Convert operator to string

Question

How to programmatically convert an operator such as Equilibrium into its displayed form as a string? The conversion should work like this:

FullForm[convert /@ {Equilibrium, LongRightArrow, LeftVector, Equal}]

I've tried various methods with no avail:

• converting to strings and wrapping in "\[...]"
• using different form wrappers (DisplayForm, TraditionalForm, etc.)
• using low level boxes, but since that is really not my alley, I was a bit clueless
• since operators with built-in meaning are used too, argument usage does not seem viable (e.g. ToString[Equal["", ""]] which returns True)

Answer 1

This seems to work

convert[str_] := Module[{stream, output},
  stream = StringToStream["\"\\[" <> ToString[str] <> "]\""];
  output = Read[stream];
  Close[stream];
  output]

convert /@ {Equilibrium, LongRightArrow, LeftVector, Equal} // InputForm

Edit

You could also do something like this:

convert[str_] := ToExpression["\"\\[" <> ToString[str] <> "]\""]

convert /@ {Equilibrium, LongRightArrow, LeftVector, Equal} // InputForm

Answer 2

How about (updated based on TomD's comment):

convert = StringTrim@ToString[HoldForm@#["", " "]]&

then,

In[]:= convert/@{Equilibrium,LongRightArrow,LeftVector,Equilibrium}
Out[]= {\[Equilibrium],\[LongRightArrow],\[LeftVector],\[Equilibrium]}

Note, that the output here is a string:

In[]:= Head/@%
Out[]= {String,String,String,String}

Edit Note, this also works on operators like Plus or Minus.