1. and 3. combined. If you have a softer soapstone then yes, chipping could occur. I have a harder variety with a flush mount apron sink and chipping is not an issue for me. I am HARD on a kitchen and have been using it for over a year and a half.

2. I have a zero radius sink and it's not a problem to keep clean. I had a preference for the more contemporary style of a zero radius plus had read that the corners are not stretched and therefore even thickness throughout the sink. I "hose" it down with my faucet sprayer and use a cloth or sponge to clean it.

HTH!

No problem cleaning my zero radius SS sink either.
Like remodelfla said, use the sprayer to move particles toward the drain.
I have original P.A, one of the hardest varieties and I did the soapstone counter flush with the sink to avoid chips. The counter looks great flush with the sink.

Thanks so much! Which sink did you use? Blanco and Mila are the only ones i've found that can be flush mounted. Did you find others?

Can someone explain this issue to me---I am putting in soapstone, my Kohler undermount with positive reveal arrived yesterday...I have never heard of a zero radius sink amd am thinking that sounds like something I should be up on. And here I thought I was researching stuff to death.

zero radius means that the corners are at 90 degree angles. No curve. And drn...my sink is a Lavello.

I have two undermount zero radius sinks and fairly hard variety of soapstone with a flush reveal on both. Only 6 months in but no chips so far, and no issue with keeping my sinks clean.

Love my zero radius sinks, love my hard variety of soapstone and love the flush reveal (which allows for use of the cutting board and accessories that came with my sink).

hth

Thanks so much, I"m so glad to hear none of you are having problems with the zero radius sinks.

I think we may all mean two different things by "flush mount." I don't mean that the reveal is flush -- I'm looking at a sink where the top edge of the sink is level and even with the countertop (neither drop-in nor under mount). I'm trying to attach a picture, we'll see if it works! This is the sink that only comes in a zero radius....

Any suggestions on a particular soapstone that is less soft?

I can't comment if anyone else has been confused but I knew what you meant by flush mount. In my case just trying to illustrate that even with an undermount sink I haven't experienced any chips or dings. But then again, I've only had my kitchen for 6 months so more time will tell how well it holds up. I've worked it hard though! I would expect you would fare very well with a flush mount sink, and I have found the zero radius no more effort to clean than my previous sinks with curvy corners.

As for how to find a harder soapstone the best I can suggest is to get samples and abuse them. Suppliers are notorious for using different names for the same thing, but any supplier that has a decent understanding of soapstone (not that common) should be able to help you out in finding a harder variety as if that is what you are looking for. If you are considering M.Tex as a supplier, mine is from them and called Anastacia. They also have Belvedere which sounds pretty bullet proof from others on this forum.

My first test was with a fingernail - If I could scratch it with my fingernail it was out for me. Sadly that eliminated a lot of really beautiful stones but I just couldn't handle that degree of softness. Then use a few other common kitchen things and see how the stone fares. Scratch it with a fork, throw your keys on it a few times, hit it with a soup can. My Anastacia fared quite well - not the hardest but I was satisfied with it's performance and with my ability to sand out the I created imperfections.

hth

mmHmmgood-Oh Duh you are right I should have said the counter is cut so it's flush with the sink(neither positive nor negative reveal) to avoid chips not a "flush mount" sink !
If you are near the East coast you can find a dealer for Green Mountain Soapstone, which stocks the harder variety " original P.A"