Dan S

May you all enjoy your Yule, and the year to come.

Thanks, C.E., but nothin sexy bout toolholders!

Welcome to LST, Cary, hope you enjoy it here. Quite the CV ya got going there! If you ever need tooling for your cnc's, drop me a line, I'll give you a nice discount. HSK

It's a beautiful day to die.

Getting stares because you're wearing something that has traditionally been jailhouse art, or other "outsider" type work is entirely on the wearer. To the people who have traditionally gotten things like spiderwebs, walls, teardrops, etc., they are specific indicators freighted with much significance. I'm not saying don't get 'em, just to expect the stares and attitudes. .02

Ya know, I should've taken a better pic-woulda been a trip to win December with a 40 y.o. tattoo! Again this month withe the sick-ass good work-this just keep sgetting better and better.

BEST/WORST of 2012: 1.) Best LST Thread: Gots to be the Old Tattoo thread. 2.) Worst LST Thread: Worst Celebrity Tattoos 3.) Favorite tattoo you got this year (pls say by who and what shop): la Senorita y el Tigre, by Nick Colella at CTC. 4.) Favorite tattoo another LSTer got this year (pls say by who and what shop if you know): http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/lst-announcements-contests/3203-november-2012-tattoo-month-contest-page2.html#post49595 ScottR 5.) Favorite tattoo artist you discovered through LST: hmmmm...well, guess I'd have to say Stewart Robson. One can only hope to amass the funds necessary for a cross-pond soiree. 6.) How'd you find LST: 67 Olds turned me on to it. 7.) Favorite part of the site: Activity stream 8.) Area of the site you spend most your happy time at: Old Tattoo thread 9.) What do you want more of: See above. 10.) Sum up the year in one word: SUX BONUS: Favorite quote of the year...... From anywhere????? Oh, here? Okay. Nothing specific, but I always watch for posts from certain people, say, KyleGrey, CultExciter, Colored guy, Jack, Erik G., and a few others.

Teddyboy was never an Ami thang...we were called Greasers back in the day.

Check out a Phụng....this is one that was done on a friends shoulder a few ago.

Yeah, and god help ya if ya sweat...they were fun.

Damn! You are OLD!!! Just shuckin ya...guess that makes me older, eh?! Thinkin on it, that panther head was a cover-up of a single needle handmade, too. Siad "Pat" under the center of it.

Gots to ride with @David Flores on this...I buy whatever I can from local stores. After that, if I have to go to a bigger store, I look for American Made. If I still can't find what I need, then I try to avoid the real culture-traps and go for the simple stuff. AS far as boycotting or avoiding certain companies, oh hell yes. Used to wear nothing but Levi's, but stopped buying anything Levi Strauss associated after they started pouring money into the so-called "gun-control" movement. Anyone that wants to restrict my rights-any of them-doesn't need my money. Another beautiful example is anything owned, controlled, or influenced by George Soros. Again, if someone wants to restrict my rights, then they don't need my help to do it. Politics...there are a LOT of people I do business with whose politics are divergent from mine, and that's all kool. Now, if they are making their politics a part of their business, that's different. Used to eat in a certain diner, owners are friendly, food is edible, place isn't too shabby. That changed when they hung out huge posters for the Presidential candidate of their choice during the 2008 election-cycle. Handed out pamphlets in the restaurant, buttons on everyone, like that. Well, when it becomes a part of the business, I can't support it anymore, and told them that. Just my .02...

Gonna be interesting to see that boy when he's 50 or 60.

Now, this isn't strictly speaking a serious entry, I just wanted to note how far this contest has come in the last year. Some truly outstanding work being displayed here! Congrats to all for the effort of both tattooer and tattooee in getting them! Thanks to all for sharing your pix, and thanks to Lochlan and the team here for making this site a must-see every day. Panther head by Dale Grande, probably 1974.

I tattooed the heart n ribbon on the back of my hand when I was like 15 or so...definitely the hoodlum trip. I totally laff when I read about us "older generation" who are shocked by such things...think on it now, kids, someone my age-58-grew up in the 60's and 70's. We did shit you wouldn't even believe and didn't even think about it.

@Johannes, an ABBA backpiece...man, you don't have a hair on yer ass if you don't go for that!!!

For decades, CTC would not tattoo the hands, neck, or face. Policy laid-down by Cliff Raven and continued by Dale Grande. That isn't the case anymore, can't say 'zactly when it was changed, but it was pretty much a case of you pays your money and you takes your chances. As has been said, only adults can be tattoed, and they won't work on anyone who is under the influence, so...

Sounds like time to break some fingers. Fkn thieves are the lowest of the low...hope someone spots 'em and you get a crack at them.

Adding the pix is easy, just click on the "Go Advanced" button and follow the prompts. Any tattoo is aa vivid memory of an instant in your life, so I figure unless it's just flat-out messed-up, it's all good. Glad you found the forum, enjoy!

CHICKEN!!! Just shuckin...you don't have to worry about "Famous" artists, I think everyone here has a piece or two that isn't 'zactly the height of perfection!

It's not generational, trust me. When I was 25, I was riding all over the country, raising hell and partying hard-that's what 25 year olds of ANY generation do. Stability doesn't much enter into it as something to be acquired so much as something that is thrust on you by events. If, for any reason, you have kids somewhere down the line, you'll dig where I'm coming from. Visible tattooing...now that's pretty subjective. Unless I'm wearing a neck to toe full body suit, you're seeing my tattoos. I think a few different levels should be distinguished. The first level would be the person that has, say, a tattoo on a forearm. Easliy covered, dirt common, no big deal for anyone. Next would be the person that has extensive coverage on the arms. Still easily covered, still pretty durn common, and still not an issue. Then there are those with full-sleeves. Even then, it isn't that uncommon, and can be hidden if necessary. Won't even bother talking about the torso, cause you're only going to be showing that work on purpose. So that leaves the next "class", people with work on their necks. This is where you're going to start getting looks, but still, it really isn't all that uncommon. There is a matter of degree here, too. Someone with a smaller work on their neck probably won't experience the negativity that someone with their entire neck wrapped in ink will. Hands? That's next up. Traditionally hands have been the province of convicts, bikers, sailors, or other ne'er do wells. People still see them that way, but I don't think it's a big, insurmountable thing. IT may inconvenience you a bit here and there, but I don't believe they would be too limiting. Now. The face. REAL visible tattooing. I'm gonna part company with you on this one, because the only facial tattooing I can see any reason for is teardrops, and I don't think you're that kinda guy! Seriously, once you put ink on your face, you've pretty well screwed the pooch for any type of serious gig. And that isn't necessarily bad. What is bad is your age. You're gonna tattoo your face when you still have so much other room left? I know I'm not in the mainstream on this one, but personally, I look a little sideways at people who have faces/necks/hands, like that, all covered, with no other work. I'm sure it's just my own personal predjudices, but it seems to me that they are trying a wee little bit too hard.

Aspirations are great, Brock, and no one should ever lose them. At the same time, we need to deal with the reality of life as it is. The problem with things like facial tattoos is that you don't know where you're going to end-up in life. You may be perfectly happy in a low-stress envirinment now, but someday daown the road you might decide to go for some more money, and that might lead to more responsibility, and that might lead to that suit and tie. It can happen. And it's rough not being able to buy things for your kids because you're topped-out in your salary-range for your field. And I should mention that I do have a tattoo on the back of my hand, it is visible, and sure, I've lost-out on a few things because of being tattooed over the years...but it was my choice to do it, so it's all on me.

Ah well... So. I thnk I'm the oldest one posting here, and I've been an employer for 17 years now, and before that, a foreman and manager for another 10. I hired an old partner of mine to work a trade show last year. Did I say a "trade show"? Let me rephrase. I hired him to man a booth at the largest industrial exhibition in the world, for 8 days. The job was to be in the booth, hand out flyers and like that, talk to people, get names and phone numbers, all that good stuff. My partner has work pretty much all over his body, with the exception of his face. He has a second face tattooed on the back of his head, his neck is covered, his hands are both covered down to the nail, and 99% of the work is jailhouse. Well-done jailhouse, but jailhouse nonetheless. DIdn't hear a bit of negatory feedback. The industry I'm in has always been a tad more open to new things than most...pretty much, if you've got the stones to rock it in a machine shop, hey-go for it. There are exceptions, of course, and I can tell stories about customers banning me from shops, or kicking my co-workers out of field-sites because they didn't like the tattoos/beards/hair/clothes/whatever, but that's really in the minority. Even when calling on GM, Boeing, Cincinnati-Milacron, places like that, as long as you wore the uniform-suit and tie-you were good to go. Didn't matter if you had work that was visible from under the cuffs, as mine is, as long as you had that tie. Now, hell, I don't even think about it when I go out somewhere, and that's usually in a short-sleeve, open-necked shirt. But would I mind if someone else was like that? I gotta admit, if I went into my lawyers office, and found out I was laying out four bills an hour for a slacker in ratty jeans and a tattooed face, I would probably not go back. I know a good number of people who have work, a lot of it pretty radical, on their faces, heads, necks, and hands. I personally don't find the oak leaves and feathers around the eyes and down the cheeks to be a very professional touch, more like the equivalent of ratty jeans. Just my opinion. At that, I would say yeah, great to try to see everyone treated equally, but you have to be realistic to a degree as well. If you plan on EVER doing anything that is a traditional "white-shoe" type of thing, I'd pass on the face and hands. But that's just me.

Saupruesse! Mein Familia ist bei Soltau. So, Frankfurt, good tattoo shops there, or???

If this is something you want to do, make sure it is completely papered. Everything Slayer says in the previous post is str8-up. I work with my familoy, and damn! Are they ever a pain in the ass. Right, guys? Anyhow. Talk to a lawyer, but I would suggest no matter what, make sure everyone's duties and expectations are clearly spelled out in an operating agreement and job descriptions done upfront.