Introducing... The Pythonic Staff of Enlightenment:
The Python Staff of Enlightenment is the perfect companion for Pythonistas as they spread The Zen of Python.
Update 2017-12-3: You can now customise and buy your very own Pythonic Staff of Enlightenment at shop.enstaved.com. Better still, 10% of the sale price of every Pythonic Staff of Enlightenment sold goes direct to the Python Software Foundation!
The idea for the staff came to me while looking for something Pythonic to print for my upcoming PyCon AU talk Controlling a 3D Printer with Python. Searching Thingiverse for Python-related models yielded a few results but nothing that really grabbed me.
Later while searching for props for my kids' Elves and Fairies-themed birthday party I came across some quarterstaff models and I wondered if I could somehow create one that was topped by the Python logo...
The answer was no. With my limited CAD skills I could not. Fortunately my friend Ben of Eurekaman Designs has almost unlimited CAD skills. So on a visit to SparkCC I presented the concept to him and he promised to get back to me with a design.
Soon after I had not one but two designs to choose from!
It wasn't long before the final tweaks were applied and the first section of the Pythonic Staff of Enlightenment was emerging from my 3d printer:
The staff is printed in sections which screw together thanks to Ben's handy threaded design. He had suggested a little glue might be necessary but nope - the pieces fit snugly without being too tight.
I was so happy with the finished result I couldn't resist taking it out into the garden for some glamour shots.
I'll have the Pythonic Staff of Enlightenment with me at PyCon AU for any Aussie Pythonistas who'd like to see it in the flesh. Better yet if you have access to a 3d printer grab the models from Thingiverse and print one out for yourself!