Raktajino to go!

I have always admired the on-board travel mugs used by the crew of the USS Defiant (NX-74205).

For any fan of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, these mugs will be very familiar, having made their debut in Season 3, when Starfleet revealed the prototype Defiant class battleship, which was originally commissioned to combat the Borg. This small ship “with teeth” would prove to be a critical asset to the Federation in its war against the Dominion over the remaining seasons.

DS9’s elegant ceramic Raktajino mugs would have been entirely unsuitable for the battlefield, of course, and hence a new type of utility mug was born.

And so, you can imagine my excitement when I finally discovered the correct Thermos flask needed to replicate the cup!!! I was ecstatic, and set the ball rolling to re-create this coveted cup!

Thanks to the guys at Forum Appliances for making these available. The model you will need is the Thermos JMF500 thermal mug (black), and you can buy yours here: https://www.forumappliances.com/thermos-thermal-mug-jmf500-500ml-black/ . Shipping made it more expensive for me, but if you are in North America the mug itself is approximately $25, which is the typical cost of a Thermos brand product.

The mug does include the Thermos logo on one side, but the other side is blank ready to apply the delta shield and ship designation decal. The vinyl I used was custom made and sized to fit the mug by SciFiVinyls, a UK seller on Etsy. SciFiVinyls processed and shipped my order within a few days, and were very accommodating. Here are the dimensions I used:

If you’re not in the UK then you should be able to find a local supplier online. The decal from SciFiVinyl is good quality and was very easy to apply onto the mug.

And here is the finished product! Attack pattern Delta!

I’m so pleased with how it turned out. It was incredibly easy to make once you know where to find the Thermos!

And for anyone interested in getting their very own ceramic Raktajino mug (the style used at the Replimat), these can be purchased online. The design is know as a Highwave Hotjo travel mug and comes in many different colour options.