FAQs

We were founded on August 17th, 2018. This also happens to be International Battle Vest Day, which is no coincidence, because we founded this important day in 2021 to coincide with the date our company was established.

While we have grown a lot since our humble beginnings and we have many “big” licenses, we are a very small and entirely independent team of 4 individuals who are very passionate about Metal and patches.

The company began as a hobby and we bootstrapped it to where we have been able to acquire the rights to work with world renowned artists. So, while we are now a for profit business, we remain committed to the same values we have always had. Approved by the bands. Made for the fans.

Small patches are generally between 9.5cm and 12cm in any given direction.

Oversize patches are typically 24cm across, by about 16cm tall.

Strip patches are always 20cm by 6cm.

Backpatches are always 29cm by 36cm.

Keep in mind that there is some variation between items as an inevitable part of the weaving process.

No. Unfortunately, we have no capacity to do so. We are a retail brand, not a manufacturer.

For the most part, yes. Some are limited to strict numbers, but this depends on the license we hold. For most artists we work on a one-off basis, with no rights to make more. Occasionally these artists will ask us to make more and under certain circumstances we will agree if there is significant demand.

For big bands we have open licenses where we can run as many copies as we want. However, even in these instances we still limit numbers. This is not set by a strict amount, but rather by a desire to keep our product more “boutique”.

It’s much more interesting for us to make new designs than it is to make thousands of copies of one single design. But we do have to balance our business interests with our artistic desires as some licences are very expensive and it is difficult to recoup our advances.

Generally, no, but sometimes yes. It really depends on the type of license we hold.

For big bands it is very expensive to acquire a license and we are not a charity. We need to recoup our costs. In those instances where there is demand we will reissue things in an effort to both satisfy fans and to make the license financially viable.

With that said, most bands we work with are done as one-off deals, where we don’t have the rights to print more copies. We have done some reprints in the past as new one-off deals, and in those instances, we have changed some minor details in the patch to preserve the limited nature of the originals.

We generally hold back a number of any given design to account for defects and lost items. When it is clear that everyone who ordered a copy has received it, we will put the remaining extra items into stock. In addition, for items that were sold as preorders, there are many instances where an item did not sell out during the preorder window. In those cases, the unsold items will be added into stock and sold off.

Yes. All of our products are 100% approved directly by either the band members themselves, management, the record label, or an approved licensor.

We pay an industry leading royalty rate that is much higher than the typical rates paid. After all our overhead and expenses, the bands actually receive the majority of the profits on any of the products we make. We remain committed to supporting the scene as our first priority.

No. Before this business began, one of our team members did make a few unlicensed patches, but did so without a profit motivation and in very small numbers. So this was more a case of DIY than it was of bootlegging as it is known today.

Although Pull The Plug Patches Pty Ltd. is an entirely separate legal entity, we retroactively paid royalties on all of these items as a matter of good faith. In addition, we once made an unlicensed patch as a joke, but we did not profit from in any way at all, so once again, this was more DIY than bootleg.

Finally, against our better judgement, we did make some horror movie themed patches in our very early days that were not licensed. This was short-sighted and we recognize it as a mistake. As we learn, so too do we grow.

We love DIY! Most of the bootleggers you see in the scene today are not simply making a few patches here and there because they want one for their vest when one does not exist and selling a few extras to simply recoup their costs as one of our team members once did many years ago before this business was founded. They are emphatically making them for profit, in significant quantities, and at the direct expense of the bands and official sellers like us.

Most contemporary bootleggers have nothing to do with DIY culture. We love the DIY ethos and see no problem with that (for example, hand painted vests are amazing!), but we are all smart enough to know that there is something very different going on in the patch scene today that extends far beyond DIY.

All that most bootleggers are doing is ripping off your favorite bands and telling you “It’s free promotion” while lining their own pockets. Most people with a solid head on their shoulders recognize that in 2025 bands make very little money. Album sales have dried up in the form of streaming. Touring has become prohibitively expensive. They don’t need promotion. They need actual merch sales. We are doing our part to help them and we make no apologies for that.

No. While most vintage patches from the 1990s were squares, there were some notable exceptions like a Bolt Thrower shield shaped patch, and a skull shaped Asphyx patch. In addition, a number bootlegs existed in various shapes. Beyond these examples, as far as we know, we were one of the first companies to bring shaped official patches to market. So, while we did not invent the form, we definitely charted a new and innovative path for what official patches could be and our name became synonymous with different shaped patches.

Despite opposition from some Metal fans, we love the new possibilities that shaped patches provided, and this is a formula that has proven to be very successful for us. Of course, this success has led to numerous companies attempting to make products that look exactly like ours. While we’re not so impressed with the blatant copycats, we appreciate and respect those companies that have taken this idea and developed their own unique style and niche. We view this as something that is ultimately healthy and positive for battle vest culture.

No, not in our store. In 2021 Business Insider reported that the adoption of this motto has "created a sense of entitlement among shoppers that has led to aggression and even violence toward retail workers". We do not adhere to the shallow capitalist idea that we must be willing to be abused in the pursuit of an income.

We have a policy of respect being a two-way street. We will bend over backwards to help you if you treat us with respect. If you don’t, then honestly, we don’t want your business. It’s really that simple. We don’t owe you anything, and you don’t owe us anything. Our relationship is completely voluntary.

In addition, the actual phrase is "the customer is always right in matters of taste". The full statement is of course correct, and it means that customers decide what is viable and what is not as a product. But this was shortened and misinterpreted to it's current perceived interpretation to mean that customers can be rude and abusive. Maybe that flies elsewhere, but certainly not in our store. Again, we expect to be treated with respect and if you aren't prepared to do that, then please shop elsewhere. It's really that simple.

ABUSE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, and we reserve the right to cancel your order if you treat us in an abusive manner.