Constellation Patch

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by CrazyMatt, Mar 22, 2013.

  1. CrazyMatt

    CrazyMatt Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Location:
    Sitting in Kirk's command chair
    From the William Theiss estate, sold some years ago (not to me dammit!)

    [​IMG][​IMG]

    Looks to be a weave thingy (technical term) over gold lame with silver border stitching. Just like the Starfleet emblem that can still be found in craft stores, this patch seems to be based on readily available and inexpensive items.
     
  2. feek61

    feek61 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2011
    Location:
    In the Sunshine!
    I looks like it originally had two pointed parts and they ended up folding the lower half underneath to truncate it making it more narrow.
     
  3. Keith1701

    Keith1701 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2002
    Location:
    Warner Robins Georgia
    Wow, I would like to have that myself.:)
     
  4. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2003
    Location:
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada
    The thing is as seen on a grainy CRT television it could look like anything depending on your imagination. The Starfleet insignia looks like a glittering stylized starburst or nova. It's only under good resolution that it looks like a flower.
     
  5. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    To me it always looked like a breakfast toaster pastry I used to eat as a kid.
     
  6. CrazyMatt

    CrazyMatt Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Location:
    Sitting in Kirk's command chair
  7. ZapBrannigan

    ZapBrannigan Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2013
    Location:
    New York State
    Yeah. The back reveals its evolution, from a crude idea to a slightly-less crude finished symbol. :)
     
  8. scotpens

    scotpens Professional Geek Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2009
    Location:
    City of the Fallen Angels
    I always thought it looked like a pretzel.
     
  9. ZapBrannigan

    ZapBrannigan Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2013
    Location:
    New York State
    To me it looked like a cursive capital I.

    If this symbol had been assigned to the Intrepid, people would have cried Racist, because it also looks like a pointed ear. :)
     
  10. feek61

    feek61 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2011
    Location:
    In the Sunshine!
    This is what the patch may have looked like unfolded:

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2013
  11. MarsWeeps

    MarsWeeps Fleet Captain Premium Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2011
    Location:
    MarsWeeps
    Thanks...I was trying to visualize that.
     
  12. CrazyMatt

    CrazyMatt Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Location:
    Sitting in Kirk's command chair
    One of the things that facinates me about TOS is how they found cost effective solutions that (at least back then) looked so "uncheap."

    The TOS production team was truly superb; this is yet another example. I always figured the patches worn on the uniforms were some highly stylized, esoteric things.... and after all these years to find out they were low cost off the shelf items found in craft shops, etc. ... My admiration is even greater than before to think they could make a silk purse out of a sows ear so well!
     
  13. MarsWeeps

    MarsWeeps Fleet Captain Premium Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2011
    Location:
    MarsWeeps
    You can thank the poor quality of the 1960's TV screens for that.
     
  14. The Mirrorball Man

    The Mirrorball Man Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 18, 1999
    Location:
    Switzerland
    When you watch old Doctor Who serials from the 1960's and then switch to the original Star Trek, the latter suddenly looks like a big-budget production.
     
  15. MarsWeeps

    MarsWeeps Fleet Captain Premium Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2011
    Location:
    MarsWeeps
    Oh, I agree. TOS special effects were excellent for the 60's, probably the best sci-fi effects for their time. In fact, I've seen some Doctor Who episodes from the 70's and 80's that can't touch Trek's effects from the 60's.
     
  16. J.T.B.

    J.T.B. Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2005
    IIRC the Exeter badge was made of a piece of material from a purse!
     
  17. CrazyMatt

    CrazyMatt Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Location:
    Sitting in Kirk's command chair

    In fact, I just started a thread on the Exeter patch....