The 25-year-old is concentrated as he double-checks the size of the ring he has bent to. – On the inside it says B and B on 20.12.54, so it was probably a Christmas present. I’m a little more shaky when I bend engraved spoons. You are working with a part of history, says Sasha with a smile. He is sitting in his workshop in a basement room in Ålesund. On the workbench is a cupboard with many small drawers. On each drawer is the name of various silver spoons that Sasha uses. Sasha says that it varies how difficult it is to get hold of different silver spoons. – Certain patterns are much rarer than others, he says. Here you can see the spoon “Jewel” that has been turned into a ring. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Start under the corona He normally works as a nurse, but during the corona he, like many others, needed a hobby. – Some started knitting, painting or crocheting. I started with this. Sasha had been looking for a ring, but couldn’t quite find one he wanted. Then he came across a video on TikTok of a guy from the US bending spoons into rings. In the beginning, he made rings for himself. Gradually he started to make friends and since then it has developed from there. Now he has customers all over the country and some of the rings have also been sent outside the country’s borders. Sasha takes silver spoons and bends them into rings. Now he sells them via his online store and in stores in Ålesund, Bergen and Oslo. Sasha believes that the rings appeal to both young and old. – I was afraid someone would say I was destroying Norwegian cultural history, but people are positive. The younger ones think the rings are cool, while the older ones recognize the pattern from spoons they have at home. I feel that it binds generations together. Family gift of grandmother’s silver spoons Sasha makes rings from spoons that he buys online or in second-hand shops. – I have spent over two years picking out the finest patterns. I have learned to see what fits and looks good. In addition, he makes rings from people’s own spoons. An acquaintance of Sasha brought home the ring she had bought at a family dinner and showed it off. – Then the grandmother brought out the collection of silver spoons she had lying around. It even up with 19 rings adapted to each family member. It is great that they are used instead of lying in a drawer. Each ring is accompanied by a quote that a colleague of Sasha’s has prepared. – Silver is so much more than last place. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Take care of mine Sasha thinks the view of silverware has changed in recent years. – It means a lot to the generations above me, but I don’t think people my age are as concerned about it. It was like the shares of the time and there was great value in it. Master goldsmith Pål Kasnes agrees. He says that interest in buying silverware has decreased since he started in the industry in the late 1990s. Master goldsmith Pål Kasnes says that interest in silverware has decreased in recent years. He believes that by making rings out of spoons, they can be used more. Photo: Jonny Olsson – Back then, it was grandmothers who regularly came in to buy spoons which they saved for their grandchildren. The shops used to have large stocks, but now all such things are made-to-order. He therefore thinks that making rings out of the spoons can be a good way to take care of the silverware that you have been given. – Maybe the date of baptism or grandfather’s name is on the back. Turning it into a ring is also a way of taking care of my memory. Reuse is key For Sasha, it is important to use old silver spoons to make new products. – I am keen on buying used, reusing what is already there and not throwing things away unnecessarily. He tries to use as much of the spoon as possible and makes products from what is left over, such as earrings and rings. He sends the rest in for remelting so that the material can be used again. The rings are sent out in a cardboard box which can also be used again. Included in the box is a picture of what the spoon looked like. – Then you can throw the box, but take care of the image, says Sasha. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news Wants to venture further The 25-year-old has plans to develop the business further and to eventually be able to sell his goods in several stores. Nevertheless, he does not envision the hobby becoming a full-time job. – If I were to have lived off it, I would have had to have sold the rings for a much steeper price. The fact that I don’t have to means that I can enjoy it, he says with a smile. Sasha says he wants to continue developing new products, but does not think the hobby will become a full-time job. Photo: Øyvind Sandnes / news
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Sasha (25) makes rings from old silver spoons
