Art Asylum Phaser Pistol question

[doctorwho 03]

A couple of days after my birthday, I bought the Art Asylum Phaser Pistol replica. It's a well crafted prop toy plus I love that the Type-1 phaser can seperate from the pistol. Two toys in 1.

My question is how screen accurate is this replica? The box says it duplicates the "hero phaser". I want to hear from others who bought this toy what they think of it.

I also have a replica communicator from 1998 made by, or at least sold by, a company called IPI Toys. This toy has a built in clock and calculator right underneath the moire screen speaker thing. I heard somewhere the molds that made it were the same molds used to make the communicators seen in DS9's "Trials and Tribbilations". The same question applies here.

 

[Captain Robert April]

To the best of my knowledge, which is considerable, the phaser is extremely accurate, especially for the money. For a more accurate replica, you're looking at Masters Replica's version, and the price goes up exponentially.

The communicator is another can of gagh, primarily because they were all pretty inconsistent from one to the other (hand made props have that tendancy; the phasers are the same way). The one with the calculator under the moire display, which I also have somewhere, is a pretty good representation (far better than the Playmates version, which came out around the same time), and the metal antenna grid does hold it above the Art Asylum version in that regard (although the AA makes up for the plastic grid in oh, so many ways ).

 

[WendellM]

I'm happy with the quality of the AA phaser and communicator, and I think of myself as somewhat demanding (I can certainly tell you what the AA versions got right that FJ Tech Manual drawings didn't ). I've seen some multi-hundred-dollar replicas at conventions that weren't this accurate.

That said, I love that these are inexpensive enough to actually enjoy playing with without fear. To me, it's sad to keep a perfect replica untouched in a case somewhere because it cost so much (OTOH, an actual TOS prop would be a different story!). Other opinions may certainly vary, and that's fine, but I like my TOS replicas both accurate and hands-on-friendly.

I could get nit-picky and point out some seams and screw-placements on the AA phaser that aren't screen-accurate (and I had to replace the AA communuicator's moire pattern before I was happy). But, overall, I'm impressed with the accuracy here.

Looking around, here's a fairly comprehensive review (not by me or anyone I know) for both the phaser and communicator: http://www.mwctoys.com/REVIEW_042108a.htm

I can't provide a site for really detailed phaser prop info, but here's one with great detail on the real communicator props: http://www.herocomm.com/Home.htm (it's where I got the replacement moire pattern for my AA communicator).

Edit: here's a link to John Long's phaser page with several pics of an actual TOS hero phaser: http://www.saucersoverhollywood.com/phaserpage.html (he sells his own kit here, but regardless, its a good look at a real TOS phaser prop).http://www.saucersoverhollywood.com/phaserpage.html

 

[Ssosmcin]

Funny thing: for me the phaser, while the best recreation of the prop I've ever seen, still looks like a toy. Yet the communicator looks like a prop. The metal grille and the etchings on the communicator body really give it that "real" feel. The phaser is too smooth and plasticky, at least the gray and black one.

 

[Captain Robert April]

I haven't seen it noted anywhere, but I wonder if John Long ever figured out what that little butterfly arrangement on the bottom of the power pack/pistol grip was for.

It's rather interesting, and would've been pretty nifty if they ever got around to doing it on screen.