Laman

Russian Criminal Tattoo Designs

If you're still looking for that holiday gift, you might consider some attire inspired by Russian criminal tattoos.

Last month, regular readers of Tattoosday may have noticed the ad that popped up on the left side of the blog, promoting a line of clothing from MiR1, an online shop run by a fellow Brooklynite named Roman, featuring designs based on and inspired by this style of tattoo.

Our good friends over at the Needles and Sins Tattoo Blog even featured Roman's online shop as part of their Holiday Gift Guide feature earlier this month. Their piece on Russian Criminal Tattoo Apparel appeared here. You can also check out their Facebook page here.

For the record, I have one of MiR1's hoodies and I'm very pleased with it. If the wind chill wasn't teens this morning, I might even wear it to work.

But I'm not writing about this to sell apparel. Of course, you won't be surprised to hear that Roman has tattoos that run along the themes featured in his clothing line.

He was kind enough to send along this picture:


As explained on the MiR1 site:

The cat has been a symbol in Russian criminal tattoo culture since the beginning, partly because the cat abides by it's own rules. There are many variations of the cat tattoo. The cat symbolizes a thief that is good at what he does. This tattoo can show a man's or woman's connection with the criminal world. The word CAT or "KOT" (in Russian)is an acronym as are many other normal words that are tattooed. KOT stands for "Korenoi Obitatel Tyurmi" or "Native occupant of Jail" as in Jail is my second home.

Roman was kind enough to elaborate on the origin of his tattoos:

The cats were done in Watertown Correctional Facility, by a man named Diablo. For 3 packs of cigarettes and some cakes, cookies, and various junk...Cats are supposed to bring good luck. One cat means u mostly act alone, two means usually with others or part of a crew. I really didn't care either way, I just like symmetry.

The hammer and sickles were done by a friend in the 90's...

I encourage readers to check out the clothing line over at their online shop here. And thanks again to Roman for sharing his own personal ink with us here on Tattoosday!
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Allen Iverson Tattoos

Here we will feature the tattoos of the amazingly talented NBA all star basketball player, Allen Iverson.

Allen Iverson has nearly 20 tattoo designs scattered over his body.

The tattoos on his right arm include, the phrase 'Hold My Own', a skull head with an army helmet, the words 'Cru Thik' and 'Jewelz', plus a large black panther on his forearm.

The tattoos on his left arm include, a cross with the phrase 'Only The Strong Survive', a bulldog with 'The Answer' above it, 'Cru Thik' which is the name of his record company, 'Dynasty Radaz' a name that he and his friends called each other as kids, 'Fear No One' with an evil goblin creature, the word 'Strength' written in ancient Sanskrit, and finally the letters 'NBN'.

Allen Iverson has two tattoos on his chest, one of which is the names of his daughter and son 'Tiaura & Deuce', and the praying hands of Jesus with the initials of his mother and grandmother.

Iverson has a few tattoos on his neck, including two Chinese characters which mean 'loyalty' and the nickname of his childhood friend 'RA Boogie' on the right side of his neck. On the left side of his neck is a spider web with the letters 'C.T', along with 'Virginia' and 'Slim' which is his birth place and perhaps a nickname.

The tattoos on his legs include, 'East End' and 'Cru Thik', both of which run vertically down his legs.

Allen Iverson's newest tattoos are, the word 'FAME' 'F@#!? ALL MY ENEMIES' on his back. Plus 'Money Bagz' with a dollar sign on his left hand.

Checkout these pictures of his tattoo designs.




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Allen Iverson Tattoos

Here we will feature the tattoos of the amazingly talented NBA all star basketball player, Allen Iverson.

Allen Iverson has nearly 20 tattoo designs scattered over his body.

The tattoos on his right arm include, the phrase 'Hold My Own', a skull head with an army helmet, the words 'Cru Thik' and 'Jewelz', plus a large black panther on his forearm.

The tattoos on his left arm include, a cross with the phrase 'Only The Strong Survive', a bulldog with 'The Answer' above it, 'Cru Thik' which is the name of his record company, 'Dynasty Radaz' a name that he and his friends called each other as kids, 'Fear No One' with an evil goblin creature, the word 'Strength' written in ancient Sanskrit, and finally the letters 'NBN'.

Allen Iverson has two tattoos on his chest, one of which is the names of his daughter and son 'Tiaura & Deuce', and the praying hands of Jesus with the initials of his mother and grandmother.

Iverson has a few tattoos on his neck, including two Chinese characters which mean 'loyalty' and the nickname of his childhood friend 'RA Boogie' on the right side of his neck. On the left side of his neck is a spider web with the letters 'C.T', along with 'Virginia' and 'Slim' which is his birth place and perhaps a nickname.

The tattoos on his legs include, 'East End' and 'Cru Thik', both of which run vertically down his legs.

Allen Iverson's newest tattoos are, the word 'FAME' 'F@#!? ALL MY ENEMIES' on his back. Plus 'Money Bagz' with a dollar sign on his left hand.

Checkout these pictures of his tattoo designs.




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Jason's Tattoo Reaps What it Sows

Today's tattoo belongs to Jason, who sports this nifty Reaper on his left forearm:


Inked by his younger sister, Mystie, who was an apprentice at the time in Savannah, Georgia, this is one of seven tattoos Jason has.

He had been working as a grave digger and headstone carver and, he said, "after burying kids younger than me," it made sense to get the tattoo. It's a reminder that "nobody's got forever".

Thanks to Jason for sharing his "grim" tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
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A Roundabout Tale of a Swedish Tribal Tattoo

Yesterday, I joined my friend Janet for lunch at Chipotle on 45th Street.

There was a fundraiser at which a $5 contribution bought you a burrito, chips, a drink, and an opportunity to meet Yankees manager Joe Girardi. His charity, The Catch 25 Foundation, was the beneficiary of all proceeds from lunch. Here's proof I'm not making this up.

Janet and I were dopey enough to go without any Yankees memorabilia to get autographed. So he signed a flier for me and (yes, there is a tattooish point to all of this) declined to sign Janet's skin, above her "I ♥ NY" tattoo (featured on the blog here). It was worth a try.

And no, Joe Girardi didn't offer up a tattoo.

However, Janet and I grabbed the downtown V train after lunch. I got off at 34th Street and figured I'd cut through Manhattan Mall.

Waiting at the bottom of the J.C. Penney basement escalator was Julio, visiting New York from Sweden.

Now, I'm not a big fan of tribal designs, but Julio had this pretty cool one on his upper right arm:


See! There is a tattoo in this post!!

Julio's tattoo was inked for him by an artist at Magic Man Tattoo and Art in Skövde, Sweden.

Thanks to Janet for lunch, Joe Girardi for the autograph, and Julio for the tattoo. Tattoosday appreciates all you did to make this post happen!
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Eminem Tattoos

Lets have a look at the various tattoos of rapper Eminem (Marshall Bruce Mathers III) also known as 'slim shady'.

Eminem has a tattoo of a tombstone and grave on his stomach, with the name of his former wife 'Kim' and the words 'Rot In Pieces' just below.

The tattoos on his left arm include, a dedication to his uncle, Ronnie Pilkington, who committed suicide in 1991, the tattoo is meant to represent the hard life of Detroit and includes an evil mushroom with skeleton face, tall buildings, and the eye of a woman, with "Ronnie RIP" below.

On the lower half of his left arm is a tattoo that reads "Proof" which is dedicated to his fallen friend, who had the same exact tattoo.

The tattoos on his right arm include, a portrait of his daughter 'Hailie Jade', with roses around her, plus the names 'Bonnie & Clyde'.

On the backside of his right forearm is the name of his daughter 'Hailie Jade'.

Some of Eminem's other tattoos include, a tribal wristband on his left wrist, the words 'Slit Me' on his right wrist, and a 'D' and '12' on his right and left forearms.

Checkout theses pictures of Eminem and his tattoo designs.




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A Yellow Rose for a Fallen Friend

I met Dan outside of Penn Station last week on a balmy December day.

He has 22 tattoos and shared this one from his right forearm:


It's a memorial piece for a friend who passed away in 2008.

Her initals are in the heart, which is pierced by a lone yellow rose. "She loved yellow roses," Dan told me, which led him do design this variation on the dagger-through-the-heart tattoo.

The piece was inked at Fat Kat Tattoo in Keyport, New Jersey. Work from Fat Kat has appeared previously on the site here.

Thanks again to Dan for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
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Don't Worry

I was walking through Penn Station last week when I spotted Turner. Actually I spotted what looked like a tattoo on his wrist. So I stopped and asked him and sure enough, he had words on the inside of his wrist, still healing from a recent inking:


The tattoo reads "A: Don't worry".

Turner explained that he is a performer/author/speaker who worries a lot, so it's sage advice that is always good to follow.

The quote itself is from a segment in a one-man show that he performed called "Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps". During one part of the show, Turner answers self-posed questions in an imagined dialog with his father. One of these questions is: "Q: What's the number one thing to think about when you're a dad?" And the answer is "A: Don't worry".

What's particularly special about this tattoo is that it is based on his father's handwriting.

Turner has a book out called Two Truths and a Lie that includes the aforementioned Becoming a Man....



Turner had this tattoo done by Big Steve in Manhattan at Funcity Tattoo.

He also gave me his card, which promotes Two Truths and a Lie. You can read about Turner at his site Undergroundtransit.com. It was there that I learned that Turner is a transgender, a woman who became a man. Of course, this adds, in my opinion, a whole different layer of meaning on the tattoo, and makes the experience of meeting Turner that much more interesting. He is just another example of what I love about writing Tattoosday. I get to meet so many people in such a wide range of diversity. It's well worth exploring his site to see clips of his shows to fully appreciate Turner as a performer.

I thank Turner for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
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