Are you kidding? That's gorgeous! No, I'm not making fun, but you should know that almost everyone here who's gotten SS with minimal veining says they wishes they had a bit more. Oil calms the stone more than water does, also--it looks like water on that slab. Personally, I think that slab is beautiful, but you have to be the one to decide that.
I just got SS for the second time, in a second kitchen. This time I had them put a 3/16" rounded edge on it--last time I had a slight pencil edge. No chips this time--yet.

Absolutely beautiful!!!! I would LOVE to have that slab of soapstone and I'm sure you will be happy with your choice.
Hey, pamela, can you show us your edge? I've only seen straight edges and I've been wondering if having a rounded edge helps alleviate or at least slow down the dings.

I'll give it a go...you know, I've never posted a photo here, so I'll have a learning curve.

M. Tex Soapstone told me that slightly more rounded WOULD slow down the dings. So I went ahead with it. It looks good, very natural.

Thanks for talking me down. I think I'm just anxious because I actually made a decision about this kitchen in less than 1800 hours.

Pamela, that is water on the stone. I'm hoping oil evens out some of the blotchiness I see. I'm just worried that I like the look of the stone in slab form, but on my counters it be too much craziness. Although this is one of the more sedate Santa Rita Venata stones I've seen. I probably will love oiling all those inclusions and veins.

I'd like to see your edge too, if you have a pic.

Orange, it sure looks pretty! I think it will be beautiful!

If you are still unsure, then continue to look for the slab that you want. There are other dealers out there.

Do you know where the Green Mountain Original is from? I would guess a company in Vermont that imports Brazilian SS.
I have a son who started Elon U. in NC this year. Driving back to MA, I stopped in Alberene, VA, at one of the only operating quarry and fabrication plants in USA. Maybe the only one. They charge $57 per sq. ft. for 1 1/4" cut to your dimensions. Funky old plant. They have a website.
Google Alberene Soapstone.

That's a gorgeous slab! And I think you'll love it, especially the gorgeous veins and swirls. The 'cloudiness' will indeed disappear after about 3 weeks of oil, but some of the wider veins may retain a bit of a 'milky way' appearance that you'll probably adore.

As to the softness, I have Santa Rita Venata, and have had it installed and subject to hard use for two years so far. And I definitely DO NOT baby my countertops... Minor scratches do disappear with oil, and for dings that won't disappear with oil, a felt-tipped pen does the trick. How? Well, the 'ding' is a rough surface, so even though the ink doesn't sink in, it does cling to the little rough edges, thereby making the spot disappear.

But you'll need to make your own decision here -- If you feel rushed and uncomfortable, take your time and look around. Do your second-guessing after-the-fact until you feel good --

It is beautiful! However,I'm prejudiced, I love a lot of veining!

But, I do think you need to LOVE your slab choice.

Also, when thinking about it on your perimeter countertops, remember, you are only going to see about a 25-1/2" swath of the slab at a time. That will either minimize or accentuate the "blotchy" spots you are seeing. My guess is, it will minimize as I had some clients who selected a slab that I thought was really busy and splotchy, but once it was cut up and installed - it is lovely and not too busy.

More than likely, the splotchy-ness will really only be visible when you are standing near it or working on top of it. I don't think you will see it from sitting across the room.

So, if you don't love it, wait - stone yards get new shipments every week! If you decide it's your true love - take it with no regrets and think fondly of the poor soul who came into the slab yard after you who isn't going to get your beautiful slabs!

Good luck!

I picked new slabs!

Thanks everyone who told me to listen to my inner voice. My inner voice told me I had to lug my sick kids to Bucks County to commune with my slabs. Spend a little time with them to make sure I LOVED them. I didn't. Too wild. Too green. But not too soft. So I picked new slabs that I think I WILL love.

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n276/jmcknigh/soapstone/newslab2.jpg[/IMG]

The funny thing is that I stuck with Santa Rita Venata. I think I can live with the softness. And I still get veining, but with a darker, more consistent background. I'm excited about my long-coveted soapstone now, not anxious about it. Now let's just hope I don't get a 20 inch crack.

So my personal advice to those picking soapstone slabs (and this has all probably been said before) is to 1) pay attention to the background of the stone. I was too interested in the veining patterns, and didn't notice that my original slabs had a quartzy, translucent quality that I personally don't care for and 2) If you plan to oil your stone, do not pick a slab without seeing at least part of it oiled. My original slabs were even more dramatic when oiled, and I noticed a lot of things I didn't notice the when they were just wet. I know the stone will calm down a lot (especially the greenness) with subsequent oilings, but that oiling really made me sure I wanted a different stone. 3) If you live close enough to the stoneyard to make this possible, take a picture of the slab, take it home and photoshop the approximate countershapes with it. This really helped me get an idea of what the veining was going to look like on my counters. While I'm really attracted to whole slabs that are geologically interesting, when I photoshopped them onto my counters, they were just too much. Witness what I refer to as the "ganglion".

[IMG]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n276/jmcknigh/soapstone/oldslabganglioin.jpg[/IMG]

While cool too look at on a slab, not exactly the look I was going for in my kitchen. FYI, those slabs might still be available for anyone who IS going for this look. Just not me.

Again, thanks everyone for the sage advice about following my instincts. Now on to picking a backsplash....

Oops...here are the pics of the new slab and the old "ganglion"

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

So glad you found a slab you love! It is beautiful! Looking forward to seeing pics of it in your kitchen!!

Hi, orange. I love your new slab!

I have looked locally for soapstone and everything in my city is green, green, and more green! Eventually I will find one - it is early yet for me. Thanks for the advice about paying attention to the background, as all i ever really notice is the veins and the color.

BTW, I'm laughing about our screen names. Can we SEE the orange kitchen? Wow. Search on the board and you'll see my thread about my ugly blue kitchen.

Anita

Orangekitchen, your slabs are beautiful! Now I'm even more jealous after reading that you are in Bucks county! I am in South Florida and DH and I would love to move to Bucks county. Such a storybook town to live in and raise your kids!

The colors and varieties of Soapstone available are always changing. For those of you just now finding this link, keep in mind that Dorado Soapstone has locations throughout the country. If you are on the west coast, check out Teresina Soapstone. Their soapstone slab inventory is available at http://teresinasoapstone.com/slabs-2/all-slabs/

If you aren't in a rush to select soapstone, they can keep you posted on new shipments that come in. If there is a variety of Soapstone you absolutely must have, they may be able to transfer it from another location, or at least help you find out where you can get it.

Here is a link that might be useful: soapstone slabs

The more veins you have the stronger the hardness of the slab because veins are quarts which is strong. People worry that the more veins the easier it cracks and that is a myth. However, during shipment from overseas if not handle carefully the slab will cracks but then again who would want to sell a crack/broken slabs from overseas? A good method of shipping and handling is the key. Nevertheless, here is some video shots of these gorgeous slabs below (see link)

Here is a link that might be useful: Soapstone Slabs Gallery and Video