Jeffrey Holmes

It would be unusual to find them inlaid (the really wouldn't supply much stability that way). Diamond shaped cleats are usually applied to the surface (not inlaid) and the upper portion scalloped and/or rounded to eliminate stress risers... similar installation and surface treatment for parallelogram or rectangular shaped cleats (which are pretty common).

I've seen bow tie shaped ones as well... they have all been present in fiddles with bad repair jobs. Inlaid square edges are not a good idea and often promote cracks at he corners..

Peter... compare the features I mentioned above (geometry, workmanship, proportions, fluting, chamfering, tool marks, etc) of your scrolll and the one I posted. There are significant differences between the two (besides the fluting).

Yes on Cremona, no on Mantua for the bench shot.... However the first scroll I posted in this thread is a POM (and a rather nice one).

Nope... not Naples

Here's a fun one. Bench shot. No special lighting.Two cities in Italy. Guesses are welcome.

Jacob Saunders has generously posted a number of tutorials about Germanic working details that you can find on this site with a few searches. One in particular has some excellent information about scrolls. Try google searching using his name and Maestronet if this site's search doesn't bring up anything fruitful... or maybe someone here will post a link. I think it might help you to spend time looking at clear and reliable (correctly identified) photos of various maker's scrolls and compare the features and design mentally. Your skill or ability in recognizing a maker's work or school of making's idiosyncrasies and working style is directly tied to what you expose yourself to. Feel free to start by comparing the scroll you posted with the one I did. Determine what you think the differences (geometry, workmanship, proportions, fluting, chamfering, tool marks, etc) are. There are no silver bullets. It's what you can see, what you have seen, and what you know about different schools of making. Every expert I know or have known has a categorized and well organized photo library. BTW: You'd do much better with your posted photos if you show the views dead on straight and not at an angle (even a slight one), unless you want to illustrate something that is only evident at that angle.

Are you trying to compare/contrast the scroll you put up to the one I put up or are you just asking a general question?

Study many.... One of my favorites:

Loss of a very fine colleague.... I was sad to hear this yesterday.

Nope! No one in particular. I just noticed general "drift" in the conversation (and some silliness). It happens when things go 5 or 10 pages.

Good question about what AI can and can't do with violin identification. My personal view is that the limits will largely depend on the depth and accuracy of the data available at any given time. As for the subjects that keep sneaking in on this thread, it's starting to look a little like facebook. Violin family and related instruments and bows y'all, violin family and related instruments and bows...

I've seen Bazin Tubbs models with a metal faces.

Wordpress a Journeyman's Journey article based on an email exchange with Bjorn in '23. "M&H uses preservatives to extend the life of the glue and dispels the awful odour that hide glue is infamously known for." Christian Schabbon also mentions preservatives in his blog "all about glue".

Thanks Spelk! Well, I still have a small stash I can use sparingly. Hope they straighten things out!