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I've been a supplier and fabricator/artist in soapstone for over 20 yrs and it never ceases to amaze me how complicated the installer community wants to make soapstone maintanance ( it may be one of the leading causes of customer dissatisfaction).
Slabs coming out of our factory have honed finish. This equates to 220 grit sand paper. Often installers will "knock down" this finish with the excuse that it will hold oil better -pish tosh. It actually means that they don't make seams well.
Any way, to restore the finish on your counters use some wet/dry sandpaper - Start with 220x and use a hard backer such as a 1x4. Using just enough water to keep the paper from gumming up, work in a circular motion (wax on, wax off)over the entire area. This should not take long or require much pressure, let the paper and water do the work. I use a pan of water and a sponge to apply the water to the surface and wipe up the slurry as it collects.
As you work and wipe the surface clean you will see the surface become more and more uniform, stop when you have it the way you like it. In this instance I would refrain from trying to remove any deep scratches or flaws. Wipe the surface clean with clear water and allow to dry.
Now, let discuss surface treatments.
Soapstone does not require a sealer as it does not absorb water or oil. Anything applied, or spilled for that matter, is purely topical. I would suspect that the variation in finish that you are experiencing is due to the wax and or oil that has been applied over time. Wax will rehydrate when covered with a wet mat, towel or cutting board and sometimes this absorption will change the surface texture of the wax itself. The above procedure will remove that issue.
If you want the stone to be consistently dark mineral oil is the standard choice. However it is important to note that oil is a wet finish, that is, it has no dryers nor does it catalyze like a resin so... it comes off - requiring regular re-application. What I have come to recomend to my clients is a base application of a color enhansing sealer (I use Ager by TENAX - 2 coats), it gives me a darkening without blackening or dulling like straight oil and dries without building up on the stone. After that oil can be used to rub into the occasional scratch or ding without ghosting or lapping.
I hope this helps if you need any more info contact me at information at industrial stone com.
This is a very interesting thread since we are going to install soapstone counter tops in the kitchen we're renovating. I am so excited! I think it is going to look FABULOUS. And yes, we're "natural," rustic sort of people - love leather and real stone floors and antique oak pieces, that sort of thing.
I just had soapstone installed in my kitchen and like you all have been surprised by the etching. I educated myself before purchasing the soapstone and was prepared for the nicks, hence the reason I purchased a harder soapstone (Noire). After speaking with the representative at Latera I learned that the softer soapstone is susceptible to nicks along the edge because of the amount of talc in the soapstone (something I already knew and the reason I purchased the harder soapstone!). However, she informed me that the harder soapstone has more calcium in it thus will exhibit more etching. This was news to me. So her recommendation was to use the wax on the softer stone such as Minas and use mineral oil on the harder stone such as Noire. Looks like I will take the wax off my soapstone and use mineral oil from now on.
Soapstone doesn't need any sort of sealer - it doesn't absorb anything.
All you need is cheap mineral oil -wipe on, wipe off. You can do it as often as you like but I do it about once a quarter on my soapstone counter tops. I love them.
But I always tell people that soapstone is not a great choice if you like slick, or new, or shiny - soapstone looks best in a rustic, farmhouse, or industrial type kitchen. It will develop a patina over time, which may include scratches, nicks, etc. All these can be minimized by buffing with mineral oil but if you don't like a weathered look, soapstone is not a good choice.
I too just had soapstone installed, I got mine from Latera, and also got noire.
In my location in the U.S., I found even my local supplier was not all that knowledgeable about how to maintain and what to put on the stone.
So, I researched it for years, and talked to many people mainly from the NE who have had soapstone for years. Here is what I learned, because it is non-porous, it doesn't need sealing. A lot of people leave it alone and keep the natural lighter color. The only thing mineral oil or a mineral oil/beeswax mix does is darken the color. Same as the waxes. But, what was most interesting to me was about the oil. I found out the reason oil fades and it has to be reapplied often is mainly because it transfers.it sets on top. So, when you set something on it, wipe it down, it just comes off.
The wax doesn't penetrate either, but it does harden, lasts longer and in my opinion, has a better feel. I used the oil and the wax on some remnants from my stone for a few days before making a decision on my counters. I ended up using the wax, and I love it. It does have to be reapplied after a week or two, but I like the look, the feel, and the lower maintenance of it. But, I also learned that not all waxes are the same. I ended up getting the Real Milk Paint Co., soapstone sealer. I bought mine off amazon.
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