Robin - soapstone

["John V. Robie" <jvr@zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz>]

http://www.alberenesoapstone.com/

Here is a link to the Alberene Soapstone site.  I was there in October
to pick up some stone.  It is a pretty cool place with an interesting
history.  They have something like 4500 acres and 18 quarries that they
get stone from.  Of course different texture soapstone comes from
different quarries.  Alberene soapstone is the type used fro university
chemistry lab countertops.  It has a very consistent texture and is one
of the hardest soapstones.  I am carving a piece of Black Pearl now that
I got from the Black Pearl website and find it remarkably similar to the
Alberene.  My guess is that they are one in the same.  As for asbestos,
I cautiously quite worrying about it.  As a geologist told me, there is
no way to partically test for it, you can only certify that the pice
tested is asbestos free yet move an inch one way or another can result
in different test results.  I just try to alway be aware of the texture
of the stone I am carving, if I would ever come across a stringy
texture, I would become concerned of asbestos and rethink continuing
with that stone.