Prepare to relive memories of a whole life — lived in the blink of an eye — with Factory Entertainment’s terrific Ressikan Flute prop replica, straight out of the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Inner Light.”
The company made a big debut in the Star Trek prop replica world last year when they announced — and nearly-immediately sold out of — their Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country teacup sets for July’s San Diego Comic Con @ Home convention.
As part of last summer’s reveals, they also showed of their plans to move into “The Inner Light,” and we partnered with them to give fans a first hands-on look at their Ressikan Flute replica when we brought you a close-up examination of their prototype in September.
Now in the hands of collectors, this first high-end Star Trek prop replica from the company is a high bar to clear, as Factory Entertainment chose to recreate on of the most iconic and famous items from one of the Next Generation’s most beloved episodes — and if this is a sign of things to come, this company is going to be one to really keep your eyes on.
The still-available-for-purchase Ressikan Flute replica displays well, feels weighty, and overall seems to be worth the cost, as the pricey $274.99 retail cost is not one to scoff at. It’s a lovely recreation, based upon the surviving assets from ViacomCBS’s limited archive of remaining Star Trek props.
The flute itself is milled from a solid brass alloy and hand-painted to just the right shade, and wrapped in a wound-cord tassel decoration, like the original prop. While it’s not a playable piece — just as the original, screen-used flute didn’t play — this recreated instrument has all the heft you would expect for a solid metal replica, giving you the right sense of authenticity when you hold it.
Pick this up in your hands, and you may even feel an echo of what Jean-Luc Picard must have experienced at the end of “The Inner Light,” finding the lost treasure as his only connection to his life as Kamin; the only physical reminder of the world and people he lived with and lost within his own mind.
The best props don’t feel like props; they feel like the real deal. And short of being able to re-produce the music of the flute seen on screen, this replica feels real.
The flute is displayed in a heavy green-toned polyresin display case, which also matches very closely the prop seen on screen. It also includes a set of magnetic latches in the cover, so that when you close the box you know it’s going to stay shut; the flute itself rests nicely on a built-in foam lining.
(Some collectors have noted that the box doesn’t seem to close properly; all one must do is remove the foam insert in the box lid — meant to protect the flute during shipping — and the lid will close easily, as intended.)
To recreate the flute’s musical intentions, the team at Factory Entertainment have also built in an embedded digital sound chip to play the famous Jay Chattaway “Inner Light” melody, controlled by a small button set into the side of the display case, and powered by a set of AAA-sized batteries which are easily replaceable as needed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dUjKXr3Ncg
The Ressikan Flute prop replica is a limited edition — with a certificate of authenticity included — and while it is certainly not cheap, if you are a committed Star Trek prop or prop replica collector, this edition is about as much as one could hope for.
Not only does the replica very closely match the look of the original flute and display case, but the added musical tech only serves to enhance the product, making it as close to authentic a recreation as possible.
A pretty solid win right out of the gate, we’re hoping to see a lot more Star Trek efforts make their way out of Factory Entertainment’s product development team — and hopefully more from the world of The Next Generation and the later series and films, as The Wand Company is working to close out their round of Original Series replicas in 2021.
If you’re still hoping to add the Ressikan Flute to your own collection, Factory Entertainment’s replica of the famous “Inner Light” prop can still be ordered at their website, until their limited run of product runs out.
Did you pick up one of these replicas to bring a bit of planet Kataan to your own home? Still on the fence? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!