Which phaser to buy?

[Brian]

I haven't paid much attention to the phaser toys until I got the awesome TOS communicator recently. Now I want a phaser.

But which variant to buy?

Diamond Select has three: bronze handle, black handle and white handle

The black handle is most appealing to me, I think. However the hero props may have actually looked, that's the way I always imagined it, watching on my 13" B&W television in the 70's.

What color grip did the hero phasers have?

And what's the story on the others? I think we saw a bronze colored power pack in "The Omega Glory".. or was it "A Private Little War"? Is the power pack actually the grip? Or does it go into the grip?

I don't think I've ever seen one with a white handle. Why are they making that one?

 

[Captain Pike]

I plan on getting the bronze-handled one this weekend - does anyone know if the Type 1 phaser is removable as in the black-handled variant ?

 

[Brian]

According to the Diamond Select web site, the type 1 is removable on the black and white variants. They don't say for the bronze, but it looks the same.

Are the phaser bodies different colors, too? The black variant seems to have a blue body, the bronze's body is more dark grey, and the white's body is black. Or is that a trick of photography?

 

[GeorgeKirk]

Are the phaser bodies different colors, too? The black variant seems to have a blue body, the bronze's body is more dark grey, and the white's body is black. Or is that a trick of photography?

Was the bronze-handled version actually seen onscreen? I don't remember ever seeing it. The black- and white-handled versions are true to the props they're based on, though. The white-handled props did indeed have a black body, and the black handled ones were a bluish-gray.

 

[Brian]

Really?! I don't recall ever seeing a white-handled phaser. Do you know where I can find a screen-cap, or which episode(s) I might see them in?

I do (sort of) recall seeing bronze power packs at some point. I think Spock found them among the bodies of dead Yangs in "The Omega Glory", I think. If the power pack is the handle, then we've seen them, I suppose.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

Really?! I don't recall ever seeing a white-handled phaser. Do you know where I can find a screen-cap, or which episode(s) I might see them in?

They were only seen in the earliest episodes. Check out "The Man Trap", "The Enemy Within", and "The Naked Time".

 

[EEE]

I'd recommend the black handled. The white handled were different phaser 1's for awhile (recessed power gauges, etc). The bronze handled are too bronze/bright IMO.
Great phaser resources...

http://www.racprops.com/issue1/

http://www.tk560.com/phasers.html

Bunch of screencaps here...
http://www.phasers.net/2260/type2.htm
(note that the shots from Conscience of the King are of a broken Hero version... the emitter was supposed to extend when the phaser 1 is installed)

Whichever you get, be careful when reinstalling the phaser 1's, as the lever that holds them in place is prone to breakage. While it can just be pushed back in place, you'll want to pull the release lever when reinstalling it as much as possible.

If you could swing it, the Master Replicas is the one to have. But the DST versions have the best "bang for the buck" (actually a poorly applied saying in this particular case! *grin*).

If you go with the DST's, bide your time and watch E-bay for awhile to get a feel for the pricing and simlutaneously watch the rest of the net (tunnel vision is a big problem with e-bayers, so sometimes bids get ridiculous and go much higher than other identical listings with "buy it now" prices).

 

[Brian]

Thanks!

Yeah, I was leaning toward black, since that's what I remember, no matter what it actually was (and Kirk's shirt was gold, lol).

The bronze and white handles remind me of resin kits that just haven't been finished painting yet.

I'll probably go with DST over Master Replicas. My phaser isn't for display, it's for vaporizing people.

 

[OneBuckFilms]

I have the black handled DST phaser, and it's pretty good for around $25-$30 range.

All of the AA/DST Type II phasers have a removable Type I.

The Communicator is pretty kick-ass as well, and at there's a Tricorder on its way, which I'm likely to want to get :-).

At the end of the year, they are releasing the phaser from TWOK too.

I'm not a toy man, but I like these.

 

[Brian]

I love the communicator! Especially the delayed hail feature.

Is DST the one doing two tricorders, one medical and once science? More choices!!

Looking at the TWOK phaser... I had no idea it had a removable Type I. I'm guessing the back end of the top part comes off?

 

[Captain Pike]

Hmm. I'll see if my local pop-culture comic book store has the black-handled one in stock then. I know they have the bronze version at the moment..

Anyone know what episodes the bronze one was in ?

 

[trevanian]

I love the communicator! Especially the delayed hail feature.

Is DST the one doing two tricorders, one medical and once science? More choices!!

Looking at the TWOK phaser... I had no idea it had a removable Type I. I'm guessing the back end of the top part comes off?

The TMP/TWOK phaser's type one is the front part. If you hunt around, you can see good pics of it reproduced from an old STARLOG article about BRICK PRICE (pics also appeared in ENTERPRISE INCIDENTS.)

 

[EEE]

Anyone know what episodes the bronze one was in ?

If I recall correctly, the phasers had two handles... white & (DARK) bronze (plus 3 main variations of the phaser 1). The problem is that the bronze is so dark, that the black handled AA/DST phaser is MUCH to closer to correct than the bronze AA/DST.

To see what it should be, check out one of the links below for a close up of the Master Replicas Phaser (the cadillac of phasers compared to the volkswagens, I mean AA/DST).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lazymodeler/464180290/
http://treksinscifi.com/podcast_notes/?m=200511
http://www.yourprops.com/view_item.php?movie_prop=19056

FWIW, I learned another cautionary lesson about the AA/DST phaser tonight. As mentioned above, the tab that holds the phaser 1 to the phaser 2 body is prone to breakage. So I've had a spare phaser 1 for awhile, but the batteries have been dead. Along the road, I replaced the LR44 batteries with 357's. They work, but are a tight fit. Today I received some mail order LR44's and found the 357's had bent the contacts enough that they didn't connect with the LR44's. So I whipped out a mini screwdriver and proceded to bend them back (on two phaser 1's), and promptly snapped the last tab on the last phaser, rendering it as useless as the broken phaser 2 handle it came off of. So the lesson is... get LR44 replacments and not 357's. Even if the 357's say they are a suitable substitute.

 

[Gepard]

^If it helps, the bronze on the original phaser props is an exact match to the Rustolum Dark Metallic Bronze color, so whatever phaser the OP picks, with $4, a little masking tape and a spritz it can be made accurate.

 

[S'kai]

I just picked up one at ST:The Experience. It's a water gun. Black handle. Type I element not removable.

But it should be fun, good for a few surprises.

 

[EEE]

I just picked up one at ST:The Experience. It's a water gun. Black handle. Type I element not removable.

But it should be fun, good for a few surprises.

This one is best used in conjunction with the AA/DST phaser. After chasing the animals, wife & grandkids with the AA/DST for a couple of years, I've thrown the squirt gun into the process. Their reactions when I covertly swap them is hilarious. And it works in either swap direction! The best part is that they haven't figured out either of the only two readily identifiable differences... the clear/solid emitters and the trigger (which is covered by your itchy trigger finger to boot!). If they give you that "trekkie weirdo complacent look," squirt them. If they cringe, zap them!

I mentioned this plan when picking up the squirt gun at STTE to another customer. He called me twisted?!? (I found myself had really wishing they were loaded at the time! *grin*)

FWIW, I just saw a couple of these on E-bay last night starting at the STTE price of $10.00 (there are also a couple with $15.00 buy it now option) prices). These are must-haves if you have the AA/DST and enjoy harassing, I mean recruiting your familial potential cadets.

The one drawback is they leak from the emitter if it's at any kind of a down angle (not the case when held or layed down).

 

[Commander Fotze]

if i was already 14 years old, i´d buy an gay-phaser just to beam you biaaatches up to da gay heaven, fellahs!

 

[Commander Fotze]

hoch die mollen, atzen

 

[Mallory]

if i was already 14 years old, i´d buy an gay-phaser just to beam you biaaatches up to da gay heaven, fellahs!

Not funny Commander Fotze, don't do it again.

 

[Captain Pike]

Well I got the black-handled variant after all.

Have to say, I'm a little underwhelmed, but then it wasn't an expensive purchase so all up I guess no harm done. It does look the part, but it has a real light cheap-plastic feel to it and only emits a red light, no blue. Still, after seeing the more full-on replica phasers listed on websites at hundreds of $, I think I'll stick with this one for now.