Fix It, Don’t Toss It: The Surprising Revolution Coming From Your 3D Printer

Some revolutions don’t start with a bang. They start with a tiny piece of plastic. Something like a 3mm comb attachment for a beard trimmer.

That’s exactly where Philips, of all companies, decided to kick off a quiet little rebellion against throwaway culture. You know the one—where something breaks, and instead of fixing it, we toss it and buy a new one. Sometimes it’s because we’re lazy. Sometimes it’s because we don’t have the time or tools. And sometimes, let’s be honest, it’s because big companies don’t want us to fix their stuff.

But now, Philips is doing something unexpected. They’ve launched an initiative called Fixables, and it’s centered on an idea that’s both wildly modern and beautifully old-school: give people the ability to repair what they own. Not with expensive tools or complicated service centers. With a 3D printer.

The idea is simple—Philips now offers official 3D-printable files for replacement parts, starting with that humble OneBlade comb. You just download the file, print it at home (or through someone who can), and snap it into place. No order forms, no waiting for shipping, no digging through drawer after drawer for a part that doesn’t exist. Just... print, and fix.

At first glance, this might seem like a small thing. But small things have a funny way of starting big conversations. In a world where electronic waste is piling up at record levels, and product lifespans seem shorter than ever, the idea of simply fixing something starts to feel almost radical.

And what makes this move even more interesting? Philips isn’t doing it alone. They teamed up with Prusa Research—the rockstars of the 3D printing world—and a creative agency called LePub. Together, they’re tapping into a community of makers and tinkerers who’ve already been living this mindset for years: fix it, reuse it, print what you need, and make things last.

It’s a mindset we live by at MakerParts3D. We’re in the trenches with these folks—people who don’t see a cracked mount or a stripped gear as the end of a product’s life, but the start of a new project. We see it every day: makers printing smarter, building better, and finding joy in giving things a second chance. So when a brand like Philips shows up and says, “We trust you—here’s the file, go fix it,” it hits home.

Because this isn’t just about 3D printing. It’s about ownership. It's about choice. And maybe most importantly, it's about slowing down just enough to ask, “Can I fix this?” before moving on.

It’s also just plain fun. There’s something oddly satisfying about repairing something yourself. It scratches an itch you didn’t even know you had. You press that freshly printed part into place, hear the click, and boom—your gadget’s working again. No shipping fees. No customer service calls. No guilt about tossing something that still had life left in it.

Philips Fixables may have started with a little comb, but the implications are big. What if other companies followed suit? What if your blender, your headphones, your vacuum all came with printable lifelines? It’s not science fiction—it’s just a smarter, more collaborative way of thinking. One that sees the potential in a broken part and the creativity in the person holding it.

So no, this isn’t a story about a trimmer attachment. It’s about something bigger. A quiet shift. A smarter way of consuming. And maybe—just maybe—the start of a future where fixing something feels just as natural as buying something new.

And if you're curious, the file’s out there. Free. Waiting.
You don’t even need to be a hardcore maker.
You just have to believe that things—and people—deserve second chances.