If the needle doesn't work or you're having a hard time with it, try using an awl to make the holes for the needle before sewing. That's what I do whenever I stitch leather. You might also consider using waxed thread.

Thanks a lot for the info, all of you!
I guess it's to the tailoring shop and get some stuff then!

Emperor: Quite sweet patch indeed
No room for it on my vest, so I have to have it on the jacket. Will look good there I think.

well i got one only have a few patches going to get more soon, its a blue denim vest with slayer world painted blood backpatch, overkill the electric age, death logo, and a amon amarth surtur rising patch i also have a immolation majesty and decay pin.

Got my doom patches today, haven't been able to find anyone who'll do me an Electric Wizard back patch so it's motorhead for now!

That's from summer 2007 in Dublin. Had a badass Xentrix Ghostbusters backpatch sewed to an equally badass corduroy jacket. Fucking left that thing at a bar the following summer in Chicago. I never really liked Xentrix outside of their Ghostbusters cover...so haha, at least I had that patch. I was 21 at the time.

I miss that jacket.

I don't have too much on the front. Sewing over pockets is a pain


Also can someone tell me if the Carcass patch is rare. Just wondering.

Just got my new vest in the mail today! Just need to have it washed before I start putting on some patches

By 'washed' you mean rinsed, right?

and by rinsed you mean wrapped around an animal corpse, covered in bbq sauce, and buried for a month, right?

Correct. If you don't have a garden you can also bury it in Time and Dust.

Where do I start?

Buying a jean jacket would be the first thing to do, obviously - not interested in leather - but where to acquire patches? Are they printed as custom orders or are there online vendors selling them?

I assume they're sewn on by hand?

All of those are valid options and you can even print them yourself if you have the time. Hand sewing is what I do but i guess you could also use a machine.

I prefer to buy mine at shows/festivals, I do my best to get official patches only, from the band/label. There are tons of bootleg patches on ebay, but there are also a fair number of them from distros/labels like Hells Headbangers, Nuclear War Now, and others.

What Zodijackyl said, I got most of my recent ones at gigs. I have some to sell for cheap (pay my shipping or something) if you're interested, message me for a list and pictures.

I mean thoroughly washed. Smells like Chinese factory and slave labour

Yea, I would suggest starting collecting patches slowly until you have a good amount that you can kind of stage on your jacket to see what its going to look like. Ive collected patches for five years (from shows, online vendors, trades, etc) before I recently started my jacket (picture on previous page), but ive been constantly working, since I have a large assortment of patches to choose from now. I am also trading/selling some of the patches ive acquired check my signature if interested.

Far from done but the back is pretty much done, just awaiting a few patches in the mail.

Waiting for five years of collecting patches to make your jacket seems excessive, wearing it's the best part and besides you can always just re-adjust the patches as you go. Best thing to do I would say is start with a large backpatch, because even if thats your only patch it'll still look good, then just add patches symmetrically as you go! I don't have a vest, I mainly just wear a plain black denim jacket, but I've had patched hoodies and that seemed easiest. I've never really gone past a back patch and a couple front though, I like a more minimalist design.

I agree, however even if you have a few patches, just go with what you got/what you can afford for the time being. My wife made me a jean vest out of two pairs of old black jeans, and I got one patch offline, one at a show, and the other three I made myself. I don't have a backpatch for it yet, but hey, it is what it is for right now, until I can afford to have some extra cash.

That Ash Borer and Gris patch are fucking sweet. Is there any way I could get an Ash Borer patch?

I'd also like to comment that I love how I don't only see just metal patches, but also so crust and anarcho-punk shit too. That's where I first got into metal, and I still have held on to all those ideologies (Anarcho-Primitivism, dumpster diving, etc.).

Catch them live, I got mine at Stella Natura.

Thanks! Unfortunately I printed that Ash Borer patch myself so I'm not sure that there's any way to get one just like it unless you print it.

This reminds me that I never posted the front of mine finished. The button is Obsidian Tongue. I think I might re sew the Austere patch, it got a bit messed up as I sewed it so that I could still use the pocket.

I live in Indiana. I'm lucky if ANYONE comes through. Since I've been going to shows, the only bands I've seen that I like are Incantation, Cianide, Windhand, Anhedonist, and Coffinworm (and that's because they're from here) and Obituary and Absu played here too (although I didn't go because I don't like either of those bands). No one comes through here, and when they do, it's few and far between. And I've got too much tying me down to leave and go to the west coast to see them. It's frustrating.

As far as the patch though. I fucking want one, and if someone could make me one, that would be fucking incredible.

New jacket of mine, gonna keep it nice and simple:

Currently amassing patches for a second vest; I'm going to stencil some lyrics onto the back instead of a full-sized back patch, but I'm not certain which band or song yet. I'm tempted by the "If you are false, don't entry" verse fro Deathrash by Sarcofago, but I'm not sure whether that crosses the line into the land of too-silly.

Eheheh that would be eipc, mate.
Meh, I guess people might end up looking at you ass if you were a retarded LOL but I consider that as a slap in the Trve Kvlt mentality many headbangers have...

Here's my vest. It's still a bit unfinished, but looks good!

You're a bold dude for not folding over the edges of those patches! Better hope that your stitches are super thick and tight! I do want to say that the vest looks awesome, and again, it's awesome to see a lot of great non-metal patches (DROPDEAD!).

Hey thanks! Never really had any problems with patches not staying attached even though the edges are not folded. I guess I'm so calm person, so I dont do anything that could remove them.

Haha you're lucky. I got hiking/camping a lot and with going to shows as well, my patches always almost ripped off if It didn't fold the edges over, however, I found that I could get away with it if I used a super thick (almost like a yarn) type of thread. Or artificial sinew.

apologies if this has been asked to death, but where are the best places to buy pin badges? I've pretty much run out of space for patches now, so could fill the small voids of space with those.

Tight stitching and studs around the edges, that keeps them on well. Cross-stitching with a sewing machine will hold them together pretty well too.

Yeah, that's about what I do now. I usually have my partner do a loose stitch with her sewing machine (because I'm terrible at using it) and then I'll hand sew over that. It keeps them on pretty tightly, but it sucks when you have to move a patch haha. I'll be posting a picture of mine soon. I just ordered a new back patch and two smaller patches, so when those come in, and get sewn on, I'll show you what it looks like.

Finished my third vest a while ago! was to lazy to post it. here it is! i lost a lot of studs at gigs and just general life crap, i need to replace them all! most on the back where done by machine and the front was mostly hand to save the pockets

You have excellent taste sir, I thought everyone had forgotten about Otophobia by now haha!

Great thread, always an interesting topic...
Finished this one, apart from one space for a patch not yet created.
I have a few more vests to finish, still looking for those elusive patches though, like Glorior Belli. I use a lot of t-shirt patches on my vests.

Hey guys, here's my vest in progress. Probably not the most amazing thing to look at an unfinished vest, but I have 2 Q's for you guys.
1st: Do the patches on my vest look small or is it just my vest envy clouding my vision? The vest itself is 25 inches tall x 21 wide (For scale) and the Begotten patch (My biggest) above Anti-You is 4 inches x 3 and a bit. They're not big bands so I guess the size of the patches is relative (Ha). I have only ordered from one record distro so far (Depressive Illusions), so that could be why, considering a small label might not be able to afford larger ones.
2nd: Do any of you have problems with the button up part of your vest curling outwards, henceforth causing your front shoulder patches to get hidden? I've been trying to pin-point why my collar and button up part keeps covering my Woods and Varg patch, and I think it has something to do with both the broadness of the shoulders being... well, not that broad, and the shallow indent where the button up meets the collar (Like the lapel, forgive my lack of proper terminology)

Bonus points if you can guess where I bought my initial vest without googling the label. I have a weak spot for their dyed denim products, but I definitely don't enjoy the other crap they sell. /shame

Aye, and the Annorkoth/Framtid patches aren't sewed yet, as I only just discovered I liked Framtid. (Distro sent me a random patch for my free one when I didn't specify)

More or less final state as of lately, other than the Revenge patch going in the black space of the backpatch, whenever it arrives and a few more studs to be added.
[img]http://oi43.tinypic.com/2exq2it.jpg
[img]http://oi42.tinypic.com/6nw369.jpg

No idea how to work this technology. Anybody?

Fixed it for you. You gotta put the jpg link within [img]and[/img] tags.



I recently acquired a Dead Congregation backpatch along with a bunch of other things from NWR. Now to get hold of a decent sleeveless black denim jacket and more patches!