Hi Fern--I do have Paperstone ("Certified") countertops--they have been installed for over a year now, and have held up nicely. I just took a look--I do have a few scratches, but they really aren't very noticable and don't bother me at all (I probably wouldn't have noticed them if I hadn't specifically been searching for them!). That said--I am pretty gentle (and I live alone, so no kids or less gentle users to worry about!)--I don't cut directly on the surface and I'm generally pretty careful not to drag things across the counter--so I wouldn't expect too many scratches. Some friends have Richlite countertops and were disappointed with some scratches that appeared after using a salad spinner (I haven't seen those scratches, so can't say how severe they really are or how they compare to the minor scratches I have found on my countertops). I'm not sure if Paperstone is more scratch resistant than Paperstone--could be. Like Vizslalover mentioned above, I did have a little problem with them maybe 6 months or so into ownership, where a white 'pit' appeared. It was as if the top layer of paper had worn away a bit, like a little crater. My fabricator came back and was able to fix the pit very nicely. I haven't had any problems since, so I tend to think it was a manufacturing issue and not caused by wear (especially since the pit appeared in a low use area of my countertop). My fabricator told me he sees that problem occasionally, and generally repairs it before installing the countertops. I never could find an online complaint about the same issue, so must be a limited problem. (Plus, Kliptech seems to be constantly working on improvements to their product line, so maybe they've resolved the issue) Here is a picture of the pit (the halo around the pit was caused when I tried to rub out the white spot with a scruffy sponge) And here is the same spot, post fix and buff by the fabricator. You can see the fix a bit in the picture, but it hasn't bothered me at all. I'm assuming you have been able to see some Paperstone/Richlite installations (I live in Seattle and bought my paperstone from Environmental Home Center, where you can see a few installations). Like you, I was originally considering soapstone. It was just too hard to find local sources where I could really inspect potential soapstone slabs. For my kitchen, I really didn't want much veining and wanted no green. Some sage FKB member in the past posted a comment about soapstone--something to the effect that if you are going to buy soapstone unseen, you better be sure you love ALL soapstone, because you just can't be 100% sure what you are going to get. I finally decided I just didn't love all soapstone (not for my kitchen, anyway!) so the Paperstone was an easier option for me. (the 'green' consideration was secondary, frankly). I am very happy with my choice, but if I had it to do over again, AND I had lots of slabs of soapstone available locally for inspection, I might go with the soapstone. Or maybe not. Who can say??? :) Anyway, hope this helps! Kelly

Joshua Yes, the guys at Bucks County Soapstone were surprised that this was what I wanted. They told me no one wants it because of the spots when it is unoiled. I just loved the veins and the caramel color in the oiled sample so I didn't look further. Bucks County has a fabulous reputation here in S Jersey so I even trusted them to pick my slab for me. I think they did a great job placing the large veins in all the exposed areas. The spots add a slight textural dimension to the stone. I knew I would oil the stone frequently so the black spots are not an issue. I do have to oil (Bee's Oil) it frequently, at least every 8 weeks to keep it dark. I would not recommend this for someone that wants to oil once and forget it because it does fade. Areas under my cabinets that sit directly on the counter faded back to the original color in less than 6 months. I would agree, however, that this stone is not particularly attractive in its unoiled state. My neighbor thought I was crazy when the truck showed up with this light blue gray stone with leopard spots all over it. He couldn't believe it after it was oiled. I think if you display the stone oiled, people would love it.

rmlanza, We haven't found a ss fabricator yet. We are waiting on a quote thru our cabinet guy. It seems as if fabricators in the VB area now make approx 1 thousand dollars a day! My DH might need to change his profession. At this juncture he's about 94% sure he's going to have to do it himself. He's been corresponding with a few of the known ss dealers. We are trying to figure out the best stone slabs for the best price/delivered. I'll be posting formally once we start demolition which should be in just a few more weeks. Stay tuned :) H

We installed Beleza soapstone about 4 months ago and love it. We love the look and the performance. It is easy to clean -- oil stains wipe up easily -- and we've had no problems with the water marks/stains discussed in several soapstone threads over the last few months. I've knocked the edge several times with pots and the like and so far (knock wood) we have no dings (I think the Beleza is quite hard). Other than crumbs and grease marks showing up much more than they did on my old hideous spotty laminate and thus needing more frequent wipes with a damp sponge the soapstone is completely easy care (and I'm definitely happy to trade a few minutes of wiping for the beauty). We haven't oiled the stone (ours is naturally quite dark) but it has darkened a bit around the stove. Here are some pictures taken after about a month. It's a bit hard to photograph; I don't think these pictures capture it all that well. This is right after it was installed. This makes it look a bit lighter than it actually is but shows the veining and color variation. It doesn't show the green undertones. And here's an overall shot more recently, which doesn't really show it all that well. I could take more pictures (I need to anyway) if you'd like.