As primitive a tool as man has ever fashioned, the hatchet has been in use since the beginning of human time.

This indispensable axe was a survival mainstay in the rugged man’s kit, and for many it still symbolizes an era and character where man lived by the rough of his own hands.

We may be long past the days and necessity for such utilities, but that’s all the more reason to honor the hatchet and what it stood for.

A hatchet tattoo speaks of its wearer’s own rough-hewn sensibilities, as well as his abilities to secure his stronghold and embrace the elemental. The hatchet tattoo, inked along the bicep in black or in bold color across the shoulder blade, lets the world know you are at the mercy of no one and nothing but your own self-sufficiency-a rarity in this day and age. Some prefer the hatchet to be tattooed in small-type on a finger or wrist; as close to the hand as possible, and as a constant reminder that the necessities of life are always within reach.

Sometimes the best tattoos are the simplest ones, and the hatchet tattoo packs a powerful meaning within its innocuous lines. The most capable men don’t need to broadcast their talents to the world, and the hatchet tattoo speaks volumes to that end. Like the earliest men who first constructed this timeless necessity, you know your legacy was built to last.