Alleged Screen Used Hero TOS Phaser up for auction (now the aftermath)

[Trebor]

That reminds me: Was there ever any evidence that the producers of the show planned to use a "Phaser 3" which added a second power pack at the bottom of the existing handle? Any memos or discussion of that anywhere?

Just seems odd because it would be so long and bulky in production use and those couplings were known to come undone.

 

[WinstonWolf359]

That reminds me: Was there ever any evidence that the producers of the show planned to use a "Phaser 3" which added a second power pack at the bottom of the existing handle? Any memos or discussion of that anywhere?

Just seems odd because it would be so long and bulky in production use and those couplings were known to come undone.

Not much that I'm aware of.

The inventory memo makes mention of "4 Power Packs to make Phaser #3." I don't think there's any actual proof that "Phaser #3" was simply another add-on power pack to the hero pistol, or if they had intended something more elaborate.

Further confusing things; on Matt Jefferies design sketch he called the power pack handle "phaser #3." As in the hand phaser was phaser #1, the pistol body was phaser #2 and a single handle was phaser #3.

 

[robn1]

Further confusing things; on Matt Jefferies design sketch he called the power pack handle "phaser #3." As in the hand phaser was phaser #1, the pistol body was phaser #2 and a single handle was phaser #3.

The plans also mention a connection point for unit #4, most likely a shoulder stock that was apparently never made.

 

[genZOD]

There was no need for a phaser 3—not when they had this bad-ass rifle with an antenna, radar dish & blinking lights.

 

[Gregatron]

The appearance of the triggerbox on the auction phaser has bothered me since the beginning because it looks big, but it fits into the same outline of the GJ pretty well. After a lot of looking, especially at that exact same S&W phaser Gregatron posted, I see that the triggerbox area does look larger, but it shows evidence of having been sanded quite a bit, which makes it look the way it does. You can see where the sanding starts towards the tail, because it interrupts the subtle French curve and creates a bit of a hump.

View attachment 1475373

The side ribs seem to be placed higher from the bottom edge on the auction phaser than on the GJ, but the sanding in that area on the bottom makes them appear a little lower and a little more like the GJ. And the placement of the ribs on the auction phaser do seem to be a much better match to that S&W phaser...

View attachment 1475374

If there is a smoking gun to be had, here, I think it’s to be found in the shell shapes/dimensions. Only so much can be explained away by the trimming of the shells. The key areas for variation would be the width of the shells when put together, the shape/height of the trigger box after the twist-socket was installed, and the holes/positions for the drop-in parts like the rear fins and side knob. The hole for the latter, I presume, was already marked on the master shell pattern, and the former would surely include the B&W/midgrade-style ribbing before being cut out and replaced with the metal fins. Everything else—the the shape of the P1 cradle, the forehead tower slope (or lack thereof), the side ribs, etc. SHOULD be identical, right?

It can be assumed that one set of P1/P2 shell masters was used for the initial batch of hero phasers. It can also be assumed that the same master was modified and recast to create the midgrade mold, with its attached, simplified handle. The surviving midgrades still retain evidence of the original, black-and-white hero master pattern (such as the original ribbing on the rear of the P2 and the scribed guidelines for the two small half-round power meter buttons on the B&W P1). So, it’s no stretch to say that all the hero and midgrade phasers we know to be authentic and original came from the same molds (or a modification of those molds).

If the auction piece’s shells vary significantly from the known details of both the heroes and the midgrades, then the only logical result is that, if suddenly requiring new props beyond the four heroes and the midgrades, they either reused the existing molds, or needed to create (or recast from the existing props) a NEW master for casting shells (resulting in some dimensional variations), which seems…unlikely.

 

[genZOD]

If there is a smoking gun to be had, here, I think it’s to be found in the shell shapes/dimensions. Only so much can be explained away by the trimming of the shells. The key areas for variation would be the width of the shells when put together, the shape/height of the trigger box after the twist-socket was installed, and the holes/positions for the drop-in parts like the rear fins and side knob. The hole for the latter, I presume, was already marked on the master shell pattern, and the former would surely include the B&W/midgrade-style ribbing before being cut out and replaced with the metal fins. Everything else—the the shape of the P1 cradle, the forehead tower slope (or lack thereof), the side ribs, etc. SHOULD be identical, right?

It can be assumed that one set of P1/P2 shell masters was used for the initial batch of hero phasers. It can also be assumed that the same master was modified and recast to create the midgrade mold, with its attached, simplified handle. The surviving midgrades still retain evidence of the original, black-and-white hero master pattern (such as the original ribbing on the rear of the P2 and the scribed guidelines for the two small half-round power meter buttons on the B&W P1. So, it’s no stretch to say that all the hero and midgrade phasers we know to be authentic and original came from the same molds (or a modification of those molds).

If the auction piece’s shells vary significantly from the known details of both the heroes and the midgrades, then the only logical result is that, if suddenly requiring new props beyond the four heroes and the midgrades, they either reused the existing molds, or needed to create (or recast from the existing props) a NEW master for casting shells (resulting in some dimensional variations), which seems…unlikely.

Exactly! Anything can be explained, but nothing has been. The builder of the 5th prop may have decided to correct what they saw as flaws in the first 4. Or, this prop might have been a prototype. Who knows? HA has made some bold claims without providing any evidence aside from the name of 1/4 of the people who MAY have authenticated it. These props (the reunited P1 & P2) both come with apparent physical discrepancies from known examples, are NOT screen matched and have NO verifiable history.

 

[WinstonWolf359]

You would think the removable side of the pistol body should generally fit the other...maybe not perfectly due to the exact placement of the internal components and how much sanding was done to the inside for clearance, but mostly come close, right?

The auction story mentions how the seemingly unrelated P-I and P-II perfectly fit together...Yet they didn't try to swap the GJ hand phaser? Or if they did, didn't show a pic of it?

They show the handles connected, but they only showed one combination because there is almost certainly no way the Hubble twist plug would fit into the small center opening on the auction phaser's bottom plate.

The more I look at the auction phaser the more it seems that the phaser is taller than the GJ. It's especially noticeable from the side rib down at the front of the pistol, and the entire back section behind the hand phaser cradle. I think that's why the side knob doesn't cut into the bottom side rib; that area is just larger on the auction phaser than it is on the GJ and the midgrades.

 

[USS Endeav]

For me, there is but one question to answer, is this a screen used asset or a production made asset or a fan made prop.
Screen used can be ruled out as that definition has but one criteria, being matched to a scene. Next up: production made.
This is where it is murky, GJ believes it is real so one would anticipate its construction is close to the originals. Not a smoking gun
to prove production made status. If there was a single tangible physical piece of corroboration that it's production made, I'd find
it probable that it is but here we have strike two, zero evidence it is production made, just the memory of GJ that a fifth was ordered
and his assertion that this is that missing fifth element. (couldn't resist, just watched a Milla Jovovich movie, Monsters).

For me, that leaves the only remaining option. It's a fan made prop.

 

[Gregatron]

You would think the removable side of the pistol body should generally fit the other...maybe not perfectly due to the exact placement of the internal components and how much sanding was done to the inside for clearance, but mostly come close, right?

The auction story mentions how the seemingly unrelated P-I and P-II perfectly fit together...Yet they didn't try to swap the GJ hand phaser? Or if they did, didn't show a pic of it?

They show the handles connected, but they only showed one combination because there is almost certainly no way the Hubble twist plug would fit into the small center opening on the auction phaser's bottom plate.

The more I look at the auction phaser the more it seems that the phaser is taller than the GJ. It's especially noticeable from the side rib down at the front of the pistol, and the entire back section behind the hand phaser cradle. I think that's why the side knob doesn't cut into the bottom side rib; that area is just larger on the auction phaser than it is on the GJ and the midgrades.

The description does say that they swapped the P1s, which fit like a glove in each other’s cradles.

…but would that REALLY be so hard to accomplish?

 

[genZOD]

The description does say that they swapped the P1s, which fit like a glove in each other’s cradles.

…but would that REALLY be so hard to accomplish?

I really don’t think so. The interface for the P1/P2 is pretty forgiving. Anyway, I’m going to start building the shells in CAD. They will be based on what are purportedly measured drawings of the GJ phaser. They were accompanied by photos taken alongside a ruler. Time & my skill permitting, I’ll post renderings relatively soon. If I’m in the ballpark, I’ll make moulds. My experience is mostly building prototypes for the tech industry—and they ain’t pretty. If I can make a phaser shell from blueprints on the internet, anyone can. What interests me the most is: will my shells have the same flaws as the HA phaser.

 

[Gregatron]

I really don’t think so. The interface for the P1/P2 is pretty forgiving. Anyway, I’m going to start building the shells in CAD. They will be based on what are purportedly measured drawings of the GJ phaser. They were accompanied by photos taken alongside a ruler. Time & my skill permitting, I’ll post renderings relatively soon. If I’m in the ballpark, I’ll make moulds. My experience is mostly building prototypes for the tech industry—and they ain’t pretty. If I can make a phaser shell from blueprints on the internet, anyone can. What interests me the most is: will my shells have the same flaws as the HA phaser.

Setting aside the fact that many (Including me!) have built hero phasers with all the working parts, it would be an excellent test to see if one or several of us could build a hero replica based on the Jein, with simulated aging and paint chipping and whatnot just to prove how easy (or hard) it would be to create a forgery to sell at auction.

 

[genZOD]

For me, there is but one question to answer, is this a screen used asset or a production made asset or a fan made prop.
Screen used can be ruled out as that definition has but one criteria, being matched to a scene. Next up: production made.
This is where it is murky, GJ believes it is real so one would anticipate its construction is close to the originals. Not a smoking gun
to prove production made status. If there was a single tangible physical piece of corroboration that it's production made, I'd find
it probable that it is but here we have strike two, zero evidence it is production made, just the memory of GJ that a fifth was ordered
and his assertion that this is that missing fifth element. (couldn't resist, just watched a Milla Jovovich movie, Monsters).

For me, that leaves the only remaining option. It's a fan made prop.

If it isn’t screen matched it wasn’t screen used. If HA produces one clear still of this prop then, for me, the debate is over and the discrepancies are down to the passage of time & the hand made nature of these props. Absent that, these P1& P2 props look like relatively faithful copies. Maybe early copies, maybe modern. The Velcro has been identified as modern.

HA could also provide a production still of this prop. Then I would believe that it’s at least production made. Not sure how an unused prop would get so beaten up…

 

[QuasiOdo]

The appearance of the triggerbox on the auction phaser has bothered me since the beginning because it looks big, but it fits into the same outline of the GJ pretty well. After a lot of looking, especially at that exact same S&W phaser Gregatron posted, I see that the triggerbox area does look larger, but it shows evidence of having been sanded quite a bit, which makes it look the way it does. You can see where the sanding starts towards the tail, because it interrupts the subtle French curve and creates a bit of a hump.

View attachment 1475373

The side ribs seem to be placed higher from the bottom edge on the auction phaser than on the GJ, but the sanding in that area on the bottom makes them appear a little lower and a little more like the GJ. And the placement of the ribs on the auction phaser do seem to be a much better match to that S&W phaser...

View attachment 1475374

I see. Notice also that filled-in-looking area on the triggerbox that matches the GJ to a fault- as if someone went to great pains to replicate it- while other areas don't, as you've pointed out. That area is not a midgrade characteristic.

 

[Gregatron]

If it isn’t screen matched it wasn’t screen used. If HA produces one clear still of this prop then, for me, the debate is over and the discrepancies are down to the passage of time & the hand made nature of these props. Absent that, these P1& P2 props look like relatively faithful copies. Maybe early copies, maybe modern. The Velcro has been identified as modern.

HA could also provide a production still of this prop. Then I would believe that it’s at least production made. Not sure how an unused prop would get so beaten up…

Oh, well the repainting was done by the owners after the show ended, and they also added the modern Velcro so their kids could cosplay with it. Everything is so easily explained!

 

[Axlotl]

Didn't robn1 already make accurate fiberglass shells, like, 10 years ago?

 

[Gregatron]

Didn't robn1 already make accurate fiberglass shells, like, 10 years ago?

Yes, and I’m sure he’d have mentioned it if he recognized his own shells being used in the auction piece.

 

[genZOD]

Setting aside the fact that many (Including me!) have built hero phasers with all the working parts, it would be an excellent test to see if one or several of us could build a hero replica based on the Jein, with simulated aging and paint chipping and whatnot just to prove how easy (or hard) it would be to create a forgery to sell at auction.

I didn’t mean to imply that I’d be the first… far from it! I am interested in seeing how close I can get based on the information I got from a quick Google search. Like you, I think it would be cool to see what other people come up with.

Oh, well the repainting was done by the owners after the show ended, and they also added the modern Velcro so their kids could cosplay with it. Everything is so easily explained!

Actually, I sorta believe that. These are old artifacts & they will have a history. What’s hard to believe is that the documentation for that history starts the day the P1 & P2 went up for auction.

 

[Axlotl]

Yes, and I’m sure he’d have mentioned it if he recognized his own shells being used in the auction piece.

That's not what I meant.
I just don't understand all the talk about replicating phasers. I don't see the point, since it's already been done.

 

[Gregatron]

That's not what I meant.
I just don't understand all the talk about replicating phasers. I don't see the point, since it's already been done.

I know that’s not what you meant, I was just making a point.

And I don’t think anyone’s really tried to replicate a hero phaser as it would look today, with convincing signs of aging and damage and whatnot.

 

[Axlotl]

I know that’s not what you meant, I was just making a point.

And I don’t think anyone’s really tried to replicate a hero phaser as it would look today, with convincing signs of aging and damage and whatnot.

Okay, I think I get it now.
You guys want to replicate the aging, see if you can make a convincing forgery.