Chopstick Buddies are attachments to a plain chopstick. They are designed for beginners, and for a sizable population who cannot hold unaided the thumb pose required by the traditional, standard chopstick grip. See Chopstick Buddies on YouTube. What's the standard grip? See it on YouTube.

While looking simple, Chopstick Buddies are a culmination of years of research on chopsticks. Our previous inventions including Ergonomic Marcosticks, Training Marcosticks and Finger Helpers directly lead to this latest innovation, Chopstick Buddies. See our other training aids on YouTube.

This package contains parts of "model B1 Chopstick Buddies". This is a single-piece flavor of Chopstick Buddies. There is a model B2 Chopstick Buddies: Two-piece package for the two-piece flavor.

You can print these Chopstick Buddies yourself. Head to the companion article, to download 3D models and print instructions.

All our patent-pending training aids follow a simple Mark-and-Go license. In general, it means that you can freely print them. Just mark them with "Marcosticks". See licensing details.

For a list of all available 3D-printable marcosticks models, go to our 3d-printing page. For everything else related to marcosticks, go to https://marcosticks.org.

Print Settings

This package contains parts of "model B1 Chopstick Buddies". This is a single-piece flavor of Chopstick Buddies. There is a model B2 Chopstick Buddies: Two-piece package for the two-piece flavor.

This package includes buddies in these sizes:
- wide cap + small sleeve
- wide cap + regular sleeve
- wide cap + large sleeve
- wide cap + extra large sleeve
- narrow cap + small sleeve
- narrow cap + regular sleeve
- narrow cap + large sleeve
- narrow cap + extra large sleeve

There is also optional an adjustment strip which you can use as a wedge to fasten a buddie to a chopstick.

Suggested print settings:

Always go to the above web page for actual printing instructions for this particular model.
But here are some key considerations:

* The 3MF files are PrusaSlicer projects, with our own start-up GCode for MKS3.
* The STL files can be used directly in your own preferred slicer.
* Preferred filament is PLA. But all filaments will work for chopstick buddies.
* Chopstick buddies can be printed with just 20% infall. You want them to be lightweight.
* Set layer height to 0.20mm. You can try finer layers if you really wish. But 0.20mm works.
* Enable "Detect bridging parameters" in PrusaSlicer, or the equivalent in your slicer.

Optional Mark-and-Go License

We made 3D models available on MyMiniFactory with a strict, CC non-commercial no-derivatives license. You can choose to follow this strict license for personal uses.

But we actually made a much more lenient license available, if you want to create derivative works, or commercialize these training marcosticks. Please consult the Mark-and-Go Marcosticks license. Here is a quick summary:

Utility patent applications for many training marcosticks have been filed. A few specific models were also detailed in design patent applications. But we are making all models FREE for everyone to print on their own, as long as you follow the Mark-and-go license.

You may upload these models to online model repositories, but only if you clearly label these as Marcosticks, as the license stipulates. You may make derivative work, but you will need to carry the same Marcosticks Mark-and-Go license with the same label requirement. You may even reproduce them in bulk, and sell them at profit, without paying marcosticks.org any royalty fees. Make sure you follow the Mark-and-go license, for commercial deployment which includes quality control checks.

For additional information, see MAG FAQs.