With the power of 3D printing, the only limits seem to be your imagination. It may not even feel possible until you try it out for yourself! Sometimes, it can even make for some impressive feats with some trial and error- even full on samurai armor!
Artists who work with 3D printers have made some remarkable pieces of armor: from just helmets to full body. Some are small enough to fit onto an action figure, and others you might be able to even wear yourself!
The video below shows the entire process of 3D printing a Kabuto. It was an amazing learning experience for the YouTuber, who shows the complete design to print process.
Craftsmen called Kacchu-SHi traditionally make this type of armor:
If you’re looking for a way to step up your cosplay game, or you might be looking for new ideas on what figures to make, this might be for you!
Check out these other 3D printed costumes if you like cosplay or these 3D printed COVID face masks if you want to get pandemic creative!
How Do People Make 3D Printed Armor?
Most people choose 3D printing because of the minimal amount of resources and materials that are needed to create. It’s also much more reliable than using other materials and can sustain much better than cardboard, foam, or other resources which can wear overtime.
There’s a multitude of ways of how people make their own 3D printed armor. Many people design 3D models of their own based on wearable armor to either create armor that someone can wear, or make armor that can be used for figures.
It requires a considerable amount of knowledge in 3D modeling as well as knowing how to accurately measure so that it’s the correct size. Some people also make 3D models for other people’s personal use, although sometimes it may be difficult to resize correctly.
It may sound not only ambitious, but overwhelming too. It is true, it can be a long time to make and to have it be the way you want. Even when your model is exactly the way you want it, it can take days to get the entire set printed.
However, the best first step might be to look at some examples of what other people have made! Whether you’re looking for inspiration to make your own 3D model from scratch, or looking for a (permitted) 3D model for download, you’ll be sure to know where to start.
Here we have 13 amazing examples of 3D printed armor in many different styles and ranges of all sorts of sizes.
13 Amazing 3D Printed Samurai Armor Examples
1. Kabotu Horns Wakidate Armor Helmet
The first project on this list is a realistic helmet with horns on its head. This one can be used for cosplay and the model is even resizable!
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/art/samurai-kabuto-horns-wakidate-armor-helmet-zakebusch
2. Helmet Kabuto
This one is actually quite different, as this model contains a few separate parts! There’s the helmet itself, then there’s the rope just below it, and then the crest of the helmet. This wearable helmet contains plenty of small details. Check out some of our favorite 3D printers for helmets.
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/art/samurai-helmet-kabuto
3. Samurai Armor
This one is pretty unique compared to the others. While most others have tried to go for a realistic look, this one is actually pretty stylized!
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/armadura-samurai
4. Samurai Head
This model not only contains the full samurai helmet, but the full head as well! This mask portrays an oni type mask.
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/art/head-samurai-number-2
5. Skull Samurai
Similar to the demon samurai head, this one is a skull head with the same type of helmet!
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/art/skull-samurai
6. Samurai Mask and Armor
This piece comes with three different parts: the rope below the helmet, the samurai helmet itself, and an oni-type mask that can be worn underneath the helmet.
Source:
- https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3411111
7. Samurai’s Head
This is another helmet and mask piece, although it feels very unique compared to the others. All of it appears to be in one piece as well, and it’s very highly detailed so that if the model is resized, none of it will be lost.
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/art/samurais-head
8. Gold Samurai Helmet
This piece showcases a golden samurai helmet that’s been very stylized and detailed. The model is all one solid piece, mask and helmet together.
Source:
- https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-print-models/art/sculptures/samurai-helmet-c3893ca2-28fd-441d-9b50-cab32e1ec897
9. Halo Infinite Samurai Armor
This piece is actually very unique as its based on the game series Halo. This one is especially remarkable since its a full body armor set! This one comes in over 100 different pieces and the creator says it takes several days to fully print.
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/fashion/halo-infinite-samurai-armor
10. Samurai Warrior
A full scale model of a samurai warrior with armor that’s extremely detailed that wields multiple kinds of weapons. This one isn’t exactly an armor piece, but it’s certainly a great look for its incredible detail!
Source:
- https://www.cgtrader.com/3d-print-models/art/sculptures/samurai-warrior
11. Japanese Samurai Mask
This piece showcases a hyper-realistic samurai mask. It’s been sized so that it can even be worn as any other mask could! While it is sized to fit a person’s head, you can resize the model itself so that it fits your needs. It’s also available for download!
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/fashion/japan-samurai-helmet-mask
12. Samurai Batman
This is another fan-inspired piece. This showcases batman inspired armor! The armor set is a full-body set that also comes with other accessories such as a sword.
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/art/samurai-batman-lucianonster
13. Spider-Man Samurai Helmet
Similar to the previous piece, this one is a Spider-Man-inspired helmet! This one comes into four separate printable pieces.
Source:
- https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/bandai-manga-realization-meisho-samurai-spider-man-helmet-stl
After viewing these works of art, hopefully, you find yourself with a better idea of what you want now.
History of samurai armor
Samurai armor is a type of armor that was worn by samurai warriors in feudal Japan. The armor is made up of several small, light plates that are sewn to a cloth or leather backing.
The samurai armor protects the wearer from weapons such as swords and arrows. Samurai armors were traditionally made from metal plates, but could also be made from leather or other materials.
It was made from light and sturdy materials so that the samurai could move around quickly. The armor consisted of a helmet, chest plate, two shoulder pieces, two arm guards, and two leg guards.
The chest plate was called the “dou or do”, which protected the samurai’s upper body. The dou had an opening in the front for the head to go through and was secured with a metal clasp called an “obi”.
The shoulder pieces were called “sode”. They were designed to protect the back of the shoulders and upper arms. The sode went over each shoulder blade and had a metal
The samurai armor is made up of four major components: the kabuto, the haidate, the do and the suneate. The kabuto was a helmet that had a wide brim with an opening in front to protect the face from arrows or other projectiles. The haidate was a type of skirt that covered the top part of your body and served as protection for your thighs and groin area.
The do was a form-fitting torso protector made out of metal plates with lacquer on them to make them resistant to corrosion. The suneate were leggings or shin guards that protected your legs from injury during battle.
If you’ve reached the bottom of this list, then congratulations! If you were feeling overwhelmed or confused about where to start, then hopefully this list inspired you, to begin with starting your new project.
Hello, my name’s Rush Chapman. I’m a 3D printing enthusiast. I started this site to help people choose 3D printing projects and select the best 3D printer for your needs, whether you’re a hobbyist or a pro!
