Original 8th Doctor Sonic Screwdriver auction

[too_many_cars]

There were two bidders, and the one who wasn't me won it.

I have looked over the sonic thoroughly, and am 100% convinced that it was used on the production.  The wear, machining marks, and surface finish (including on the inside which can't be seen unless you're messing about with a powerful flashlight with the sonic half extended) are consistent with something manufactured 25 years ago.  There were absolutely no fresh machining marks, or any other indications that this was fabricated recently.

The weathering paint application matches the alley scene exactly, and appears to match the small sections of paint weathering that can be seen on the toolkit publicity shot.

The top of the sonic is on a keyed slot so it cannot rotate (so that the pop-up button always lines back up with the circular locking point), so the rotation of the head is pretty much fixed in place.  The rotation lines up exactly with the toolkit publicity photo (as well as the never-before-seen set continuity photos added to the auction at the last minute, which also speaks volumes about this being from a production source).  There is a visible gap between the halo ring and the body during the alley scene which looks pretty damn close to the gap that would be opened by twisting about a quarter of a turn on the coarse thread that attaches the halo/bullet to the body.

The sonic is machined completely from scratch with no common parts with the available 800-Trekker replicas of the period (including the one that was in Phil Segal's collection in the toolkit that was donated to the TARDIS console display).  I compared it to two different eras of 800T body styles, BTW.  It also shares no dimensions or parts with any more modern replicas (Russrep V1 or V2, Timelord's pocket) - though the Timelord's pocket body proportions are the closest of any available replica.

I have exchanged questions with a primary source that also confirmed that the details of the sonic look correct.  Even though I'm not at liberty to share who that is or what specific information was given to me, the addition of the never-before-seen continuity photos should suffice as a smoking gun for any doubters that the sonic was used in production.

Unfortunately, Phil Segal's memory of the production was incorrect on these sonic screwdrivers in two important ways:

(1) Two extending hero props were on-set for the shoot, and (2) the two extending props were purpose built for the production.

#1 is definitely a 'citation needed' claim from me (sorry), but #2 is obvious: 800-Trekker never offered an extending sonic (as any of you with some of the old catalogs can confirm).

Hopefully my notes can clear up the confusion.

24 years ago, I built a replica of this prop using PVC pipe, a toilet roll spring-loaded tube (for the extending action), and a red LEGO dish / the end cap of a novelty oversized souvenir pencil as a bullet.

Getting a chance to inspect the prop that inspired me to start building gadgets (leading to my career as lead engineer at a high-tech firm), and the race to figure out the provenance in only three weeks was quite a ride.

--Brian

[Davros Skaro]

Thank you for taking the time to investigate the sonic & for the write up, it's much appreciated.

Sorry that you didn't get to win it, but you did get to handle it & that would be the envy of quite a few of us. (Being in the right place at the right time).

Was going to say something else but the mind has gone blank, the effects of getting old, now I know how William Hartnell felt when he was the doctor. LMSO.

[Royellou]

With all of this new information about the prop being released in recent days, I wonder if we'll see or hear anything from Rubbertoe in the vein of an officially licensed prop replica? I think I heard a long time ago he has been considering it...

[too_many_cars]

I've been part of a team doing classic sonic research for him for a couple of years.  I previously provided complete measurements and info on the 800-Trekker from the toolkit sonic in the TARDIS console collection, but now I can provide a complete set of measurements and info for the extending hero prop.

Watch this space, but Nick is a really busy guy - so be prepared to watch it for a while.  Promise it'll be worth the wait, though - if you've had a chance to see his Baker sonic replica, you know the level of detail and accuracy we are striving for.

--Brian

[Angelus Lupus]

All the discussion about this prop has me wondering about the spring-loaded aspect.
I know that, for a while at least, it was a common misconception that the Eccleston/Tennant sonic was spring-loaded (it even came up in the TWC replica discussions). So here's my question: Did that belief come from this one having that mechanism, or was the myth around earlier, and might it have (mis)informed the construction of the McGann prop?

[fivefingeredstyre]

If I'm reading your post right, I wouldn't have said it was a myth that the earlier screwdrivers were spring loaded. The Pertwee/Baker iteration always had a sprung shaft, allowing the inner section to return to its original position after use. They just weren't extendable like this version or the subsequent couple of NuWho versions were.

[Angelus Lupus]

Ah, I see. The difference is the part that was sprung. 
So, after Troughton's static prop with a light, all the sonics from Pertwee to Davison had a spring middle. From McGann to Smith (and Capaldi's first) it's the top part that extends (but only Smith's was sprung). Capaldi's 2nd sonic was static, with various lights, and now we have a new type: rotating tip and swivel in the middle!

Sorry to go off topic, it just got me wondering... and appreciating this prop more.

[fivefingeredstyre]

Thats how it looked to me...

The Pertwee to Davison shaft was made of three sections, an inner core, a middle sleeve and an outer base section. It was the middle sleeve that would slide up and down the inner core, disappearing into the outer base section, to demonstrate that the prop was being activated.





It was spring loaded in the sense that the middle core would spring back into position once it was released.

The TV Movie prop appears (to me at least) to be made of two sections (one inner - which resembles both the inner core and middle sleeve of the previous version) and an outer base. The inner section looks like it simply locks down into the base when not used and when the button is pressed I would imagine it springs upwards as an extension, in the same way that the Eccleston/Tennant/Smith versions extended (although in the case of the TV Movie prop we've never seen that happen on screen).

[fivefingeredstyre]

Interestingly here's a couple of pictures I took of the screwdriver when it was on display at the DWE. I believe the exhibited one to be a replica, based on what i've been told.

It wasn't on show when the Experience was at its original (smaller) home in Olympia in London in 2011 (the others were); however it was when it took up residency in Cardiff a year or so later in 2012.

This is the earliest picture I have, from September 2013



And this is from the last time I went the week before it closed in September 2017



I have other pictures from the numerous times I visited during the intervening years (I did go a hell of a lot of times, especially between 2015 and its final closing in 2017 ), but these are the clearest shots I have. At some point between the September 2013 and another visit in early 2015  someone collapsed the screwdriver and put it back in its display case.

Oh, and I should add - the one that was on display at the DWE was definitely not the one that has just been auctioned. You can clearly see that the emitter halo has blind threaded screws holding the bullet head in place; however the Auction version has these screws sleeved so you cant see the thread...

[too_many_cars]

The DWE sonic was never used in the TV movie. It is a fan made replica by Timelord's Pocket that was available a couple of years later.  However, it was 'YouTube used' by appearing in the Night of the Doctor short.

Biggest tells are the much, much larger bullet, the three bullet posts are threaded set screws with the threads visible, the halo being made from a sandwich of two pieces, and the lack of an activation button.

The Timelord's pocket holds down with a push-and-twist action.

Interestingly enough, my Timelord's pocket has paint chips in the exact same place on the bullet of the DWE sonic, and the locking mechanism has worn so the sonic cannot collapse - the DWE sonic hasn't been seen closed since the short was filmed, so who knows if it also wore out?

Interestingly enough, the Timelord's pocket is the closest to the proportions of the TV movie sonic body:  I compared it to a Russrep, two 800-Trekker sonics, and the TLP when I inspected the hero prop.

--Brian

[fivefingeredstyre]

The DWE sonic was never used in the TV movie. It is a fan made replica by Timelord's Pocket that was available a couple of years later.  However, it was 'YouTube used' by appearing in the Night of the Doctor short.

Biggest tells are the much, much larger bullet, the three bullet posts are threaded set screws with the threads visible, the halo being made from a sandwich of two pieces, and the lack of an activation button.

The Timelord's pocket holds down with a push-and-twist action.

The first thing I noticed was the halo screws (the resolution of my original photos being much greater than i can post here).

Does the TLP version have a button recess or is it just circular all the way round?

Interestingly enough, my Timelord's pocket has paint chips in the exact same place on the bullet of the DWE sonic, and the locking mechanism has worn so the sonic cannot collapse - the DWE sonic hasn't been seen closed since the short was filmed, so who knows if it also wore out?

The closed picture above was taken in September 2017 so it was still working then...

Your Provence comments made me laugh, i'd never thought about it like that. When I first saw the screwdriver. It was late September 2013, about 8 weeks before Night of the Doctor went out and we had no idea it was on the horizon. It didn't occur to me that that was what they meant by "Original".

It's quite clever how they put the screwdriver on display, but didn't exhibit McGann's new costume until after the short went out.

[too_many_cars]

Does the TLP version have a button recess or is it just circular all the way round?

It's circular.  Really not field-strippable, either.  I'm going to have to drill out a pin to take the bottom of the handle off in the quest to get the collapsed size lock working again.

--Brian

[moonbeam]

If this has been posted somewhere already then apologies.
A mate of mine always sends me the auction brochure for the propstore, There's always a little bit of Doctor Who in there and just sold at the end of august was the screen used McGann sonic screwdriver. It was in very good condition and estimated at 6000 to 8000 dollars, sold for 11000 dollars.... crikey!
There was also the cybership model from silver nemesis, can't remember what that went for though.

[Davros Skaro]

Hi! Yes this is all ready posted on here, here is the link to it for you.

https://tardisbuilders.com/index.php?topic=10539.0

[Volpone]

I think I'll leave this thread open for the day so moonbeam gets to see the link and then...merge it with the existing thread?