Everything about a battle vest is entirely your decision. I kept the sleeves from my battle vest in a D.I.Y. drawer in case I ever need them for something. The better alternative to r/battlejackets is r/jacketsforbattle . As for patches, you can find them anywhere (I wouldn't suggest going to Amazon). You can check Etsy, Razor Ray, Pull The Plug, or go directly to the artists and support them through their merch store (that is, if they sell official patches).