Tim, It's a great question. One of the things I try to do is make it appear as if the ring is attached/applied rather that carved on. (When I first started out making horns-a long time ago- I didn't always work it so that the two sections on either side of the ring to appear as one, with a ring stuck in the middle. It made for a functional strap ring but it looked rather crude. It's just a little treatment that adds a nice visual flow to a horn.