Allen's Belt Buckle:  Little Rock, AR:
Sawn, Pierced and Silver-Soldered Overlay

2.875" x 3.375" x .375"
sterling silver sheet (18 gauge with 24 gauge sheet overlay), 18 gauge copper wire, steel chain, nickel belt findings (commercial)

sawing, piercing, filing, sanding, hammering/texturing, shaping, acetylene torch silver solder fabrication (hard, medium and easy), buffing machine satin finish (scotch brite wheel), liver of sulfur patina, buffing machine tripoli finish, riveting

Private Collection

"January of 2012 I was contacted by Allen T. East of Little Rock.  For a year and a half he had been researching and contacting custom belt buckle makers to fulfill a dream -- a handmade belt buckle that incorporates specific imagery and materials that are important to him. Please read Allen's comments at the end of this statement.  
Along with sterling silver, and a touch of copper, Allen wanted chain reminiscent of his motorcycle's chain incorporated around his belt buckle. As an artist, this is a fascinating challenge -- we live miles away from each other, have never met, and are communicating by email, one phone call, and scans.  
Initially, we determined the size, shape, type of metal, gauge, and belt buckle findings. Allen sent me a computer-generated design he had come up with as a starting point, and he sent me a sample of the chain he wanted used. The other belt buckle makers had said that incorporating the chain was not possible, but it  was!  BUT HOW?!  What an artistic and technical challenge!  To design, create and fabricate a jewelry/metalwork item that someone will love and want to wear every day; that is sturdy and comfortable and not a worry or inconvenience to wear.
18 gauge sterling silver for the buckle blank was chosen.  And 24 gauge sterling silver sheet for the overlay design and sawn/pierced element; all created with a jewelers saw, a miniscule jewelers saw blade  .01 thick, and several drilled holes to thread the sawblade through for the pierced designs.
Hard silver solder which has a melting point of 1425F and is very close to the melting point of sterling silver's 1640F, had to be used to sweat solder/attach the 24 gauge sheet elements onto the much thicker 18 gauge sterling base. Using an acetylene torch and wire silver solder, I chose to heat the metal from underneath when soldering.  No little edges or tips of metal could remain unsoldered, as they then snag on fabric and basically ruin the wearer's experience and clothing!  So I soldered until it was "done". The 18 gauge round copper wire was then soldered on with hard solder as well, but from the top.
That left figuring out how to attach the steel chain in a way to keep it snug and yet see most of its beauty.  I had many different options in my mind over the months and finally had to choose the one I thought fulfilled the aesthetic and functional challenge the most effectively and efficiently.....and simply (which sometimes can take a while to figure out...SIMPLY)....hand-fabricated sterling silver loops sized and shaped to the chain.  These were soldered shut with hard silver solder and attached to the buckle with medium silver solder.
Next, the belt buckle was turned over and the nickel silver belt findings were soldered on, using easy silver solder for this last soldering process.  Easy solder has the lowest melting point of the silver solders (1325F), so it used for the final fabrication process.  
The belt buckle was placed in very hot acid to clean off the flux and to clean the surface of the metal...the white color of the sterling silver in the in-process photos is what sterling silver looks like when it has been taken to a high temperature and then quenched in acid.
The entire belt buckle was then satin-finished with the buffing machine and a satin finish brush as well as a wire bristle brush.  Allen had requested a not-shiny finish, but this satin finish "wasn't right". So i then used the muslin buff on the buffing machine and tripoli; this creates the beginning of a beautiful high-polish surface, without taking it to the shinyshiny, mirror-finish of rouge or zam. This was it!!!
The design of the belt buckle and the metal's surface highs and lows would show up much better with patina/oxidation.  Liver of sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs, was the perfect choice. A chunk of the stinky liver of sulfur was placed in water until it dissolved. A beautiful gray black patina on the entire surface of the belt buckle was achieved by warming the metal with the acetylene torch, and then painting on the liver of sulfur until the oxidation is achieved.  
The entire buckle is then taken back to the beautiful final finish.  Edges are checked and rechecked to make sure there is no sharpness or any element that would snag fabric or scratch skin.
Next, the chain had to be for-real figured out; not just conjecture.  I determined the length of chain needed and ground the heads of the steel pin off using the flexible shaft, a small stone grinder, and safety goggles of course. Then i tapped the pin out.  The chain was then threaded through the fabricated sterling silver loops on the belt buckle and a small copper rivet replaced the steel pin.  Whew!  It worked, with the chain hugging tightly the edge of the 18 gauge buckle." - Kristin

"I commissioned Kristin to create this piece to mark a few major milestones in my life at this point. First is the Cross and Spade. My son's initials are ACE, so always thought of him as Ace which ultimately evolved into the Ace of Spades. The cross has a dual representation of my daughter Faith as well as the belief in a higher power. The Cross and Spade are set against the sun representing that my children have always been the brightest product of my life and continue to make me proud. Not to mention that I love all the sun stands for life, love, warmth, light, and many others.
The copper elements represent a road, a journey. I have spent many hours and miles on a motorcycle (the chain element around the perimeter) riding the back roads of America. For those of you that ride, you know what a journey that can be....hot, cold, wet, peaceful, and free. But again it isn't just the ride on a motorbike. It is that spiritual or life journey to something greater than myself, like that Cross and Spade. A lot is packed into this small piece.
Made of sterling silver, copper, and steel, then finished and polished. Kristin has done a Wonderful job capturing the elements I wanted and presenting them in a very cool way I will cherish for a lifetime." - Allen

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