Blackbeard Flag Tattoo Idea? Try It for 2 Weeks
Blackbeard Flag Tattoo Idea? Try It for 2 Weeks
Lasts 10–14 days
The so-called Blackbeard flag shows a horned skeleton raising an hourglass and aiming a spear at a bleeding heart. The message is blunt: your time is running out, and no mercy. It is one of the most tattooed pirate designs, solid black and readable from across the room.
At InkToday, this blackwork pirate flag is 3.2 x 2.2 in and lasts 10–14 days, so you can see how it owns your forearm before you book a real tattoo.
Size: 3.2 x 2.2 in (8 x 5.4 cm) · Best placement: forearm, calf or upper chest
Got your own design? Try it with our custom temporary tattoos.
What's in the kit?
Every InkToday tattoo ships in its protective sleeve, with an application guide to help you put it on.
How do I apply my tattoo?
Our tattoos are painless and very easy to apply yourself – it only takes a few simple steps.
Follow the application guide supplied with your tattoo, or watch our video tutorial here.
Once applied, the ink reacts with the proteins and the keratin in your skin, and darkens within 24 to 36 hours.
Your tattoo then stays visible for 10 to 14 days depending on where you apply it on your body, before fading away naturally.
Colour and appearance
Unlike most temporary tattoos, INKTODAY ink bonds to the surface of your skin instead of simply sitting on top of it.
Once applied, the ink reacts with the proteins and the keratin in your skin, and darkens within 24 to 36 hours.
The final result looks like a real tattoo, in a deep blue-black colour.
How long does the tattoo last?
INKTODAY tattoos are designed to fade within 10 to 14 days.
How long they last depends on where you apply them, on your daily activities and on how hydrated your skin is.
The ink fades gradually as your skin renews itself naturally.
Here is an estimate of how long they hold, area by area:
🦵 Leg: day 1 to 5 (very dark colour), then day 6 to 12 (colour fading).
🦶 Foot: day 1 to 8 (very dark colour), then day 9 to 14 (colour fading).
🦵 Knee: day 1 to 6 (very dark colour), then day 7 to 12 (colour fading).
💪 Forearm: day 1 to 6 (very dark colour), then day 7 to 12 (colour fading).
💪 Shoulder: day 1 to 7 (very dark colour), then day 8 to 14 (colour fading).
💪 Upper arm: day 1 to 7 (very dark colour), then day 8 to 14 (colour fading).
✋ Hand: day 1 to 4 (very dark colour), then day 5 to 8 (colour fading).
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InkToday ink: how we designed it
We developed our InkToday formula drawing on the natural, ancestral practices of tribes who used plant sap to mark their skin.
Our unique formula lets our INKTODAY tattoos last longer while giving a deeper, blacker colour.
Water-resistant and incredibly realistic, our tattoos offer an authentic, long-lasting experience.
Discover our founders’ story and how InkToday ink was created here 👀
Shipping and returns
We ship to most countries worldwide, free above the amount shown in your cart.
All non-personalised orders can be returned within 14 days, as long as the tattoo’s individual packaging has not been opened, of course.
Why try it before the real one
- See if 3.2 x 2.2 in is the right size where you want it (forearm, calf…).
- Watch how solid black looks on your skin, day after day.
- Love it? Show it to your tattoo artist. Not sure? Try another design next month.
What a pirate flag tattoo means
A pirate flag tattoo stands for freedom, defiance and breaking the rules. This one is the flag tied to Blackbeard: a horned skeleton, a raised hourglass and a spear aimed at a bleeding heart. It says time is short and you don't back down. It is a bold, solid-black design.
How to apply
- Clean and dry the skin.
- Press the tattoo on firmly.
- Peel off the backing.
- Let it develop: the ink darkens over 24–36 hours.
InkToday makes plant-based semi-permanent tattoos that develop on the skin over 24–36 hours, look like real ink and last 10–14 days, so you can try a tattoo design before getting it for real.
Meaning
This flag is almost always credited to the pirate Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard (c. 1680–1718). Yet no record from his time describes it: a 1718 newspaper only mentions black flags with death's heads and "bloody" red flags. The horned skeleton first appears as a general pirate flag in The Mariner's Mirror magazine in 1912, and gets tied to Blackbeard around the 1970s. The hourglass says the enemy's time is up, the pierced heart that no mercy will be shown. Since the 2010s, the flag and its variations have become popular in military circles.
Source: Wikipedia, article “Flag of Blackbeard” ; Wikipedia, article “Jolly Roger”
Size and placement
Design size: 3.2 x 2.2 in (8 x 5.4 cm)
| Placement | How it looks at this size | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Forearm | On the inner forearm, the flag fits the width without wrapping around | Guys who want a piece that shows when the sleeves go up |
| Calf | On the side of the calf, the black silhouette reads from a distance | Guys who want it out in shorts and hidden at work |
| Upper chest | Just under the collarbone, it hides under a shirt collar | Guys who'd rather show it when they choose |
FAQ
What does Blackbeard's flag mean?
The flag tied to Blackbeard shows a horned skeleton raising an hourglass and aiming a spear at a heart. The hourglass says the enemy's time is running out. The bleeding heart, with its three drops of blood, supposedly meant no quarter would be given. Historians note the design only shows up in 1912, and nobody knows what Blackbeard's real flag looked like.
Who was Edward Teach?
Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate born around 1680 and killed in 1718. He raided the West Indies and the east coast of Britain's North American colonies aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, near the end of the Golden Age of Piracy. His fearsome reputation turned him into a legend that still shows up in books, movies and tattoos.
What is the most feared pirate flag?
The most feared flag was not the fanciest one. Pirates first raised the black flag, which still gave the crew under attack a chance to surrender. If they refused, the red or "bloody" flag went up, meaning no quarter would be given. The black flag with a skull is still the pirate symbol everyone recognizes, which is why it rules tattoo flash.
What does a pirate tattoo mean?
A pirate tattoo stands for freedom, adventure and refusing to play by the rules. It comes from sailor culture, where ink worked as a lucky charm and a badge of belonging. A black flag or a skull says you chart your own course without asking permission. The Blackbeard flag adds a harder edge: time is short, so you don't back down.
What does the hourglass mean on a pirate flag?
On pirate flags, the hourglass meant that the life of the people being attacked was running out. It is the same idea as the skull: time is short and death is close. On the Blackbeard flag, the skeleton raises it like a toast before the fight. As a tattoo, many guys read it as a reminder to make every day count and stop waiting.
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