HOLD FAST fingerless gloves - Sailor Tattoo Magic

HOLD FAST Sailor

My son is a sailor. And yes, he has tattoos.  Sailor tattoos. People everywhere sport tattoos today, including soccer moms but it wasn’t always so. In my world growing up you only had tattoos if you were a sailor, in a biker gang or some kind of circus freak. Nobody respectable would have a tattoo. Now where I currently live in Calgary, famous for it’s cowboy culture has over 100 tattoo studios and hosts tattoo festivals that bring in hundreds of guest artists national and international.

Regardless of opinions towards tattoos they have been part of human culture for thousands of years and not likely to disappear anytime soon. They are a badge of belonging, a right of passage, a mark of personal expression, works of art whether simple or complex, and always have meaning, even if only for their wearer. There are fascinating history books on tattoos.  The Untold History of a Modern Art, Pierced Hearts & True Love, and The Tattoo History Source Book are just a few I like, and I haven’t even touched on Norman Keith Collins, better known as Sailor Jerry.

With my son working on the ocean and having been to many places it should be no surprise that I got an education from him on sailor tattoos and their meanings.  Being a sailor, he proudly sports a few tattoos in Sailor Jerry style and I’m sure as time goes on there will be more added to the collection. Delving into the meanings and lore of sailor tattoos I decided to incorporate the ones with the longest and greatest meaning into the HOLD FAST fingerless glove pattern.

HOLD FAST sailor tattoo fingerless gloves

On the knuckles, I put the words HOLD FAST, which is one of the oldest and simplest sailor tattoos, dating back to the 16th century. It’s considered a magic talisman, a charm to remind you to maintain your grip on the rigging ropes and to stay strong in rough seas, both physically and mentally. It’s also a metaphor for life, to use those same sea born skills on and off the water, maintain your hold and your equilibrium and you will get through the worst storms that life will throw at you.

On the HOLD hand I put the Anchor, the tattoo that is earned by sailors for a successful Atlantic crossing.  The Anchor is also used to HOLD the ship in place and is an icon of strength and stability.

On the FAST hand I put the Swallow, the tattoo earned by sailors for completing 5,000 nautical miles. Swallows are known for their incredibly long distance migrations despite their small size and regardless of how far or how long they travel they always manage to find their way home. A perfect symbol for sailors at sea often for months or even years at a time.

Rope tattooed around the wrist meant that the sailor was a deck hand at some point, and signified the wearer as being strong, steady and reliable.

HOLD FAST fingerless glove palms

Lastly, I put a net pattern on the palms, not actually a tattoo that I know of but so many sailors are also fishermen and nets would be as important as the boat itself as without the nets there would be no fish.

I designed this pattern to be very manly (not that the ladies can’t wear them) and even knit them in a colorway that looks like you are wearing hand tattoos. Warm and snug, yet your fingers are free to work the ropes, as sailor gloves should be.