Great Sword

I 3D Printed a Great Knife, and My Kid Won't Put It Down

To be honest, after printing this knife, I secretly swung it around a few times myself, and it's quite interesting.
However, I designed the size to fit a child's hand; an adult holding it will find it a bit short, perfect for the little rascal at home, and I don't have to worry about it being too heavy or too big to hurt anyone

I. Why Did I Print This?

Kids are constantly playing with paper rolls and building blocks, using them as swords to chop around. Paper rolls are flimsy and lack feel, and building blocks are too short.
Toy knives bought online are either made of plastic that's too thin and breaks easily when dropped, or they're flashy with sound and light effects that gather dust after two days when the battery dies

So I decided to model and print one myself—sturdy, exquisite, with a realistic grip, and no risk of sharp edges

II. Overall Structure: Multi-Part Print, Final Assembly

The entire knife is divided into

• blade
• handle

After all parts are printed, they need to be secured with super glue
 

III. Size and Feel: Optimized for Children's Hands

• Adults holding it will find it a bit small and light, like a 'model knife'
• It's just right for children—the handle thickness is moderate, allowing room for a firm single-handed grip

I added a non-slip texture to the handle surface (fine grids similar to fabric) so it won't slip or feel uncomfortable in hand.
Additionally, all edges of the handle are rounded, with no sharp corners, which is very important for children's toys

IV. Details: Truly Impressive

What satisfies me most about this knife is the level of detail achieved in the print:

• The blade features a simulated forged texture, not completely smooth, which shows light and shadow transitions when illuminated
• The spine of the blade has several shallow grooves, like the decorative serrations on a real knife, making kids instantly think 'this knife is awesome'
• The guard has a slight curve, so the index finger naturally rests in a comfortable position when holding it
• Once glued, the seam between the blade and the guard is virtually invisible, showing no signs of being separate parts

V. Safety Considerations

Since it's for children, I must clearly state these points:

• The blade tip is rounded and blunted—it's not sharp, so a gentle poke to the skin is fine, but please don't play with it near faces
• The blade edge is not sharpened; it's a smooth curve, perfectly safe for 'chopping' air or pillows
• All edges are rounded, with no sharp corners
• It's strong enough, but forcefully hitting hard objects will still break it; make sure to explain this to children beforehand

Additionally, I recommend using PLA+ for printing, as it's a bit tougher than regular PLA and less likely to chip when dropped

VI. Actual Use Review

My 6-year-old son's first words upon getting it were: 'Wow! Is this real?'
He then spent half an hour 'chopping' air around the house, and finally, tired out, he propped it up on the bookshelf as a decoration

A neighbor's child came over to play, saw the knife, and said he wanted one too. I promised to print one for him next time, but with a different color for distinction

In summary: this knife's purpose is very clear—it's a large toy for children. It doesn't aim for a one-to-one replica but focuses on a comfortable grip, exquisite details, and being safe for kids and furniture during play.

I've uploaded the model to Maker World; searching for '儿童圆头大刀' should help you find it.
Alternatively, I can just post the STF in the comments section

Oh, by the way, before printing, be sure to check the rounded tip and chamfered edges; I've revised it twice, so if you use my original file, you won't need to make any adjustments.