Full sleeve tribal tattoo

[Biosophilogical]

*intake of breath* I wouldn't if I were you. For starters, a full sleeve tattoo? It's a bit much. Secondly, most tattoos on guys that aren't built like a brick house look kind of try-hard, to be honest, and even if you are big, if you aren't toned, then it still looks weird. And if you are big and ripped ... then you are already physically attractive to the opposite gender, so there really isn't a reason to restrict your possible partner-pool. Also, tattoos don't exactly scream 'relationship material', and tribal tattoos (while they can be really cool looking) are so popular that it is pratically a fad.

Oh, and if you are built and ripped, then you ahve to maintain it or the tattoo's attractive value goes from the selective positive to the general negative, and as you get older it becomes harder and harder to keep yourself in the condition necessary to pull it off. So overall, it's your body, your choice, but I'd say wait 6 months to a year, and really think about whether you want one or not, because it is a fairly big and expensive decision and you don't want to make it on an impulse (and trust me, sometimes 'impulse decisions' can stick with you like a song getting stuck in your ehad until you convince yourself that it isn't an impulse thought and that you really want it, even though you don't. So yeah, wait, wait a fairly long time, wait so long that you lose any real consideration for the tattoo for about a month or two, so that you can come back to the idea with a completely refreshed mind, and know if you want it or not).

TL;DR:
Wait for about 6+ months, just to make sure you really want it, because you have to be careful about these types of decisions.

 

[godofallu]

A quick note about tribals being overdone: popular things are popular because people like them. There will always be a small fringe group doing it for "recognition" or some such thing, but by and large things are popular because they simply appeal to a lot of people, myself included in this case.

My little brother used to love to watch this show called gangland about prisoners. Tribal tattoos were like the calling card of white supremacists, almost everyone in the gangs had them.

As for the sleeve argument, I know a lot of banks and other white collar jobs that will not hire anyone with a tattoo. If you lie about it on the form and they find out, (and how could they not), it's grounds for termination.

You must be mistaken. I've never seen a white supremacist with a tribal tat, and we (unfortunately) have a bunch of skinheads in this town. It may have been something localized to a particular group because I've never even heard of that being the case.

As for employers FORCING you to divulge whether or not you have a tattoo, what country do you live in? Once again, in the US, I've never heard of such a policy despite having many tattoo'd friends working white collar jobs. That policy would be a huge invasion of privacy on top of being totally irrelevent if the tattoo isn't visible. IMO being subjected to such a policy would be grounds for a legitimate lawsuit. No offense, but I have to wonder if you're making stuff up at this point. Citation?

I don't think you understand how this works, you ask for advice I gave it. I don't have to go out of my way to find citations for you. I know that tribal to me > White Supremacist and/or poser. I already told you why that pops into my head, if you don't believe me go watch the show.

As far as the job problem it exists. Before I got hired (I work at a bank) I was asked if I had any large tattoo's. I don't give a shit if you believe me or not, just keep it in mind.

 

[Agrael]

Ok, me having many tattoos I can clearly say, that consider this : it will be with you until the very end.

But, hell, go for it.. but do something original.. tribal tattoos are.. boring to be honest.

 

[DefunctTheory]

OP, I just found a perfect starter tattoo for you.

 

[Dags90]

Most sleeves I've seen extend to the very edge of where a shirt would go, which means, inevitably, every time your arms move they show.

Then again, I'm in the Army. This could merely be another symptom of the military's 'Do it big or don't bother' policy.

Or people's attempt to toe the line, and subvert one of the many regulations put up with. Also, a proper collared shirt should come down past the wrist to the medial end of the thumb's metacarpal when the arms are flat. You really shouldn't show anything above the wrist.

 

[Ladette]

I have my left arm tattooed from just above my left wrist to my shoulder. It was expensive, and it took three months to finish. I really like it, but it is somewhat inconvenient.

To be honest, i'm not a fan of tribal tattoos. They look generic and weird on anyone but Islanders/Samoans to me. Also tattoos don't look good on scrawny guys, if you ain't got guns and a defined chest it'll look awful.

My advice would be to sleep on it for a few months, realize that you're probably closing a few avenues for work/relationships, it'll stick with you forever, and that it'll probably be costly. If you still want it after that then go ahead. I'd still go for something more colorful if I were you.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Go for it dude. If you want to look like an idiot circa 1999 when tribal tattoos were still cool, be my guest.

As someone with 2 full sleeves and one leg sleeve, I'd suggest getting something that won't look so dated. Traditional Americana pieces have been around for the better part of a century, and tattoos that are Eastern-inspired have been around for even longer. The bonus of these is that they are bright, colorful, and they generally represent an image that looks complex, yet remains fairly simple. Tribal tattoos have arguably been around for longer, but not tribal tattoos similar to the one you're looking at. Real tribal tattoos are vastly different. In all honesty, I have no idea why they refer to the style you're considering "tribal".

Oh yeah, and tattoo artists hate doing that shit. They want their talent and skill to be pushed to the limit, they want something they can show off in a portfolio, and they want to be proud of their work. Tribal tattoos represent nothing for them except an overuse of their back ink and a few extra dollars.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Most sleeves I've seen extend to the very edge of where a shirt would go, which means, inevitably, every time your arms move they show.

Then again, I'm in the Army. This could merely be another symptom of the military's 'Do it big or don't bother' policy.

Or people's attempt to toe the line, and subvert one of the many regulations put up with. Also, a proper collared shirt should come down past the wrist to the medial end of the thumb's metacarpal when the arms are flat. You really shouldn't show anything above the wrist.

The average citizen doesn't get fitted long sleeves.

They go to Wal-mart.

I used to, until I got my suit. Now I'm addicted to the good stuff.

...

And 80 dollar ties.

 

[TxMxRonin]

I'll just list a quick downside, it makes you look like a white supremacist. Not to mention you can't get hired at a decent white collar job with a tattoo like that.

The whole point of sleeve tattoos is that they're covered by your average collared shirt, so your employers won't know anything about them. Just ask Mr. Rogers about his tats.

Mr. Rogers never served in the military nor did he have tattoos.

 

[bob-2000]

no no no. At least get some interesting pictures if you're inclined to get a tattoo.

 

[chromewarriorXIII]

I personally hate tribal tattoos because they're so generic. If you're going to get something tattooed on you for the rest of your life, get something with meaning to you, not something that just "looks cool". In my opinion, they don't really look cool either.

 

[Dags90]

Mr. Rogers never served in the military nor did he have tattoos.

But you can't tell either from watching his show.

The average citizen doesn't get fitted long sleeves.

They go to Wal-mart.

I used to, until I got my suit. Now I'm addicted to the good stuff.

...

And 80 dollar ties.

Then he'll have the gross "see-through shirt" problem.

 

[killercyclist]

i love tats, don't have any personally but i think they can be really great (on ladies especially....) but going full tribal, epecially if it's your first might look a bit...... cheesy, and that you didn't think it through. if it has meaning to you then great, go for it. if you are just doing it for cool factor or other dumber reason i'd say save your money and buy a bike, or car, or videogames, or chicken, or steak, or..........

 

[BonsaiK]

Hey all. I'm considering getting a full sleeve tribal tattoo very similar to this: http://www.checkoutmyink.com/tattoos/caliboy951/front-17

I'm fully aware of the fact that I'll be forced to wear long sleeve shirts at my job and any future jobs, but I don't really have a problem with that. I'm also aware of how expensive full sleeves can be, depending on where you go and who does it. My questions to those of you who have similar tattoos (sleeves of any kind, partial sleeves, etc) are, how expensive was it, where did you get it done, and what are some of the downsides to getting such tattoos other than the mentioned long sleeve shirts at work?

I have no tattoos but I'm an exception in my line of work - I can't think of anyone off the top of my head that I know who isn't tattooed somewhere, and I also know a few professional tattoo artists. Advice:

* The white supremacy thing is nonsense. Don't know why people are bringing that up, probably some bullshit they saw on TV. Yes those guys often have tatts but so does everybody else, and Nazis rarely go for those type of "tribal" designs anyway, for obvious reasons. Not many people will have this perception, and tattoos are so mainstream now that these sorts of ideas are rarer than ever. And employers almost universally won't care about anything they can't see.

* I wouldn't go for full-sleeve as your very first tattoo. All sorts of reasons for this, apart from the obvious ones, some people have an allergic reaction to certain ink... a full-sleeve job is not the way you want to find that out.

* Research the person doing your tattoo, especially if you're getting big work done, but you should do this for any work. Ask to see previous work, ideally it helps if you know others who have had work by the same person. If you go to get your tattoo booked in and you don't get put on a waiting list - be worried. Really good tattoo artists are rare and thus are often booked out months in advance.

* Biggest downside by far: tribal designs are generic and kind of spell "douchebag" if they're on someone who is not part of an actual tribe. Not saying that you are a douchebag of course, just that others will have this perception of you straight off the bat, especially islanders with a tattoo culture who will laugh in your face and consider you basically a fraudulent asshole. Basic rule of tattoos - imagine responding to the question "what does that tattoo mean to you?". If you can't think up anything besides "I dunno, just looks cool I guess, and I always wanted one", then maybe have a good long think about why you're doing what you're doing. Tattoos aren't just pretty patterns, they have cultural significance, and not just for tribes. If nothing else, a tribal tattoo might be a missed opportunity to get something more distinctive, unique or personal in that space.

Whatever you decide, good luck...

 

[Tdc2182]

Are you in a tribe?

If you answered no to that question, then it's most likely a bad idea.

If you get a tattoo that doesn't mean anything, it kinda just means you're out looking for attention. It's overdone and means absolutely nothing.

Get something that has a deeper meaning.

 

[SovietSecrets]

Tribal is pretty meh overall to me, but if you like it go for it. I personally favor biomech stuff more, though probably a lot more costly because of the coloring.

 

[Vrach]

Cons:
- Counts against you in many professions
- Will look like shit when you get older
- WAY overdone
- Makes you look like a poser toss rag
- Instantly give a bad impression to many people

Pros:
- SOME girls like that sort of thing

^This. If you're counting the long sleeves as a thing, heads up, summer vacations might work in school, but you don't actually get one all the time when you've got a job and it doesn't cover the entire summer even when you do. Unless you live somewhere where summer is up to some 20 degrees, you're gonna fucking regret having to wear a long sleeve shirt. If you don't regret the other points first, on the list I've quoted above, that is

Oh and for the pro point, keep in mind that while a few girls like that sort of thing, the combination of "will look shit when you get older", "instantly give a bad impression to many people", "makes you look like a poser toss rag" will apply to most others.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well atleast you will be getting something new, it's not like everyone get's those tribals right?

 

[figday]

Hey all. I'm considering getting a full sleeve tribal tattoo very similar to this: http://www.checkoutmyink.com/tattoos/caliboy951/front-17

shnippy

wow, that looks..manly.

OT : i'm planning to get a tattoo for ages now but haven't made one up until this moment. why? because i want my tattoo(s) to have a meaning/story behind it. sides, its permanent, i wouldnt want to get an ink that ill end up regretting. but that's just me.
if you still want to go with the full tribal like you wanted, then go nuts.
just make sure you wont regret it later.

EDIT : tribal patterns are very2 common these days. are you sure you dont want to change the design, or maybe the size. just sayin. because tribal tattoo isnt very unique IMO. dont you want to be different than a zillion peeps with tribal inks on their body? uniqueness is always a plus in humanity