The thing with sailor tattoos. I love them. Yet, I am with tattoos very conservative in a way. I think one should get tattooed with lots of respect for the history and traditions of cultures and subcultures. If I make this point with tribals a lot of people agree. If I make it with old school sailor tattoos I get startled looks. Old school, traditional swallows, sparrows, anchors, neptun, rigged ships have a meaning. I'd suspect one at least does enough research to know what they mean. Many of them could only be acquired by quite serious sailing – when it was quite dangerous job. (It still can be, by the way.). So as much as I love those tats, I'd personally not wear them without acquiring nautical milage first. Actually that is one of the reasons, why I'll plan a Atlantic crossing as a tall ship volunteer – and that will just get me an anchor, it will take another long trip for that swallow, and if I make it around Cape Horn ever? I doubt it. But the sailors deserve it. Its my way to pay them the respect they deserve. I understand that symbolism changes, and this stuff is now considered fashionable and cool kitsch with rock'n'rollers. So I don't criticize anyone. As long as it is thoughtful what one does. And not just "uuh looks cool!".

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The thing with sailor tattoos. I love them. Yet, I am with tattoos very conservative in a way. I think one should get tattooed with lots of respect for the history and traditions of cultures and subcultures. If I make this point with tribals a lot of people agree. If I make it with old school sailor tattoos I get startled looks. Old school, traditional swallows, sparrows, anchors, neptun, rigged ships have a meaning. I'd suspect one at least does enough research to know what they mean. Many of them could only be acquired by quite serious sailing – when it was quite dangerous job. (It still can be, by the way.). So as much as I love those tats, I'd personally not wear them without acquiring nautical milage first. Actually that is one of the reasons, why I'll plan a Atlantic crossing as a tall ship volunteer – and that will just get me an anchor, it will take another long trip for that swallow, and if I make it around Cape Horn ever? I doubt it. But the sailors deserve it. Its my way to pay them the respect they deserve. I understand that symbolism changes, and this stuff is now considered fashionable and cool kitsch with rock'n'rollers. So I don't criticize anyone. As long as it is thoughtful what one does. And not just "uuh looks cool!".