What Is the STIHL Logo?
The STIHL logo is the name STIHL in orange italic capitals. STIHL introduced this slanted lettering on 1 January 1977, replacing a sawtooth logo from 1936. The orange wordmark is available as the STIHL logo SVG.
It belongs to Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG, the German chainsaw and power tool maker based in Waiblingen near Stuttgart, which Andreas Stihl founded in 1926, the year he built his first chainsaw. On STIHL machines the orange is paired with grey, a colour combination the company has protected as a trademark in its own right.
STIHL Logo Facts
| Introduced | 1 January 1977 |
| Symbol | None; the name is the logo |
| Logo type | Wordmark: the name in slanted capitals |
| Earlier mark | The sawtooth logo, introduced in 1936 |
| Owner | Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG |
What the STIHL Logo Means
The logo is simply the founder's surname. The name already appeared at both ends of the 1926 saw, and the first trademarked logo of 1928 was built around it.
STIHL's earlier logos spelled out the link to the product more literally. When the company introduced the 1936 sawtooth logo, it said the new mark reflected STIHL's close relationship with the development of the chainsaw.
Colour does much of the work. Orange and grey have marked STIHL products and advertising for decades, and STIHL has defended the combination in the EU courts.
STIHL Logo History
STIHL has had three logos since Andreas Stihl built his first chainsaw in 1926.
| Year | What changed |
|---|---|
| 1928 | The first logo: the Stihl name on a tree stump |
| 1936 | The sawtooth logo replaces it |
| 1977 | The slanted wordmark arrives on 1 January |
The tree-stump logo appeared at a time when the company had not yet built a tree-felling saw. It lasted less than ten years. The sawtooth mark stayed on saws for four decades, including the 090 built until 1977.
The slanted wordmark was the third logo in STIHL's history. Saws such as the 023 of the 1990s and the MS 440 of the 2000s carried it. It has remained in place since, with modern fonts used alongside it on some special editions.
Orange and Grey in Court
STIHL filed its orange and grey colour combination as an EU trademark for chainsaws in 2008, and it was registered in 2011. The case then went through several stages.
- A Romanian company that imported look-alike chainsaws from China challenged the mark.
- An EUIPO Board of Appeal first found its description too vague.
- The EU General Court disagreed and upheld the mark in 2021.
- In November 2021 the European Court of Justice refused to let a further appeal proceed.
For more brands like STIHL, browse our industrial logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did STIHL introduce its current logo?
On 1 January 1977, when the slanted wordmark replaced the 1936 sawtooth logo.
What was the first STIHL logo?
A 1928 trademark showing the Stihl name on a tree stump.
Is STIHL orange a trademark?
Yes. STIHL holds an EU colour mark for orange and grey on chainsaws, registered in 2011 and upheld by the EU General Court in 2021.
Who founded STIHL?
Andreas Stihl, who built his first chainsaw in 1926.