It’s true, over the past 6 months Teixeira has made changes to their website. It’s been redesigned, and modernized...after years and years of being pretty basic in design. However, the intrinsic information hasn’t changed. What I copied and pasted above, came from the current site.

I’m disappointed you were steered wrong, by Pedro at the Boynton location. On the otherhand, I’m not entirely surprised. The Boynton location is fairly new. Perhaps Pedro and his staff weren’t trained well. Perhaps M. Teixeira himself, (who I met twice, at the NJ location…the original and largest), isn’t in Boynton enough to oversee the operation?

I meant to suggest in my last post, that you call the NJ location, and explain the situation. The staff there, is very experienced and knowledgeable. Many have been working there for years. Also, tell them you have been looking for a solution on this forum. I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t be appalled and unhappy, with whats’s gone on. You may very well get an acceptable resolution from them. They have an 800#.

Ok, so, I talked to M. Teixeira again and feel I should share this as I started feeling I had been given wrong information, which doesn't necessarily seem to the case.

So in markets where M. Teixeira does fabrication, they do rehone and fabricate the slabs as they do the fabrication and installation. They do not fabricate or install in Florida. The people who do this for them here, using their slabs, just finish the edges. This is considered acceptable. I was given data on removing marks. It appears I took the data from two different conversations and thought it meant something different than it did.

M. Teixeira made recommendations to me very helpfully about how to address the spots we have encountered, and it actually agrees with my assessment. The only thing the fabricator did that they shouldn't have, I believe, was use blue tape. Unfortunate, but ultimately fixable.

I wanted to clear this up, as I had an incorrect idea, and I don't want to leave it out there that I am saying bad things about anyone.

I did call NJ this morning, and they told me to send them photos. They then called Florida, and he called me (eye roll). We had an in depth conversation. I sent pictures. I do think unfortunately people looking at my pics with canned lighting could get the wrong idea. Yes, if I lived somewhere else, I'd have had them do my fabrication. I live here, and I made the choice to get soapstone anyway. So, it doesn't seem that it is incorrectly finished. Is it as perfect as it could be if I lived somewhere M. Teixeira fabricates, perhaps not. But then, no one in this area is doing a level 5 drywall finish. So, you know, there are trade-offs. In January, it's sunny ;).

Good to hear you got some clarification and satisfaction.

Hmmm, I was not aware the Boynton location did not fabricate or install. So, in other words, that location is simply a supplier of soapstone slabs. Interesting…and, a bit risky, given what you experienced.

I have lived with 3 different types of soapstone and each has had a different finish, all functioned the same with no issue. None were specially handled by the fabricator, only edge work like yours. Even the counters that were highly polished were fine except that at some point someone had scuffed an area in a very visible spot. The level of finish is personal preference, the main reason to sand yours would be to remove the dark marks and tape marks so that you can keep them natural. Hopefully you can resolve the marks without sanding.

@darbuka not to beat a dead horse, but here is a pic of part of tbe counter dry and wet without our lights on. your thoughts on the finish?

Well, it doesn’t look shiny, viewed on my iPad…which is a good thing. To my eye, it looks fine. Was that pic taken after re-honing??

Btw, water doesn’t truly mimic mineral oil/wax, or a combination.

How does the counter feel? Is it silky smooth?

Yeah, I was just showing by wetting so it would show what it looked like dry. No, this is not rehoned. Nothing has been rehoned. It is how it is. I swear partly it's the obnoxious LED canned lighting, which makes it look reflective. I mean, I think I'd like it even less smooth, but I think maybe those other pics gave an impression that wasn't really reality, but made me agonize over it. They are cutting a replacement for the cracked section and coming to install Monday. Then I would be wax/oiling (planning to use beeswax mineral oil blend).

Just make sure they sand the remnant piece to the same grit they did, on the original.

So they came to replace the cracked piece. We were able to

see that the crack goes

halfway into the slab. We dont’t love the replacement piece, as it doesn‘t flow the same way and join the neighboring pieces as seamlessly, and has much more of the beige veining where the neigboring pieces have more of the whiter veining. I went ahead and emailed M. Tex NJ on Thursday; have not yet received a reply. When the fabricators came to install the replacement I

believe the cabinets were shifted, and they had difficulty getting things level. so they are coming back tomorrow when the cabinet person will be here. We’re overall very disappointed. The bar looks great. the seating area looks good. By the range and sink is ok. But this is the piece that connects everything. They also dinged some edges.

@darbuka: if you'd be willing to pm me or tell me your contact at M. Tex NJ, perhaps I can get better advice on what to do in this unique situation. This was the only remaining piece from the slabs we got from M. Tex in Boynton. they have no more of this lot.

The crack above

The new joiniing on the left

Where the seam is on the left there is a huge color discrepency on edge, no idea why.

Out of focus but ding mark created by them at seam.

Scratch mark on edge from them.

Just from the pictures the new piece looks great, it does have a little more visible veining than the original but still looks in keeping with the rest.

The dings are not an issue, the installer can easily fill them and likely you would never have noticed them if they had finished the seam as they would have been filled then. The scratch will disappear on its own, especially if you wax or oil. The difference in darkness is likely from one piece having more exposure to oils from hands and will disappear with time or oiling/waxing.

Fixing the fissue would have solved the issue, and been just as durable as stone without any fissure.

My salesperson there, was Michelle. Unfortunately, I can’t find paperwork with her last name. I‘m pretty sure it was Gutierrez, but I’m not positive. When Michelle was out, the office manager helped me. Her contact info is/was:

Diana Rodriguez
Office Manager
M.Teixeira Soapstone
547 S. Broad St.
Glen Rock, NJ 07452
P: 201-444-0778 Ext: 103
F: 201-444-2616
www.soapstones.com <http://www.soapstones.com>;;;

Again, this was 7 1/2 years ago, so who knows if either of them are still working there. My son and his partner, picked out slabs a few months ago. When I see him later, if you’d like, I can ask who he dealt with.

While I’m not seeing any beige veining on my iPad, I do see the difference in flow. Angles are difficult with directional veins, no matter what material is used for the counters. Quite frankly, I think after you apply the wax/mineral oil combo you intend to use, after a while, it’s not going to bother you much.

As for any dings and scratches the fabricators’ installers made, they can easily be buffed out. Insist that they do it. Afterward, you shouldn’t be able to see them…especially after you apply the oil/wax mix.

The color discrepancy, possibly, is due to the new edge not being sanded, while the original piece was? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Again, this should be easily resolved. Point it out to them, when they return. As long as both edges are sanded to the same grit, they should both look the same. Once the oil/wax is applied, there shouldn’t be any noticeable difference.

Btw, when I was first looking for soapstone, I lusted after varieties with beige veining. I wouldn’t consider beige veining on the new piece, a defect…but, rather the veining adds interest. Generally, uniform veining is quite rare. Sections of my counters have lots of green veins, while other sections have more white. The soapstone to to right of my rangetop, takes on applied oil differently than the right side. Seems not to absorb as much. Even after we stopped oiling, it naturally patinas differently. Doesn’t bother me. It’s just, well, interesting.

I definitely understand the disappointment, since your mind still sees the counter that you had hoped to have--but I agree with others that what you ended up with is lovely in its own right. The scratch and dings along the edge can easily be smoothed out and are par for the course--ask them to do that when they return, and to show you how for the future (since they will be the first of many!) I do think the color and lighter/darker spots will even out over time, especially if you plan to wax or oil, but it's worth asking about that too. You could see the seam on mine when the counters were new, but today I really have to hunt to find it. Like darbuka, we have sections that have developed different patinas, and our counter is all cut from the same slab--it's just variations in the sections of stone, and also variations in how we use different sections of counter. At this point I'd probably ask for all the little things to get addressed, perhaps ask for a discount to compensate for the trouble, and then enjoy your new kitchen.

Yes, you definitely are disappointed. What I have seen over the years on this forum is that many people (with the encouragement of other forum members) so intensely hyper-focus on the smallest details and expect absolute perfection that they feel their outcome isn't absolutely the best.

I have two kitchens with soapstone counters (one close to 10 years old, and one 1.5 years old in Florida). Neither one had an installation done by a fabricator who only specializes in soapstone; generalists did both installs, and I bought my soapstone from generalist places. I have never treated my counters in either house--they are completely natural.

The beauty of soapstone is that it changes in appearance in response to use and time. That spot one frets about will most likely disappear within a week or two. Edges may appear naturally darker because skin oil rubs there more frequently, and the edges probably don't get the same amount of in-depth cleaning as flat tops.

And, I have to add something else in here: Right now if having a countertop installation that doesn't meet your idea of ideal is the biggest problem you have in your life, consider yourself very lucky.

"... we feel the safest bet is to let them fabricate a new piece from the remnant."

You bet wrong and you lost. Should have tried the break-n-glue first as I advised.

@darbuka, @artemis78,@s m, I know you listened and gave me helpful insight with which to think, and I have. I really appreciate it.

Not that it matters at this point, but to keep it clear, the fabricator never offered or suggested they could fix the crack. That was never discussed or given as an option. Given that they fabricated it, they might know more about the crack situation or what they feel are limitations to its repair. While some of their mistakes in executing the agreed upon layout have not been minor and have been disappointing, I have not publicly named them. I think it's all unfortunate, but I don't want to cause their business problems.

To those who decided to chime in an unkind way: Nastiness on online forums is in poor taste. I don't engage in it or with it.

Oh Chris it looks great. Dare I say it looks better then what you had? Yes, I dare!

I would be happy with the result, after they fix the few dings and scratches. Of course they will probably get dings a week from now, but I want the stratch to be from my doing, not the installers.

Do not give it another thought. And that is coming from a person who, like you frets over stuff like this that I am paying my hard earned dollars for and want my dream kitchen to look great. Not perfect, but perfect enough to make me feel ok with it. I would definitely be ok with how your soapstone looks now!

Thank you @rebunky.

They came and installed all of the countertop except the area to the left of the range that has the small crack by the fridge. They did some bit of address to the chip they had made (in the pic above by the one seam). It is now darker, but still a chip. They seemed overall very leery to do much address to anything besides epoxying the seams and calking. The main person said if he sanded the seams the finish wouldn't match. I thought they'd be sanding the seams and anything else that had been nicked, or gouged, at least for finishing installation. Not only did that not seem to happen, but he said we should not do this ourselves (obviously, this is not the plan for soapstone owners, generally, and we were expecting to do this as time went on), and should only have a professional address any issues going forward. The seams are pretty tight but they are not completely smooth. So, it would seem we have to address this ourselves, gulp.

We now need to decide whether to replace the section to the left of the range by the fridge that has the smaller crack with a piece cut from the slab that had the large crack (which was replaced), or to just ask that they fix the small crack, and leave it as is. It was cut upside down from the template (they turned the template upside down), and it leaves a noticeable mark right by the range that I specifically said I didn't like and was convinced to use it as it was going to be hidden under a cabinet on the outside, but then it was cut upside down. We have mixed feelings on what to do. The new piece would have a large vein, the vein that I love - it's really beautiful, but also at least one of the slash marks that are also on the seating area. I like the seating area a lot, but don't know that I want one of the slash marks by the range. We had chosen somewhat quieter, having veins but not as big and not as white, pieces for beside the range, and the veining gradually increased as one progressed around the outside of the kitchen, with the seating area being the busiest and showiest, and the bar further across the room. I fear if we replace this left side with the more noticeable veining this will look very different than the right side of the range, and will then make the right side of the range and the sink area seem unnaturally quiet next to all the rest of the kitchen. We're also not really sure if they can fix the crack, as they seem leery to really dig in and touch anything at all. I don't think the edges look bad, so I don't know why they are so leery to address things much over their expressed concerns for the finish.

@rebunky, you were kind enough before to do the mock up for us of the replacement piece. I'm not asking you to do that again, but I'd appreciate your opinion. @darbuka also. Anyone else that wants to chime in can. Please refrain from sending me critical comments everyone. We have gone through a lot with this project with the unexpected crack and moving templates and miscuts. Either way, we are being left with counters that we will enjoy, but have not been executed as was agreed upon. We are making do. The best we can do is make the final choice on this last piece the best we can, and then move on.

Interestingly, M. Teixeira NJ never responded to my email from last week.

Can you post a picture showing the sink and range walls so we can see how those areas are quieter then the peninsula as far as veining?

It's so hard to show in pics, but here you go. Please excuse construction mess.

left side of range dry

Left side of range wet

Right side of range to left side of sink dry

right side of range wet

Right side of sink into peninsula dry

bar area dry

I wax/oiled the bar ☺️.

That is stunning!

I too was sad you had to lose that big gorgeous vein on the peninsula. If you can use it to replace the broken piece left of the range, I would do it in a heart beat. That vein was the prettiest part in the whole kitchen.

I tend to over think things, so I understand you questioning whether it would stand out as different since the right corner section is more subtle. But since the range separates them and the large vein is toward the fridge, I think it will just look like a natural random vein. I feel like it will be similar to how your sink separates the quiet section with the more veined peninsula. It will not look off at all imho. In fact I think it will balance out the peninsula side and look totally gorgeous!

It was hard to get the veining to match exactly like the peninsula piece, (and sorry the stove looks weird), but hope this gives you an idea. I don’t mind the slash marks either because they are part of the natural occurring beauty of the stone. I would pet that gorgeous vein everyday LOL!

This is so nice of you to mock up for me, @rebunky!

Yes, I loved that vein and was sad to lose it.

The other issue is whether they can remove the dark spot in the slab, as it would include some of that. Nothing has removed the dark spot. Oiling will camoflage, but if it just keep coming back, erg.

My husband mocked this up last night:

This would possibly be how it would be cut.

Hey, at least the small dark spot is in the perfect place to hide it in the corner next to the fridge! I would probably put my knife block or a propped up cutting board in that corner anyways, so it will cover it just in case it doesn’t lighten up. In the piece that is there now that small blacker square is in a place that cannot be hidden, so that would bug me much more. Please show us the final reveal once you decide. 😍

Thanks. Yeah, the spot I think you are referencing is blue tape residue that we'd hope would eventually go away. Going to look at the template on the replacement tomorrow. Will post the end product. Thanks for your help!

Melissa, your soapstone is absolutely gorgeous! I know it is not how you intended it to be, but I hope you will grow to love it.

I have soapstone on my perimeter with a marble island and a slab marble backsplash. The soapstone and marble were perfect together. Both had blue veining that tied together beautifully.

On the morning of installation, the bottom corner piece of the backsplash slab broke. There were no other slabs available and the alternatives were: to use a different area of the slab, select another marble, or a refund. Reluctantly, I opted to use another portion of the slab. I was really upset about it because the area I was using had very minor veining. I wanted the backsplash slab to be simple and serene. The new area had a large amount of veining and color in the right corner. I had to reconfigure the soapstone layout to match the new backsplash piece.

I am very happy with the results. It took a bit of adjustment from my original expectation, but I love it. I think it is better than the original!

Best of luck to you that you can get this sorted out to your satisfaction. Your counters are stunning!

@anna_682, thank you so much for sharing your experience. So similar in many ways, and I feel your pain of choosing so well and having to reconfigure. Ulgh, that is not what one wants. Thank you for sharing; sorry you went throught that.

I love marble. With two kids who want to learn to cook, I said no to marble. I fell in love with soapstone, both the look and its attributes. If I had to match marble and soapstone I'd probably lose my mind :). I bet it is beautiful!

So we went to look at the removed slab to have a new portion cut for the miscut and now cracked portion by the range. The slab was scratched sometime after it left our house. The scratch is in an area we wanted to use. They seem very leery to touch the surface of anything. They said they can try but won’t be able to fully remove the scratch. This is the fabricator saying they can’t remove a scratch.

Can you shift the template down a few inches? It looks like that would clear that area. If they aren't confident they can fix that ding, I wouldn't have them try at this point (or at least, ask them to do it pre-templating). But it looks like shifting it a little would solve for that?

@artemis78, they are going to try before cutting. The thing is, we originally picked for either side of the range sections that went very well together. They made a mistake and cut it upside down on the left side, and then after they placed it, it cracked on the left part of the slab. In looking at replacing it from the other slab, it will already be quite different from the right side of the range. But, we were prepared to try this to get rid of the crack and to have my favorite vein come back. Moving the template down will get rid of more of that vein, change the angle of the other veins that will come to the range which will then look less right, and will also include more of the slash mark that i wanted to try to exclude as much as possible.

Part of our reason for getting soapstone was the ability for it to be easily addressed when a scratch occurs. . It is unfortunate to have had so many issues occur in fabrication and install, some just blatant mistakes some not, some seeming carelessness, and then to have the fabricator not feel able to actually fix them. Perhaps it is because they dont actually have enough soapstone knowledge. Perhaps it is because we were led to believe by M. Teixeira that we could have them just finish the edges rather than rehone the whole piece. They just seem very hesitant to do anything to address issues they have created because they think it will always show or they won’t be able to get the finish to match existing.

Chris think about it this way. What if originally everything was installed absolutely perfect?

No cracks, no scratches, no dark discolorations, no tape mark, perfectly smooth velvety finish, etc etc….

Would you have been happy?

Didn’t you chose to use that particular area of the slab with those three thin, straight inclusions or ”slash marks” for the peninsula originally?

If you just move the template down a few inches so it is past the scratch at the top, and then spin it upside down, it will be great.

I like how the area next to the range would be more quiet like the other side, and the line which you don’t like will start up higher and fade into the backsplash verses coming down toward the front edge. Something like this?

Now put something like a wooden tray with some oils, salt and pepper, an herb plant, or whatever you like in the middle and it goes bye-bye!

I think once you are no longer hyper focusing on the lines, you will accept them as part of the natural beauty of the stone. Please don’t stress yourself out any more, because it will look gorgeous!!!

Yes, we absolutely would have been happy with the layout that was chosen and agreed upon. Just because a piece with certain veining looks good across the room connecting to different pieces doesn’t make it work everywhere. It’s a funky shaped kitchen (Florida) in a house built in 1980, when they were not doing straight lines and 90 degree angles.

I was questioning the lack of ability to handle damage that wasn’t on the slabs when we got them, and has been created since the fabricators fabricated/transported. I question their not wanting to handle it, and whether this scratch looks fixable, that was more the feedback I was looking for, I guess.

I am so sorry I was not helpful or did not give you the right feedback in my last post..

I was hoping if you could visualize the replacement piece next to the range it would help put your mind at ease that it would still look nice, even if it wasn’t what you originally wanted or agreed to.

It looked very nice to me, but it is not my kitchen, it is yours. Only your opinion counts!

You have every right to be angry, and if you do end up accepting the replacement piece for the range side, I would demand a reasonable discount or partial refund for accepting a different layout then you agreed upon in your contract. You are the one compromising by excepting a ”fix” due to damages they caused, so they need to compensate you for that!

I have no knowledge about if that scratch could be fixed, but hopefully someone else can chime in about that.

@rebunky, I was just explaining. You have made great efforts to be helpful, and I do appreciate it. The scratch was an unwelcome surprise, and i was trying to figure out if it could be dealt with, even by us at home, so we didn't have to compromise a second time for that location. We're not really trusting at this point that the fabricator knows what is fixable and what's not, for soapstone. We discussed epoxy color several times, and are discovering that thouight they assured us they were doing the right color for oiling the counters, it's too light.

The kitchen is very modern, so we're not putting much at all on the counters, rather in cupboards. And, for what we are paying (a rather high cost per sq. ft.), it feels like an unfortunate solution to need to hide things on the counters, but I understand it was a well intended suggestion.

@darbuka, due to the ongoing issues with the cracking slabs, the fabricator scratching and chipping the stone and saying they can't fix it, I called M. Teixeira NJ yesterday (again), hoping to get some guidance.. Spoke to Maria (who had never responded to my emails), who said the manager Diana would call me. She did not. We really just wanted to be able to go over with them what we were told by M. Tex FL, and find out what the optimum solution for us would be in the position we are now in. Perhaps she will call Monday. But, we have to make decisions before Monday, so the avoidance by M. Teixeira is disappointing.

Chris:

What part of Florida are you in please?

Ask for a cutting board size piece of the leftover slab so you can scratch it and try sanding it.

My last soapstone was fairly soft and scratched easily but I did not sand the scratches on the top surface, I would just oil them or, if the oil did not darken them, I would use a sharpie to darken them. I did have to sand out some rough edges that happened during installation. The edge was never perfect but over time neither were some of the other edges in the heavily used areas of the kitchen. That soapstone developed many variations from use, including surface gouges, and still looked beautiful. My current soapstone is much harder and only gets minimal surface scratches that pretty much disappear on their own now that I have sanded the surface to a matte finish. When it was super shiny someone had scuffed an area and it was impossible for me to match the finish without resanding the entire surface. Yours does not look shiny so it may be possible to spot sand if you get the right grit. That is something to ask M Tex and practice on a scrap.

It’s just so unfortunate how your project has spun out of control. It’s unfathomable to me, how inept the fabricators are, and how much damage they’ve done to your soapstone, time and time again.

Teixeira’s lack of response is disappointing. Perhaps they think you’re going to hold them responsible for the fabricator’s failings…🤷🏻‍♀️

If I didn’t live almost 2 hours away (in traffic) from the NJ location, and wasn’t recovering from a recent knee replacement, I might have taken a ride over there, and spoken with Diana myself.

I feel so bad for you. What should’ve been a smooth process, and an enjoyable occasion, has turned into a miserable mess.

Thank you @sm. This is helpful, and a good idea. Ours is Stormy Black, which is a harder variety. We ourselves have not put any scratches, nicks, or gouges in it yet. It is not super easily scratched. The fabricators did. I know to expect patina and other things over time, I was hoping to start without these things created by the fabricator.

I suspect I should have had this honed down to a less polished finish that would be easier to repair. I was a bit misled. I'm trying to get this worked out. Right now the fabricator is not responding to us.

@darbuka, Thank you. That is so kind of you to say and to wish. You have been so very kind and helpful . I hope your knee continues to progress well.

I too wish this could have been smoother. I tried to do the right thing all along the way. I told Maria on the phone I am not trying to come after M. Teixeira. I told this to the person in Boynton also. We are only trying to get accurate advice as to how to handle all of this in the current situation we are in with the fabricator we had to use. It is hard to know if the fabricator is saying something can't be fixed because they themselves don't know how, or if it is truly unfixable. I suspect that we should have had them rehone the entire countertop, which we didn't do because of what we were told when we bought the slabs from M. Teixeira ("you'll only need to have them finish the edges") and due to the beginnings of not so good indicators about the fabricator's abilities. But, we also now concerned that they could make things worse. To take things into my own hands and not ruin the investment, we'd like more data. So sad that the Florida Joshua I have read about is no longer working here on soapstone.

The fact that they used too light epoxy after we asked 3 TIMES at least is just.... has to be complete lack of knowledge on soapstone. And I was not expecting to have two slabs simply leveled, pulled together, epoxied, and there you go.

I hear ya about wishing to start perfect. The fabricator gnarled one edge of counter in our last house and there were various small marks from the start. We only had one seam but it was not as perfect as most that I see here and the epoxy was a little light. And there was a fissure right in front of the sink. Those things bugged me slightly at first but not for long. I really liked the guy and I had been through worse in our prior house with a quartz install that was a disaster.

Good luck, I hope you get the resolutions you hope for soon.

Thank you. I appreciate that and am sorry you went through that.

Chris, Joseph Corlett asked above what part of Florida you are in. You might PM him because he is very knowledgeable on countertops and maybe he knows someone familar with soapstone in your area. Please keep us posted on your progress!

yes Joseph is the expert on counters.

“yes Joseph is the expert on counters.”

Joseph has little to no experiance with soapstone, but he may know fabricators that do. Quartz, Corian and granite are his expertise…and, he can replace/retrofit sinks of all shapes and sizes.

On the other hand, someone with his lenghty skill set, could (most probably), purchase the physical tools, and in a short amount of time pick up the knowledge and skill to sand soapstone properly.

He’s in Sarasota. If you’re anywhere near there, it could be worth contacting him.

I've altered the profile to take my husband's name off, since I have been the one posting.

Yes, I saw Joseph's post asking where I lived. I do not know Joseph. To my knowledge and as @darbuka has said, I don't believe he is a soapstone expert. He hopped on a post of mine and offered to install soapstone when I was looking for a fabricator some months ago. I have seen his name appear on other threads telling people he can work for them in various capacities. We are not looking to have someone else come at this juncture to work on our counters, unless florida joshua suddenly came back, which I don't believe is happening :).

Joseph's comment that I "gambled and lost" above in the thread was innacurate to the situation, not helpful, and did not come off as to me as kind, purposeful communication with an intent to help.

POSITIVE UPDATE:

I had positive things happen today. @darbuka, I appreciate your ongoing suggestion to get in touch with M. Teixeira NJ. We called Diana and finally got through to her. She said she'd look at the email I sent Maria back at the end of June and either she would call us or Rogerio Teixeira himself.

In the meantime, the fabricator got braver, I guess, and decided to finally work on the remnant with the scratch. They scratched a corner to replicate a scratch and buffed/polished it out, and sent us pics and video. We asked them to do this with the scratch also. Provided that's ok (which it seems like it's going to be), we will have them cut the new piece from our preferred location on that slab.

Rogerio Teixeira called us himself. He was gracious. He was understanding. He was informative. He let us tell him about what had happened so far, and discussed what can be done. He offered to talk to our fabricators directly. He looked at the pictures I had sent Maria (in the NJ office) with me over the phone. We talked through both what the fabricator can do, and what is possible for us to do going forward. M. Teixeira does rehone everything in house as a matter of course. But, not all the soapstone really HAS to be rehoned, and in many instances with other fabricators, isn't. Ours is a harder variety. He said from the pictures it does not look like it is too polished, but that we should certainly have it the way we want it, and was willing to discuss levels of grit that would likely be what it is now, and what could be used to have a coarser finish if desired. We discussed oiling versus not oiling. He offered to be in communication with us as much as we felt would be helpful going forward, and he then texted me several personal photos of his own soapstone in his house, and from a project they had done with the same soapstone variety as ours (Stormy Black). We went over the seams, the chip, the scratch, the crack/s. While of course it would have been nice if fabrication and installation had been a nonissue, I felt a lot better about this after this phone call. This was extremely gracious of him to take the time, and to also be helpful with our process.

He said he'd send Florida Joshua to us if he still could ;) (he actually brought his name up, not me).

So, I have a little more hope.

Oh WOW! Hooray! That’s great news! Best thing I’ve heard in quite a while!

I just knew, having met Mr. Teixeira twice at the NJ location, that if word of your plight got back to him, he’d want to make this right.

Just curious…did you inform him that this was playing out on the Houzz kitchen forum? Many years ago, Roger was pretty active on this forum, back when it was the GardenWeb…and soapstone was a newly discovered material here. Though he was always helpful, and generous with his time and knowledge, he unfortunately got bullied off, by people who felt he was being self-serving.

Yes, Florida Joshua closed up his soapstone shop for good about 6 or so years ago, and retired to Pennsylvania…I believe to be closer to family. A great loss for the soapstone community.

So glad your situation is now getting the attention it deserves, and look forward to reading about a positive conclusion. Happy to have been of help.

WooHoo!!! That is such great news and I am thrilled that you got to speak directly to the owner.

Please post some reveal pictures when you are all finished so we can admire your gorgeous Stormy Black!