Samuel O’Reilly patented the first tattoo gun, which would later become the staple for a modern tattoo machine. However, the sailor culture would start disappearing in the 20th century, especially with the patent of the first electrical tattooing machine.
They generally went for motifs resembling their job or sea-related motifs, like their caps and clothes, fish, sea, boats, etc. The sailors would also get tattooed during their journey. This alone can also be traced to the fact that hundreds of years ago, people traveled to the so-called ‘exotic’ islands and lands, where the indigenous communities were already getting tattooed for thousands of years. The origin of neo-traditional tattoos is closely tied to American traditionalism, a style of tattooing developed by sailors hundreds of years ago.
Professional tattoo artists and those knowledgeable in tattoo styles and history will say that neo-traditional tattoos are simply designs done in line with the main tattooing rules and practices, focusing on common motifs and themes as well as clear presentation and clean lines.
