Earings male

[masiaka]

I wear a Chinese jade archery ring about half the time. If I'm going to do any shooting it's just easier for me to not lose it if I keep the ring on for the rest of the day, but I never put it on if I don't plan on putting holes in targets. It's seen as ornamentation by those around me, but I don't really mind that.

As an aside, mens wedding rings only gained prominence after WW2. Immediately before the Great Depression men received a ring in less than 1/5 of marriages. Immediately after WW2 1/2 of men wore wedding rings in their, and now about 4/5 do. Rings, like wristwatches, were considered effeminate and had no place in a man's attire. That they both are now worn shows how fluid fashion can be.

[Zardoz]

Well, I spent a lot of time around Bikers and rock bands as a kid. I got my left ear pierced as a teenager, at a biker rally as a matter of fact. And I was tattooed by age 20 as well. Pierced ears, tattoos and often lots of (finger) rings were pretty normal in those cultures. For me anyway, in the early 80's these things had more to do with questioning authority and conformity than following anybody, drug use was pretty pervasive around me as well, and I never got into that.

I wore a signet ring my mom gave me on my right ring finger as a teenager, and resized it to go on my right pinky after getting my class ring. I never really thought I was emulating any of the gangsters shown earlier, I kept wearing it because my mom gave it to me.
I had to dig back to some of my wedding photos from 1987 to find one that showed them;

Me with hair and my late mother.
I'm wearing a gold stud in my ear there too, but it's not that noticable, and a wedding band on my left hand. After we got married my wife gave me a Claddagh ring which replaced the class ring. I wore those three rings for many years, untill I lost the signet a few years ago, and I got out of the habit of wearing the earring after working a few years at a job that didn't allow any jewery for safety reasons. So since the divorce, I sold my wedding ring (for a profit!) and I'm just down to the Claddagh now.

[Old Hippie]

If your ring won't come off, have a jeweller remove it and resize it.

Excellent advice. Here's a trick to keep filed in your memory. I learned it from my maternal grandfather: When my grandmother was admitted to the hospital toward the end of her life, she was afflicted with (among a whole galaxy of problems) congestive heart failure and kidney failure leading to fluid retention. Her hands had swelled to the point that her wedding ring wouldn't come off. Grandmother being a bit firm in her opinions, she absolutely categorically and in all cases swore that nobody was going to cut off the ring her beloved husband had given her on the day she tremblingly offered up her future to him. You're probably thinking "Drama Queen" right now... All manner of slippery substances were tried, but trying to pull the ring off only forced fluid toward the end of the finger, making it impossible. Grandfather was phlegmatic and eminently practical. He asked the nurse for a spool of suture thread and a bottle of glycerin. When that arrived, he took Grandmother's hand and ordered her to remain silent until he was finished. (Amazingly, she did.) Starting at the tip of her finger and working back toward the ring, he began to tightly wrap thread, binding the finger securely and forcing the fluid out. I'm sure that was painful for Grandmother, but she was adamant that the ring not be cut. Grandfather then liberally doused the finger with glycerin and slipped the ring off. Then he unwrapped her finger.

[Father Bill]

Smart Grandpa!

[Rob, ClanMacMillan, NM]

I've found this discussion rather fascinating. I personally do not wear ear rings, but I do wear rings on multiple fingers. It used to be five but is now four (until I get the fifth one fixed). On my left ring finger I have my wedding ring. On the left middle finger, I wear a ring from when we renewed our vows on our 25th wedding anniversary. I used to wear another small ring on my left pinkie -- it was from my wedding (sort of an engagement ring from her to me) but it had to be cut off when my arm swelled to monstrous proportions after breaking my shoulder. On my right hand I wear a class ring on my ring finger and a signet type ring with an eagle on my pinkie (a souvenir, so to speak, of my first musicianary trip -- Isa 40:31). I expect that eventually I'll have a clan ring on my right hand but not sure if it will be on the middle or index finger. For reference, I was born in 1956 in the U.S.

Rob.

[scotswelshrunner]

I wear a bronze ring in my left ear and receive nothing but compliments on it. Times have changed and it is very acceptable in the US for the most part and especially on the west coast/pacific nw where earrings and tattoos are everywhere.

[Hawk]

Is an earing for a man acceptable?
Mine is permanent, would have to be cut off.
Is there a protocol for them?

Aonghas,

You're Mohawk man.......as a fellow Tribal I say, you do what you want and be warned the warrior that tries to say different...... Longhouse Rules prevail....

Hawk

[James Hood]

This thread has been a fascinating read. Thank you to the varied contributors.

Personally, no interest ever in having earrings or tattoos, ever.

When rings are worn, which is rarely, they are wedding and grad school U.

[TJ Kelley]

At one time I had 6 piercings. I don't have feelings either way... what ever makes you happy.

I do however hate a couple spots and suggest kids think long and hard about facial piercings.
Lip rings and the septum are bad choices. Lip rings cause premature gingivitis, rip and leave scars.
Septum rings are down right disgusting and should be left for hogs and cattle.
Unless you have a problem with rooting in the dirt... hehehe.

The last to go were the 2 in the left ear. It hit me when I was 42 or so.
A older gent in front of me at the market turned and I noticed his rings.
I thought "how silly he was trying to look like a young hipster" then it dawned on me... I was doing the same thing.
They really didnt look as cool as they did 25+ years ago. I went straight home and pulled them out, never looking back.

But that is just my opinion... you know what they say?

[SorenMacTavish]

Some interesting viewpoints here from a wide array of generations.

As for my personal stance, I think, whatever makes you happy and does no harm to others, is pretty much free game.

I am heavily tattooed and have several body modifications (gaged ears, septum piercing, lip ring and the like). In some parts of the US I still get strange looks, but really, I have them for me, not for anyone else.