About this Event
Back by popular demand! Join engineer-turned-off-grid dumpster diver extraordinaire Tod Kershaw for a lively, hands-on adventure in blacksmithing with reclaimed materials. Tod’s inventive spirit and knack for making beauty from the scrap heap will inspire you to see discarded metal in a whole new way.
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to find, reclaim, and transform scrap metal into something both beautiful and functional — a one-of-a-kind serving spoon or ladle forged entirely from salvaged materials. From rebar ties and 55-gallon drums, to copper plumbing pipe and aluminum transmission wire brought down by hurricane Helene, every element in this class — even the coal — is reclaimed, foraged, or reused!
Through the process, you’ll:
- Identify and source useful metals and fuels
- Learn how to extract and process reclaimed materials
- Practice foundational blacksmithing techniques, including hammering, shaping, and coal fire tending
- Explore cold swaging and riveting methods using handmade rivets
- Gain confidence using a variety of hand tools
- Craft your own beautiful, functional serving spoon or ladle to take home
Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned tinkerer, this class will give you the skills and confidence to keep creating with what’s around you — proof that artistry and sustainability can go hand in hand.
This class will be held outdoors on Saturday, March 7th, 2026, from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm near Barnardsville, NC.
All Firefly Gathering workshops are hosted in the greater Asheville area, sometimes at private venues. For that reason, the actual venue address will be included in your Welcome email, approximately one week before the workshop. Please note that classes are not actually held at Westgate Parkway.
Class Price includes all Materials for the Class
The minimum age is 14 with an accompanying adult. Moderate strength is recommended for this workshop.
Stay in touch with our Facebook event: Blacksmithed Spoons and Ladles w/ Tod Kershaw
About the Instructor: Tod Kershaw
Tod Kershaw (he/him) has been a Firefly Gathering instructor since its beginnings, in addition to teaching at Forest Floor Wilderness Programs and various earthskills gatherings throughout the southeast. An engineer turned dumpster-diving fringe dweller, Tod left the mainstream, but kept his cleverness.
From Tod:
“My father told me that when I was very young he took me to a craft gathering and I spent the entire time hanging around and pestering the blacksmith. Years later I worked as a professional welder and enjoyed working with hot metal. Then, around 35 years old I went to a gathering like Firefly and hung around the blacksmith the whole time. Then I started doing it myself.
One thing that draws me to this craft is that it can be done almost entirely with scavenged materials. I like scavenging. And with relatively little experience or money one can create beautiful and useful things.”
Find out more about Tod and his offerings at: babyeggbertsironworks.com
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Westgate Parkway, Westgate Parkway, Asheville, United States
USD 55.00 to USD 130.00
