I have a friend who has honed AB and she hates it! When I met with a cabinetmaker and was in his showroom he had honed AB on a display and said they couldn't wait to rip it out. He said that it showed every fingerprint, smudge and watermark. He said they were constantly fighting it to make it look decent. Even though my kids are older, it was enough to make me steer clear of it. There are some other black granite choices out there that can be honed or antiqued and seem to have far fewer issues than the honed AB. Do a search for Antiqued Nordic Black granite, which has had some great reviews as a SS alternative. Also Mamadadapaige and a few others on here love their SS alternatives and used Ocean Green or Virginia Mist granite which was honed. If you look up mamadadapaige in the finished kitchens blog you'll see all the info on her lovely granite.

I have Green Mountain Original SS and love it!

Kat :)

Everyone-I think we, or perhaps just I, have chosen two high maintenance countertops. No matter what I choose I know this and don't mind the maintenance. It seems like when soapstone gets worn it looks ok because it has a rustic stone look and the scratches that occure just blend in with all of the veining. The downside is the chipping. With AB honed it has less variation and less depth (kind of a flat look) and seems it would show more, but probably won't scratch as easy as soapstone and doesn't chip. Hmm...am I answering my own questions? I know the pros and cons, it's just a matter of what flaws I can live with. It really helps to hear everyones experiences so thanks again and please keep them coming!

Also, check out Nordic Black Antique granite or Cambrian Black satin granite.

That being said, it is not a stone for someone that likes perfection. It will by its very nature show some dings and scratches and one should expect to be accepting of that. As far as maintenance, my stone (higher maintenance Santa Rita) requires approx 4 hours per year to keep it in its dark grey perfection.

Just a warning.