AB honed vs leather finish

15 years ago

Does anyone have a leather finish on their AB granite. Was recomended to me that the leather finish is better than the honed for black granite but I haven't seen sample. Any advice on if leather is better for concealing finger marks etc

Thanks!!

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Comments (5)

november
15 years ago
I don't know about leather, but I have honed AB and I love it. We have 3 little kids and we use the kitchen all the time. The honed AB works fine for us. My theory on AB (probably all stone) is that it develops some kind of patina that makes fingerprints less noticeable over time. We've had ours for a year and smudges aren't a problem.

A leather finish would be great too - I don't think you can go wrong with any of the black granites - it's such a classic look.
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clean_freak
15 years ago
I have honed AB granite and I can attest that it's been a total *nightmare* in my kitchen. You can get other honed black granites that seem to do better then AB. Fingerprints, smudges, water-marks -- you name it, show up all over the place with honed AB. And I am (as my screen name attests) a clean freak so I wipe down every 10 minutes. Now, my threshold for crumbs, prints etc. is pretty low but I have stainless steel appliances and I seem okay there. My counters drive me nuts.

I have a friend who has the leathered granite and it's soooo much better. It's more $$ because it's not as common but it's money well-spent. The texture is very slight and because the surface has that texture it shows less dust and no fingerprints at all. If it were available when I did my kitchen I would have gotten that in an instant.
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Thanks for the thread, Senator. Interesting pictures, though the "leathered" counters look same as honed in the pictures. Guess as some said, you have to see it in person. Babs, yes, there would probably be minimal eating at the island, we tend to sit at the table for family meals and serve buffet style, so food is plated before sitting down, and the island would only be used occasionally--probably mostly for guests having a beverage and sitting and chatting with me while I work in the kitchen. I've become a "compulsive placemat user" with my polished Antique Brown in the other kitchen's similarly used island, so feel well-trained to minimize accidents with the marble. For whatever occurs, I am prepared to embrace, and I think any etches will be minimally noticeable, given the honed surface, and the lighting situation in the room. Worst-case, I think a freestanding island would be relatively easy to refinish, though I think I would just let it patina naturally. I should have mentioned that the island with marble will be a secondary island, and the main work area of the kitchen will have a small island with the same countertop as the perimeter. In thinking about how my family uses our kitchen, I think the most potential for etching would be with food prep rather than the occasional eating at the secondary island. I see your logic though, for a kitchen where the island is frequently used for dining, there would be just as much risk of etching as on the other countertops.
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goldie5
15 years ago
My friend has the leather finish on her Absolute Black granite perimeter counters in her kitchen and it is smudge proof and always looks great. I am going to do the same in my kitchen. I originally was going to pick honed Absolute Black but my granite guy warned me not to do that finish because it would require more cleaning maintenance. He suggested the leather finish for easy maintenance with our household.
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petra_granite
15 years ago
*note: we have not installed one AB kitchen in 2008. Only Black Galaxy.
2007: 2 kitchen of AB. one honed and one shinny. Lost $5,500: because after install the 2 slabs clearly didn't match! Yeah! same lot #: slab next to the other one! Had to take out and replace: but the customer went behind our backs and hired another granite contractor in one week to replace. They never gave us a change to file a claim!
also:
Honed AB: customer wanted the surface to have a "shinny" sealer applied. Well, the sealer never absorbed into the stone properly! Yeah! Had to strip the sealer applied: then it left the AB: Milky White! Really! Re-applied a color-enhanced sealer: looked great! No problems after that.

I have read many stories re: "fake" AB: so be careful. Google the issues on AB: Legally: it should only be authentic from Zimbabwe, Africa.

http://forums.findstone.com/printer_friendly_posts.asp?TID=653

Read this link: it completely explains the nightmares others have dealt with AB. Just beware: that's all. Black granite really doesn't need to be sealed ever! Just throwing more chemicals on the stone: I have heard of doctored slabs: We experienced the same thing!
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petra_granite
15 years ago
*Black, dark green, dark granite will show more finger prints!
*I read a great thing: Use Coasters for cups of liquid on your natural stone countertops.
*Expensive countertops: change your life habits!
_Wipe up spills ASAP, buy new cleaners safe for granite: don't use dish soap to clean granite: trust me: has ammonia in it: use 4.5 ph cleaner daily and a granite polisher weekly : environmentaly safe: VOC.
http://www.stoneproonline.com/cleaners/crystalcleanspray.htm

Finishes:
*Found this helpful:
"Antique": An antique finish can be defined as a brush, slightly textured finished with a dull appearance. While it can be used for countertops, it may be a better choice for fireplace surrounds, or flooring applications, etc.

"Honed": A honed finish can be defined as a matte finish, that has a dull look and is non-reflective in nature. It is also fairly popular for grantie countertops, but the honing process does make the material more susceptible to staining and scratching.

"Leather": A leather finish is smooth and soft and appears slightly more polished than a honed finish, but with a slight texture.

"Polished": A polished finish can be defined as a reflective, mirror gloss finish. It is by the most popular and best choice for granite countertops in regards to staining and scratching factors.

"Satin": Offers a smooth, softer look. It has a vibrant, non-reflective finish, while maintinaing durability.

"Thermal/Flamed": A thermal or flamed finish can be defined as a rough texture varying in depth. It is produced with the use of a high temperature flame that is quickly run across the surface of the stone. This type of finish can be used for flooring, fireplace surrounds, etc.
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AB honed vs leather finish

Comments (5)

november

clean_freak

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goldie5

petra_granite

petra_granite

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