Soapstone counter top experiences

[Landlady]

Hi diyers,
We're building a house and doing all the finishing work ourselves. We are handy and own good wood working saws. I've heard that you can DIY soapstone countertops and I'd love to hear your personal experience if you've done it. It looks like we could save about half the cost of our kitchen countertops if we DIY.

[smalllife]

I LOVE our soapstone countertops but I would take a look at your tools before trying. The guys that did ours had a wet saw, smoothing sander, a work table they built for the purpose and experience at lining up the grain (one initial piece but two pieces when installed).  Totally doable, just sharing my experience.

[Landlady]

I LOVE our soapstone countertops

I'm curious smalllife what you love about them. I don't know anyone that has them, but I've seen online that many people are divided in two camps of love and hate of soapstone. They seem beautiful and easy to care for if you don't mind the patina. Do you oil yours?

[smalllife]

I only oil when normal cleaning doesn't look "clean", so about once a year or so. Its gotten scratched and dinged by falling things but normal patina-ing has covered them.  Extremely easy to care for and very beautiful.  Not a single complaint from me: just enough interest to be the focal point in an understated kitchen, local, and indestructible.