So if you’ve had a moment to enjoy my unboxing video (soon to be videos) on YouTube, then I have some good news for you because here’s a toy blog! Why a blog post and not a video for this toy? Because the video would be two minutes long and filled with my grubby hands trying to get the thing on my shirt without flashing the audience.
And what thing is this? Why, it’s the Quantum Mechanix (QMx) “TNG Badge and Pin Set”! QMx creates props and collectibles, and they have several different Trek products worth looking at, but a lot of them are sold out. One of their better products is this badge set which has been sold out for a few months and is finally back in stock. It’s a measly $20, and you get a pretty nice set for the dough. These are shiny, they’re metal, and they are screen accurate. QMx says, “Using the original hero prop’s actual mold, we faithfully replicated the screen-used badges to ensure complete and total accuracy,” and who am I to contradict them?
Let’s give the set a look.
Packaging:
Collector packaging this ain’t. It’s a pretty basic, but you immediately get a look at the badges which is nice.
You get a stern looking Picard up in the corner which to me is an odd choice. He’s got a look that says, “Put your damn com badge on, dummy!” Or Wes just lost his, or Worf fed his to his Targ.
On the back, you get the basic instructions for using these things that have to be more about touting how easy the badges are to use than actually telling anyone how to use them, right? I mean, if you can’t figure out how to use a magnet or a pin clasp, you probably aren’t too keen a Trek fan. Of course, I say that knowing there are probably people who will struggle with it anyway . . . Ya can’t win, I tell ya!
All of this is packed in a sealed plastic shell with those horrible edges that look like they’re crimped together. I like to watch the Great British Baking Show (*cough*anglophile*cough*), and the edges of packing like this always reminds me of bakers crimping puff pastry, but I digress. I hate these things because they are always a pain in the ass to open. You definitely need scissors or a blade and a strong hand. This packaging is meant to be tossed the minute it’s opened. Remember to recycle.
The com badge:
These are excellent badges, though. The com badge itself is all metal, nice and shiny, and it has weight to it. The shine is high quality, but it’s also a fingerprint magnet, so don’t wear this and commit crimes or the cops will have some prime prints. It also makes it very hard to get on your chest without having to give it a polish. You can also see dust and a cat hair on it, so be sure to clean your house and ignore your cat if you want a pristine look.
As you can see in the pic, there is some rub on the paint at the edge of the delta, and that doesn’t bode well for the future. This bugs me a little because I tend to focus on flaws like that and want to immediately trash it and buy another, but I’m trying to get over it. Due to the intensity of the shine, the paint rub is definitely noticeable when wearing the badge.
The magnet system works incredibly well. QMx says, “And our badges use strong, short-field magnets that are embedded in the badge itself and within a glossy backplate. No more pinholes required, as these badges appear to magically attach to your clothing!” I guess it looks like magic if you’ve never heard of magnets before, but I will say the grip is very damned strong. Put this thing on and you can jump all over the bridge set like Worf on an Aldebaran Jumping Marmit without worrying it’ll fly off. The pull is strong enough that you can put the badge on through a couple of layers of clothing if you have the need to do so.
The lapel pin:
Not too much to say about this little fella. The lapel pin is the larger com badge’s lil cousin, and it’s also a faithful reproduction of the series prop due to being drawn from the same mold only scaled down. It uses a traditional pin clasp, so be prepared to poke some holes in things, and it’s more like a collector badge than anything else. It’s the kind of thing you can put on your shirt, jacket or bag, but it’s also very shiny, so it will draw some attention depending on what else you’re sporting. It’s a very cool little extra, and given the low price of the set, it’s a nice one, too.
Conclusion:
This is a damn fine set. Anyone looking for a cosplay prop or some TNG bling will be well served by this set. With the exception of the pain rub, this is an extremely well made and high quality set. Even with the paint rub, it’s more than worth $20. That it’s made of metal separates it from a lot of other replicas out there that are also in the $20 range, but are made from resin and/or 3D printed.
I’m not a huge com badge kind of guy because my heart will always belong to the TNG tricorder, and in second place would have to be the original series communicator, but this is one of the best pieces of TNG merchandise I own.