The first thing that may come to mind when you see the image of a grenade are thoughts of war and explosions. To some, this image is a sign of caution. To others, a grenade may remind them of the military; a sign of life or death. All of this may be true, but the meaning of a grenade tattoo can be deeper than what meets the eye. If you are planning on getting a grenade tattoo, the reasons you have on displaying this graphic as a piece of body art and the symbolism behind it is entirely up to you. Down below will be examples of this tattoo along with different ideas for the design, placements, and what others feel this tattoo symbolizes best.

History of the Grenade

Although the name of the person to first come up with the idea of the grenade itself is unknown, it is known that this device was first being used sometime in the 15th century. Back in these days, the grenade did not have the sleek shell and pin as we know it but rather a tin can filled with rocks and gunpowder. This was equipped with a fuse which was basically a string of rope that was lit on fire. Once the fuse was lit and close to the core, the tin can was thrown and would of course explode once the fuse touched the gunpowder. This explosion would cause the rocks inside to fly in every which direction, pelting the enemy at high speeds.

Over time however, the design of the grenade changed. By the 19th century, the grenade started to become less popular due to the invention of guns. Due to the rising of technology, the grenade was able to have a makeover, making the device more explosive and dangerous than ever. These new and improved grenades took on many forms, but the one we all know is the ‘pineapple grenade’, or the MK 2 grenade.

This grenade made war much easier for the Americans in World War II.

This particular explosive received its nickname the ‘pineapple grenade’ for obvious reasons. Its shell has sections, almost like squares, on the body resembling a pineapple. These sections on the shell of the grenade make it so when the device explodes internally, the squares explode in every which way; the grooves were also good for handling and throwing the grenade. On the top and side of the grenade is a handle and a fuse. The fuse is a pin which is pulled, once the fuse is pulled and the handle is pushed down, the one throwing the grenade has a limited amount of time to toss it before it blows up in their hand.