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Yadkinville, N.C. – Michael Felk is a rare craftsman. 

He’s one of the few tinsmiths still practicing a trade that’s been done for hundreds of years today.

“I don’t want to change history,” Felk said. “I want to be a purist, and I want to make it the way it was made, and I don’t want to change that.”

He’s known for using those skills in making handcrafted lighting fixtures and Moravian Stars, one of the most well-known symbols of the Piedmont Triad.

“It was said the first star was made out of tin in the 1870s,” he said. “You’re motivated by seeing a three-dimensional object come together immediately.”

Using original tools and traditional methods, he builds the stars for lighting, decorations and awards. For several years now, he’s made the Winston-Salem Open’s Moravian Star Trophy.

“It’s been an honor,” he said. “The star is unique, but I think it will always be the heritage that we are.”

You can find Michael on Facebook and online.