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It doesn't matter what he gets, he'll pretend he loves it 🙂
I wanted a tattoo when I was 18 and never did. Still want one but won't now because I'm old and ugly and don't want to look like I'm trying to polish a turd. Wish I had some old faded ones and had enjoyed looking awesome when that was still an option 🙂
he is 18, an adult. has bugger all to do with you
When I was at school me and my mates were definitely 100% going to get matching Motorhead tattoos.
Luckily we didn't ,imagine having to pretend to still liking them.
Also true, nearly all 40 somethings and older, I know. Regrett their tatts.
I didn't get mine until I was in my forties! I have seven, and I'm currently looking into two more, but these will be a bit more complicated, and I'm probably getting them done at Electric Vintage in Bath.
The lad in question is eighteen, he's legally entitled to get married, learnt to drive a ton and a half of metal at high speed on public roads, join the armed forces and kill people.
Getting a tattoo is no big deal, and it's a fact that even the Victorians regularly had tattoos, and I believe even members of Royalty did too. People are more open about it now, across a much wider section of society, plus tattooists are becoming more and more skilled at creating extraordinary works of art in a medium that, by its very nature, is not forgiving; any mistakes are there for all to see!
As others have said I'd make sure he does his research. I thought about mine for about 2 years then spent about 3 months finding the right artist to do it. Usually the good tattooists have a waiting list and don't just do walk ins.
Tell him he can get an m-dot tattoo but only after completing an ironman first.
If he must get one try and persuade him not to get anything that's currently on trend or the latest fashion.
They wear thin really fast and you just end up looking like a right plonker 10years down the line.
Surely just like beards we have reached peak tattoo and not having one will be the new having one.
6pt Helvetica Neue Condensed is the ultimate test of a tattooist's skill, deadlydarcy...Rachel
True, dat! I'd have needed 5pt Arial Narrow for "Welcome to Jamaica and have a nice day"
Tell him he can get an m-dot tattoo but only after completing an ironman first.
What's the fun in that? Much better to get one not even being able to swim, just for the sake of irony and to annoy a few triathletes.
It's his choice. I would just offer him some sensible advice to make sure he gets something decent and by a decent place.
I'd let Lou on Tattoo fixers do anything she wanted to me 😉
Obvious no-nos, girls' names and anything pop culture (eg, bands). Tastes change. TBH I'd avoid anything wordy altogether.
be glad that he's told you.
I didn't tell my Mum and got one when I was 19.
she cried when she found out.
'Tell him'
Hes an adult not the OPs property.
[i] poah - Member
he is 18, an adult. has bugger all to do with you[/i]
My, what an amazing tone of address you convey.
[i] CountZero - Member
I didn't get mine until I was in my forties! I have seven, and I'm currently looking into two more, but these will be a bit more complicated, and I'm probably getting them done at Electric Vintage in Bath.[/i]
Yah, I know someone who got his first tatt in his 50s.
He only needs to shave the pelt off his back and employ a mirror, to view it.
😉
As for the "you can just have it removed by laser".
I viewed some flesh, a few months ago, at an interim stage of tatt removal.
Messy, very messy and imo, an entirely unnecessary thing to do to one of your vital organs.
Carry on!
Edit
[i] hora - Member
Hes an adult not the OPs property.[/i]
OP isn't implying ownership, but was expressing how they [b]FEEL[/b] for which the OP is receiving some unwarranted comments.
You're a funny bunch, you're all peace and tolerance one minute, then venomous the next.
Perhaps try to understand the OP instead of have a go?
As for when he's 40, I'm sure he'll be too busy staring in the mirror wondering how he got old to worry about a tattoo.
At 40? Only if he spends his time and money on coke and hookers.
When I was 18 I wanted a tattoo to make me beautiful so that I could attract birds to get "free ones".
I thought hard and long about the design then finally I came up with a triangle with an eye in it (was influenced by a TV programme of a female Egyptian super hero), the tattoo would be called Isis ... 😯
Luckily, I came into sense that something was not right i.e. tattoo =/= beautiful =/= birds pulling success.
Imagine if I had that tattoo called Isis now ... I would look like a fool or would probably get hunter down by Apache gunship or A-10 Thunderbolt II.
😆
edit: tell him it's not cool and it's so yesterday.
I have no tattoos.
When my son is 18 he can do what makes him happy. How was my previous post or this 'bitter' etc?
Hes old enough to know what he wants and likes. We are all different.
zippykona - Member
When I was at school me and my mates were definitely 100% going to get matching Motorhead tattoos.
Luckily we didn't ,imagine having to pretend to still liking them.
POSTED 2 HOURS AGO #
Very similar route here, but it was Iron Maiden tats I wanted. I actually listened to my dad's advice thankfully.
Just found out that the £50 I just gave my niece for her 18th to go towards driving lessons is now going to be spent going towards her first tats. Not at all impressed.
Dunno if it's something to do with having a 'o', 'a' & 'h' in your username, but some folk seem to have real trouble understanding this bit:
Bianchi-Boy
I'm not quite so sure why it is that I feel so disappointed and deflated
me and my little brother have large tattoos from a 1960s comic strip on the same place on our backs..
as my sister was approaching her 18th she expressed an interest in getting something similar so in secret, I approached the cartoonist's family in California by email (pre social networking) and they happily agreed to create a bespoke design for her...
one week before her 18th she went down to the local place and got a barbed wire wrapped rose tattooed on the place on her back
cynic-al - Member
Only let him get it if it's cool like this:
That looks like an exhausted and disappointed testicle. No offence like.
he is 18, an adult. has bugger all to do with you
My, what an amazing tone of address you convey.
Bluntly put but nonetheless true. 18yo, can do as he pleases. By all means offer advice but accept the fact it may not be taken.
Imagine if I had that tattoo called Isis now ... I would look like a fool or would probably get hunter down by Apache gunship or A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Yeah but you're brown. If you weren't you'd be this guy:
[img] 
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squirrelking - Member
Yeah but you're brown. If you weren't you'd be this guy:
By the way who is he? 😯
You mean corporate/white guy?
Too many interpretation so narrow down a bit ... I thought it was a retro art. 😛
Chewkw - it is Sterling [url= http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486217/ ]Archer[/url] of the [b]I[/b]nternational [b]S[/b]ecret [b]I[/b]ntelligence [b]S[/b]ervice
🙂
Of all of the things that bother me about my appearance as I approach 40, my tattoos barely even figure. Receding hairline, slight tummy, non-existent pecs, bitchy resting face and terrible teeth are much more regrettable than any of the ink.
🙂
One news piece on the topic had a heavily tattooed family, the rule for the kids was one old enough they had to have the design at the end of their bed for 6 months as the first thing they saw every morning and the last thing at night.
Like any good carpenter will tell you measure twice cut once, you want to make sure you want it there for life.
all my friends who got celtic bands in 1996 still look really, really cool now.
oh, hang on....
Thanks for all the comments.
Based on some of the more positive contributions above, we have had another talk about it. He has shown me the example that he likes, and he has decided to have it on his upper arm.
He has also decided to think about it for 3 months! If he still wants it then I will help him to get it done. It's probably about the best outcome I could have hoped for.
He's a great son.
[url= https://farm1.staticflickr.com/418/19918207738_27fa6e8225.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm1.staticflickr.com/418/19918207738_27fa6e8225.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/warnesworld/ ]Ian Warnes[/url], on Flickr
The 'thinking about it' is good.
When I was 18 I went to tattoo parlour. Guy said he was fully busy for two weeks and to come back then. I never did. In hindsight I really admire his work ethic for doing that. He knew I wouldn't come back...
The best artists can have a queue. Start researching places. One in Hudds has a year long queue!
Here is something to consider
At 18 your body is not really filled out....., so if your son gets a tat on his arm and it's a fair size....but in a few years time he beefs up a bit...the tat is going to look stretched or just plain wrong.
Yep I'm one of those who borrowed his brothers ID and got a tat early 17 and by the time I was 22 I had it covered over with a bigger tattoo
What you will find is tattoos now are like fashion.....from Celtic bands , tribal bands, tribal markings, Chinese writing, stars.....and what is it now complete beckham arms.
If your son is really serious he would do his own design......I'm sure you can buy tatto outline paper for a printer so he can actually print his tattoo and have a tempory one to see how he likes it
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[b]IT'S FISTING TIME![/b]
Out of interest, did he say why he wants a pocket watch?
Seems to be a lot of pocket watch tattoos around at the moment.
Only let him get it if it's cool like this:
(random high figure)% of tattoo-owners consider theirs to be 'cool' 8)
(I like Stimpy btw)
Out of interest, did he say why he wants a pocket watch?
Seems to be a lot of pocket watch tattoos around at the moment.
Maybe he's a secret watchmaker or a Timelord? I always thought those Teddy-Boy style dads at school were secret sailors, so many of them seemed to have ships anchors tattooed on their forearm.
Out of interest, did he say why he wants a pocket watch?Seems to be a lot of pocket watch tattoos around at the moment.
Only time will tell??.....ha ha ha
Heyyyyy steeeeempeee
Sounds like a good outcome for you both, lucky to both have someone willing to listen 🙂
Sorry if I was blunt. I was, if Im honest, being a tad judgemental and for that I apologise.
Chewkw - seriously? I thought you would be well into Archer. I recommend you give it a look.
OP,
Tell him his pocket watch tattoo means his time is up. i.e. slowly ticking away or slowly dying which everyone can understand so very common. Not cool.
If he wants to be cool then try thinking up something along the line of "cannot turn back the clock" i.e. if I can turn back the clock I would have done thing very differently in my life.
squirrelking - Member
Chewkw - seriously? I thought you would be well into Archer. I recommend you give it a look.
I used to be into Japs Manga and HK kung fu comics but that's long time ago, I tried Marvels but they bored me to death to be honest.
No 007 for me I am afraid as I rather prefer watching Poirot and Colombo nowadays because they are much more relaxing, slow and ... slow ... 😆
When I was 18 I went to tattoo parlour. Guy said he was fully busy for two weeks and to come back then. I never did. In hindsight I really admire his work ethic for doing that. He knew I wouldn't come back...
I wouldn't go to a tattoo-ist who didn't have a waiting list.
[i]Tell him his pocket watch tattoo means his time is up. i.e. slowly ticking away or slowly dying[/i]
Except... the time on a [i]tattoo[/i] of a watch/clock never ticks away...
That pocket watch thing is a trendy Steampunk style, it'll date like any other stylish tattoo.
It looks nice though and that's all that's important
DezB - Member
[i]
Tell him his pocket watch tattoo means his time is up. i.e. slowly ticking away or slowly dying[/i]Except... the time on a tattoo of a watch/clock never ticks away...
Yes, it never on a tattoo/painting but then time never stand still as we all know so the meaning is instant when you look at the clock. i.e. it moves forward.
What's challenging is to get a "time" that goes backward i.e. turning back time like some sort of back to future scenario.
😮
He says that he wants the pocket watch set to the time that he was born. Seems both a bit cheesy and a bit of a fad, that will go out of fashion as quickly as it came in, but to be honest I'm just grateful that he is waiting.
That pocket watch thing is a trendy Steampunk style,
Is that steampunk?
This is how I'd imagined steampunk;
[img]
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