OK. I feel like I should be able to help you but I'm not sure. Heres what I can offer.
I've had an 18" square of honed Danby on my countertop for a several months in our work area just to see how it wears.

I had some big very noticeable etches on it. I scrubbed it out (hard!) with Scotch Brite and Comet like it shows on the Danby website. They all disappeared. However, being I have an 18" sample I THINK I ended up scrubbing the whole thing b/c it's hard to see where the etches are once your stone has pasty stuff all over it. It looked great after but I can't be sure about the finish. I would say I'm almost positive it is now more honed than it was originally. Perhaps that is why on their website they say to treat the whole counter with Comet/scotchbrite before sealing.... so that if you do it again to get rid of etching it will all blend in.

HTH- I'd call them on Monday and see what they say...

I did some experimenting with removing etch marks. I was working on calacatta not danby, but my experience might be helpful. I found a polishing compound worked well- just needed to be careful and not polish to much and make the area to shiny!

Here's an old thread where I described my findings:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0110385030178.html

By the way, I don't think resealing will restore the finish at all. It's just to re-protect. Let us know how this goes as I'm sure it would help others.

Try not to be bummed. Marble etches. Can't get around it. It will work out. Please do some before and after photos if you should end up doing anything to it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Similar Post

I believe one of the marble experts said you should definitely reseal after doing something like that b/c the stone then isn't protected. Maybe he'll chime in here if he sees this.

Actually in the thread you started he spoke to this.

Here is a link that might be useful: your thread

Thank you so, so much Fishies, Fletcher and Mykitchensdone. I always appreciate the many kind people on the forum who take the time to offer advice. All these links are great.

I don't have much to report yet, except that I tried a SoctchBrite pad, and it left an identical etch just in a larger area. No big deal, I was careful to scrub just one area of the original etch. I'm just confused as to why it seems to make some etches disappear but in my case it just basially scratches and area to make an identical-looking etch.

Fletcher, I'm wondering if the polish trick--polishing very lightly, maybe--would work on my honed marble to even out the finish. I'm going to call a couple of polishing compound manufacturers on Monday.

Mykitchensdone, how much would you say your monthly scrubbing blends the etches? I'm a little afraid to try it, but the island has tons of natural and other lights shining on it, so I think I'll be tempted to do something like what you do to minimize the etching.

My parents are visiting us for a few weeks, and I really don't want them to see me stressing about the new counters (or feeling like they have to stress!) I kept the etch incident to myself last night and just slipped off to post on GW, lol.

I think this was a blessing in disguise. I was sick when it first happened (because we hadn't even started using the island yet and it was the result of me using the wrong combination of products to try to clean off a faint, barely noticeable stain left by the fabricator), but it's like the first ding in a new car.

Now I can stop worrying, and just drive! I was determined not to stress when someone innocently squirts lemon toward their fish and it makes a crazy etch on the counter, and now I really believe I won't. The last thing I want to do is make my parents feel uncomfortable in my kitchen. So, I'll just live with the etches as they accumulate, and work on a solution when I'm alone in the house or early in the morning so I don't stress anyone out.

I'll post my progress and especially anything I learn that could be helpful, any ideas or input would be ao greatly appreciated.

Madeline-

I'm glad you are starting to relax about your marble : )

I think anything that will "remove" an etch will also change the finish around the etch! Like when I removed them from my sample, I plan to do the comet/scotch brite to the whole countertop (even if it is over a period of time) so that the whole thing has one look to it for the most part. Even honed marble has variations in how it is honed from what I understand. It can be SUPER dull but usually it still has a "sheen" to it. If you get rid of that sheen with the Comet/Scotchbrite everywhere it will all blend.

I wonder if one can request from the fabricator the level of "honed" they want their stone to be?

Again, I'm not an expert but just going by what I have heard on GW so far : )

Hi Fishie,

Thanks for your response! Maybe scrubbie pads make other people's etches disappear because they've scrubbed a lot in the past and they're matching that "scrubbed" sheen? I hear what you're saying, and will be doing some scotch brite tests on large samples to make sure that's the way I want to go with the island.

I get the impression that a good fabricator can achieve many levels of sheen/honed-ness. My fabricator does everything using the sanding method--no acid--and the feeling I got was that he had a high level of control over the sheen depending on how much he sanded.

When will you be getting your long-awaited counters?? Danby, right?

Just wanted to give a quick update. I allowed the poultice, etc that I had used (which caused the etch) to dry, and I sealed the area twice (I'm certain the chemicals I used ate through the sealer).

To my surprise and delight, the process of re-sealing reduced the appearance of the etch by about 70%.

I hope my experience might help someone else freaking out about an et h that might benefit from re-sealing. I think part of the bright white appearance of the etch was because the sealer had been removed by the poultice that caused the etch. It was bright white and the finish was different- rougher, maybe. The re-sealing (Porous Plus 511) really blended it.

It went from a blemish that was glaringly obvious and unsightly to me--and that most likely would've been quickly evident to others--to toned-down enough that I feel much better, and something that many people very likely wouldn't even notice unless I pointed it out.

Thanks for the support and suggestions!

What did you use for your poultice? I don't think I'm understanding...