New Star Trek TOS Phaser coming November 2014

[laser1959]

The Art Asylum phaser is packaged with original series images and promoted as an original series prop and not a DS9 episode Trials and Tribble-ations replica. So technically it's not screen accurate the way it's sold. Plus the chinese manufacturer screwed up, compared to the HMS studios prototype, by doing curved side rails on the final DST/AA Phaser.

Here's the Wand shown on the right. It's quite a bit thinner than the accurate MR handle, and the Wand doesn't use the brass nut.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j...pics/15821536365_52b6f6e630_o_zps9259a1ed.jpg

The Master Replicas phaser is accurate except for the P1 shape. In regards to the back fins, Steve Dymszo (Master Replicas Industrial Designer) admits they went off the right side of the Jein phaser which had the odd angled gap and applied it to both sides. But the Master Replicas retains the off center P2 body seam while the Wand does not.

The Master Replicas has superior metal parts, though if the Wand company said if it didn't need to keep their price under $150 they'd have used the same type parts. The Master Replicas was weighted too heavy by the metal body, but it's more accurate overall. The Wand is weighted better though in this case. The Wands power meter is too low and the graphics inaccurate, the 10-turn too low, the P1 emitter nozzle doesn't extend, the handle is too thin and the side dial just a smudge too big. The Wand doesn't have the same amount of phaser sounds as the Master Replicas either.

That said, the Wand comes pretty close to the Master Replicas (and the original Jein prop) in look which is a testament to the Wand companies efforts despite the lower cost they had to deal with. The Wand does bring its own interesting features; opening side dilithium chamber with crystal and illuminated power meter with 3 different modes, one to function as a remote. If you go to page 19 post #455 of this thread you can see MR and Wand comparison pics.

In the end the Wand phaser is a remote first and a decent prop replica second.

Hope that helps.

Everyone's entitled to Their style and particular taste,and as we all pretty much know, no two phaser props were exactly alike.But at the risk of repetition, I agree with the earlier poster to me, the MR was a 100% DOG..It would be glaringly obvious to anyone, that the indent by the rear fins, was a mistake or guide by the prop guys, that was never meant to be actually seen. If you were able to push the fins in further, they would have fit in that indent. I bought 2 of them when they came out, and felt I was taken for a ride. In addition if MR wanted to be so "dead on" they would not have made the entire phaser out of metal, and I was very surprised that MR would approve the horribly misshapen phaser one, causing it to sink so low on the lower unit, it shoots the entire look of the piece to crap for me. Were I MR, I would have rejected Thier initial sample, and had the manufacturer correct the mistakes. as I have been involved in overseas manufacturing, as long as you don't approve the unit until they correct the mistakes, you are not charged anything additional, so it wouldn't have been a question of additional cost. As far as the aluminum, it was nice, but nowadays they can be obtained without too much difficulty. With the MR, it wasn't a question of "nitpicking"..it was question to me of some big louse ups, that could have been corrected. The Wand to me, as a few others have said, blows the MR outta the water, and its accurate enough so that any tiny inadequacies can be easily overlooked.Now that I think of it, Mr's comm wasn't that swift either. the one I had sounded like an electronic shaver, it was that loud, and stopped working, I sold it. the best piece to me they made was the tricorder, and since I got it so cheap..I kept it.

 

[Apollo]

The only thing I would add is the MR also has the screw on the bottom of the P-2 like the Jein. :thumbsup

The Master Replicas phaser is accurate except for the P1 shape. In regards to the back fins, Steve Dymszo (Master Replicas Industrial Designer) admits they went off the right side of the Jein phaser which had the odd angled gap and applied it to both sides. But the Master Replicas retains the off center P2 body seam while the Wand does not.

The Master Replicas has superior metal parts, though if the Wand company said if it didn't need to keep their price under $150 they'd have used the same type parts. The Master Replicas was weighted too heavy by the metal body, but it's more accurate overall. The Wand is weighted better though in this case. The Wands power meter is too low and the graphics inaccurate, the 10-turn too low, the P1 emitter nozzle doesn't extend, the handle is too thin and the side dial just a smudge too big. The Wand doesn't have the same amount of phaser sounds as the Master Replicas either.

That said, the Wand comes pretty close to the Master Replicas (and the original Jein prop) in look which is a testament to the Wand companies efforts despite the lower cost they had to deal with. The Wand does bring its own interesting features; opening side dilithium chamber with crystal and illuminated power meter with 3 different modes, one to function as a remote. If you go to page 19 post #455 of this thread you can see MR and Wand comparison pics.

In the end the Wand phaser is a remote first and a decent prop replica second.

Hope that helps.

 

[laser1959]

At $155.00 for an accurate "grip" I will pass..its not that big of an issue for me that I would spend more than I did on the entire unit. But for those that would want it, hey..why not?

 

[redshirt]

At $155.00 for an accurate "grip" I will pass..its not that big of an issue for me that I would spend more than I did on the entire unit. But for those that would want it, hey..why not?

Obviously, the Wand phaser is a nice piece overall and only the most hardcore fans of the original prop would notice the difference. $155 is the price of a handle, made the same way as the original series handles, and is a steal if you want accuracy. And it only brings the cost to around $300 overall if you didn't buy your Wand phaser on discount (which most are doing). $300 is still far below what MR phasers are going for on ebay.

The MR like the wand co. version is still inaccurate to the source material but one can never have to many phasers

I would give anything to see a Kickstarter for a perfect replica of the Jein phaser prop, made with all the same original type materials, functioning the same way with maybe some slight evening of surfaces and even paint finishes (and a version without velcro). I'd pay at least $1000-2000.

That is my ultimate TOS phaser prop wish.

 

[Apollo]

:lol Sorry bro but you are going to have to turn in your Prop card on that one! :lol

its accurate enough so that any tiny inadequacies can be easily overlooked..

- - - Updated - - -

I think there are but not in that price range

I would give anything to see a Kickstarter for a perfect replica of the Jein phaser prop, made with all the same original type materials, functioning the same way with maybe some slight evening of surfaces and even paint finishes (and a version without velcro). I'd pay at least $1000-2000.

That is my ultimate TOS phaser prop wish.

 

[redshirt]

Everyone's entitled to Their style and particular taste,and as we all pretty much know, no two phaser props were exactly alike.But at the risk of repetition, I agree with the earlier poster to me, the MR was a 100% DOG..It would be glaringly obvious to anyone, that the indent by the rear fins, was a mistake or guide by the prop guys, that was never meant to be actually seen. If you were able to push the fins in further, they would have fit in that indent. I bought 2 of them when they came out, and felt I was taken for a ride. In addition if MR wanted to be so "dead on" they would not have made the entire phaser out of metal, and I was very surprised that MR would approve the horribly misshapen phaser one, causing it to sink so low on the lower unit, it shoots the entire look of the piece to crap for me. Were I MR, I would have rejected Thier initial sample, and had the manufacturer correct the mistakes. as I have been involved in overseas manufacturing, as long as you don't approve the unit until they correct the mistakes, you are not charged anything additional, so it wouldn't have been a question of additional cost. As far as the aluminum, it was nice, but nowadays they can be obtained without too much difficulty. With the MR, it wasn't a question of "nitpicking"..it was question to me of some big louse ups, that could have been corrected. The Wand to me, as a few others have said, blows the MR outta the water, and its accurate enough so that any tiny inadequacies can be easily overlooked.Now that I think of it, Mr's comm wasn't that swift either. the one I had sounded like an electronic shaver, it was that loud, and stopped working, I sold it. the best piece to me they made was the tricorder, and since I got it so cheap..I kept it.

The MR phaser is more accurate overall and has better quality parts. So it was no "100% DOG" and the Wand phaser doesn't "blow the MR outta the water".

Both Master Replicas and now Wand phasers have had quality control issues. I got my first 2 Wand phasers and had to send the 2nd back because it didn't work right. Other people are sending their Wand phasers back due to production issues. It happened with the MR phaser too.

I can only say you may not be as familiar with the Jein phaser to say the MR phaser is "100% DOG" compared to the Jein. If the Wand is your preference that's fine, but the Wand is not more accurate.

Both the Master Replicas and the Wand phaser have a quality sound system, so I'm not sure why your MR phaser had issues. I had 3 of the TOS MR phasers at one point and all sounded fantastic.

 

[Sean]

I'm going to rework one for more accuracy and buy the handle just because. come on people. we are RPF. accurate is the name of the game..


But on a side note I'm also leaving one just the way It came..

 

[redshirt]

Not slamming the Wand phaser at all. If one didn't know better, it's a great replica for the price…even if one does know better it's still very nice. Can't beat that price either…and it's a remote too.

These 2 guys worked with making it a working remote and keeping the final price under $150 and managed to bring it very close to the MR phaser in quality. That itself is amazing and a testament to how hardcore they are to the phaser.

And to show my support I bought 4 of their phasers.

 

[Bernie]

If you like the MR more than the Wand or the other way around remains a matter of personal taste. Neither is 100% accurate and no two original props were identical anyway.

When I saw the prototype of the MR all I could think of is "I want one".



Except for the hole with pin just above the handle it was very accurate. MR promised that that hole would not be on the production models. But when I finally saw pictures of the production model I went like "No way I'm buying this, not at this price." If a €30.00 toy has some inaccuracies, who cares. But a €500.00 prop replica should at least be as good as the prototype. However, this is what they made:



I wasn't going to buy this inaccurate TOS prop for €500.00 if I could buy an accurate DS9 Mirror Darkly prop (not marketed that way, but I don't keep boxes) for under €30.00!

Now the Wand Co Phaser has some inaccuracies too. It's not perfect. It all comes down on which inaccuracies you can live with and which of them you can't. Even if the MR would be on sale today , new and for the same price as the Wand, I'd buy the Wand! (I'd probably buy them both, but the Wand would still be my favorite.)

I can live with the seam line being centered, the screw that keeps both sides together missing, the holes in the shiny part of the raising sights and the P, C and Fx on the power settings. I would have prefered these parts to be the way they are on the MR, but I can live with them. I can however not live with the inaccuracies of the MR.

Both the MR and the Wand are based upon this one:



Neither the MR, nor the Wand are perfect copies. But I prefer by far the Wand version.

 

[Sean]

As a beginning collector I would like to have both. but I'm not going to throw that much money at an MR right now.

 

[laser1959]

The MR phaser is more accurate overall and has better quality parts. So it was no "100% DOG" and the Wand phaser doesn't "blow the MR outta the water".

Both Master Replicas and now Wand phasers have had quality control issues. I got my first 2 Wand phasers and had to send the 2nd back because it didn't work right. Other people are sending their Wand phasers back due to production issues. It happened with the MR phaser too.

I can only say you may not be as familiar with the Jein phaser to say the MR phaser is "100% DOG" compared to the Jein. If the Wand is your preference that's fine, but the Wand is not more accurate.

Both the Master Replicas and the Wand phaser have a quality sound system, so I'm not sure why your MR phaser had issues. I had 3 of the TOS MR phasers at one point and all sounded fantastic.

Well Redshirt, all I can say is that we are all entitled to an opinion, and as I said before, based on our individual tastes. To me, as I said, The MR is a dog, You don't agree, and I am sure some others feel the same way,. and that's fine. it isn't my intention to change anyone's mind about anything they own. I feel that the wand piece was far better rendered,and yes, I feel it blows away the MR, and I prefer it to the MR. Just a shame that MR had the very best shot at producing the very best phaser, and fell short..( pretty short) in my opinion.I will agree to disagree and leave it at that.

 

[PeterLC]

I agree that this Wand Company item is really good value for money. It is close enough to suit most people and it's a gesture remote which is cool. I am not going to spend as much again for a new handle as what the phaser cost me to begin with. I have several of the toys and one really good kit with metal parts that I've yet to build.

 

[redshirt]

If you like the MR more than the Wand or the other way around remains a matter of personal taste. Neither is 100% accurate and no two original props were identical anyway.

Neither the MR, nor the Wand are perfect copies. But I prefer by far the Wand version.

Bernie, if you'd carefully read my posts, as I did yours, you'd realize I said the Wand and the Master Replicas are at 2 different price points and each have their flaws, but that the MR is overall closer to the Jein. That is fact.

I don't have a preference. both are fine efforts. My comments are not a Wand vs Master Replicas thing. I'm just stating accuracy points, not preference. Please read my posts carefully.

Well Redshirt, all I can say is that we are all entitled to an opinion, and as I said before, based on our individual tastes. To me, as I said, The MR is a dog, You don't agree, and I am sure some others feel the same way,. and that's fine. it isn't my intention to change anyone's mind about anything they own. Just a shame that MR had the very best shot at producing the very best phaser, and fell short..( pretty short) in my opinion.I will agree to disagree and leave it at that.

I'm not talking opinion. I'm stating the fact that overall the Master Replicas is more accurate, while having it's own flaws. If you have photos and facts to prove otherwise, please feel free to post your comments and pics here.

I like the Wand phaser too (I have 4 of them), but it's not more accurate. That is a fact, not opinion.

 

[Apollo]

Just me but I am a Phaser ho!

I have 4 Wands and had 4 MR's but down to 2 now.

Again, one can never have to many Phasers!

 

[redshirt]

Apollo, I have that same phaser fetish.

Sadly, I sold off (due to money issues) my Nimoy Signature and Artists Proof MR phasers and am down to 1 Shatner TOS MR Phaser.

 

[laser1959]

Bernie, if you'd carefully read my posts, as I did yours, you'd realize I said the Wand and the Master Replicas are at 2 different price points and each have their flaws, but that the MR is overall closer to the Jein. That is fact.

I don't have a preference. both are fine efforts. My comments are not a Wand vs Master Replicas thing. I'm just stating accuracy points, not preference. Please read my posts carefully.



I'm not talking opinion. I'm stating the fact that overall the Master Replicas is more accurate, while having it's own flaws. If you have photos and facts to prove otherwise, please feel free to post your comments and pics here.

I like the Wand phaser too (I have 4 of them), but it's not more accurate.

Well.In that case, let me say this about that::

You have repeatedly said the MR is "more accurate" and has "quality parts", mind you, I bought 2 of them when they came out, so I am aware of their parts and overall look.. now that said, looking at the MR phaser, its obvious that the hand unit was horribly misshapen, so it fits so low on the unit, therefore, it can NOT be as "accurate" as its being claimed since they dropped the ball on the phaser 1. The initial unit that was sent to china may have been "accurate", but not what was approved and sold here. In addition, the original props were not entirely made of metal. But of course you like it and are happy with it. But in actuality, based on the mistakes, to me, its not completely accurate. and of course, neither is the wand..but accurate enough, for this prop collector who has been collecting for 38 years.

 

[Sean]

Looks like you guys are going to corner the wand phaser market. before I even get my second one..:lol

 

[Apollo]

I know you will keep that Shatner one! :thumbsup

 

[redshirt]

Well.In that case, let me say this about that::

You have repeatedly said the MR is "more accurate" and has "quality parts", mind you, I bought 2 of them when they came out, so I am aware of their parts and overall look.. now that said, looking at the MR phaser, its obvious that the hand unit was horribly misshapen, so it fits so low on the unit, therefore, it can NOT be as "accurate" as its being claimed since they dropped the ball on the phaser 1. The initial unit that was sent to china may have been "accurate", but not what was approved and sold here. In addition, the original props were not entirely made of metal. But of course you like it and are happy with it. But in actuality, based on the mistakes, to me, its not completely accurate. and of course, neither is the wand..but accurate enough, for this prop collector who has been collecting for 38 years.

I agree the Wand is nice stylized version of the phaser for an unbeatable price. Like I said I bought 4 of the Wand phasers.

 

[Apollo]

I think what redshirt was simply saying is that BOTH offerings are flawed and they are.

Looks like we need a MR vs Wand Co. accuracy thread here.

I love both versions for what they are and I have been Collecting replicas as well as Screen used props since 1974.

Nice to see another old Fart on these boards! :lol

and of course, neither is the wand..but accurate enough, for this prop collector who has been collecting for 38 years.