I have a few from my sailor days and was thinking of getting some large ones in my retirement years. But, now there are so, so many old guys who get inked with these ridicilious tribal prints. If you're one of these old guys getting inked, what was the reason.

I got mine lasered off almost 2 decades ago, one on each arms (visible), had them since I was 14.

 

In 2007 when in Phuket, decided to get 2 on my chest, no regrets.

 

Would I add more now in my 60's, if I was up for it, but not up for it at the moment, who knows what tomorrow brings.

 

Age to me has got nothing to do with nothing, it's about ones choice, so let's not discriminate or judge what people want to do with their bodies.

Late 50's, I got my new wife's first initial tattooed over my heart. 

 

It was very small (literally thumbnail sized) and has subsequently blurred into merely looking like a Bic pen leaked in my shirt pocket.

I kind of like tattoos on some women. It can be very sexy. But, on guys it is just boring. Feels like a desperate sort of "paint by numbers pseudo hipness" thing. Some are amazing. Some are so dull and so lacking in originality.

Maybe getting tats later in life ain't such a bad thing, you don't to live with them for decades.

 

I begged all my kids not to get tats.

 

As I explained, I look at pics of me in the 70's wearing clothes which I thought at the time made me pretty damn hot. 

 

Wearing those same clothes today would just make me look like an idiot.

 

Tattoo's unfortunately, aren't like clothes, and if I'd got tats with my 1970's clothes I'd still be stuck with them and my 1970's clothes long gone to a landfill

 

For the record, all my kids ignored Dad's advise!

I fail to see the point.

A tatoo on a rimpled skin, not really esthetic. Looks like a drawing on an orange peel. Beurk.  I should say. Should a male do this to get the tough look, compensating the tiny tiny tiny appendix between the legs?

Who cares what other guys think.  The girls generally like them so go for it.

Old guys do lots of weird stuff; live and let live, I say. Like spidermike007, I find they can be sexy on women; on men, they're meaningless these days; you're making more of a statement by keeping your body un-inked.

On 11/16/2023 at 9:03 AM, EVENKEEL said:

I have a few from my sailor days and was thinking of getting some large ones in my retirement years. But, now there are so, so many old guys who get inked with these ridicilious tribal prints. If you're one of these old guys getting inked, what was the reason.

I've got a blank canvass and it's going to stay that way.  I've never understood the allure unless you where three-sheets-to-the-wind in Subic and wake up screwed, blued, and tattooed.

53 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Who cares what other guys think.  The girls generally like them so go for it.

Bargirls? Only low class people like them. Says I"m a chav/bogan.

1 hour ago, Stocky said:

I fail to see the point.

The point is you are not a "tough" chav without them.

Fads and fashion come and go. Tatts are now long in the tooth. When "old geezers" adopt a fad, that pretty much assures the fad is just about over. Of course one can do whatever one wants with one's body, but fresh tribal tatts on a 60+ guy with a 100cm waist---in my opinion, of course---look pretty silly. I cannot help but think "I guess the guy couldn't afford a Porsche".

 

For hundreds of years tatts were a fringe adornment. Suddenly they sprung up everywhere, first on Millennials, and then they moved up and down the age chain. The US, which beats every fad to death and then some, developed all kinds of reality TV related to tatt parlors, tatt competitions with losers "sent home", etc. Like any fad, they get wildly overdone. To not be like everyone else is to lack tatts. Unlike leisure suits or spats or top hats or powdered wigs or bell bottoms or mullets or a thousand other fads that have come and gone, the folks who chose tatts have no way out. Lasers can rid a person of simply ones, but the full arm sleeve or full back tatt are going to the grave with the wearer.

 

I have noticed an increasing number of young women---I've been in a few agogos in the last six months, but only to escape the rain---are choosing not to get them. I've asked the unadorned, and they say they don't like them. If that is an emerging trend among youth, that's further indication the end is nigh.

5 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Fads and fashion come and go. Tatts are now long in the tooth. When "old geezers" adopt a fad, that pretty much assures the fad is just about over. Of course one can do whatever one wants with one's body, but fresh tribal tatts on a 60+ guy with a 100cm waist---in my opinion, of course---look pretty silly. I cannot help but think "I guess the guy couldn't afford a Porsche".

 

For hundreds of years tatts were a fringe adornment. Suddenly they sprung up everywhere, first on Millennials, and then they moved up and down the age chain. The US, which beats every fad to death and then some, developed all kinds of reality TV related to tatt parlors, tatt competitions with losers "sent home", etc. Like any fad, they get wildly overdone. To not be like everyone else is to lack tatts. Unlike leisure suits or spats or top hats or powdered wigs or bell bottoms or mullets or a thousand other fads that have come and gone, the folks who chose tatts have no way out. Lasers can rid a person of simply ones, but the full arm sleeve or full back tatt are going to the grave with the wearer.

 

I have noticed an increasing number of young women---I've been in a few agogos in the last six months, but only to escape the rain---are choosing not to get them. I've asked the unadorned, and they say they don't like them. If that is an emerging trend among youth, that's further indication the end is nigh.

Cost is high. That alone makes them no sense.

Personally I'm not a fan and would never have one but I don't see why age should come into it.

43 minutes ago, connda said:

I've got a blank canvass and it's going to stay that way.  I've never understood the allure unless you where three-sheets-to-the-wind in Subic and wake up screwed, blued, and tattooed.

Back in the 70's the place for tats for sailors was Hong Kong. I got both mine at Pinky's which is a very famous joint. Back then it was against the rules so Pinky's had a steel door that was locked when you were inside so Shore Patrol couldn't bust you.

 

Nowadays Subic is a place for tats as well.

 

just that so many old guys are getting ink that it's sort of meaningless. It's not so special and I want to feel special.

IMO having a visible tattoo pigeonholes the wearer in a certain socio-economic class. It's the first thing police look at in any situation, as a classifier.

10 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

IMO having a visible tattoo pigeonholes the wearer in a certain socio-economic class. It's the first thing police look at in any situation, as a classifier.

 

Hate to break it to you but a lot of rich people, celebrities,  and even royalty have tattoos.

 

 

Just now, FruitPudding said:

 

Hate to break it to you but a lot of rich people, celebrities,  and even royalty have tattoos.

 

 

I am well aware of that, and it does make me wonder how they got to be rich. Royalty is easy, going by the other shenanigans they get up to.

18 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I am well aware of that, and it does make me wonder how they got to be rich. Royalty is easy, going by the other shenanigans they get up to.

Some people do speak Some utter tripe sometime.

1 hour ago, Walker88 said:

 

I have noticed an increasing number of young women---I've been in a few agogos in the last six months, but only to escape the rain---are choosing not to get them. I've asked the unadorned, and they say they don't like them. If that is an emerging trend among youth, that's further indication the end is nigh.

 

  The Youth of the World are deciding not to get tattoos and you are basing that analysis on seeing and speaking to a few girls in the towns go go bars ?

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  The Youth of the World are deciding not to get tattoos and you are basing that analysis on seeing and speaking to a few girls in the towns go go bars ?

Well it's fairly normal, once a fashion becomes ubiquitous then to not follow that fashion becomes the new fashion. I was quite staggered on a trip to the UK this summer to see every man and his dog was now 'inked'. 

12 hours ago, Golden Triangle said:

Some people do speak Some utter tripe sometime.

Totally agree.

I would be really interested to know why people have tattoos. I can understand maybe if it's your love's name or your football team but just a big black blob, which most are ! Trying to look hard? rather pathetic.

13 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

  The Youth of the World are deciding not to get tattoos and you are basing that analysis on seeing and speaking to a few girls in the towns go go bars ?

Yes. Canaries in the coal mine. Tatts began with the youth, and then "old geezers" decided Tatts are Babe Magnets. As youth are wont to rebel, perhaps this nascent lack of tatting is youth rebelling against their (great) grandparents.

 

Watch this space. In 5 years long sleeve shirts and visible laser scars might be the norm, as folks will feel embarrassment they succumbed to the passing fad. Tatts will go back to being the purview of drunk sailors and members of motorcycle gangs.

 

And Midlife Crisis will go back to a Porsche, not a Maori Warrior tatt on flabby, wrinkled skin on a guy who looks 8 months pregnant.

16 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Who cares what other guys think.  The girls generally like them so go for it.

 

You really believe what they tell you? tats are for sailors, criminals and morons.

I got my name tattooed on my forearm in my early 60s in case I forget it or someone needs to know it. 

 

Fortunately my family name is Jeffers and not Chaichonglaknakunponikul. 

18 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

"a desperate sort of "paint by numbers pseudo hipness" thing."

You nailed it Spidey.

41 minutes ago, Walker88 said:

Yes. Canaries in the coal mine. Tatts began with the youth, and then "old geezers" decided Tatts are Babe Magnets. As youth are wont to rebel, perhaps this nascent lack of tatting is youth rebelling against their (great) grandparents.

 

Watch this space. In 5 years long sleeve shirts and visible laser scars might be the norm, as folks will feel embarrassment they succumbed to the passing fad. Tatts will go back to being the purview of drunk sailors and members of motorcycle gangs.

 

And Midlife Crisis will go back to a Porsche, not a Maori Warrior tatt on flabby, wrinkled skin on a guy who looks 8 months pregnant.

Thank you for your comments.

You are so wise.!