Fresh ink.

[tyggerjai]

So while I think about the sleeves and back, I have clarified my next tattoo plan. I spoke a while back about rewarding myself, after a year as a fulltime rigger, with a clove hitch tattoo. It's about that time. But I'm keeping the sleeves for other things, now, so I'm getting a clove hitch on one wrist, and a reef knot on the other, right about where the thumb would be when clasping opposite wrists. If that makes sense. I can still work the text in - "Harsh" on the right wrist, "Mistress" on the left. And the rope-on-wrist tattoo is apparently a traditional one for sailors, though fallen out of fashion. I'll stop short of having "Hold Fast" tattooed on my knuckles - there are very few ways to tastefully tattoo words on your fingers. But that's very much the intent of the tattoos, they are charms, partly against falling, but more against dropping, in my line of work.

I'm just wondering about the color of rope, really. Is red too gaudy? Does black lose too much detail?

Though I guess red and black would be perfect.


Apropos of which, if you live in Melbourne and get tattoos, where do you go, and who do you recommend?

ETA: I went straight to Tattoo Magic's site, and they have 2 tattooists who may have spare time in December. One of whom seems to have an appropriate style ..... We like synchronicity.


jai.
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Comments

[bunnikins.livejournal.com]

I think you should have rope-coloured rope.

[qamar.livejournal.com]

*nods* black outline, sketched.

BTW, I *love* the knot idea. My knots would be: bowline & half-hitch... those are my favs. for rigging sails and sweeping tent palaces. :)

E.g.


I bought three new tarps for this trip, making five in total. Mmmm...

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

Nice. I use the bowline all the time, but it's just not very attractive. I almost never use the reef knot - no rigger does, there are better knots for everything you use a reef for - but it's classic, and pretty. And, of course, a solid homage to the sailing heritage of my craft.

jai.
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[qamar.livejournal.com]

*nods* the reef is quite the looker. Although, I almost never use it sailing for all the reasons we both know regarding getting the damn thing undone!

I've just written up an lj post inspired by your knot-tales. :)

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

Yup. Jams under load, works loose without load. Not my idea of a good knot :)

jai.
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[ms-kismet.livejournal.com]

I use Green Lotus on Sydney Road - the guys there do fantastic work.

(this is the only weblink i can find for them - http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=327373088)
Tam who works there is a friend of Louis's)

[sly-girl.livejournal.com]

Where on Sydney Road? If it's the one I think it is then they're just up from my work - which works out well for me, since I've promised myself I'm finally going to get some work done this year.

[ms-kismet.livejournal.com]

number 300 - near where those new buildings are going in near glenlyon

[sly-girl.livejournal.com]

Yup, I know the one. Sweet! Might see if I can get an early mark one day in the upcoming months and pop up there after work :)

Not quite sure how to explain it to people here ... but I'll look all responsible when I tell them.

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

Cool. Sent them a message asking if they have online portfolio and time in December. Thanks!

jai.
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[fizit.livejournal.com]

Peril Underground - Christie :)

Though he completely failed to turn up for another friends app. He's still good.

Must. Get. Dragon 'anklet'

My own pref is for all black, they can do great shading just in black. That said, that's just me

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

Which ones of yours did he do? The Tattoo Magic guy does seem to specialise in old-school, Sailor Jerry type work, which is appropriate. but then, I really don't like that style of rope, so I'd be working away from his niche anyway.

And yes, I like black. Something like the Vectran 12-strand, which I suspect can be made as simple or complex as time and finances allow.

jai.
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[fizit.livejournal.com]

He did the 'vesta' glyph on my shoulder. While the sea horses are nice and complex, I didn't really like Dee (Living colour Richmond). She went deeper than necessary for the outline, causing both more pain and the occasional flare up of itching to this day - besides she didn't have anything to do with the design, just the ink.

[saltdawg.livejournal.com]

In sailor lore, having any knot tattoo'd mean a that you have crossed the equator, the dateline, Arctic and Antarctic circles. Having a "Turk's Head" means you've completed a circumnavigation. I remember reading a specific meaning for the reef knot, but my memory fails me. I think a clove hitch sounds pretty damn good for one in your line of work.

I'm still mustering the balls to get my "Hold Fast" myself.

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

Ah, awesome, thanks. I love these bits of history, even though I've never sailed. So much of what I use every day still has its roots in hundreds or even thousands of years of sailing.

Before I came to China, I was going to volunteer to crew on the Enterprize, which I still plan to do when I get home. I imagine it's a fairly intense introduction to sailing :)

The clove hitch I use every day when doing serious rigging, and quite a lot even in show time. It is indeed the mainstay of theatre rigging. The reef knot I almost never use. But it's a pretty knot, and a classic knot, and a better homage to the sailing history than anything else, I reckon. Certainly more attractive than a bowline!

And I figure I can get away with the knot tatts, but Hold Fast is very much a sailor thing, even if it's exactly the sentiment I'm looking for. And "Harsh Mistress" has more fun double meanings :)

jai.
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Bowline FTW

[qamar.livejournal.com]

More attractive than a bowline!! Why I never....

Re: Bowline FTW

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

Oh, the practical side of me loves the bowline to death. It just doesn't look nice :)

jai.
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[saltdawg.livejournal.com]

The history of sailor tattoos is long and sorted. There have been many nights spent arguing about meanings and how one "earns" a particular tattoo... I generally use a wider variety of knots than the typical seamen I sail with, but you can get by on a ship with the bowline, clove, and round turn and two half-hitches.

Do you know the "Thieves knot"? If you don't, look it up. It resembles the reef to the untrained eye, but is tied with the bitter ends on the opposite sides of the knot, so you can tell if someone has opened your bag (because they would retie with a reef knot). I'm also a big fan of the Carrick bend, but it is usually impractical for the situations when I'd need to use it.

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

That'll see you through most day-to-day rigging as well. Add a sheetbend or double fishermans, because we often need to join lines, and that's certainly enough to get by. Anything else I use for fun. I really do need to get a copy of Ashley's and sit down with it while I'm here.

The Carrick is lovely. I should start using that as a joiner. But it doesn't dress nicely, which is a downside. Much prettier before you tighten it :)

jai.
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[txxxpxx.livejournal.com]

Just make sure when they do the reef knot they get it right.

When teaching people to do reef knots in the SES they inveriably end up tying granny knots.

Although as you get older, there may be some merit in that also

*ducks*

*runs*

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

I plan on taking a piece of rope along to tie properly for them :)

jai.
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[http://users.livejournal.com/_ryn/]

Christie, but he'll probably be in the UK by the time you get back. Tam at Green Lotus does excellent work, I'm hoping to get her to work on my back after Christie leaves.

[tyggerjai.livejournal.com]

Hm. that's 2 votes for Tam and 2 for Christie. Maybe I could get one wrist from each.

jai.
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[kitling.livejournal.com]

Sara - but you won't be able to get an appointment with her.

My last three (and Megan's head) were done by William at Tattoo Magic and I love the work he has done, especially on the tiger.