These knuckles come all the way from Azeroth, I don’t know what to tell you that could prepare you more:
I got “STFU NOOB” because I am a huge gamer. I mostly play World of Warcraft and “noob” basically comes from the word “new”.
it implies that you are inexperienced,ignorant,an idiot, somebody who is clueless and basically sucks. I think we all know what “STFU” means, which is shut the f*ck up. I love the knuckle tattoos because now when I am out and about and somebody is driving me mad, I have no need for actual words when my hands say it all.
While surfing around the ‘net the other day, I found a set of knuckles posted by Bill Cohen on the excellent Tattoosday blog. Bill wanders the streets of New York City and talks to random strangers about their tattoos. With his permission I am reposting the knuckles and story here.
HALF FULL
Billy has several tattoos, but he chose this set of eight, each letter spelling out the message.
“It’s the endless question,” he mused, “of the glass being half-empty or half-full.”
“So,” I interjected, “you’re an optimist?”
On the contrary, he informed me, optimism does not come naturally to him. He “would like to be” more of a “glass half-full” person, but he has had his share of challenges, to say the least.
Billy has been clean for two years, after a long struggle with heroin addiction.
The letters on his fingers come together when he makes fists, and he acknowledged that he often has “to beat it into [his] head to think more positively”.
“By ourselves, we are not complete,” he said, and explained how this simple interaction, two strangers meeting and discussing a tattoo, it’s this kind of event that is what life is all about.
Billy was very positive, talking about a tattoo that grounded him and gave him the strength to live his life in a more fulfilling way.
Two weeks ago the KnuckleTattoos.com crew headed down to San Antonio for the Alamo City Tattoo Expo. We met a ton of great people talked to them about their knuckle tattoos. I got some great pictures and we heard some great stories. My pal Kai from Mad Pengin came along for the romp and caught a bunch of interviews on video. We will be posting the videos as we have time to edit them all together. In the mean time, here are the photos I took. As always, if these are your knuckles or the knuckles of someone you know and you want to add the story, just email me at nathan[at]knuckletattoos[dot]com and I will feature the story in a separate post.
These fresh knuckles can be found on the hands of Rene R. and here is the story behind ’em:
I had my knucks done 5-13-08 by Dave Brewer @ Trigger Happy Tattoo.. my names RENE and im an INKAHOLIC ;) im > 40 years young and live in whittier SO CAL.. EYE 4 AN EYE “what goes around comes around” you know the old saying ;)
These beauties were sent in by my brother. They are on the hands of his frend Emcee.
UPDATE: Emcee just sent me his story, and it is a good one:
All my life I have grown up with horror movies. My mother was a huge fan from jump and that set me and my brother up for a fun ride. My dad always hated it but I felt it gave us both a better sense of humor and a generally more sturdy demeanor. It helped shape us into the smart little devils we are all the while giving me something to laugh at in my spare time. So I LOVE horror movies they make me happy when nothing else can, they transport me to a place where life is meaningless, jokes are obvious, and death is “original” something I cherish in the current state of things. That being said, the “Evil Dead” trilogy is my favorite horror movie good time series. If I got some gasoline and my boomstick life is groovy.
Dead by dawn,
emcee
Another great set of knuckles, this time from America’s hat, also known as Canada. Here is the story:
My name is James from Edmonton, Alberta Canada. SLOW FADE is a song written by a great Edmonton band called Choke (RIP). The tattoo reminds me that my dreams are in reach as long as I stay true to what I believe in. Resisting the temptations of security, and refusing to settle. “And I Trust There’s Ways To Maintain These Truths That I Know, Cause It’s All That I Know.”
These were done by a friend, from his house. His name is Mark LeMay in Airdrie, AB, Canada. He’s a talented artist, and decided to divehead into tattoos. This is the 3rd piece he’s done on me.
The letters look uneven in the photos, but they’re dead on, it was just the way I was holding my fists.
Right now they look like crap though from smashing my knuckles up all day at work [Welder/HD Mechanic]. Career killing ink, he was nervous to do it. Guess I’m a blue collar for life.
I’ll get some better pics after the touch ups. The pics I have were right after getting them done, prior to washing the excess and ink and blood off.
By the way, the reason for the words, with the way I live my life I’ve tended to stick to the motto of “better to be an open sinner than a false saint”. I’m the only one in the family that doesn’t believe in a higher power, and I’ve always been the outcast [refer to 15+ piercings]. Being told I’m a ‘sinner’ on a daily basis just brings more meaning to them.
Got these knuckles in and couldn’t wait to post them. Here is the story:
My name is Dev and I’m from Baltimore, Maryland. I was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, I went through chemo-therapy, and my cancer is currently in remission. While being treated for my cancer I realized how short life really is because I was only 26 at the time of my diagnosis. My chemo traetments were successful, giving me a second chance at life. So I decided to get the tattoo “live life” on my knuckles. I choose to get it on my knuckles so everyone could see it, because i really mean what it says. People often get tattoos in places where they can cover them up for jobs or to be accepted by certain people, but I say fuck that life is short live it to the fullest and do what you want to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NDE is my wifes initials and 11:11 on the pinkie… She took me to the tattoo shop and we were sitting there after the artist put the temporary letters on I asked him if my wife could write something on my pinkie and he taught her how to use the gun and she tattooed the : in 11:11… It’s black lettering that fares up to white because my right sleeve Im working on is all B/W It’s simple but Im happy with it.
