive. I know I want a leathered of brushed, not sure what the difference is between the two.

I have FB leathered for 2.5 yrs. It is awesome. No staining or scratching, including red food coloring sitting on it, non-washable acrylic paint, and things sitting overnight such as tomato sauce, coffee, mustard, etc.

I may have a couple small chips around the sink. They really aren't noticeable due to the texture and movement in this marble (or whatever anyone calls it). We are very hard on our counters with 3 children (who do dishes and a cast iron pan used practically daily) and a lot of out of town guests who help in the kitchen. I couldn't be happier with this counter. I had a polished black granite previously, and while stain proof it constantly had smudges which showed in the light, and a water ring left from a wet ceramic bowl with an unglazed bottom.

I can imagine a honed or polished finish might not be as tough as the leathered finish. In my opinion this would be a marble, it has beautiful shimmery flecks I have only seen in marble stones.

My mother is remodeling her kitchen and planning on using this stone. It is much more beautiful in person due to the depth and coloring that can't be conveyed in pictures. Everyone who sees it really loves it.

My customer chose Silegranit's "Cinder" last week:

I think this is Pecan, but I'm not positive.

Old thread here, but we just got some in a remodel. Yes,,it etches easy!!! lemons sitting on the counter left marks. I need to explore fixing this myself now. It is beautiful, but vulnerable.

I have leathered FB and am getting chips in it. Any suggestions for fixing? I am always using cutting boards but the chips are everywhere. I have the same slab in my bathroom and am not noticing the same issue.

hello all, so im asking because of issues we arehaving in our quartizite tops, and the contractor is replacing with FB. we have noticed the edges of our quartzite brusing or staining, just the edges and not just where there is a sink or stove, all the edges are discoloring. the contractor said its due to moisture but then he said hes not sure anyway they have agreed to replace them and we picked FB. has anyone ever had that happen and will it happen to FB?