How do we make Blythe Neck Joints

Nowadays a Blythe doll must have a neck joint. A neck joint is a ball joint  which attaches the head to the body and allows the doll’s head to be tilted  upwards, downwards and sidewards. This helps to create more lifelike pictures of the doll. Almost all doll customizers use them.

So how did we create them? 

Designing the neck joint was a painful proces. We wanted them to fit most dolls types, but we focussed mainly on Takara and TBL. Also we wanted to make it possible to make them fit in a doll with teeth, which leaves less space inside the faceplate. After days of designing en prototyping we found the perfect shape. 

Next we needed to find the perfect material and production process. The neck joints needed to be sturdy, so the head doesn’t wobble. And the material needed to be available in the right color. After searching and experimenting we found what we needed. We found the solution in 3D printing with ABS filament.