I wonder if Mr Thorn the headmaster will give me detention for encouraging other first forum boys to be naughty
As I recall, wrt to days when Thorns were UK-built and painted, there was a "stealth option" whereby the tube lettering, at least, could be omitted during painting. I have seen mention of this in some eBay descriptions over the years. I don't believe that was possible for the head badges, as they were soldered/brazed on.
So...one could say one was just being faithful to the heritage of the bike by going stealth.
It's a thought!
Best,
Dan.
EDIT: Having just posted the above, it does occur to me there could be a marked downside to de-labeling a bike, and that involves ready recovery in the event of a theft. It is considerably harder to recognize or lay ready ownership claim to an unlabeled bike by type or name, leaving one to squint at serial numbers from ground level in hopes of a recovery. With this in mind, I am about to
label my panniers and such, just as Mom did my jackets when starting kindergarten. I'll put my name on the wheel-side of the bags so they look tidy, but wouldn't require a thief's cooperation if I needed to point out my rightful ownership to a police officer. It seems a bit..I dunno, but allows me to cry "Oi! If they're yours, what's my name doing on your bags, then?!?" And in
paint! And on the wheel side! An alternative would be to mark them neatly on the reflective patches, as I have seen others do. With bikes...well, in the event of theft, it helps if there is
something distinctive and recognizable to lay claim to. -- Dan.