From auto gearheads to steampunk enthusiasts, the sprocket is a symbol of the sheer beauty of machinery. Cyclist or Son of Anarchy, your sprocket tattoo is the mark of a Da Vinci-like knowledge of mechanics, the inner workings of man and outer designs borne of his brilliance.

The chain-and-sprocket imagery, like the combination itself, is the simplest and most crucial depiction of forward movement; from there the possibilities are beyond endless-for speed, for power, for sheer force of will.

The man with the sprocket tattoo isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, to take something apart and build it anew, to challenge the blueprint. Whether it graces a bicep or studs one’s side, the sprocket has long held a place among masons, engineers, and all manner of mechanical trailblazers who honor the primitive tools from which the greatest inventions have risen.

Like blazing a trail or transporting precious cargo, the simplest sprocket design or boldly colored cog is sure to stop people in their tracks.