Dan S

Actually, very few of the actual "signifying" tattoos are worn by anyone but an "in-law" in Russia. There are some heavy possibilities for someone who hasn't earned them. Same here, if someone was to put on so-called "gang" symbols, things could get hairy right chop-chop.
Sandman, you should credit the article you posted.
http://createvisualculture.wordpress.com/cruciformity/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russian-Criminal-Tattoo-Encyclopedia/180948251928150?sk=info
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_tattoo
Same lame shit is regurgitated all over the web.

Actually, very few of the actual "signifying" tattoos are worn by anyone but an "in-law" in Russia. There are some heavy possibilities for someone who hasn't earned them. Same here, if someone was to put on so-called "gang" symbols, things could get hairy right chop-chop.
Sandman, you should credit the article you posted.
http://createvisualculture.wordpress.com/cruciformity/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russian-Criminal-Tattoo-Encyclopedia/180948251928150?sk=info
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_tattoo
Same lame shit is regurgitated all over the web.

Actually, very few of the actual "signifying" tattoos are worn by anyone but an "in-law" in Russia. There are some heavy possibilities for someone who hasn't earned them. Same here, if someone was to put on so-called "gang" symbols, things could get hairy right chop-chop.
Sandman, you should credit the article you posted.
http://createvisualculture.wordpress.com/cruciformity/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russian-Criminal-Tattoo-Encyclopedia/180948251928150?sk=info
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_tattoo
Same lame shit is regurgitated all over the web.

Nick's not really going rogue, he's in the midst of setting-up his new shop...but you for-real got a hella souvenir of CTC there! REally something to brag about, Heathenist!

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I've still got one piece of jailhouse, but the rest I covered. I have been going through my pix, and I have some picked out I may post, but I'm going to have to do a lot of cropping and blacking-out. Now, none of these are pix of the tattoos, they are, mostly, pictures of brothers representing, some in prison, some on the street, and you can see tattoos. Some clearly, some not so clearly. If that would be of interest, I'll get some up, but if you really want to see the tattooing plainly, most of them won't interest you.
I tattooed a purple daisy on the lower calf of a fairly notorious sniper/killer from back in the early seventies...

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I'm not the best Photoshop guy, but lemme work on some of them, see what I can get up here.

Lochlan, check out the paintings that Erik Gillespie is offering, and the white on black work that Nick has out now. Also, I think Nick has a book of flash out now...
Anyone who hasn't seen it should def make the trip to CTC, even if it's just to scope the walls...there is some serious, serious historical and new stuff there, guaranteed you'll find something to blow yer little mind! They've got flash, shit, you want traditional? They got stuff in there was on the wall at CTC 40 years ago when I was first getting into "real" tattoos.
And if you REALLY wanna get radical, check out this book of Cliff Raven flash sheets...heavy stuff.
http://chicagotattoo.com/artwork/154048_Cliff_Raven_Flash_Set.html

As an old fart, I gots to agree. I had my left ear pierced when I was 12 years old, and have worn a stud in it since then, got my left nipple pierced when I was 18, it's still open, but I don't wear anything in it.
My oldest gauged his ears out when he turned 18, but figured it out an leaves em empty. I've offered to take a tin-snip to 'em, but for some reason, he won't let me...they're closing up anyhow.
I know, I know. Back in the day, when I got my ear pierced, the oldtimers (like me) were telling each other how faggy and shitty it looked. Every generation has it's own thing, maybe the next big fad will be plates in the lips. I do believe the Mursi are the present masters of this, but it's been around quite a few African-and even one Easter-Euro culture for quite some time.
All that said, hey, if it's your thing, go for it! I've done too much wrong in my life to be judgemental of anyone else, whether it's how they look, who they sleep with, or what they do to their body.

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I've still got one piece of jailhouse, but the rest I covered. I have been going through my pix, and I have some picked out I may post, but I'm going to have to do a lot of cropping and blacking-out. Now, none of these are pix of the tattoos, they are, mostly, pictures of brothers representing, some in prison, some on the street, and you can see tattoos. Some clearly, some not so clearly. If that would be of interest, I'll get some up, but if you really want to see the tattooing plainly, most of them won't interest you.
I tattooed a purple daisy on the lower calf of a fairly notorious sniper/killer from back in the early seventies...