The Iron Ring is a plain, unadorned band worn by engineers as a symbol of their ethical commitment to the profession. Traditionally made of iron or stainless steel, the ring is worn on the pinky finger of the working hand, where it serves as a tactile reminder of an engineer’s duty to uphold integrity and responsibility in their work.

The Canadian Iron Ring tradition dates back to 1922 and is linked to the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer, developed with input from author Rudyard Kipling. The American version, established in 1970, was inspired by the Canadian tradition but is not directly affiliated with it. Other countries do not have an equivalent formalized engineering ring tradition.

I'd prefer if only engineers print and wear this, but at the very least know the history before you print. I mainly use it when I'm working in a place where I could catch my own steel ring on something and rip my finger off (I'm not too worried about that with a 10% infill PLA ring!), or when I travel to the kind of places where a ring makes you a target for theft/mugging (seriously, they can have it!)