SHOP TOUR Vermont Soapstone
Vermont Soapstone has been in continuous operation for 165 years, which is about how long their countertops and can last, with reasonable care. Work is done in the shop and on site. Soapstone is so timeless, many synthetic and even natural stones are now marketed as facsimiles of this easy-care, nearly indestructible stone.
Other materials “may look like soapstone, but they don’t have its heat retention qualities,” says owner Glenn Bowman, noting that in the 19th century people used their soapstone sinks for nearly every chore involving water. “They heated water and filled the sink, washing the kids, dishes, clothes. The stone kept the water warm.”
Soapstone was the original laboratory countertop material. While it’s unaffected by chemicals in cleansers or acids in foods, it scratches easily. Left alone, minor scratching creates a patina. For the fastidious, any marring is easily buffed out with fine steel wool. Freshly cut stone oxidizes from light grey to dark charcoal over some months. Applying mineral oil evens out the process. Unlike granite and marble, soapstone does not need to be sealed.
Their countertops and sinks have been made the same way for decades— with technical improvements for precision. Cuts for a sink, for instance, are made on a table saw with a masonry blade.
Sink bottoms are beveled toward the drain by use of a CNC router. Fabrication is in Vermont, or on site within 250 miles or so.