K'nex Joint Types

Basic K'nex Joints

• All K'nex products use the same basic set of joints. The joints have a number of rod connectors and one hole for a rod to be inserted through. The pieces are distinguished by color and each piece comes in more than one color. The smallest, simplest K'nex joint is the dark gray or dark purple connector. It has one rod connector. The orange (also dark brown) joint, called a ladder joint, has two rod slots, one on each side of the one hole. The light gray (also light gray with blue speckles and neon orange) joint has two adjacent rod connectors and forms a 45-degree angle.

Other Basic K'nex Joints

• The red (also dark gray with black speckles and neon red) joint has three rod connectors and forms a 90-degree angle. The green (also metallic gray-green, neon yellow and neon green) joint has four rod connectors and forms a 135-degree angle. The yellow (also light gray and gold) semicircle joint has five rod connectors and forms a 180-degree angle. Lastly, the white (also black) snowflake joint has eight rod connectors radiating from the center hole.

Specialized K'nex Joints

• There are orange as well as black pieces that look the same as the yellow 180-degree pieces, except they also have a tab. The tab is designed to connect to the tubing that comes with certain K'nex sets, such as the Big Ball Factory and the Original Roller Coaster. There are also 3D joints that can be inserted into one another. The purple or metallic silver 3D joints have four rod connectors and a slot for another 3D joint. The dark blue, yellow or metallic blue 3D joints have seven rod connectors and a slot for another 3D joint.

Other Specialized K'nex Joints

• K'nex also manufactures a brand called Kid K'nex. It includes all of the same types of joints, except they are twice the size of normal K'nex, are brighter in color and made from a softer plastic. They are designed to be used by children between the ages of 4 and 8. There are also Micro K'nex that are half the size of standard K'nex and have a more muted color code. There is a special light module with eight rod connectors that allows the rods to glow in the dark.