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The First
Phaser Ones. 
By Richard A. Coyle
The classic phaser one mostly resembles an electric razor, a fact not missed by the
cast andcrew, and acted upon in an out take on the blooper reel where, after stalking
menacing towards the camera, the men suddenly start "shaving" with their phaser
ones.
Yes Virginia, there was a rising plate on the top of the phaser one. I still remember
the early days at conventions how we used to debate the existence of this feature rarely
high-lighted by any close-ups. Surprisingly this up-down plate shows up in the very first
aired show "The Man Trap".
In the scene where Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock beam down to the planet to find Prof.
Crater. Captain Kirk says to Mr. Spock, "Set your Phaser on one quarter, I'll leave
mine on stun." Mr. Spock thumbs his phaser one's setting knob on top of his Phaser
two and the hood pops right up.
The plate on the early black and white models were often a piece of brass plate painted
black. Just behind and partly under 
it was a 3/4" wide round Plexiglas
rod. This is what most of us have been mistaking for the trigger bar. Behind that was a
thin round knurled knob protruding as a thumb wheel. Opposing that were two plain paper
squares glued to the body where, on later models, was a round lens for the read-out of the
settings. The plate raised by rotating the thumb wheel with, well...the thumb.
