[MR] Soapstone

[rmhowe]

>  
> [MR] Soap Stone for casting
> Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 18:10:21 EST
> From:CLINTDARBY at aol.com
> To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
> Mihill wrote: 
> >Does any one have a good place to get decent soap
> >stone for >casting? For the fun of things - Mihill 
> 
>  I do not have soap stone but I do have a very large 
> quantity of African Wonderstone. This is what Mistress 
> Kynebur, Lord Andrew, and Lord Roland have recommended
> in place of soap stone. Wonderstone, although not authentic,
> is much easier to work and appears to be more forgiving
> when casting. Wonderstone is a bit pricey, $4-5.00 a pound,
> and can be ordered from  The Complete Sculptor. I would
> gratefully part with some of my order if you want. Mind
> you I would pass along the shipping cost per pound. 
> 
> Syr Christian Darmody 

TCS (The Compleat Sculptor)
90 Vandam Street
New York City, NY

When I ordered from them they doubled my order, and the
size of the custom cutting was also doubled. Instead of 
$250 - they put nearly $500 on my credit card. I shipped half
back to them, and got credit for the stone, although it 
appeared I never did recoup the original shipping cost.
Might I suggest caution when ordering and paying and
avoiding the hassle?

Incidentally, the employees there I spoke to knew nothing at
all about most soapstones containing asbestos. When I spoke
to the owner I got a very nebulous answer. Apparently he
did not have MSDS sheets on it either. 

The better Soapstone apparently comes from:
Steatite of Southern Oregon
John or Bev Pugh
2891 Elk Lane
Grants Pass, Oregon  97527
1-503-479-3646 The area code may have changed.
an alternate phone:
1 (541) 479-3646
These folks have an excellent reputation.

An SCA person who deals in soapstone from Montana he feels
is the best he's seen is F K Farner <ffarner at efn.org>,
or it was this time last year.