Circuspeanut - do you know what laminate is pictured? While I don't mind the variables inherent to ss, the price is out of my range :( and I like that laminate.

If I recall from the dozens of blog posts on the "Somethings Gotta Give" kitchen, set designers used black painted plywood to approximate the look of soapstone.

If you want the look, but don't need the sensuous feel of soapstone, you can create the high contrast black and white kitchen look with many black or charcoal gray laminates or less expensive honed black granites (like Black Peal granite).

Here is a link that might be useful: Hampton Style kitchens

I tend to agree with billl, anyone that likes things to look pristine probably wouldn't like soapstone. Years ago on a kit tour with a friend we got to one house with soapstone. An old farm like kit and I was in awe. My friend thought it was the worst on the tour. She asked after, "didn't you see the scratches and dings by the sink?". I did and didn't care, I loved it.

I hate oiling my soapstone. I love it dark, though. Could whoever says it can be done in minutes please share their secrets? It takes me a good hour to do my counters and lots of elbow grease and my kitchen is small. As a result, I don't oil. I live with the blotches while I would prefer a more uniform finish. And I don't iron my jeans or T-shirts! The scratches and dings don't bother me at all. Just the oiling.

"The scratches and dings don't bother me at all. Just the oiling."

Have you tried a wax instead? A little more work upfront, but you don't have to do it nearly as often.

I have a lot of Julia soapstone. I've had it for 2 years. It doesn't have chips, or dings that anyone can detect, meaning the couple of chips/dings that we do have are tiny and not noticed.

Any scratches that have happened from dragging something rough (like a hand made pottery bowl) across the soapstone disappeared after a couple of washings with a warm dish cloth and dish soap.

In the beginning, I oiled it 4 or 5 times and then miraculously it stayed dark without having to oil it anymore. These are recent photos . . . it hasn't been oiled in over a year.

I think people against soapstone either
1. Have no experience with it
2. Have seen soft soapstone that has taken a beating
3. Just don't like the look of soapstone compared to granite
4. Have an alterior motive for wanting you to go with another material

Whups, sorry, yes, I guess the iconic Something's Gotta Give countertop was just painted plywood -- I thought I recalled someone saying it was laminate, a few years back.

Goes to show how pervasively stimulating even something entirely imaginary can be!

Of course there are lots of laminates and solid surfaces that might work. Here are a few randomly scooped from older threads on this forum; start your own thread and I bet lots of folks will chime in. There have been many discussions of this but it's always good to update with whatever the latest materials are.

Wilsonart: Oiled Soapstone, Black Alicante
Formica: Basalt Slate

Also some solid surfaces --
Corian: Medea, Zodiaq: Storm Gray, Licorice

Probably because soapstone chips, scratches, dings and otherwise gets banged up. I'm sure they have to field lots of complaints from installs over that type of stuff. People who love soapstone just think of that as "character" but I'm sure that a lot of customers get upset when their brand new, expensive counter gets a scratch after 2 weeks of use.

Interesting speculation, Billl, but it doesn't quite fit the other data that we know. (And now I know from another thread that you are a logical-minded person!) Many people here report that the contractor discouraging SS has no actual experience with it. Very few do, it seems. They never get to the point of having an installed customer base that can complain!

I think the reluctance is just wariness of something unusual. Personally, I kinda doubt there are many people who go to the expense of installing SS, and go to the trouble of overcoming objecting GCs, and who are surprised by the properties of SS once installed. But, then, this is my speculation! :-)

I think the scratching and chipping issues are more prevalent in the softer soapstones. We have Belvedere and I have had (more than once) cans of soup fall from a shelf from an upper cabinet with not a ding or scratch to be seen. The edges around my undermount sink are perfect as the day they were installed as well with not a chip to be felt. I'm not careful by any means, and have 2 children under the age of 10 who are not gentle. My husband is not gentle either. We had Santa Rita Venata installed initially (before the Belvedere) that had some issues which were quarry related so M. Tex graciously replaced them with a stone of our choice. The SRV was EXTREMELY soft (but oh so beautiful) and my husband was not able to live with it. He loves the Belvedere now, and we keep it unoiled. Every now and then when I want to change the look I will oil.

So it definitely depends on the stone you chose. Which is why people should do their research before purchasing anything so permanent and costly.

cheri127,I suspect you are pouring to much mineral oil on your counters. I keep an old dishcloth soaked in oil in a zip lock bag under my kit sink. I just wash off the counters, when they are dry rub the cloth all over and then take a dry cloth or towel and rub it down. No residue left. I won't say it only takes minutes but maybe 1/2 hr.

good god, how I hate my soapstone. It's been nearly 13 years and it looks awful. For the first few years I oiled it every few months, only to have the tiniest water spill, pull the oil right off. Forget about putting any leather or paper on the countertop when it's been oiled within a week or two. A casually placed purse will suck the oil up in moments and then you have a nice purse-shaped light grey spot. Your kids' homework will have the teacher think you're wrapping fried fish in it. I've now given up on oiling even yearly (which is how the soapstone people sell you on it). Even the lightly mottled look pictured above would be an improvement on the white scratches, water splotches and dark rings from the olive-oil container. Someone mentioned waxing...I'm tempted to give it a try because when soapstone is freshly treated--it is beautiful. But it only lasts until the next time you cook!

acmesarah why don't you stop oiling it and see how you like it?

acmesarah and cheri - definitely go the Dorado website and order yourself their soapstone wax. Its soooo much better than oil, in my experience. I like my soapstone darker but got tired for taking everything off the counters (lots of countertop, lots of teenagers' junk in my kitchen!) so I had quit for awhile.
About a month ago I ordered the wax and its been awesome. More expensive than oil but worth it.
When you first rub it on as directed you might think its barely doing anything. However, don't over do it and walk away for about 5 minutes and when you come back it will be as dark as with oil (at least mine works that way). I then very quickly wipe it down with a clean papertowel although little comes back off and you don't have the oily residue as with the mineral oil.

when I bought mine about 2 years ago, I had a lot of trouble finding it here in the DC area and ended up getting it from Philly Soapstone and they installed. Don't know if its any easier now. I still don't personally know anyone else that has it.

There shouldn't be enough oil left on the counters to get on anything other than, well, the counters and the towel used.

I second the Clapham's wax. I rub it on, let it be for 15-20 minutes, put on another coat, leave it again, then buff. This lasts for quite awhile. I used to oil, but I have realized that I like the waxing better.

Great post....I was just at a Kitchen and Bath showroom yesterday and the salesman tried to dissuade me from soapstone too. I am sure they have little experience with it or do not have a supplier. I spent many years in chemistry labs with soapstone counters, acids, bases,and fire....that counter took a beating and held up great! Go for it. I am doing them in my new kitchen.

If you hate oiling soapstone try sealing it. Mine has been in 2+ years in the kitchen and 6+ months in the kids bath, both were sealed upon install and then resealed the next day. The counters have stayed dark and I never have to oil them.

You can get the wax through M. Tex as well...that's where I got mine.

I really never wax or oil mine and I think they look fine. They definitely developed a patina and are darker on their own.

I have used both Dorado's dry wax (which I like) and Chapman's wax (which I didn't like). It doesn't matter because it doesn't last. The uneven look is great if you have a farm style kitchen, but I don't. I still like soapstone, I just have a problem with those who say it's fun to oil or only takes a few minutes. And no, I'm not using too much oil and no, just an oil soaked cloth doesn't do it. Maybe I wipe down my counters with a dishcloth more often than others. I don't know. I just wanted to point out to the OP that oiling IS maintenance. It takes time and energy that you need to be willing to invest if you want your counters to be uniformly dark.

Acmesarah, my counters were a nightmare of white rings and water spots until Florida Joshua refinished them. I do have the same problem with my leather purse, though.

From these various experiences, it sounds a lot like: if you really require a uniformly-colored surface, don't get a natural stone. And if you want your soapstone to have a different color than it does naturally, you might do better with a different stone or different surface. Would that be fair to say?

Do you think it could have something to do with different types of soapstone? I've never had a white ring from anything.

I too had never heard of soapstone until I saw this forum. In my city, trying to find it is nearly impossible unless you know what you are looking for. The few ''fabricators" I spoke with all said it's "really soft" and "has to be sealed or else it stains" and "You can't set a hot pot on it". I think people just don't know as much about it on the west coast as the east. I nearly gave up on it because of that and it's so much more expensive than granite in my locale as well. The granite installers all said they could do soapstone. Based on their comments, I wasn't so sure.

On a leap of faith and the comments on this forum, I decided to go with Belvedere stone from M.Tex. I'm so glad I did! This variety is hard and yet is still manageable from a DIY and cost perspective. The shiny and uniform appearance of my stone when it first arrived 4 weeks ago, was pretty, but scratched easily when I first installed it. So, I took a sander to it, and now it doesn't scratch and has that lovely patina that soapstone is known for. Had I left it alone, it would still be beautiful, but not quite the look I wanted for my old house. I have yet to see a white ring on my stone, dings, or scratches anymore. I am using the oil that Florida Joshua sent with my farm sink. By the way, I'm not sure what type of soapstone is on the bottom of my sink, but I've dropped a number of things in it, and there are no dings in it either, or if there are, I certainly cannot notice them.

My kitchen is not yet finished, and while I am using it, there is still a lot of work to be done, meaning tools will be dropped. The stone seems to be holding up without a ton of worry on my part. I thought I would cover it with cardboard, but that's just not feasible to be living in while working on the space. I LOVE this stuff!

My advice is to get a bunch of samples of both soapstone and whatever else you are considering and use it, test it out, beat on it. I did that for 18 months before I finally decided. Get what you really want. Don't let someone who doesn't know the substance dissuade you against it. My experience with most contractors in my area is they have no idea about the stuff, but still have an opinion on how difficult it is. Hmmmm, not my experience at all.

Circuspeanut, LOL! Well, I guess since I've been known to have my blue jeans dry cleaned I better not get soapstone. Also that reference to the chem lab...too many days in the chem lab at nursing school!!!! I do love the photos of the beautiful kitchens that have it though.

My sister has Amadeus granite in her kitchen and it's beautiful. Honing the dark granites seem to give them the look of Soapstone IMO. A very nice looking stone. Good luck!

I have a softer variety of soapstone on my counters, and yes, I do have scratches and dings. But we knew that would happen and are cool with it.

I oiled at first, then started using Holland Bowl Mill Bee's Oil wax (which lasts longer)--but I haven't done either in months. Usually I will do it before a party or something, because the stone does look striking when it is dark, and we have a lot of veining that really pops. But for day to day life, I leave it be, and it stays a nice medium grey, certainly darker than when first installed.

I sometimes get a dark ring from a wet glass, or something oily, but give it an hour and it has disappeared. Never had a white ring or stain of any kind.

One thing--I had two stone samples from Bucks County. The first (which was no longer carried by the time we ordered) was harder and I think my sink is made of it. When this stone scratches or dings, it still reads as dark grey. The counter stone we eventually installed---when it is scratched the mark reads as white/light grey. If our stone was less wild and veiny, these marks would really stand out, but as it is, it just blends in. Though as mentioned here before, you can always fill in the blemish with a grey or black sharpie!

ugh...the agony of making this decision! i am about to slap laminate on my counters and hate it, but be finished! we have been trying to pick a counter top for 3 months. it's a big expense, i want to love what i get.

so, if i understand correctly, honed black anything (granite or quartz...yes they will hone quartz) will be a nightmare of fingerprints, smudges, etc. soapstone may or may not give me the finish i want ...a uniformly black matte surface with white veining that i love :)

so where does that leave us black counter top lovers?

90% of the remodelers that I deal with want low maintenance surfaces as a high priority in their kitchen. They will consistantly rank that as #2 in their priorities right behind more storage. These are people who envision spending a great deal of money only once, and they want the products that they spend that money on to be durable and last and NOT CHANGE. They want the results of that spent money to look brand new forever if it can because they don't want to ever remodel again.

And the ones who are in this category and mention the word "soapstone" (or marble) in a preliminary conversation with me about their new kitchen, well, they've been looking at too many magazines. And not reading them. The visual cues of the pics stimulate the "I want" response first, and by the time that's engaged, the reading comprehension is completely out the window. When I talk with them about the potential for scratches and the need for oiling to maintain it as a dark surface, they look sorta like folks in a horror movie being shaken awake from the spell of a vampire.

The actual subset of people who are willing to exist with a living surface is pretty small. It's not that I try to talk anyone out of something that they want, but if the something that they want is something they really won't be happy with long term, then if I sell it to them, I've created an unhappy customer down the road that will generate negative buzz for me. So, by the time I talk to them about the potential for some dings and the need for oiling at first (and for etching with marble, and for ORB to get shiny coppery spots from use) then they look at me in horror and say, "Why on earth would I want something that isn't going to last?" and they move on to a quartz surface as their choice.

Too many people love the visual appeal with their blinders on. They don't really assess their own personalities and understand themselves. I can usually tell a potential "stoner" by the end of our first design conversation. (Generalization ahead.) They are usually women who own several antiques, and USE them. Frankly, it's a real minority of male customers. Guys tend to like the bling, and they tend to like their design statementes to be a bit more "shouty" than soapstone. (Curiously enough, a lot of them LOVE marble!)

MIssyV, I have to say that from your posts, you are probably not the best candidate to be happy with soapstone for the long term. If you want an easy care matte black counter surface, then laminate is going to be your best bet. Wilsonart's Oiled Soapstone would be worth investigating for a truly matte surface and their new Black Alicante has just the most subtle sheen and looks like soapstone as well. You can get 8x12 sheet samples from them for only $1 and I think it would be worth you doing before you get caught up in the time pressure decision making roller coaster.

okay just ordered those samples in 8x10 and they are free :)

They are usually women who own several antiques, and USE them. Frankly, it's a real minority of male customers. Guys tend to like the bling, and they tend to like their design statementes to be a bit more "shouty" than soapstone. (Curiously enough, a lot of them LOVE marble!)

This statement perfectly describes myself and my husband. My husband wanted shiney new granite, and I wanted a matte surface that looked like it loved and used for years.

And I DO have antiques, that are in daily use, in my house!!!

We are very pleased with our new Beleza (very hard) soapstone counters and apron sink. The installers oiled it but we like the lighter unoiled look that is gradually returning.
I expect that the natural cherry cabinets as well as the countertops will change with age. And we do have antiques that are in daily use.

For whatever its worth, I just hung up the phone with Dorado and we discussed oiling and waxing. He said he recommends oiling every 3 days or so for about the first 3-6 months, and if you use wax, you would was it twice right away, like day of install then again next day, then once a week for the first month. Then, that waxing should last you to doing it once a year. Do you soapstone people find this to be true?

Too many people love the visual appeal with their blinders on. They don't really assess their own personalities and understand themselves. I can usually tell a potential "stoner" by the end of our first design conversation. (Generalization ahead.) They are usually women who own several antiques, and USE them.

LOL green. another stoner here. female, antique nut - use them, wear them, love them! marble install scheduled to be completed tomorrow. the correct counter this time we hope!

MissyV - I haven't had my wax from Dorado very long (maybe a month) but my soapstone is about 2 years old. I had given up on oiling after the first year unless we were having a party (love to make the veining pop) until I ordered the Dorado dry wax. I've waxed one time (did not even do two coats) and it still looks great after a month. If I had oiled it would be gone by now.
OF course YMMY depending on your stone.

dtchgrl -
Does the packaging on the wax list ingredients? I have to be careful b/c of allergies and I can't find any ingredient list for the wax on Dorado's site.
Thanks!

MissyV, be careful if you opt for laminate. I installed Formica Basalt Slate laminate in April, and am sorry I did. I'm stuck with it now, but wish I'd chosen something different. I still love my Silgranit sink -- if only the counters had proved as bombproof.

Here is a link that might be useful: basalt slate laminate scratches

ayerg-nope, no ingredients on the jar. But if this helps, here is the contact info listed on the jar
doradosoapstone.com
303.429.1387

I was also told to stay far away from soapstone. Not one contractor believed that it was a viable choice. Since I have been on GW for over 3 years, I dug my heels in and have been happy with our stone. There were some hiccups in the beginning while I got used to "living" stone. Our very hard water does leave water marks, but they do on everything here, and are easily washed away. We have Belvedere and it is hard with greenish veins that pop when oiled. I have oiled 4 times in less than a month and already each oiling lasts longer.
I still don't have decent photos of it oiled. Hopefully soon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Soapstone saga

I can usually tell a potential "stoner" by the end of our first design conversation. (Generalization ahead.) They are usually women who own several antiques, and USE them. Frankly, it's a real minority of male customers. Guys tend to like the bling, and they tend to like their design statementes to be a bit more "shouty" than soapstone. (Curiously enough, a lot of them LOVE marble!) - GreenDesigns

Heehee, us to a T! I own and wear 12-year-old jeans, have cotton pajamas so old and worn they're shadow thin, use an antique sewing machine table as a TV stand, and covet green soapstone from M. Tex. DH wants Calcutta Gold marble. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely stone, we used it in the master bathroom... but how much more 'shouty' can you get? ;)

2016 UPDATE/REVIEW

I read this post and against my installer's recommendations I chose soapstone a few years ago. Now I wish I had the money to rip it out.

Since there are more positive reviews than negative here, I am commenting to even the perspective a little.

My soapstone is a soft variety and it's an absolutely gorgeous nightmare.

I love so many things about it - that I can put hot pans directly from the oven on it, spill anything and not worry etc.....but everything scratches it - even my fingernail, and just putting away a glass bottle my son took a half inch chunk out of the edge. I am always chipping it loading the dishwasher and have repaired many dings and chunks with superglue and ground up soapstone, resanded it etc and I have been able to restore it to like new.....however, I hate worrying about guests chipping and scratching it all the time.

As soon as I oil or wax it, I enjoy it's beauty,

but a few weeks later when it wears off it starts to look scratchy and dirty.

I don't like it unoiled (shown above) and want it gone.......but it sure is pretty!

What grit sandpaper was it finished with?

'Circus Peanut' nailed it in this thread with this: someone who should avoid soapstone:

"people who like polished granite, can't stand "clutter", and iron their jeans. ;-)"

That's me! I wish there were more personality quirk tests to help us pick out kitchen counter tops and everything else, LOL!

I got samples of soapstone when we were deciding what countertops to get. My favorite one looked just like your light gray with dramatic veins. But, the testing I did on the sample with mustards, oils, etc. made me decide that variety was not for me.

I still wanted soapstone, but couldn't afford it at the $120 sf installed price here in St. Louis. And they only had one variety.

We ended up with Black Pearl granite which I like and it's been easy maintenance.

We went to a remnant sale in April and they had one slab of a harder variety soapstone that we bought for our island countertop at a fraction of the price. It'll be installed in two weeks.

I sure hope I like it. If not, at least I didn't pay $120 sf. :-)

Too bad you can't reuse it in some way; i.e., table top, fireplace surround.

If not, clean it up and sell it.

I do agree that people are either stone people or non stone people. I love it, flaws, maintenance and all. I mean look at the all the ancient marble buildings!

I love the flat appearance of soapstone and honed marble. I don't like polished granite and I really don't like quartz in my home, even though I understand the love for it. Especially the "faux carrara" quartz.

I was going to use soapstone in my kitchen remodel, but it is very uncommon where I am and I couldn't find slabs I liked. I stumbled upon honed charcoal grey marble slabs that are being installed next week. I am 100% willing to trade practicality and perfection for the beauty of natural stone.

Where are you located? If around NJ/surrounding, try Garden State Soapstone. They'll be traveling a couple hours for our install, but they gave us a reasonable quote. Also they said oiling to get even aging/patina but I don't mind the character, so may not be oiling as often- also harder varieties can be naturally darker so less hassle. Think it's a great choice.

Soapstone is beautiful and is a must have for a busy Kitchen filled with ”cooks”. The biggest downside is the water stain if your water is hard Like mine, no matter the sealer or how often you seal the countertop. Good luck!

Soapstone needs no sealing, and in fact, should not be sealed. As soapstone is non-porous, and will not absorb ANYTHING, the sealer will just sit on the surface and mar the matte appearance. Any “soapstone“ that needs sealing, is not soapstone.

If you’re getting water marks on your soapstone, it has not been sanded to the proper grit. That’s why it’s best to have your soapstone fabricated by a soapstone specialist, like M. Teixeira, and not some stone yard that sells mostly granite, marble, quartzite and quartz.

We have a hard variety, Belvedere, which we purchased from M. Teixeira’s NY/NJ location. After four years, no scratches or chips...and, ours is a hard working kitchen.

Does anyone know how to “fix” soapstone? Mine is a softer variety. We’ve had it about 8 years and it looks horrible in several areas. I first started treating it with Dorado Dry wax, but I ended up with lots of rings from glasses and things that were set on it. Everything scratches it. My grandkids were using watercolors on it and that left marks. If soft scrub or something like that is set on it, it leaves a dull mark. Now I use a lemon and beeswax oil when we are having company, and it looks good for that day only.

i have often heard that Florida Joshua “fixes” soapstone, but we are in the Northwest and too far to have him work on ours. Any ideas would be much appreciated!

Florida "Joshua" has retired from his business.

Did extensive research. Every countertop has its drawbacks. We knew the soapstone would scratch and ding. It does, but Clapham’s beeswax makes the nicks and scratches invisible - and not just for a day. We did treat regularly with wax when first installed, but only 3-4 times per year now. We cook with olive oil, so very rarely wax the stove side, only the sink island. Very simple and quick, just rub it on at night. We agree with darbuka, do not seal soapstone. We purchased Brazilian soapstone. We love that it will not stain - ever. We love that it has no issue with pans right off the stove or out of the oven. We were concerned the dings would bother us - but they don’t. Soapstone is timeless and natural looking. It’s been twelve years and we are so happy we did not listen to the naysayers.