Star Trek Tricorder

Posted by admin in Collector's CornerOct 31st, 2008 | no responses The STAR TREK Science Tricorder is the third piece in the trio of the most-recognizable props in television history. The Tricorder, along with the Phaser and Communicator, was an integral part of many original STAR TREK episodes. The Tricorder (or Tri-Recorder) was used by various crewmembers to warn of approaching danger, view recorded historical events, or scan for aliens or other life forms. While used by most of the crew at one time or another it was most commonly found in the capable hands of Mr. Spock.

The original filming props were a bit less sophisticated than their on screen appearance suggested. Primarily constructed of vacuum-formed plastic, the original props featured aluminum trim and leather carrying straps. Like many other original series props, numerous versions of the Tricorder props were made. Some of these featured wooden bottom or back panels, covered in "leatherette". All of the original props featured a metal faceplate with a vacuum-formed plastic display screen.

Master Replicas design engineers examined original Tricorder props and created an exact replication of the pattern of the original plastic. Our design team pulled molds from one of the original props and the castings were then given to our factory, to reproduce the same subtle curves and contours of the originals. On the props we examined, the lower compartment interior was constructed from very thin sheet metal, which was bent and tack-welded. The shape and function of this area was replicated exactly as on the original.

Our design engineers were also allowed to partially dismantle one of the hero units. We discovered that at one point, a stopwatch was installed behind the moire display. This gave us the idea to provide an option on our replica to make the moire display spin. Even though this was never seen on screen, we felt that our fans would appreciate this unique feature and glimpse behind the scenes.