How we make dragons that last
Every William Alexander Toys dragon starts with William. He chooses which dragons we make, plans the printing, picks the colours, paints and assembles them, and designs and engraves the wooden gift boxes they arrive in. Each dragon also has its own story and battle card: Basgar the rock dragon senses earthquakes from the Himalayas, Velka freezes his enemies in the Arctic, and Soifect floats on a lollipop tail.
This guide answers the questions parents and gift buyers ask us most: what the dragons are made of, how big they are, what age they suit, whether they break, and how they are made.
Meet the dragons
| Dragon | Length (cm) | Dragon only | With box | Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thyrax | 54 | 90 g | 341 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Fyrrax | 45 | 63 g | 223 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Tidalon | 53 | 73 g | 237 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Saharoth | 77 | 117 g | 341 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Basgar | 54 | 148 g | 375 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Pentelithar | 53 | 131 g | 355 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Draeth | 57 | 117 g | 341 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Velka | 52 | 117 g | 341 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Glint | 60 (stretched out) | 145 g | 440 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
| Soifect | 31 | 75 g | 232 g | Bambu PLA; wooden box |
Lengths and weights are copied from each product page (converted from mm to cm). Each dragon comes in our engraved wooden box and includes a wooden game card.
What are they made of?
All of our dragons are printed in Bambu PLA, the PLA filament made by Bambu Lab, and presented in an engraved wooden box.
Saharoth, the desert dragon, is our longest at 77 cm, shown with its engraved box, lid and game card.
Basgar, the rock dragon from the Himalayan mountains, printed in gold Bambu PLA.
How the joints are made to last
Every joint on our dragons is printed in place. The dragon comes off the printer with its joints already linked, so there is no assembly of the joints. That is what lets each dragon bend and wriggle from head to tail.
The joints are made to move, not to be forced. Twisting a dragon hard can break a joint, so handle them gently.
How they are made
We print our dragons in PLA in our workshop on three printers: a Bambu Lab H2C, a Bambu Lab X2D and a Creality K2 Plus. Once a dragon comes off the printer, William paints and assembles it, then it goes into the wooden box he designs and engraves.
The box
Every dragon now arrives in the same wooden box, 16 x 16 x 12 cm. It is engraved all round, with a dragon eye engraved on the lid, and William designs and engraves each one.
Pentelithar, the black marble dragon, with its engraved wooden box and dragon eye lid.
Saharoth in the engraved wooden box, 16 x 16 x 12 cm, with the dragon eye lid off.
Are they safe for children?
We recommend our dragons for ages 13 to 18. They are not suitable for small children, because if a dragon breaks it can leave small parts.
Please handle them gently. The joints are made to move, but twisting a dragon hard can break a joint. We will never tell you a dragon is unbreakable or indestructible; looked after properly, it will last.
Made in Ireland
Every dragon is made in Ireland. We are a small family workshop in Co. Kildare, Ireland, and we ship from Ireland with An Post and FedEx. Our FAQ says every item is designed, made, printed or engraved here in Ireland, with no factories involved.
Frequently asked questions
What are William Alexander Toys dragons made of?
Every dragon is printed in Bambu PLA (Bambu Lab's PLA filament), and it arrives in our engraved wooden box with a wooden game card.
How big are the dragons?
Our articulated dragons range from 31 cm (Soifect) to 77 cm (Saharoth) long. The dragons on their own weigh between 63 g and 148 g, and between 223 g and 440 g with the box, as listed on each product page.
What age are the dragons for?
We recommend our dragons for ages 13 to 18. They are not suitable for small children, because a broken dragon can leave small parts.
Will the dragon break?
It can if it is treated roughly. The joints are printed in place, so they are never assembled by hand, but twisting a dragon hard can break a joint. Handle them gently and they will keep moving freely. We never claim they are unbreakable.
Do they make good gifts?
Every dragon comes in our engraved wooden box with a wooden game card, and each one has its own story and battle stats (Power, Stamina, Rarity and hit points), so it is ready to give and ready to play with.
Where are they made?
They are made in Ireland, in our small family workshop in Co. Kildare. Our FAQ says every item is designed, made, printed or engraved right here in Ireland, with no factories involved.
Find your dragon
Browse all the dragons in the table above, or start with the longest of them all, Saharoth.
