Ashley, here’s a link for you. About PA soapstone. Whether what your ”local guy” is selling is the real thing...I’d be more confident if he was a true soapstone supplier, and not a yard that sells mostly granite, marble and quartzite. But, we’ve had this discussion before...

Here are more links for you to peruse: PA soapstone, Google

I can’t offer any thoughts on that particular stone but we bought something labeled as Marine black soapstone from a well established stone yard that is actually a Phyllite. It looks great in our master bath but it shows every splash of water. Given his choice, my husband would have it ripped out and replaced.

PA Soapstone is a real Soapstone. I got a sample of it from El Dorado, which is a pretty reputable soapstone supplier.

Which is exactly why soapstone should not be purchased from a “stone yard”, no matter how ”well established.” A dedicated soapstone dealer/fabricator, is the only safe place to purchase soapstone. They can be found in most parts of the US....M. Teixeira (the largest), Garden State Soapstone, Vermont Soapstone, Dorado Soapstone, are a few that come to mind.

Darbuka thank you! It’s a longer drive for us to Teixara so we decided to do a local stop first. Pennfire how did you find out yours was a phyllite instead?? LL thank you for the information! Very helpful to know El Dorado has it too!

Just double-checked to make sure. This is the sample I have, and Darbuka is right - the company is Dorado not El Dorado.

PA Soapstone is real soapstone. When we carry it we get it from Brazil. Sometimes PA Soapstone will be called Black Soapstone. But it is the real deal. Good luck and have fun

Does anyone know about Virginia Black? Is it real soapstone? Is all the soapstone from Brazil real?

@Jennifer Johnson...most soapstone comes from Brazil. The second major producer, is India. Very little is mined in the US. Virginia black, often called Virginia Mist, is granite that is usually honed to give the appearance of soapstone, but never attains that true velvety matte appearance.

Good to know...the place we are supposed to go choose our countertops has some slabs that are called Virginia Black so I was wondering. Here’s a picture of the tag on it...

And here’s another different slab they have that has a Brazil sticker on the front...I really like the looks of this and am leaning in that direction. Does anyone have major negatives that I should know about?

Hmmm...perhaps I shouldn’t be so hasty. that could be soapstone. Just like with granite, stone yards often give different names to the same stone. However, this won’t happen if you purchase your soapstone from an actual soapstone dealer/fabricator, (like M. Teixeira), and not a stone yard that mostly sells granite, marble and quartzite.

At the stone yard you can test that slab for hardness. If you can scratch the surface with your fingernail, it will be a very soft soapstone, and I would pass it by. There are hard varieties of soapstone that will not scratch, unless scraped hard with a cast iron pan. I have such a variety, Belvedere. It’s pretty much bullet proof.

Will the stone yard give you a sample to take home, for testing? That would be the best way to tell if it’s soapstone. Soapstone is impervious to everything...won’t etch or stain. It never needs sealing. So, if you can bring a sample home, test it with wine, ketchup, mustard, or anything you might typically use in food prep. Leave it on for an hour, and see if there’s any staining. That will tell you if you have the real deal.

Wow, that last slab you posted is gorgeous! It resembles my Belvedere...with its green inclusions. Test it for hardness. If it passes the hardness test, it‘s a winner! Looks like it’s the last slab of it in the warehouse, so act fast.

Here’s my Belvedere.

That’s beautiful! Thanks so much for the info! I’ll have to see if I can get a sample. I’m sure that one piece won’t be there when I go to pick out. We are still in house planning mode so who knows when I’ll actually get to go pick mine! 🤷‍♀️ Does the M. Texeira place ship to Texas? 😬

@Jennifer Johnson, Teixeira ships all over the country...and even outside the US. Several years ago, they shipped to a poster who lived on St. John...in the Caribbean! The slabs went from their New Jersey location to Miami, and then by boat to St. John.

M. Teixeira has three major locations...NY/NJ, San Francisco, and Boynton Beach, FL. They also have sister locations in Anaheim, Boston, Virginia, and Denver. Give them a call, and see what they suggest. The staff is friendly, patient, and a pleasure to work with. You can request a sample pack, which they will send for a small fee. Make sure it includes Belvedere.

Btw, you can pretty much ignore the slab pics on their site. They don’t do the stones justice! Also, if you want green inclusions in your slab, tell them. We looked through quite a few Belvedere slabs, before we found one with the inclusions we wanted. M.Teixeira

@Jennifer Johnson Virginia Black soapstone is most likely from Brazil. The only working soapstone quarry is in Virginia right now and would be labeled as USA or Churchhill Soapstone. We buy a great deal of soapstone from both Brazil and Virginia and our clients are pleased with the end result. I agree that Teixeira ships nationwide. Just keep an eye on shipping costs as it can be expensive. Best of luck and have fund

Hey all! Wondering what kinds of sinks you all have with your soapstone countertops? Soapstone sinks or cast iron or granite or something else?

I have PA soapstone in my kitchen and I LOVE it madly and passionately. I have a Kohler Whitehaven sink and also love, love, love, love.

I have a blanco black granite composit sink. I bought the larger single bowl, and like having one bowl more than I thought I would

I too have a Blanco silgranit single bowl sink in cinder, and love it.

I have a Kohler white cast iron Iron/Tones low divide and like the contrast of the black and white. There is a Kohler neoroc Cairn that I was very interested in but I was afraid to get a light colored composite sink due to all I read about staining. I was worried about getting the black hole effect if I went with a dark sink color.

@darbuka can you tell me more about the M. Teixeira sister site in VA? I checked their web page but it only lists the main locations.

@cevamal, hmmm, just checked the M.Teixeira site, and I guess their partner locations have changed. Now it lists Anaheim, Denver, Huntington Station (Long Island), and Ontario, Canada as their partner locations.

I suggest you give Teixeira a call. They will probably have some place in the greater DC area to recommend to you. Also, keep in mind…Teixeira ships everywhere, both unfinished (for those that prefer to DIY), and fully fabricated counters. All you’d need is someone to install.

@Jennifer Johnson, just saw your question about sinks. Our main sink is a 30” Franke under mount stainless steel. Single bowl, of course.

@darbuka thanks. I sent them a message and if I don't hear back I'll call Tuesday.

I'm in southwestern virginia so the DC area isn't particularly close. I've reached out to @carolinasoapstone as well.

Darbuka, I always wanted and hoped to buy from M. Teixeira because I trust them and have learned so much from them. Our custom cabinet maker included counters in our bid, so we had to use his local fabricator and the fabricator's Chicago-land stone suppliers--none were SS specialists. Confidently finding authentic soapstone was more difficult. Understandably, our fabricator wouldn't assume responsibility for fabrication/installation issues if we got slabs elsewhere. Slabs at his (multi-stone) suppliers usually just had one option at each. We chose slabs marked, "Black Soapstone/Brazil." M. Teixeira looked at our photos and thinks they're PA Soapstone, which they call, "Stormy Black.: It's a harder variety. Our biggest disappointment since our recent installment is that it's all too shiny. Apparently that is a common occurence with harder types, especially if they start off that way or extra polishing is done by the fabricator. Our installed stone looks shinier, now, and it's not just from oil--they are mirror-like. We were told he could hone them, if needed, after installation. Husband and I regret this a TON. It's going to be very messy, has delayed appliance installation, and wonder if it's a health hazard for that to be done in a home.

@yalemichmom, sorry this has happened to you. It is a risk when purchasing soapstone from a generic stone yard. It’s quite usual for these stone yards to carry only one variety of soapstone. Most just don’t know the special qualities of soapstone, and that it should be fabricated differently from other stones.

It is possible to sand soapstone in place, without making a total mess of the kitchen. Years ago, there was a frequent contributor here, known as Florida Joshua, who would travel up and down the East Coast repairing soapstone for anyone from the kitchen forum (formerly called the Garden Web before Houzz bought it) who contacted him. Joshua had owned a soapstone store in Florida.

Anyway, he’d bring his supplies, and repair damaged soapstone and/or sand (hone) counters that had been fabricated improperly…such as yours, directly in the kitchens. He contained the mess (not sure how…a special vacuum and bagging system, I think), and left the kitchens pristine.

Joshua provided a valuable service. Unfortunately, he retired to PA about 6 years ago.

The point is, the sanding can be done without exposing your family, and covering your home in dust. Your fabricator just has to make the effort…and pay for all tools necessary.

P.S. Before the fabricator attempts to correct the finish on your counters, he needs to know the proper grit needed to sand them. I forget what the grit is.

I suggest you call M. Teixeira and explain the situation. Call the NJ location. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and always willing to answer questions…even if you’ve not purchased from them.

My son very recently had his soapstone installed by M.Teixeira...in the kitchen, and three bathrooms. They had to do some sanding on site. My son said, when they left, there wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere.