George N. M. Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Soapstone, aka steatite, comes in various grades of hardness. The harder varieties are used for countertops and sinks while the softer are often used for carving and sculpture. I wouldn't worry too much about asbestos contamination in anything sold commercially, OSHA, the FTC, and various other agencies would have bad things to say about anything with dangerous levels of asbestos in them. On the other hand, if you are harvesting and preparing "wild" soapstone from an outcrop I would be very cautious unless you had an assay/analysis done. There is a fair amount of soapstone out there but only a few deposits which are asbestos free enough to be commercially viable. "By hammer and hand all arts do stand." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHCC Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 11 hours ago, Frosty said: Good grief, I thought I sent this yesterday. At least it was still here so I don't have to rewrite it. Small mercies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 And of course be wary of 80 year old countertops, lab benchtops and sinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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