--- description: A video that demonstrates how to 3D-print a crossguard lightsaber, as seen in the new "Star Wars" trailer. title: Here’s How to 3D-Print Your Own Crossguard Lightsaber image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0d58b73c5834441/69876d74e53aba7f244d6681/screen-shot-2014-12-08-at-2-54-55-pm.png?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here’s How to 3D-Print Your Own Crossguard Lightsaber  by [Eliza Berman](/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Dec 8, 2014 7:56 PM CUT   by [Eliza Berman](/author/eliza-berman/)  ## Eliza Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Berman is a senior editor at TIME. Dec 8, 2014 7:56 PM CUT The crossguard lightsaber introduced in the [trailer](http://time.com/3609579/star-wars-force-awakens-trailer/ "undefined") for _Star Wars: The Force Awakens_ raised eyebrows among skeptics as much as it elicited drools from those excited by the weapon’s redesign. Attacks on its impracticality were so [widespread](http://www.dailydot.com/geek/star-wars-force-awakens-new-lightsaber/ "undefined") that Stephen Colbert took time out of one of the final episodes of the _Colbert Report_ to [defend the genius of the design](http://time.com/3614258/stephen-colbert-star-wars-lightsabers/ "undefined"). But now you can test it yourself, as a group of designers has shared instructions for 3D-printing the controversial laser sword. According to designers at le FabShop, which distributes Makerbot 3D printers in France, “As Makers, we couldn’t help but try to find out by ourselves if this ‘crossguard’ design was a good configuration or not.” They’ve made files available for download — the lightsaber requires assembling a handful of configurable plastic parts — on Makerbot’s design community, [Thingiverse](http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:572485 "undefined"). Though the finished product is certainly a quality replica, the designers did not, after creating it, weigh in on its practicality. The 3D-printed version does not involve actual lasers, so there’s no risk of burning off your hand. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3624003/star-wars-lightsaber-3d-print/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3624003/star-wars-lightsaber-3d-print/"},"headline":"Here’s How to 3D-Print Your Own Crossguard Lightsaber","datePublished":"2014-12-08T19:56:24.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:15:06.621Z","description":"Lasers not included.","url":"https://time.com/3624003/star-wars-lightsaber-3d-print/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Star Wars topic","3D printing","star wars: the force awakens"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0d58b73c5834441/69876d74e53aba7f244d6681/screen-shot-2014-12-08-at-2-54-55-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliza Berman","jobTitle":"Berman is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/eliza-berman/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0d58b73c5834441/69876d74e53aba7f244d6681/screen-shot-2014-12-08-at-2-54-55-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Screen Shot 2014-12-08 at 2.54.55 PM","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3624003/star-wars-lightsaber-3d-print/","name":"Here’s How to 3D-Print Your Own Crossguard Lightsaber"}}]}] ```