You want to customise your cut or your leather or denim vest, and most shops offer you embroidered patches. It's what many bikers reach for first. Yet there is another way, closer to the spirit of leather: the leather patch. At Traveller Shop we make our leather patches in our own workshop in France, and every day we see what patches become after thousands of miles. Here is an honest comparison, so you can choose with your eyes open.
Embroidered patches: what they do well, and their limits
Embroidered patches have real qualities: they are soft, light, easy to find and allow very colourful designs. For a textile jacket or a bag, they are a good choice.
On a biker vest exposed to wind, rain and sun, their limits show quickly. The threads end up fuzzing and fraying, the edges curl up, the fabric gets dirty very easily, and the thread colours fade in the sun. New, an embroidered patch looks nice. But after a few seasons on the road it soon looks worn and tired, next to a leather vest that keeps developing its patina and gets better with age.
Leather patches: a patch that ages with your vest
A leather patch is made of the same material as your cut. It doesn't fray, it stands up to rain and the road, and its colours resist the sun. Above all, it ages together with your vest: over time its colours deepen and it takes on a unique patina, the one that comes from the life you give your vest. Two patches that start out identical will never look alike after a few years on the road.
How our leather patches are made
- Genuine full-grain cowhide, 2.5 mm thick, vegetable-tanned in France especially for us.
- Two families of patches:
- Coloured patches: a vintage-style colour design framed by a black border embossed in 3 mm relief, which gives depth and a true badge look.
- Embossed patches: the whole design is embossed into the leather, all in relief, for a raw and authentic look.
- Made from start to finish in our workshop in France.
Every piece comes out of our workshop: it is a unique badge, not a mass-produced embroidery.
Comparison table
| Embroidered patch | Traveller Shop leather patch | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Thread on fabric | Full-grain cowhide 2.5 mm, vegetable-tanned in France |
| Fraying | Threads fuzz and break over time | Doesn't fray |
| Rain and road | The fabric soaks up water, wears in bad weather and gets dirty very easily | Stands up to rain and the road |
| Sun | Thread colours fade | Colours resist the sun |
| Ageing | Wears out separately from the vest | Develops a patina with the vest, its colours deepen: a unique patina |
| Relief | Flat or slightly raised | Coloured patches: border embossed in 3 mm relief. Embossed patches: the whole design in relief |
| Style | Modern, colourful | Vintage, authentic biker |
| Custom design | Yes | Yes, from a simple good-quality JPEG: square, round, Route 66 or special shape |
Which patch for which spot?
- On the back: the centrepiece of the cut. Our large coloured back patches and our large embossed back patches are made for it.
- On the front, the sides of the back, the sleeve: our small coloured leather patches (57 × 86 mm or 70 mm round) and our small embossed biker patches.
- On a saddlebag or a bag: a small patch is enough, and leather holds up to rubbing far better than embroidery.
How to attach a leather patch to a vest
Our advice: always glue the patch before sewing it. The glue holds it perfectly in place, it doesn't move while you sew, and the result is clean. Then sew around the patch, by hand or at a saddler's. Glued and sewn, it won't move again. Find our fitting tips on the DIY – Fitting page.
Our leather patches by theme
More than 200 small designs, and as many ideas for your cut: Route 66, pin-ups, skulls, engines, biker mottos, flags, zodiac signs…
Small coloured leather patchesLarge back patchesEmbossed patches
Frequently asked questions
Is a leather patch tougher than an embroidered patch?
Yes. Leather doesn't fray and stands up to rain and the road, whereas the threads of an embroidery end up fuzzing and breaking.
Can I put a leather patch on a denim vest?
Yes. It goes on the same way: glue first, then sew.
Does a leather patch fade in the sun?
No, its colours resist the sun. Over time they even deepen, and the patch takes on a unique patina, shaped by the life of your vest.
Should I glue or sew a leather patch?
Both: glue it first so it doesn't move, then sew it.
Can you make a custom leather patch?
Yes: club logo, name or personal design. All you need to send us is a good-quality JPEG image. We make it in one of our formats: square or rectangle, round, or Route 66 shield. A special shape is also possible; it costs a little more, on quotation. Contact us with your image and your idea.
Can I iron on an embroidered patch?
Iron-on patches hold poorly on leather. For a leather vest, gluing and then sewing remains the best solution, and it's the one we recommend for our leather patches.