Simply sinister, a guillotine tattoo is not for the faint of heart. With its eerie and unmistakeable image, a guillotine tattoo is imposing on its own…while leaving plenty of room for other grisly embellishment.

Once considered the most humane method of execution, the guillotine operated on a fairly simple concept. One swift drop of a blade hovering above its hapless victim would remove the head in one neat slice- most of the time.

A guillotine tattoo is a foreboding mystery. Sure to inspire a spectrum of emotions from those who behold it, the guillotine is a nod to mortality and a jeer at the finality of judgement all in one neat little package. Less hateful than a noose, and more artistic than a pistol, a guillotine tattoo is a finessed and sleek execution method. Elegant and fashionably French, the guillotine tattoo suits a man who appreciates the finer things in life, with a distinct appreciation for darkness. Silhouetted against skin, the enigma of such an unexpected tattoo naturally serves to provoke curiosity, shock, even subtle fear. Nothing about a guillotine is overstated or ostentatious, it is simply a creeping, commanding presence.

Don’t underestimate the boundless potential for expression in the simplicity of a guillotine tattoo. Whether gory or thought-provoking, this tattoo leaves plenty of room for creative interpretation of its presence on the wearer. Steeped in history and tradition, the guillotine is both poetic and political in nature, alluding to the duality of life and death. Execution by guillotine drew large throngs of people eager to view the morbid event. Adding this piece to your ink collection may draw similar crowds, with a similar morbid interest. Be prepared… guillotine tattoos truly speak for themselves.