For it to be the correct size, a good portion needs to be cut off the back of the unit. The display screen of the Desktop Viewer was scratch built for the show, then the whole thing was (re)painted and decorated with pieces of black acrylic as well as vinyl tape.

I’m currently looking to get the missing pieces (screen, etc.) from fellow prop builders. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll scratch build them myself. Anyhow, this project is on the back burner for now.

Are you going to try to get one of these for yourself? Leave a comment and tell me!

Below are some screenshots. Notice the power plug socket on the side which was concealed on some prop units and visible on others.

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Ah, Starfleet cases. They come in all colors and shapes and I love all of them! Especially the ones that were used by the engineering staff to carry around their great little tools and instruments. But that’s not the only use for them, of course. They’re also very useful to store PADDs for example. And that’s exactly what Captain Picard uses his briefcase for in the TNG-Episode “Starship Mine” (6×18) when he leaves the ship, which is due for a Baryon sweep that requires a complete evacuation.

Prop-makers love to use everyday items, re-dress them a little and let them appear in a futuristic environment. It’s cheap, it looks convincing and it doesn’t take much time to do it. Because of that, most of the cases that appear on Star Trek are actual cases, that have a unusual twist or a unique look to them. It’s the same with Picards briefcase, which is actually a uncommonly shaped CD case from the eighties. The good thing about this is, that any “replica” made from the same type of case is 100% accurate in size and material, which is also the case with my prop.

The case itself does not give away too much about the brand or maker of it, the only markings on the inside state: “Outer Circle Products LTD. Chicago, U.S. & Foreign patents pending, made in U.S.A.”

I got this case on eBay some time ago. Unfortunately it was painted in the wrong color and had the incorrect details on it, so I had to refurbish it and make it accurate to its prominent appearance in TNG.

Here are some screencaps from the show:

This case was actually also heavily used on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine“, not very prominently however, but in the background on the Promenade. For these appearances, it was repainted and outfitted with different styles of tape detailing.

Here are some examples:

And here’s my prop:

One of many cases used on Star Trek: Picards Starfleet Briefcase.

The overall shape is very futuristic, unique and interesting.

The back-side is nothing but black and clean-looking.

The case opens up on the top where the handle is.

I lined the inside with some soft foam to protect whatever is carried in the case.

Instantly recognizable as Starfleet: The red pill-shaped label is essential.

These are the only markings found on the entire case.

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To absent friends… To family.

These are the words that Jean-Luc Picard spoke in the end of “Star Trek: Nemesis” after Data had sacrificed himself to rescue the Captain from the exploding Romulan vessel Scimitar. And it was that occasion, that brought all of Datas shipmates, friends and – in a sense – family together to honor him and taste Chateau Picard, the wine that Picard’s Brother Robert used to press on Earth with passion until his death.

From a technical point of view, this is a relatively simple prop. You just print out the correct graphic and slap it on a nice bottle of actual wine and there you go. And that’s what a friend of mine did and gave it to me as a gift. Thanks Michael!

Here are some snapshots from the movie and the bonus features:

And here’s my replica:

For a special occasion: Chateau Picard, real wine…

…pressed in Labarre, France on Earth, not replicated.

This particular bottle is from 2267.

The picture of the vine is not entirely correct.

The top of the bottle is encased in red, just like the real one.

I got this one from a friend and fellow collector. Thanks Michael!

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These mugs were made by HighWave and were called “HotJo”. The model line was modernized however, so that the older ones are not available anymore. The current HotJo mugs were also used in later seasons of DS9 however.

I recently had the chance to acquire one of the original HotJo mugs on eBay, unfortunately not a purple one however, but a teal colored one. The teal color was also used on mugs in DS9, but not in these cone shaped mugs in Quarks Bar, but only on the more straightlined ones in OPS and the surrounding command level of the station.

Here are some screenshots of the mug in question:

And here’s my teal mug:

HighWave sold these years ago as travel mugs.

This heavy mug is made from stoneware…

…and features a very comfortable handle.

The purple mugs were custom made for the show…

…and are very rare these days.

These were only used in Quarks. In OPS they had a more straightlined type.

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It is such a mug that I got on eBay some time ago and that I am now happy to present here! The maker is unknown to me but the mug was probably a found item and is no longer made today.

As usual, let’s first have a look at some screenshots. This is a scene in the Replimat where the mugs were used:

And here’s mine:

This stoneware mug is absolutely accurate and identical to the ones used.

The handle is quite thick and a little uncomfortable to use in my opinion.

Due to the wide base, this mug is unlikely to ever tip over.

The manufacturer of this mug is unknown to me…

…but this exact type of mug is unlikely to be still made unaltered today.

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“Tea, Earl Grey, hot!”

It is a small glass cup made by Bodum, equipped with a plastic handle that can be detached for cleaning. This found item is to my knowledge no longer manufactured, so it will be increasingly hard to find. The cup is part of an entire tea set named “Le Pot”, which includes four cups, a tea pot, a sugar bowl, a creamer (all with cork pads) and spoons.

Here’s a still of the screen used cup:

And here’s mine:

The Bodum cup (note the logo on the bottom) is made of glass…

…and has a plastic handle which can be detached for cleaning.

There is also a taller version of this cup…

…which was also used in TNG.

Here are both cups in a comparison shot.

I was lucky enough to obtain the entire tea set which is called “Le Pot”.

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I was fortunate for me that I was able to get one of these a while ago.

Here’s a screenshot of the scene where Guinan uses the glass to mix a drink:

And here’s mine:

The unusual shape makes it hard to empty the glass I would imagine.

Like many other Star Trek glasses, this one was a candle holder in a former life.

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To find a “common” baseball in Germany wasn’t as easy as you might think. I had to look in several places until I found a small store in my area which sells foreign sports articles. This was where I got my baseball. Unfortunately, it had several logos printed on its surface. In order to get them off, I had to scrape the surface of the ball using a sharp knife, thus removing the colorful graphics. This damaged the ball slightly, which is however not a big deal, because the original baseball on Sisko’s desk is not exactly clean either.

The desk stand was a gift from my brother which I got for Christmas in 2004. He built it himself and went quite professionally about it too! He became aware of the fact that I wanted to build one like this myself since I got the baseball but never got around to it, so he collected reference pictures (see below), drew up a blueprint, chose the materials and began construction. And all this at the age of 14!

I’m proud to say that I now have a true piece of Star Trek history on my desk, although this is of course not screen-used in any way. However, Sisko would not have been able to free the Prophets from the celestial temple and their fight with the Pah Wraiths…

Reference pictures captured from DVD.

The baseball on his stand.

Baseball and desk stand seperately.

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As Science-Fiction-Fans will know, this dagger was originally designed by the famous knife designer Gil Hibben and is called “The Jackal”. Before its use in “Nemesis” it was used several times before in SciFi and Fantasy, for example in “Buffy – The Vampire Slayer”.

Unfortunately, the knife I have is not the original from Gil Hibben. The lettering “Defender” on the blade gives that away. Also, the weapon is a little shorter overall in comparison to Hibben’s original. Finally, the blade is not really sharp. Anyway, I’m happy to have this in my collection after all. It’s a very beautiful knife and since it’s completely made from metal, it has a very nice weight.

The knife is also present on the official movie poster.

Not only a weapon but also a symbol of power.

This is presumably the stunt version with a blade of painted rubber.

Captain Picard is threatened.

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A closer look revealed that this prop was nothing more than a pen-shaped butane torch with some golden vinyl tape added to the handle. When I realized that, I remembered that I had something similar in my workshop lying around for years. When I finally found it, it was exactly the same!

After I cleaned it up and added the necessary tape, it looked just like the screen-used stylus and I had another accurate prop replica in my collection.

A sharp eye can sometimes get you a new prop

Common objects, slightly altered for use as a prop are called “found items”.

There is normally a tip attached to this torch which has been removed here.

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