Squid Game Dagger As a Letter Opener

The moment I saw the dagger in that first episode, I knew I'd end up 3D printing it for myself. While I found Squid Game very entertaining and avidly awaited the new season, I was more taken by the colours used in the program. All that colour-blocking, vibrant pink and turquoise was right up my alley and visually speaking- I couldn't get enough.

I'm a huge fan of functional prints though, so I had to come up with some creative ideas on what use this prop would have in my household. I came up with a letter opener, because it's stabby enough, but still safe to have laying around.

Project was mostly made using Fusion 360, but uploaded to Tinkercad for comfort. If some details have to be changed- like magnet or letter opener size- it's all perfectly customisable.

I used a few artsy/craftsy techniques to make this dagger, so it's not a simple project where you just 3D print the files and it's done. There is a lot of sanding involved for maximum smoothness, spray painting and silver leafing the blade for a nice metallic effect.

Plastic blade is attached to the dagger with a magnet, so you have to pull the sheath to reveal the sharp letter opener. Tried and tested- works great.

~3D printer

~depending on the quality of your print you will need some or all of the following:

1. model filler putty
2. spray paint filler
3. double sided nail files and/or sanding paper in various grit

~primer spray

~pink and turquoise spray paint - I used these exact ones and the colours are nearly identical to the show's

~clear varnish sealer

~metallic silver spray paint, regular paint or self-adhesive vinyl for the blade

~two small, round magnets- 5mmx3mm

~generic letter opener- this exact one

~green gem(s) - 13-16mm diameter- Got mine from this seller, but green is completely sold out

~quick setting clear epoxy glue

~some paintbrushes, toothpicks, disposable nitrile gloves

~small plastic clamps or large paper clips

~hot glue gun for assemblying pieces

First step involved spending several minutes trying to screenshot the dagger and realising that Netflix blocks that feature on all devices. So I simply took a picture of my TV with my phone. I needed it for a reference- colours, shapes, scale, thickness etc.

My dagger still isn't a perfect imitation of the original, but it's as close as it gets. And keep in mind, it was specifically designed to have a letter opener inserted, so if some parts are odd- that's why.

I ordered the letter opener first and when I got it, I measured it and drew out an outline on paper. Added 0.5mm border around it and scanned it to my computer. Then, the image was converted to an SVG file and uploaded to Tinkercad, so I could cut appropriate openings in the dagger later.

The letter opener I used is the most plain, generic, common and cheap item I could find. It's the kind of mass-produced, made in China product that is available in most countries. I wanted people to be able to get the same model anywhere in the world.

Download the STL files from my Tinkercad account and print them in the best quality possible.

You can adjust the objects to an extend, to fit your needs. For example, if you get a letter opener that's a little bit different than the one I used, you will have to adjust the files.

NOTE: There are two lattice handles provided- one plain and one with (orange) horizontal supports- they are identical, so choose whichever one you want. I was having issues with my nozzle, it kept bumping into the lattice- it is a very fragile object until the top rim is printed. Supports are very thin and can be cut off easily with a box cutter afterwards.

Print the objects as shown, don't change the orientation.

After all files have been printed out, snap the supports and clean up everything roughly.

The blade and the smooth inside handle, as well as all small bits, will require minimum labour.

The twisty, outer handle has to be handled very carefully.

The wings are the most labour intensive, so we will start with them:

1. After removing supports, join the wings together temporarily and hold them together with a small clamp. Insert the letter opener and check if everything fits properly.
2. Prepare small dowels, we will use them to align the wings perfectly - you can use toothpicks, bamboo skewers, soft metal wire or cotton buds. They are not meant to be structurally sound, just help you align and stop the parts from moving around while the glue dries.
3. Mix a small amount of epoxy and apply to the inside of one of the wings. Add some glue to the small holes as well and place the dowels inside. Make sure the glue isn't overflowing into the empty spaces where the letter opener is supposed to go.
4. Join the wings together using the dowels as a guide and clamp them in several places.
5. Leave to dry.

Normally I only have to spray my prints with a spray-on filler and then do a little bit of sanding. Lately, I've been getting really bad prints, so I think I'm overdue for a new printer. I ended up using a lot of filler, both spray-on and modelling putty to cover up all the lines and imperfections.

This step is optional and depends on the quality of your prints. Use as much or as little of the filler to make everything smooth.

I used sanding paper/emery boards in 120/240/360/ grit and in later stage 600 grit for smoothing.

This step is just sanding, which doesn't really have to be explained. Keep sanding until your surfaces are smooth, start with lower grit and keep going until you hit 600.

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Some good ideas I picked up over the years when it comes to post-processing 3D prints:

~ use nail file boards- the type specifically made for false nails, as they:

1. are padded, but have a stiff centre- they can handle a curve and are good for flat surfaces
2. are easier to hold
3. have two sides - each side different grit
4. they can be cut up into smaller pieces
5. they can be cleaned with a stiff brush, washed and left to dry and used again- more economical than sanding paper

~ instead of Dremel, use electric nail drill (here's mine, I picked it up on sale for £15- good for pedicures and sanding things like PLA, polymer clay, epoxy resin, clay, plaster etc. Just make sure it's powerful enough, around 35 000RPM and definitely NOT cordless):

1. much cheaper than Dremel
2. attachment replacements are cheaper too
3. smaller handle= better grip - good for people with small hands or with hand issues
4. vibrations are minimal, better control over the device= better results
5. more settings on the speed dial- better control over speed

~ have a small amount of dark, opaque, acrylic paint on hand during sanding:

1. if you are not sure if your part is smooth enough because you can't see properly, apply a thin layer of dark paint to the part ( you can wipe it off, wash it off or remove with a sanding paper afterwards). The paint will provide uniform colour and texture and some shine. It will allow you to see better and spot any imperfections and places that need more filler or more sanding. Sounds weird, but trust me, it works. Give it a try. (*that's the reason why my 3D prints have all those weird colours in the pictures)

I went and started painting before I realised I made a blunder, so here it is- learn from my mistakes.

The spots arrows indicate are very small gaps in the design, too small to sand in any way, but large enough to see through, especially after paint was applied. It looks very unattractive and gives this "unfinished" feeling, especially since every other part of the dagger is smooth and nearly perfect.

Since this part can't be sanded, filler can't be used either. The only thing that can be used is epoxy to smooth the visible lines.

Here's how to do it:

~ grab a sheet of aluminium foil, scrunch it to make a fist-size bowl and spray a small amount of teal spray paint onto the foil

~ mix a tiny amount of epoxy glue

~ gather a few drops of that teal spray paint and mix it in with epoxy to colour it

~ working quickly, rub a drop-size amount of epoxy into each gap, push it in and smooth over with a toothpick or a fine needle, or a very fine, tiny paint brush

~do it on one side first, leave to set and repeat this process on the second side of the wings

It's such a small, silly detail, but it really makes all the difference. Believe me, I spray painted everything before I realised and I had to scrape everything down and start from the beginning, it was THAT ugly.

Gather all dagger parts and prepare them for spray painting.

~In most cases, after I'm done sanding and smoothing I like to give my prints a quick rinse under cold, running water and- if there are small, tight gaps- a quick rub with a nail brush to remove any dust.

~Dry them off with disposable kitchen towels to keep the lint at bay.

~Use things like bamboo or metal skewers, chopsticks, thin wood pieces, as well as duck tape, glue dots and Blu Tack to secure each individual dagger piece onto a separate skewer. You need to secure them quite well, so they don't move during spray painting.

~Have an upturned cardboard box on hand to poke the skewers through the bottom while everything is drying.

~Spray 2-3 thin coats of paint. Leave each layer to dry for at least 1 hour. Lastly, spray 2 coats of clear coat and leave to dry and set for a few hours.

Before the main assembly, don't forget to glue small magnets to the blade and wings. Use hot glue or epoxy.

I made some mistakes at first and there aren't many pictures because I had to work fast, so I will just explain how to connect them.

1) Turn on the hot glue gun and leave it to heat up.

2) Thread the letter opener through the wings and hold on to the blade part tightly. While you are holding it steady, use your other hand to pour some hot glue into the opening to seal the letter opener handle to the inside of the wings. Don't use too much glue and don't let it escape outside.

2) Once hot glue sets, you can put the wings down.

3) Mix a small amount of epoxy and apply to the top of the dagger handle. Do you see these small holes I made for the small alignment dowels? They are redundant, no need to use them. The handle and wings will align together through the letter opener handle.

4) Connect two pieces together and press together tightly. While you are holding it with one hand (you can ask someone to help you with this part), pick up your glue gun and squeeze some hot glue into the hole at the base of the dagger handle. It will secure everything together faster.

5) Leave everything to set before gluing remaining small pieces.

Finding a large, green gem was the worst and most annoying part of this project. I ended up with two options- very dark, blue-ish looking emerald and a yellow gem that I stained with green paint. The dark gem is shiny and real-looking, the coloured gem has a better colour, but no shine and looks quite dull.

Secured to the dagger with epoxy.

My plan was always to have the dagger hanging on the wall by the entry door, where we keep our letters. I created this shallow box using a chocolate box, some fabric and magnets. One large, strong magnet is attached to the inside of the box, under the fabric. Second, smaller magnet is in the pink arrow (the one at the back, without a gem). This is optional and if you want to do it, you will have to modify the arrow yourself to fit your magnet.