I have only done checkering on 3 guns and will be quite content to go to my grave without that number changing. In my limited experience, checkering around a rounded surface (around the butt) is the more (if not most) difficult place to put it. Kudos for doing that and doing a good job of it. IMO, checkering is more difficult than relief carving because if you slip or screw up a carving, you can just adjust your design and carry on and in most cases no one would be the wiser. Checkering OTOH, being uniform, ANY slip and you are hooped. You can not hide it. Another point is that photographs seem to highlight any anomalies that are otherwise unnoticed to the casual observer "in the flesh". Nowhere is this more evident than an off topic rifle that I bought recently that had been restocked and the stocker did a fabulous job but when I took pics I could easily see the varying depth of the checkering lines that were difficult to see "in hand". That variance of depth is visible in the pics on your pistol and I suspect that you REALLY have to look to notice them "in hand". One thing I would point out, and this MAY be correct for the period you are emulating, I do not know, but the angle of the "fishtail" at the front of the pattern appears less acute than is typical which resulted in squares rather than diamonds in the checkering. I will post a pic of the aforementioned recent acquisition to show what I mean as well as shows the the variation of depth that shows up clear in a photo but is less noticeable in person. The pic, showing only the butt stock should not violate the "no off topic guns" rule but if it does not, admin, feel free to delete. Just trying to make my point visually.
Cody-
I definitely know what you're pointing out, as I found it challenging to gauge depth in process. But despite learning experiences, I really enjoyed doing it! As you probably know, there are a variety of cutters that cut different angles of "v" grooves, and on a pistol of this period, shallow flat-top checkering made with a flat cutter would've been more appropriate. In this case, I used a single 90° cutter since it's what I had, and therefore had to go deeper to get the texture it's intended to produce.
As for the fishtail, the pattern on the original appeared more square but was also cut as flat-top checkering, so that was somehwat intentional- but I definitely learned that those "master angles" in the border all need to be parallel and perfect right off the bat, and in this case they really were not if you look at how the lines meet the border. Again, all things not noticed by the unpracticed eye that I'll do more deliberately if repeated.
