The Captain's Chair

[ZapBrannigan]

I'm not sure if the original series captain's chair is the most captivating piece of furniture ever built, or if I just think so because I drank in the sight of it at such a young age. I have a similar attachment to the 1966 Batmobile. It just looks incredibly good to me.

Anyway, every swivel chair I ever had will stop turning wherever it wants, but Kirk's chair has some kind of righting mechanism that sends it back to facing forward when you let go of it. That's interesting. Is that a common thing everybody knows about but me? Or was it a custom build, I wonder.

The only time the chair did not come to rest facing forward was in "The Menagerie Part I," and I assume the director wanted to highlight Kirk's absence by putting his chair askew, to where it faced the camera. It claimed attention that way. It said "Hey, look, I'm empty." I imagine you could do that by picking up the whole chair and setting it back down in its base at the turned angle.

Is anybody else here crazy about this chair?

 

[BK613]

IRL, the only places that come to mind for "self-fronting" chairs are college lecture halls and Navy mess halls, where the chair seat is mounted to some unmovable base and the swivel is to facilitate the sitting-down process. I've never met an individual chair that had that feature.

 

[Captain Tracy]

... Anyway, every swivel chair I ever had will stop turning wherever it wants, but Kirk's chair has some kind of righting mechanism that sends it back to facing forward when you let go of it. That's interesting. Is that a common thing everybody knows about but me?...

Well, not "everyone".

While you can still get them if you search around, IKEa discontinued their Mid-century Modern/Scandinavian design 'Nattraby' Swivel Recliner Chair, which does the exact thing you describe - automatically and quickly snaps back into a frontal-facing 'righted position' due to a spring-steel coil inside the single central support.

It's a cool Trek-ish looking chair - Google: Images - although, it's high-back is more akin to the I.S.S. Enterprise Captain's chair. I have 2 of these in my study/den for the cool mid-60s look; and, due to the Kirk-esque chair snap-back action; which you describe.

It would make a cool donor-chair for a Trek-Inspired conversion if you add some Captain's chair side-panels with the winky-blinkies; or, pirate the central stem, in order to add that snap-back action to a Captain's replica chair you might build from scratch.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Well, not "everyone".

While you can still get them if you search around, IKEa discontinued their Mid-century Modern/Scandinavian design 'Nattraby' Swivel Recliner Chair, which does the exact thing you describe - automatically and quickly snaps it back into frontal-facing 'righted position' due to a spring-steel coil inside the single central support.

It's a cool Trek-ish looking chair - Google: Images - although, it's high-back is more akin to the I.S.S. Enterprise Captain's chair. I have 2 of these in my study/den for the cool mid-60s look; and, due to the Kirk-esque chair snap back action; which you describe.

It would make a cool donor-chair for a Trek-Inspired conversion if you add some Captain's chair side-panels with the winky-blinkies; or, pirate the central stem, to add that snap-back action to a Captain's replica chair you might build from scratch.

That's very interesting, thanks!

 

[Maurice]

Self-centering swivel chairs weren’t that rare. Plenty of mid-century modern chairs did it.

 

[Ssosmcin]

And remember, it didn't start out that way. The danged thing didn't swivel at all in the first portion of the first year.

 

[XCV330]

And remember, it didn't start out that way. The danged thing didn't swivel at all in the first portion of the first year.

new captain pranks. Some goober glued it down to mess with him.

 

[Phaser Two]

Well, not "everyone".

While you can still get them if you search around, IKEa discontinued their Mid-century Modern/Scandinavian design 'Nattraby' Swivel Recliner Chair, which does the exact thing you describe - automatically and quickly snaps back into a frontal-facing 'righted position' due to a spring-steel coil inside the single central support.

It's a cool Trek-ish looking chair - Google: Images - although, it's high-back is more akin to the I.S.S. Enterprise Captain's chair. I have 2 of these in my study/den for the cool mid-60s look; and, due to the Kirk-esque chair snap-back action; which you describe.

It would make a cool donor-chair for a Trek-Inspired conversion if you add some Captain's chair side-panels with the winky-blinkies; or, pirate the central stem, in order to add that snap-back action to a Captain's replica chair you might build from scratch.

This is a cool-looking chair. Good call.

 

[Doug Otte]

I know I've sat in self-righting chairs in the past. I just can't remember where or when. I know it's been a long time.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

Kirk's chair (or one of them) is on display at the Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds exhibit at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles (along with tons of other great items -- lots of ship filming models, props, Data's severed head, etc...). If anyone has the opportunity to visit, it's an awesome exhibit.

https://skirball.org/exhibitions/star-trek-exploring-new-worlds

 

[ZapBrannigan]

And remember, it didn't start out that way. The danged thing didn't swivel at all in the first portion of the first year.

Can that be right? I never noticed it! Is it possible they just didn't happen to swivel it, but could?

 

[Ssosmcin]

Can that be right? I never noticed it! Is it possible they just didn't happen to swivel it, but could?

I don't know the mechanics, but it stays locked forward for the first batch of episodes. Even in "The Naked Time" when Shatner flies over the rail into the seat, it doesn't move. It doesn't swivel on camera until "Dagger of the Mind" in production order.

 

[Metryq]

I guess they finally decided that they needed more twists in the stories.

 

[Milvian]

That Captain's Chair really is iconic—something about that auto-centering feature just gives it that commanding presence. Well, I’ve always been fascinated by swivel chairs with a self-righting mechanism, too.

 

[1001001]

That Captain's Chair really is iconic—something about that auto-centering feature just gives it that commanding presence. Well, I’ve always been fascinated by swivel chairs with a self-righting mechanism, too.

First, welcome to the board.

Second, please take some time to review the rules for posting here, pinned at the top of this forum. Specifically, the one regarding resurrecting old threads.

This one has been dead nearly 3 years. Let's let it rest in peace.

Thanks.