Question about tattoos

[Bob Warner]

I am sure that there are several people here with knife tattoos. I am interested in knife tattoo designs. I have seen many knife tattoos but have not liked any of them.

I have found a tattoo artist that wants to trade and I have wanted a knife tattoo for years. I have my chance and need help with the design.

If anyone has a knife tattoo, can you post a picture or sketch?

I know Tim Herman is a tattoo artist so I am hoping Tim sees this and adds his ideas. The concept is all I need, my sister can draw anything and she can work from a concept.

Most tattoos I have seen show a dagger with flowers or plants around it or a knife with an eagle head on it. Some show a knife entering the skin and coming back out. They are all "Flash" images that can be picked off the wall in any tattoo parlor. I want something totally different that captures what we do here.

Thanks for any input.

TIM, PLEASE JUMP IN.

[chrisinbeav]

Originally Posted by Bob Warner

Most tattoos I have seen show a dagger with flowers or plants around it or a knife with an eagle head on it. Some show a knife entering the skin and coming back out. They are all "Flash" images that can be picked off the wall in any tattoo parlor. I want something totally different that captures what we do here.

What exactly do you mean by "what we do here." Are you talking about knife making, or the conversations etc that go on here at the KN?

If you are talking about knife making, well here's an idea:
An arm band with multiple small pictures. Such as a person hammering on an anvil, picture of a forge maybe, and a picture of a knife. Maybe all encased in a celtic knot boarder.

Oo! Here's another idea:
Again an arm band but with pictures of different kinds of knives. (bowie, skinner, bird & trout, hawk, etc...) Maybe put that in a boarder as well. If you have an insignia maybe make that the center piece. (Dang.... I really like that idea, let me know if you don't like the idea. It might be my next tattoo )

Chris Nilluka

[hammerdownnow]

Here is one I drew up to tattoo on the back of Ron "Bowie" Claiborn's hand. He changed his mind tho, and now wants to shave his head and get a map of the world tattooed on it so I made a card out of it, Roc

(click4pic)
Roc's tattoo website

[Bob Warner]

I mean knifemaking in general.

I like the arm band idea with different pictures.

I also like Roc's picture but it is not what I want (like I know what I want).

[McAhron]

I cant draw worth a crap but i"ll try to describe what i envision.I think a pipehawk with full embellishments and a bowie laying over it in the form of an x just above an anvil with flames coming out from underneath the anvil and encircling the whole knife/tomahawk,but without the flames behind the knife and tomahawk,It would be a circle shape with taller flames on top of the circle.Underneath the flame circle would be a hammer laying horizontal.Well i hope you can deduce somthing from that.

[Tim Adlam]

Wrong Tim...but I'm game to help guide you Bob.

I don't have a tattoo, [high pain-o-meter] but I admire the artform, the artists and the personal/spiritual aspect of it all.

Would I have one done...
It would be my concept.
The tattoo artist would have to be top in his/her field.

Here's an idea from my wife...[has tattoo]...
Make up a personal carry knife for yourself...have it scrimshawed, and have that image made into a tattoo for yourself.
What a package!...

Hope I didn't add to the confusion...

Tim

[Mace]

I think Renee Roy has a sweet tattoo of a large Scagel fighter.......
I've been interested in knife tattoos too, but still have not seen what I want either.
I think I'll have to make the knife and go from there.
Nice card Roc......
Mace

[TexasJack]

I also have no tattoos - owing to a combination of a strong belief that God meant pain as a means of saying "Don't do that!" and remembering the immortal words of the Madame in "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas": "Only cattle are branded."

But I'll offer this: It's almost April 15th. How about a hand holding a knife to your throat with "IRS" on the hand?


Just a thought.....

[dudeinthehut]

OK...

I just happen to be a tattoo artist! (that's how I finance my knife making habit)

If you forge your blades, how 'bout this...
Use the outline shape of a bowie or your favorite type of knife as a frame. Then show the darkened back of a bladesmith in front of the mouth of his roaring forge as he hammers the steel. The entire area of the smith, anvil, tongs, knife, and foreground would be solid black. The mouth of the forge would be white hot and casting a glow around the image of the working smith. Get it?

If you do not forge...
Maybe tattoo a large mirror polished blade from the perspective of being very close to the tip of the blade as it tapers off into the background. The effect would be sort of like looking down a road as it goes off into the distance, but you are looking down the surface of the knife on its side. In the distorted reflection, pay homage to that which you consider to be at the heart of your craft. A favorite tool perhaps, or... a loving wife who has supported you over your knifemaking carrer.

Let us know what you decide. I am very interested!

Andy

[Bob Warner]

Andy,

Your forging description sounds good. I will have to play with that and see if I can come up with a design. I like the idea of the working smith in the knife frame.

Unfortunately I can't draw worth anything so I will need to enlist the assistance of my sister for that.

The white hot might be hard to do on me since I am already glow-in-the-dark white already.

When I get a drawing, I'll post it for opinions. If anyone has drawings that I can use for inspiration, please post them.

The EDC and scrimshaw also has my attention so I might get her to draw something up on it (when she has time).

Please keep the ideas coming.

[hammerdownnow]

All kidding aside. The best possible outcome would be from you and the tattoo artist talking your ideas over. Just like you pick the brains of someone who orders a knife, a tattoo artist does this on a daily basis. He will sketch your ideas and you ok them, or change them till you are both satisfied. I say both because some things, like in knifemaking, look good on paper but do not transfer well to skin. and he knows what will and what won't work. He can do his best work on a design of his own creation. Do not feel funny about getting this"added" service, because it is always included in the deal.

[MPMetal]

I love that idea of the bladesmith inside of a knife ... might have to think on that my self!!
I have one that is sort of a knife tat, I have an anvil on my arm with a hammer laying on the face there is a blacked out dragon floting over the wast. my orignal drawing for it had a pair of crossed sword in place of the dragon and tongs and a torch head crossed below. I still might go back and get the tongs and torch...
be carfull tats are adictive get one and you will want more. I havn't got any ink in 4 year and I am dieing for a new one... would all ready have one but the drawing for my back got lost when my buddy hard drive crashed !
MP

[hammerdownnow]

P.S. It don't hurt to take some sketches, one or several that could be combined, in for the meeting. Oh yeah, be sure to look at pictures of his work and make sure you like what you see. Ask if he has a website so we can see his work. Does he work in a shop, or is he a work at home guy? Are they health board inspected? A few up front questions could avoid later problems.

[Bob Warner]

I already have a tattoo from the place I would want to go. It is www.creativetattoo.com and Martin is the guy that did my other one.

[cwp]

Originally Posted by MPMetal

I love that idea of the bladesmith inside of a knife ... might have to think on that my self!!

be carfull tats are adictive get one and you will want more. I havn't got any ink in 4 year and I am dieing for a new one... would all ready have one but the drawing for my back got lost when my buddy hard drive crashed !
MP

The bladesmith idea is cool. MP is right though, tattoo's are addictive. I got 2 in the Marines, and 2 more recently, the most recent I use as my avatar. That one I worked with my tattoo artist to get the sketch, and as he inked it on my back he adjusted it to fit correctly. I have since decided to use it to mark my blades, after all, if it is good enough to mark me, it is good enough for my blades.

Keep us posted Bob, love to see what you come up with.

--Carl