This 3D Printed Comb Could Kill

3D printing has led to the creation of all sorts of new inventions and innovations, while at the same time, also proving that some ideas simply won’t work once they are brought into reality. This is what is so fascinating about this very technology. It allows an idea to go from drawings on paper to tangible prototypes in a matter of hours. This allows companies and individuals to quickly and affordably determine if a product will or will not be feasible, without the need for more conventional, more expensive, and more time consuming prototyping methods.

For one mechanical engineering student at École de technologie supérieure in Montreal, Canada, named Antoine Rancourt Poulin, 3D printing allowed him to create a rather unique looking comb. Poulin’s idea for his unique tool comes from one of his female friends who came across a comb on the internet which doubled as a knife. Poulin, being the engineer he is, decided to 3D print his very own.

Using a blade from a broken knife that he had lying around, Poulin set out to create his very own comb/knife.

“I designed the comb knife from the dimensions of the blade,” Poulin tells 3DPrint.com. “When I had a 2D mock-up of the blade drawn in my software, I simply drew a form of what a comb looks like, considering the blade shape. I then used Solidwork to make the 3D model.”

It was then off to using his MakerBot Replicator 2X to print out the four individual pieces which he designed. This included the handle, the comb, and the two rivets. In all, the printing process only took about 45 minutes to an hour to complete. As you can see in the photos, Poulin’s creation came out quite well.

As for Poulin’s plan with this knife, he won’t be making many more in the near future, as he just considers this a simple prototype based on the design which his friend showed him. As for why anyone would want a comb/knife, other companies have made similar products as self defense tools. Certainly someone could get the wrong idea, 3D print their own knife and use it for the wrong reasons, but the same could be said for a standard kitchen steak knife.

In reality, this just goes to show the potential that 3D printing has in taking an idea and turning it into a reality in just a short amount of time. What do you think of Poulin’s creation? Discuss in the 3D printed comb/knife forum thread on 3DPB.com.