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Absolute Black granite honed/leathered/antiqued?

10 years ago

Hi all,
Am considering Absolute black granite for my countertops, with white cabinets and a Mont Blanc quartzite island. The fabricator had honed on the floor in stock and said the honed was worry-free. After doing some online research, it seems honed shows fingerprints, oily marks, and can leave water rings?? There are also other finishes called leathered or antiqued, are these different? I have to decide soon about these and now I'm totally confused. Any help would be appreciated!

Featured Answer

VADawg
Original Author

10 years ago

Hi all, I was able to get a sample of antiqued absolute black. I left a tsp. of olive oil on it overnight to test. It did leave an oily spot, but it wasn't glaring. I imagine it develops a patina over time. Problem now is my distributor is sold out of absolute black! Ugh! Why is nothing in this renovation process ever easy? Ok, enough venting... back to countertop shopping. Thinking Mont Blanc quartzite now, a completely different look....

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Comments (12)

ssdarb
10 years ago
I like leathered (I think "leathered" and "antique" are the same?). Mine are leathered antique brown granite, But I haven't seen leathered absolute black. Can they get you a sample or can you call around your area and see who has a slab you can look at? I wouldn't choose a stone without seeing the whole slab.
cat_mom
10 years ago
We have a honed AB saddle in our MB. They used Tenax Tiger Ager (?) enhancer-sealer on it (we needed to darken it slightly to better blend in with our porcelain floor tile. It seems to be pretty forgiving (I walk on it with bare feet, wet from the shower or after using foot cream and such).
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I have polished Absolute Black Premium stone and I love it! I would put it in again if I had it to do over. Yes, if you don't wipe down the counters daily you will gather & see dust. However, our counters are wiped down at least once a day (usually after dinner) and we don't seem to accumulate dust...if you live in the desert (or other dusty locale), though, you might have a different experience. As to fingerprints, water spots, crumbs, etc...yes, you do see them but... Crumbs...really only visible if there are a lot of them or they're large crumbs Water spots...visible only while wet! They look a little darker than the surrounding counter but once they're dry they blend in. You can see a faint outline and little bit less "shine" if you search for a dried water spot, but it's not obvious otherwise. Fingerprints...again, yes, they do show up if they're particularly greasy. However, "normal" fingerprints don't show much at all. If you're someone who likes a pristine/always perfect looking kitchen, you may not be happy with a polished dark stone. However, if you're OK with a somewhat lived-in look I think you'll be happy with it...like we are! BTW...we're also not "clean as you go" type of people. Sure, I'll wipe up a big spill or brush off a large volume of crumbs or dry a large water spot, but by and large, I let the crumbs, water, and spills stay until I get around to wiping the counters in the evening. If I'm having a party or want my counters to be extra-clean/shiny, I use a microfiber cloth plus Method Daily Granite Cleaner & Polish. Day-to-day, though, I just use a small amount of detergent on a dishcloth and wipe the counters down. Sometimes I dry them after (using circular motions), sometimes not. If I over-do it on the detergent, I sometimes get a very light haze...but I've learned pretty well by now how much is "just right' (through trial & error). Oh...some people use a 50/50 mix of water & alcohol on their counters...I keep meaning to try it b/c it's much less expensive and I could probably use it daily.
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ohhh noooo I wonder if they did indeed seal it. Here is an article that talks about this very issue. Maybe this can help you. http://www.countertopspecialty.com/haze-water-stains-after-sealing-granite-countertops.html https://www.houzz.com/discussions/had-honed-granite-put-in-today-husband-is-mad-help-please-dsvw-vd~445930
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rubyclaire
10 years ago
In my search for AB leathered granite, I encountered a variety of options ranging very dark, very textured to grey-ish with tiny texture marks - maybe more like a brushed finish. Some of these showed oily prints if not sealed. Finally found a lovely slab of Milky Way leathered granite that is the perfect deep black with great texture, with a bit of sheen that does not show prints. This was a search that I thought would be easy but proved to be a bit trickier. Good luck - it can be a beautiful material! (Mine will be installed in few weeks so I don't have good input about use yet).
kevdp4
10 years ago
Many Absolute Blacks can be a nightmare whether polished, honed or textured because of possible calcium content. Oily smudges are common with honed AB but a knowledgeable fabricator can help minimize that. Test the stone before purchasing.
kevdp4
10 years ago
There is really no need to test AB for oil staining, it is almost impervious meaning non-absorbent. If it left an oily spot it was simply on the surface and easily cleaned. It will not develop a patina.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
10 years ago
Most of the "Absolute Black" out there got that way through dye. If it will take a dye, it will take oil.
Mary Ann Boffey
10 years ago
Our kitchen is on the front page of the Kitchen forums page right now... we have Absolute Black in "antiqued" finish. I did not seal it and it's 2 years old. It's been great, but I don't leave any oil or acid foods on it.
kevdp4
10 years ago
If it's been dyed it's not a true Absolute Black, it is a mutt stone trying to look like AB.
nosoccermom
10 years ago
Two questions:
How do you know whether it's dyed?
And why does it matter? Because of staining?
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
10 years ago
"How do you know whether it's dyed?"

Rub it with acetone. I'd try lacquer thinner too. If your rag gets black, it's dyed.
"And why does it matter? Because of staining?"

Dyed stone will function, it's just that the dye is only skin deep.
kevdp4
10 years ago
Dyed Absolute Black can react to water causing water rings form glasses. Absolute Black can also contain some calcium which will also water ring from glasses. Using sealers on AB is another cause for water rings.

As Trebuchet stated, test with Acetone and lacquer thinner. Also test with lemon juice. Do not seal it. Good luck!

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