Since the first of his kind took to water, the seafarer and his roving mythology have fascinated sailor and landlubber alike.

Life on the high seas was unforgiving, with death among the fathoms always a storm or fatal accident away, but the intoxicating freedom and exhilarating adventure were well worth the danger.

Such a life was worth commemorating in ink, and the sailor’s tattoo catalogue persists to this day.

The anchor is perhaps the most recognizable of the seafarer’s insignias, and likewise the most popular. Simple enough in shape, the anchor carries a litany of meaning and symbolism, historically regarded as a signifier that one has made his first crossing over the Atlantic. Naval officers and newcomers alike proudly bore the anchor tattoo not only as a mark of their first Atlantic passage, but right of passage as well. The anchor is a mark of success over a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, that one’s troubles were ultimately not enough to drag them down.

Your anchor tattoo needn’t be elaborate, but a simple testament of what you’ve endured and triumphed over. You may not be a man of the sea, but you are a man of the world, a risk-taker with a soul as deep as the waters so many have crossed for centuries. Such a life deserves a mark of remembrance, so why not start with the oldest badge of honor of all?

See more about – Top 43 Anchor Tattoo Ideas

1. American traditional anchor tattoos

Check out the common characteristics of American traditional style tattoo, the old school themes central to anchor tattoo expression. There’s a limited color palette comprising black, green, red and yellow with comparatively little shading and negative space. The keys to American traditional are the intersection of predominantly flat color fills separated by thick, yet still sharp black lines needle work. The tattoos are compact, well ordered, and look extremely fresh on the skin.