These whistles fight fascists

Since January 2026, I’ve been printing emergency whistles with a Bambu Lab P1S. I’ve shipped them primarily to friends around the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. But by mid-February, Minneapolitans were up to their ears in whistles. Local businesses around Chicago can’t seem to keep them in stock, though.

This is the one time anyone with a 3D printer has been able to contribute meaningfully to society, and according to The Verge (gift link), it’s a not-small movement.

Tracking is nowhere near a requirement for this project, and probably ill-advised for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry status lovers, but I never claimed to have good judgement.

§ Where the whistles went

§ Home printers’ kit

I’ve stuck to this extremely loud and compact emergency whistle designed by “Peter.” I like it so much that I made 2-color print-ready versions. There are hundreds of other options to try.

My whistles ship with breakaway ball chains. I’ve tried a few different vendors and these have been the best quality and strength so far. I want for people to hide them away if necessary, and to break them free of their keychains as easily as possible

Silk PLA is recommended by most whistle printers for its reliability and ease of use.

§ Glow-in-the-dark plastics

It may prove more of a gimmick than utility, but if there was any chance that my whistles could have improved visibility in tough situations, I wanted to take it.

These filaments contain strontium aluminate¹, which can sand away softer materials that it comes into contact with in the printing process, including printer nozzles.² I bought an AMS HT on sale to try to mitigate this a bit.

That said, if the risk doesn’t make you squeamish, I can recommend the following:

• Bambu Lab PLA Glow
• Overture Glow PLA

§ Distribution

The ad-hoc national networks like the Whistle Crew are likely at capacity. Look to local businesses, museums, schools, and restaurants. If your 2D printer needs a job, consider printing instructional fliers.