SFA

I am looking for advice re: the best choice of a tool to make a single cut about 10 feet long to divide a large soapstone slab into 2 pieces. I am not a stone fabricator by trade but I am having a soapstone slab cut into a number of irregular shaped pieces by a water jet cutting machine . They cannot place the entire slab on the machine so I have to cut it into two pieces after the stone supplier delivers it to them. I cut a small sample with a hand held 4.5 inch grinder but the blade was too small to cut all the way through and it was slow to cut. I have seen some online video of a circular saw with a diamond blade being used to cut stone and I am also considering a grinder with a 5 inch dia. blade. Any recommendations re: the best choice of a tool to get the job done would be appreciated.

5" blade on the grinder will be the cheapest most effective route. spraying it with water will help keep it cool and the dust down.

Soapstone is soft enough to cut with a good carbide tipped blade on a circular saw.

What Darryl said. If its actually soapstone and not slate or something than a carbide blade on a circular saw will do just fine.

I used to cut soapstone all day with worm drive skill saw and a diamond blade. Use water and it cuts like butter, Clamp a straight edge because the water will take your line off.