Need opinions on a tattoo

[apuforyou]

Alright guys, so I'm planning on getting a tattoo on my right side probably within the next month. First, I'm worried that it's going to hurt like SHIT because I'm a pretty skinny guy and I'm just picturing the needle stabbing my bony ribs and making them vibrate and this will be my first tattoo lol.
This is going to be a family oriented tat. My brother and I are both getting a Bowie knife, but in different places and will look a little different.

I'm trying to decide on a 2 things.


1. Should I do the handle at my arm pit and the blade going down, or handle by my hip and blade going up? (I'm leaning towards the first one)

2. I'm getting a Bowie knife because I'm a Bowie, I'm related to the man himself , and it looks pretty badass to me, but I'm trying to decide where to put "Bowie" on the knife itself



Suggestions?

[visualpoet]

Handle up, point down, Bowie on the upper part of the blade (The part that's not concave, I can't remember the technical term). And props for repping historical family connections!

[Mista Juice]

i thought this was gonna be another "what tattoo should i get?" thread.. good thing its not..

i agree with the above.. have the artist (if hes good enough) make it look like the "bowie" is engraved on the blade..

[deevergote]

I'd put Bowie on the flat part, just above the hilt.
I agree with the handle up look, although my suggestion will make the name appear to be "upside down", if considered realisically. then again, it's not a knife, it's a tattoo, so some artistic liberties can be taken!

[apuforyou]

props for repping historical family connections!

Thanks! My favorite story about him isn't even The Alamo actually lol, It's the Battle of Sandbar that happened before the Alamo. Here's a quick recap

Crain fired, missing Cuny but striking Bowie in the hip and knocking him to the ground. Bowie, rising to his feet, drew his knife and charged at Crain, who struck him so hard with his empty pistol upon the head that it broke and sent Bowie to his knees. Wright then drew his sword cane and stabbed Bowie in the chest, but the thin blade was deflected by his sternum.

As he attempted to pull the blade free, Bowie reached up, grabbed his shirt, and pulled him down upon the point of his Bowie knife.Wright died instantly, and Bowie, with Wright's sword still protruding from his chest, was shot again and stabbed by another member of the group. As Bowie stood, pulling the sword cane from his chest, both Blanchard brothers fired at him, and he was struck once in the arm. Bowie spun and cut off part of Alfred's forearm.

Total badass!

i agree with the above.. have the artist (if hes good enough) make it look like the "bowie" is engraved on the blade..

I like the engraving idea, I hadn't thought of that!

I'd put Bowie on the flat part, just above the hilt.
I agree with the handle up look, although my suggestion will make the name appear to be "upside down", if considered realisically. then again, it's not a knife, it's a tattoo, so some artistic liberties can be taken!

That's actually where I originally wanted it but the more I think about it, I think the name might look too small and then there's the upside down part also lol. Decisions are tougher when you know it's going to be on your body forever

[deevergote]

How big is the knife going to be? If it's at least 6" long (say, armpit to the bottom rib or so), then it might not look bad in that spot. You want the name to be a part of the knife, rather than being a "name with a knife design around it". At least that's how I'd want it to be if I were getting it.

The engraving idea is definitely the way to go, though.

[apuforyou]

How big is the knife going to be? If it's at least 6" long (say, armpit to the bottom rib or so), then it might not look bad in that spot. You want the name to be a part of the knife, rather than being a "name with a knife design around it". At least that's how I'd want it to be if I were getting it.

The engraving idea is definitely the way to go, though.

With a tape measure on my side, I'm thinking between 7.5"-8.5". Maybe I can try to print off a few copies and draw in the name in a few places