Joe, You are successfully pushing the ornamentation of western gear to a very high level-congratulations and best of luck on the saddle and tack makers strive to equal your work. Fred
Haraga, well that buckle by it's self took about a hour to get everything cut, about an hour to solder and buff. It took around 14 hours to engrave. For the design the number of hours who knows, let's just say about a month. I had 4 other designs I liked and just kept seeing things to change.
Cloudy, on the back on the top of the buckle in the center I put a 8ga wire half loop 5/8'' wide and 1/4'' deep . The bottom made a square out of the 8ga wire 5/8'' wide and 1/2'' deep. soldier to the buckle then put a tongue on it. I'll take some pictures of it and put up.
Ken, just got done telling shawn the same thing. The buckle is built in two layers. The bottom layer is heavy gauge and cut to the shape of the buckle and the beads. The top layer is cut out of the shape of the buckle without the beads. I then cut out were the gold went and using the same gauge gold , cut them out and put them together like a jigsaw puzzle soldier together buff and engrave.
That's an interesting alternative to inlay. Certainly must have made some bits of the process easier, but not without the fun you must have had getting everything to go just right. Probably used more gold than an inlay would have too.
Absolutely beautiful, Jeremiah Watt has just flown out after a week of a single point class. I wondered how I could use it in saddle silver. You have hit it right on the head. Gives me something to aspire to.