Article: https://tg.la7.it/cronaca/bolzano-coltelli-stampante-3d-a-scuola-denunciato-minore-26-01-2026-251562
Local student arrested for ‘manufacturing weapons.’ In reality, he printed some PLA shivs that would probably shatter if they hit a piece of parmesan cheese. The police seized the printer like it was a meth lab. 10/10 for the dramatic crime scene photo, though.
(Backstory: a few weeks ago a student in another city/school was stabbed with a (iron) knife and died so now politicians need to show that zero tolerance policies are successful.)
This is the really weird thing. If these knives were made of metal and in a kitchen drawer, nobody would think of them as being weapons. But since they are 3d printed, that’s novel enough to warrant some panic or something…
It’s not because they are 3d printed. He was distributing them at school! That is the problem.
If he were to file down toothbrushes and do the same he would still be arrested and his files confiscated.
Not sure how rules are in Italy, but where I live “switchblades” and other one-hand operated collapsible knives are illegal.
Afaik, all single hand operation deployment knives are illegal in Italy. It’s somewhat of a nonsensical rule when there are teenagers stabbing themselves with kitchen knives, but still…
You can make surprisingly sharp objects, I once cut myself with my printed bed-scraper by accident.
These printed knives can absolutely also be used to hurt/kill someone, if you wanted to…like all type of knives and basic cutlery really…these being an illegal type is the trigger here I believe.
Of course, I never intended to imply that a plastic knife would not be dangerous