A dead-eye is a round block of wood with 3 holes used to tension cables on old sailing ships. It gets its name because sailors noted its resemblance to a human skull. Not only were sailors superstitious, they were handy with a knife. This mug is the answer to "What if a South Seas whaler passed his idle time in the Pacific carving away on a discarded piece of rigging?" The result is a dead-eye that looks looks normal on one side and the other side is carved like a realistic skull.