How to safely remove logos?

[Will Newton]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I hate massive chest logos: I don't like being an ambulatory billboard, I dislike having 'branded memories' in photos, and I'd like to be able to wear some of my Arcteryx or MHW functional pieces in semi-sketchy neighborhoods near me without a logo making me a more obvious target.

Anyone have tips or success stories for safely removing laminated logos?

[Justin Baker]

Have you tried adding heat? That can sometimes soften them up and make it easier to pull off.

[Will Newton]

Good thought. The Outdoor Gear Lab guys mentioned that their MHW Ghost Whisperer logo came off in the wash, but I'd prefer not to unnecessarily wash something a bunch of times. I guess the trick is not to melt the fabric. Where is Richard? We need a chart: A New Paradigm For Measuring Melting Points Of Expensive Jackets!

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Agree! If a company wants me to advertise for them, they can pay me! I've taken a color-appropriate sharpie to stitched logos, particularly on black clothing. Might also work for laminated logos you can't remove? (Wait a second, this is BPL. Aren't we going to have an extended discussion on the unethicality and moral turpitude of removing logos? Joking! Just joking!)

[Nick Gatel]

I don't care for them.

But my time is too valuable to be spending time removing them. Since I usually hike alone, no one knows what brand I wear. My wife doesn't know the difference between Patagonia or Coleman, so there is no discussion about how much did that cost.

[Will Newton]

Delmar, I've done that with a few things, but I'm a designer, and am easily bothered by small visual details. I'll know it's there, and yes, that's a wonderful first-world problem to have. For *embroidered* logos, though, agreed, it's the only way to go.

Ah, Nick, you've put your finger on the other and possibly best reason to remove them. 'This old thing? Oh, I picked that up at a yard sale." ;)

[David Thomas]

Everyone cites Nike when they talk about companies not just getting free advertising but actually charging people to advertise for them by wearing t-shirts, etc, with their logo.

But there is only one company's logo that any significant number of people willing pay to have TATTOOED onto their body – Harley Davidson.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Nearly every time I have tried I regretted it. It ends up leaving a mess of some sort. The only time I was saisfied with the results was removing rubbery plastc logos that were simply stitched on luggage. Crumpler, Eagle Creek and RIE have used them at one point it another.

There are tons of promotional items given out at conventions and business conferences, usually plastered with silk screen advertising. I considered researching the effectiveness of embroidering over the offending logo with a geometric graphic or the like. It's a shame to care all that stuff go to a landfill. The problem with many outdoor garments is perforating a shell and leaking.

It's all too messy. In some cases you might void the warranty, etc. Writing to manufacturers may have some ipact. Ultimately, we should vote with our wallets.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Harley Davidson is the trendy tattoo, you say?

Shoot. I just got my full-back Louis Vuitton tattoo finally completed last week, and it's already outdated?!

[J R]

Delmar, since this is BPL, the issue isn't the ethics of removing logos, the issue is the added weight of the ink when you mask the logos with a Sharpie…

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Ah, right you are. Thanks for getting me back on track.

Don't get me started on that unnecessarily dense Sharpie ink…

[Joe Geib]

Removal might leave too many tiny holed in a fabric/membrane to be worth it.

Why not just do what they do on TV to cover logos (TNF, for example)?

They use gaffer's tape on the logos. Why not try and use Tenacious Tape for cover-up? Or use the Tape after logo removal, to seal up the holes?

[Jerry Adams]

photoshop?

[Will Newton]

The gaffer's tape is a thought, but… adding… weight? Blasphemy. ;)

*So* much more work to clone all the logos out in Pshop then to hairdryer 'em off. Although now you've got me thinking about setting up some sort of action that automatically recogizes and removes dead birds..

Man, tattoos are so old-school. I just gel my hair up into the Enlightened Equipment logo. ;)

[Dena Kelley]

I understand the sentiment. I actively avoid brands that are too much into pasting their log on the front, back and every sleeve. I don't mind one tastefully placed logo. Actery'x usually isn't too bad but some other brands are just obnoxious. I've never gone to the extreme of trying to remove the logo, simply because I won't buy the item if I find it to be too branded to begin with.

[J R]

Why not wear the clothes inside out?

[Greg Mihalik]

"I won't buy the item if I find it to be too branded to begin with"

+1

I vote with my $$s.

[Will Newton]

Agreed on the 'not branded'… which rules out a lot of the lightest options. I feel like companies are getting wise to this, though; Arc'x has been progressively reducing the size of their logos (and moving them to the hem), and 'crossover' brands like Nau and Aether seem to think that unbrandedness is worth a $100 premium.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

Hey Will, what brand jacket you wearing in your Avatar? I can't quite read it. If the darned manufacturer would've made it a little larger, I could see it.

[James holden]

the dead bird logos are more or less the same from a few years ago in size and placement …

i still have some of the old "made in canada" … and its generally the same

the funny thing is that the logo is the selling point to alot of people ive talked to on dead birds … theres other reasons … but the popularity of their giant logo beanies, its apparent that people buy it for the name … in vancouver we see cars with dead bird stickers all the time

as to removing logos … thats your choice but i wouldnt bother personally … it would ruin the resale and possibly the "warranty"

;)

[Will Newton]

There's a character in the William Gibson novel "Pattern Recognition" (quite good, btw) who is physically allergic to visible branding. I think the outdoor community, and that hat in particular, has weaponized this particular affliction.

[Jeremy and Angela]

If the label is thick enough, I suspect a heat gun and patience would allow you to tease the logo off. (I've done this for a branded backpack with reasonable results.)

For other logos you might consider getting some heat-transfer material to cover the logo; it's probably the most durable option, and you can add in your own design if you like. If you have a local shop that makes promotional items they may be able to help you out, or have leftover scraps.

[Mobile Calculator]

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[Dan]

For embroidered logos, I've found that a shaving razor works very well. I have a pair of MHW Piero pants that [had] the nut logo prominently displayed on the thigh, and I took an old Gillette razor to the back-side of it and had it off in about 10 minutes. Goes without saying that you have to be careful, but it works really well. Now, for non-embroidered logos on puffys and the like, I have no clue, but I'm with the OP as far as reasons or removal.

[Greg Mihalik]

"There's a character in the William Gibson novel "Pattern Recognition" (quite good, btw) who is physically allergic to visible branding."

Well, almost – "…Cayce Pollard, a 32-year-old marketing consultant who has a psychological sensitivity to corporate symbols…"

and, +1 for Willam Gibson

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