Guns Finding New Use in Gardening Tools
A group called Swords to Plowshares is taking old guns taken during buyback events and turns them into garden tools and other useful items.
By Kyle Jones
NBC Connecticut
October 23, 2020
Excerpt:
Retired Bishop Jim Curry has honed a new skill.
“Part of our responsibility as the blacksmiths and toolmakers is to keep this going,” said Curry, heating up metal in a 2,500-degree forger.
“It’s thousands of years old. It’s pretty basic,” said Curry. “You use a hammer against hot metal to reshape it. You use a hammer and an anvil.”
What’s unique about his work is he’s using the metal from long guns from local buy back events and transforming them into instruments, jewelry and gardening tools.
Since 2017, Curry and Swords to Plowshares North East has repurposed unwanted guns turned over from the streets and from inside of homes. They’ve made about 150 tools.
“Most of them we give away to school groups and community gardens.”
Curry will show off how he does it Saturday at the Keefe Community Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The center uses the tools in their community garden. Volunteer Brenda Campbell says having the tools is heartwarming.
“It’s because we’re taking those weapons and being positive with the negative,” said Campbell.
