Knuckle tattoo
A knuckle tattoo is a specific kind of tattoo that utilizes two groups of four-letter words, or one eight-letter word (more or less in the rare case of the bearer having a different number of fingers on each hand).[1] It is not necessarily a prison tattoo, as otherwise stated, although it remains an unpopular form of tattoo due to its practically impossibility of being hidden, as are hand tattoos in general.[2][3]
One of the most popular knuckle tattoos is LOVE / HATE, made famous by Robert Mitchum's character Reverend Harry Powell, in the film The Night of the Hunter[4] Other word combinations like GOOD GIRL, HARD CORE, GAME OVER or FUCK LOVE are popular.[5]
Some people also use their knuckles to tattoo drawings and images, sometimes in groups of four, such as the 4 symbols of a deck of playing cards, signifying luck. Astrological symbols also make for popular designs among knuckle tattoo enthusiasts.
Knuckle tattoos in popular culture
- LOVE / HATE - from The Night of the Hunter[6]
- JAKE and ELWO/OD - from The Blues Brothers[7]
- Charlie Pace - from Lost
- CM Punk
- LOVE / LOVE - Flea
References
- ^ Schonberger, Nick (8 December 2011). "Hate Or Love? The 10 Best Knuckle Tattoos". Complex.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ McDermott, Kerry (7 June 2013). "Sacked for her tatt! Department store fires mother, 39, from store cafe because customers complained about her new inking". Daily Mail. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ Hudson, Karen L. "Why Many Tattoo Artists Refuse to Tattoo Hands, Feet, and Faces". About.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ Richards, Sam (10 January 2014). "A brief history of knuckle tattoos". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ "Alphabetical list of Hand or Knuckle Tattoos". Vanishing Tattoo. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ "The Night of the Hunter (1955) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.
- ^ "The Blues Brothers (1980) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved 4 August 2014.