October 13, 2007

{     Sailor Jerry     }    

Jerry, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

When I found the Sailor Jerry line I felt like Indiana Jones finding a golden idol on a stone pedestal, the only thing running through my mind being the word “Wow.” Now that I’ve had the chance to see the line evolve I’ve also recently had the chance to enjoy some of their goods. I can’t even call this stuff “product” I have to call it goods, cause they are just that fine.

First off, the lowdown: Sailor Jerry. The Man, the myth, the legend. Back in the day, well before my time, there lived a man named Norman Collins. Born in 1911, he was probably labeled the coolest baby born in the hospital because the kind of cool this man became has to be a gift from some almighty deity. To borrow some material from the website (meaning you should go there and read on...when you’re done here, of course)...

”Sailor Jerry was tagged with the name Norman Collins at birth, but he began to distance himself from normalcy/ normancy when he was 19 (that's why he became a sailor). He traveled around the world, not only getting his first tattoos, but also gaining exposure to the art and imagery of Southeast Asia. This later became a crucial influence when he opened his first tattoo shop in Honolulu's Chinatown, ground zero for swaggering sailors, drunken soldiers and whoever else wasn't afraid to hang around volatile levels of testosterone.

You know that tattoo you saw when you were young? The one that made you think that having a piece of art on you before and after your shower, twenty-four/seven was a cool idea? Yeah, he probably did that. Old school master, all around cool guy, Sailor Jerry became a legend. Now, in 2007, the legend lives on.

Sailor Jerry’s art, his spirit, and his imagination continue through the Sailor Jerry line. What do they sell? Awesome apparel (from head to toe) bearing the work of the old man himself, great pieces of art branded to fun kitschy merchandise, music, and (of course for our legally inclined drinking crowd) some well reputed spiced rum. There products are top knotch, reasonably priced, and constantly selling well. Unfortunately, the only problem with the line (especially in the apparel area) is they sell out so fast it’s hard to get while in stock.

The Sailor Jerry line is hot. Not the kind of hot that’s a flash in a pan, but the kind of hot that’s a monument for the longevity of free spirits who just live to live, and live it to the fullest. Be sure to drop by the Sailor Jerry site and give them some business.

(Pictured below, a letter from Sailor Jerry for those weighing the Pros and Cons of having a tattoo I just had to add to prove this guy was the real deal...)

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