Star Trek: TOS Toy Phaser

[ghostryder]

Is this old news around here? Probably a Diamond Select/Art Asylum piece:

http://westfieldcomics.com/wow/art/large/2007_07-toy54.jpg

 

[phase pistol]

Old news I'm afraid. That's one of the like seven different repaint schemes that Art Asylum/Diamond has used on the ol' girl.

The latest scheme, which uses a dark cool gray for the p2 body and a dark bronze for the grip, is actually pretty close to correct. Black handles are of course NOT correct (but people seem to think they are). I can find no evidence of black grips in TOS (except PERHAPS for some of the crappiest of stunt props, rubber, vacuform, just the lowest rung of props that were used... all the heroes and dummies have the bronze grips).

Of course the first-edition AA black grip and light gray p2 is screen accurate for "Star Trek Enterprise", since they used the unmodified toy as a prop.

- k

 

[racprops]

YET I have pictures of a few with the black grips including the spair grip for the Greg Jein Phaser which is Dark Gray on my web site.

Rich

Old news I'm afraid. That's one of the like seven different repaint schemes that Art Asylum/Diamond has used on the ol' girl.

The latest scheme, which uses a dark cool gray for the p2 body and a dark bronze for the grip, is actually pretty close to correct. Black handles are of course NOT correct (but people seem to think they are). I can find no evidence of black grips in TOS (except PERHAPS for some of the crappiest of stunt props, rubber, vacuform, just the lowest rung of props that were used... all the heroes and dummies have the bronze grips).

Of course the first-edition AA black grip and light gray p2 is screen accurate for "Star Trek Enterprise", since they used the unmodified toy as a prop.

- k

 

[CessnaDriver]

Sure wish this had come out when I was a kid.

People have done some incredible upgrades on these with great results.
Repainting and replacing parts with metal ones.

 

[phase pistol]

When I said I could find no evidence in TOS I meant in the actual show, I can't see any phasers with black grips. Dummies and heroes all appear to have the bronze grip.

That said, there are some shots, fight scenes, etc, where the grip can appear to be black. Perhaps the vacform crapazoids had black grips, or perhaps the stunt rubber props had black, I suppose it is possible.

But as to the question of "what color should a phaser's grip be", I think the answer is an unequivocal bronze. The few black-handled phasers are anomalies.

- k

 

[phase pistol]

Jein displayed his spare hero grip at Worldcon. This pic was taken through the greenish display case glass. The grip does look DARK, but I question whether it is black necessarily.

 

[racprops]

That would be the Dark Gray version.

Check "Shore Leave" as that was shot out doors colors should be more true.

Rich

 

[phase pistol]

Well I think the Shore Leave shots make it look like the dark bronze to me. It's out doors, but it's in shadow so it's hard to be certain I guess.

Are you suggesting that some hero grips were some kind of METALLIC CHARCOAL GRAY? :confused

Cause that might look cool and I don't think I've ever seen replicas in that color. It would be plausible match for the Jein powerpack I guess... :unsure

- k

 

[phase pistol]

Trying to find the best pics I took at Worldcon of the power pack grip... all of these are unfortunately shot thru the glass of the display case, which had a coke-bottle-like green tint to it. So color matching is problematical. I tried to compensate but I dunno how realistic the color is.

I'd BELIEVE that this was a dark bronze... but very very dark.

The black-and-white phaser it's lying next to is a real problem for me as well, since (nobody knows for sure, but) it seems likely that the B&Ws were all repainted into the new color scheme, so there shouldn't BE any B&Ws.

In any case if that B&W is real, it sure is a butt ugly prop. :lol

 

[jlong]

The B&W is an M.E.

As for black handles, the vacuum-formed
pistols did indeed have them.

 

[Sporak]

I was actually wondering about that B/W myself...
I've studied your pictures...(which I am greatful for by the way) and that one bugged me too for the same reason.(Unmodified)

I wonder if that's an ME fake.

The glue seems to blatant...Sure, it's the right yellow showing age, but would it have been 'that' sloppy on the nozzle?
It should be in newly made condition, being an unpainted black and white and all...just showing age...not sloppiness.

The fins a little too rough...I've seen the midgrade and while the fins are sculpted or etched in...they are straight.

The paint could have been weathered with a heat gun.(white handle).

On the other hand...consider the source...Mr. Jein has some remarkable relics...and if there is one that still exists chances are he has it.

I mean..... he owns the 'freaking' Cage comm.... :lol

Did you ask GJ about it by any chance?

Also...what was the story on the one signed by Feinberg?
Real or replica?

 

[phase pistol]

That large area of Trek props at worldcon was a combination of items owned by Greg Jein, Max Cervantes, and a lady whose name I don't recall off the top of my head.

That signed phaser and the other "TOS" props that were in Max Cervantes' cabinet look like HMS... they may have been made for Deep Space Nine's "Trials and Tribbleations" episode. Identical items are currently available as kits from Roddenberry.com

There were other replicas evident as well... the TOS Tricorder appears to be a Master Replicas! :lol

But most everything in Max's case was a replica (if it was from TOS or the TOS era movies), or alternatively if it was from DS9 or Voyager it was probably real.

BTW It looks like the phaser is signed by 3rd season TOS producer (and year 2 Space 1999 producer) Fred Freiberger... not propman Irving Feinberg! :wacko

In this shot the WOK comm appears to be a CaptJTK, the phasers are HMS, and the WOK medical gadget is, I seem to remember, real (made from a camera viewfinder I think). I don't know where the Trek III p1 came from, or if it's authentic. Looks cool with that diffraction holo tape tho!

These salt and pepper shakers are actual found objects of the same kind that McCoy's laser scalpels were made from (I have a set of them myself), but the other items are replicas.

Greg Jein's items were in an adjacent cabinet. As far as the authenticity of Jein's items is concerned, I spoke to him only briefly but I did pose that exact question... specifically about the B&W phaser, which I was highly skeptical of.

I wish I could recall his exact response, but it was definitely along the lines of, what do YOU think... would I put out my priceless originals in this context? :redface

And to be sure, the prop display was NOT guarded or even attended, at every moment throughout the show. I passed by on several occasions when there was nobody behind the counters - tho the counters were supposed to be locked at all times, and nobody was supposed to remove items from them during the show.

I was however allowed behind the counters at one point to photograph the uniforms that were hanging on mannequins back there. But all the TOS outfits I saw were replicas, or else copies made for DS9 (with a few exceptions such as the Klingon TOS outfit which was real, and had an authentic TOS sash).

- k

 

[Sporak]

Thanks...all great information.

Yeah, I recognize a few of the replicas, like the WOK comm...exactly like the one I have.

So *OUCH* He believes it to be a real B/W...
It sure does match those other known ME Fakes.
The fins jump out at me...too sloppy.

Oh and Yeah...Drat...and Double Drat!

BTW It looks like the phaser is signed by 3rd season TOS producer (and year 2 Space 1999 producer) Fred Freiberger... not propman Irving Feinberg!

Wouldn't that have been too cool though?

And the salt shakers should have the wood bottoms removed to be correct...

 

[phase pistol]

So *OUCH* He believes it to be a real B/W...

No, re-read what I wrote... I think he meant to imply the opposite.

And my own salt shakers have wood bottoms, so I am golden! :lol

- k

 

[racprops]

Well I SAW them in real life took those pictures myself, so I know what I saw, the spare Handle matched the phaser one and was dark gray.

The stunt props always looked harsher, a brighter more blue main body and black handle's and black phaser ones, this would help them "read" in color TV and small screens.

The closeup props had a more subdued paint jobs, the dark gray phaser ones, and the bronze or dark gray handle and the grayer blue main body.


SO if you get a close up and it is a hero then you get the lighter paint job, they only used the stunts in close up once in a while and that was a mistake.

My 2 Cents

Rich

 

[Apollo]

Hell, I'm surprised Greg displayed that B & W ME! :lol

 

[SurferGeek]

And the salt shakers should have the wood bottoms removed to be correct...

Nope... some of the scalpels were turned aluminum of similar shape to the salt and pepper shakers but they weren't modified except for a coat of green and orange paint.

 

[phase pistol]

Well in that last shot all the FOREGROUND pointy things are turned aluminum... but those two hiding in the background are the salt shakers, right?

-k

 

[SurferGeek]

Well in that last shot all the FOREGROUND pointy things are turned aluminum... but those two hiding in the background are the salt shakers, right?

-k

Yup! You can just make out the orange painted shaker on the left hand side. The rest were solid, turned aluminum.

 

[phase pistol]

Well there are two shakers in that photo... the greeen one is back there as well.