Hi all! I’ve read through various posts (most informative) and today I met a very helpful gentleman in Tucson that explained so much about Concho belts. However, I have one part I’m trying to understand hopefully you all can help.
What (if any) is the visible difference between machine and hand stamped ON THE BACK on the concho? If I find a belt with no hallmarks, is there something obvious to say “machine” vs “handmade”?
I’m attaching a photo of a buckle, front and back. Is this machine or hand stamped? No hallmark, and many of the stones are cracked.
Thank you!!
Here is a thread that might help a little bit. And I’m sure there are some really knowledgeable members that will join this topic, because it’s a good one (I apologize if you’ve already read this one).
That buckle is hand stamped. The indentations coming through to the back from stamping on the other side is an indication, as well as the slight variations and imperfections of the stamping.
You’re welcome, and I need to read that thread again. Although it made my head spin just a little bit.
I wanted to say it was hand stamped, but wasn’t confident enough about it. Glad OO jumped in! And the one you posted doesn’t have the lines around the stamp like this in the linked thread…
I agree with @OrbitOrange that the buckle in your photo is hand made @BlytheEcho. @Ziacat shared a great thread on this subject.
There are a few other indicators you can look for when considering a piece. The opening of a handmade buckle will sometimes present with imperfectly straight edges or square corners. On the buckle below, I’ve pointed out a few things. The features pointed to designated with a “1” show scribed layout lines from when the silversmith was laying out the opening, and “2” shows the filed, rolled, and imperfectly square corner I mentioned.
On the buckle below, similar to the one you posted, the tool marks left by the silversmith when they performed the repoussé work are apparent. You would not see this in a buckle made from a set of stamping dies.
I need to give credit to @mmrogers for explaining to me the evidence of hand fabrication on the concho below. If you look at the edge of the scallops, there are two visible lines, you can think of these as “shearing” points. Each scallop on this belt was struck once, and because the force required to shear the silver in one strike is more than most men can conjure, the punch was struck again to complete the cut, hence the two visible lines.
These photos are of the reverse of the buckle and a concho on the same belt as the concho previously mentioned. (This belt is not mine) The imperfections on the backside of the buckle and concho show the transfer from the anvil or surface that the smith worked on. While he (or she) was performing work on the front side, because silver is relatively soft, whatever imperfections are present on the anvil or work surface, transfered to the silver. I believe this was touched on in the thread @Ziacat linked, but another example doesn’t hurt.
I look forward to @mmrogers and @TAH chiming in, as they are both incredibly well versed. @chicfarmer has a wonderfully abundant amount of knowledge of early era, hand worked silver as well.
@BlytheEcho, @TAH is being far too humble, he has a great amount of knowledge curated from years of study and research. I’m certain he has some pointers that would aid in your understanding of hand made vs. press/die set made.
Aaron, you give me far too much credit. You did an excellent job describing the difference along with photo examples. I’m just a dude who likes belt buckles and apparently has a phobia about keeping his trousers in place.
@Ravenscry’s background as a master machinist really shines here. It’s great to see him apply that knowledge to accurately queue in on the technical aspects of how the buckles are fashioned from a tooling perspective.
My only comment on the excellent work represented here is the level of artistry represented in the stamps of the silversmiths making these pieces, especially those used on the buckle from the first photo. Believe me when I say the level of artistry, expertise, and detail applied in making these stamps is beyond amazing. Really a treat! Thanks for posting, Aaron!
Your kind words are greatly appreciated Mike. From the likes of you, they hold much weight. Although I feel I’m a bit distant from being a master at anything. My somewhat strained ability to queue in on technical aspects on this platform is due in whole to your teachings and perking up when you provide your thoughts. Thank you for all you do!