Who's Confident?

 This will be a bit of a rant, so let me set this up properly.

 I get a text message from a friend who asked, "If you were getting a tattoo tonight, what tattoo shop would you go to?" For me, that is both a simple and difficult question. I have a tattooer who is AMAZING but who may not have been available for a walk-in tattoo. His shop was the first on my list in my response. I have the privilege of knowing a lot of great tattooers in Austin, guys and gals who I would happily get work from at any time. From that set, I listed four other tattoo studios that I consider highly reputable and who host consistently great tattooers. My friend hit me up simply because she was confident in my opinion and knowledge about the local tattoo offerings.

 A little bit later, I get another question. "Do you ever setup without gloves?"

 No.

 Hell no.

 Being the inquisitive type, I asked why. What was happening was her boyfriend was in the mood for the sweet, sweet feel of a tattoo needle, and wanted to get some ink. Not being familiar with what might be available, especially since I was not (available), they asked my opinion. Trusting me (and that is important), they went to one of the shops I recommended.

 Let me reiterate: I recommended the shop they went to. They went to this shop on my recommendation.

 The tattooer at this particular shop was not the tattooer I would go to at this shop. At the time, that was simply because I did not know the guy like I know one of his co-workers. He does, however, have a favorable reputation locally. He happened to be available the night my friends went to the shop I recommended. When a tattoo design was selected and a price agreed upon, this tattooer went about setting up his station.

 He did so without gloves.

 My friend, herself a tattoo collector, questioned this. She recognized that she was seeing something that in her years of getting ink she had not seen before. Her dude asked the tattooer about the lack of gloves. The tattooer's response?

 "I am confident in my method."

 I am not going to name names, or put anyone on blast. The shop this guy works at is a great shop, and should not be besmirched by this guys lackadaisical attitude and ego. I DID, however, recommend to my friend that she contact the owner. When she asked if they should stay or go (they had not paid yet), my advice was to walk.

 My friends on Facebook agreed (they must read my blog).

People must be reading my blog...

 I am not even going to rail on the BASIC NECESSITY of wearing gloves when you setup, about how your station should be as close to a small surgical bay as possible, and how gloved hands should be the only things that make contact with the tools used to tattoo anytime. No, that is not what this rant is about.

 He said, "I am confident in my method."

 Is he really the one who should be confident in his method? Friends, I do not care how cock-sure your tattooer is, YOU need to be confident about what they are doing. If you feel something is amiss, a professional tattooer will do what is necessary to address your concerns. It is your tattoo. If something bothers you, your worry should not be casually dismissed.

 The proper tattooer response to, "Hey, aren't you supposed to wear gloves when you setup?", is to stop what you are doing, agree with your client, apologize for letting this simple step slip your mind, tear down your station, clean everything your touched, and setup with clean gloves on. There is no other excusable response.

 Gang, I don't care if he had a bucket of hand-sanitizer at his station that he was dipping into every few minutes. He is leaving bits of himself on everything he touches, bits of himself he would then be sharing WITH HIS CLIENT. We make mistakes. The professional thing to do is own it and correct it.

 Blowing-off your client's concern is a dirt-bag move. It suggests a lack of character and confidence; trying to ignore your mistake instead of admitting it. The sad thing is that this guy is a good tattooer, but moves like the ones he is making kill careers.

 Added to this is the fact that I recommended his shop. Maybe not him, but in the minds' of his clients and my friends there is no distinction. If asked again about where to get a tattoo, or getting a tattoo at this particular shop, I would still recommend it.

 But I would add a caution about that particular tattooer. For the sake of my reputation and their safety, I would tell whoever was asking to not get work from that guy.

 To my friends who trusted in my recommendation and had this poor experience, I am sorry. I know this is not my fault, but it is the kind of thing that brings all tattooers down.

 Jason Sorrell is a writer, tattoo artist, satirist, artist, and generally nice guy living in Austin, TX.  He loves answering questions about tattoos.  Shoot him an email at https://www.facebook.com/tattoonerdz/

A Stick-and-Poke Tattoo Kit. You Have Got to Be Kidding.

 Gang, I wrestled with the need to write this article.  Some of you will skim through this and decide to buy this product.  Please... PLEASE!  Read what I am saying here.  This is simply a bad idea.  Inevitable, yes, but still bad.

 Here's the idea, based on what Stick and Poke Tattoo Kit (that's the name of the company) tells its potential patron up-front.  Tattoos done at home by amateurs are dangerous.  They tell you that the possible dangers include:

 -Blood Borne Pathogens

 -Toxic Ink

 -Inadequate/Unclean Supplies

 -Dirty Needles, Ink, or Thread

 Let's discuss these dangers for a moment.  Blood Borne Pathogens are generally a concern when you are dealing with multiple people getting tattoos.  This is why tattoo studios strive for cleanliness and use aseptic techniques.  Keeping things clean reduces the likelihood of cross-contamination and the spread of blood borne pathogens.  "Toxic" ink must refer to inks that are manufactured cheaply and with little concern about the potential effects of the materials used on the human body.  Inks purchased on-line from unknown sources are often of a low-quality and their safety is suspect.  Inadequate or unclean supplies are a concern when dealing with "kitchen magicians" that use whatever they have around or re-use the tools they have to administer a tattoo to multiple people.  Dirty needles, ink, and thread are right in-line with the previous point.

Because this can happen.

 The solution, dear readers, is to not get tattoos from an amateur "tattoo artist" working from home. And, guess what you are when you administer your own tattoo at your kitchen table! Do not get a "stick-and-poke" tattoo.  Just don't do it.  Get tattoos from professionals in a licensed studio, and if you want to be a tattoo artist have respect for yourself, your clients, and the industry by learning to do so safely and properly through an apprenticeship.

 Companies like Stick and Poke Tattoo Kit only compound the problem.  A kit which provides "professional" supplies to allow you or your friends to tattoo you is a completely irresponsible grab for your money with no regard for your safety.

 The kit includes 1/2 oz of "professional" tattoo ink.  Before we get into what "professional" means, can you be certain?  We are dealing with a company that is encouraging people to engage in an unsafe practice, going against every industry standard in order to make a buck.  Can you trust these people and what they say about anything they offer?

 "Professional" simply means that it is a product most commonly used by professional tattooers.  Generally, such inks come from known and reputable manufacturers who have earned the trust of their patrons through the consistency and performance of their product.  The brands of ink displayed on the Stick and Poke Tattoo Kit site are none that I recognize.  And, I write BRANDS in the plural because there site features at least three different bottle and label types, suggesting at least three different manufacturers.  You cannot even be certain that the product you receive is the product pictured on the site, let alone that the inks are anywhere near the quality used by professionals (protip: that probably means they are not).

Luckily, most of this will fall out.

 You get a 5RL and a 3RL needle.  In the photo, it appears that they are in blister packs common to the tattoo industry, sealed in sterile inert gas.  If so, they are clean... at least until you open the package.  What happens then?  Does Stick and Poke Tattoo Kit assume that everyone knows how to handle the needles in order to keep them from getting contaminated before they are used and while the tattoo is being administered?  Their instructions don't mention how to handle the needle.  These needles are designed for use in a tattoo machine, not to be held in hand.  What is the likelihood that the needle will slip while someone is poking themselves with it?  Fairly high, I would imagine.  When that needle comes into contact with the floor, the kitchen table, or any other non-antiseptic surface, you are inviting problems.

 The kit also comes with two nitrile gloves.  Ask a tattoo artist how flimsy gloves are, and how easily they rip.  This is why a tattoo work station includes a container filled with gloves.  Now imagine holding a thin needle bar in your hand and trying to poke yourself with the needle without sliding down the bar and tearing the glove on the solder point for the needle group.  Will the persons purchasing this kit have the sense to buy extra gloves, or will they just continue the procedure without?

 The aftercare balm is called "hustle butter".  I could point out that again you need to question the source, but need I say more?  Who is being "hustled"?

 You also get gauze, a band-aid, a witch-hazel wipe, two ink cups (aren't those the paper condiment cups used as fast-food restaurants?), a medical surface covering, and an instruction book.  A PDF of the book is on their website.

 The instruction book is 28 pages long.  THE FIRST FIVE PAGES INCLUDE WARNINGS ABOUT THE RISKS OF USING THIS KIT!  Stick and Poke Tattoo Kit clearly does not want you to seek legal damages from them in the event that their product harms you.  They can point to their book and demonstrate that nearly 20% of the information provided was a warning not to use their product.  Buyer beware!

Gorgeous, huh?

 The funniest line in this book is on page 8; "Tips for Your Design".  The sixth and final tip is "consult a professional".  WHAT PROFESSIONAL TATTOOER IS GOING TO ASSIST SOMEONE IN DESIGNING THEIR STICK-AND-POKE TATTOO?  That's right, gang, not one.  You walk into a tattoo shop and ask about advice on your DIY stick-and-poke tattoo design, and the best you can hope for is a lecture about what a moronic idea that is.  This simply points to the probability that the makers of the Stick and Poke Tattoo Kit have no experience with the tattoo industry and is out to simply make a quick buck.

 The instructions include some real gems as well.  "Create a clean area" (but no information on how to properly create a clean area).  "Poke the skin with amount of pressure enough to puncture only the top few layers of skin" (how do you gauge that without any training or experience?).  They also make some solid suggestions that most people will never follow, like take your sharps to a proper sharps disposal facility or mark your container for your used materials with the word "biohazard".  The people who are cutting corners by getting this kit are already beyond any sound advice regarding public safety.

 It is this kind of product that actually threatens the industry as a whole.  Tattooing has gained legitimacy in our society by demanding a rigorous adherence to safety by those who practice the art.  Enough DIY tattoos gone wrong and we will find professional tattoo studios driven back underground as legislators are given an excuse to demand tighter restrictions.  Just keep in mind that the person who purchase a tattoo kit to give themselves a tattoo probably has an idiot for a tattooer.

 Jason Sorrell is a writer, tattoo artist, satirist, artist, and generally nice guy living in Austin, TX.  He loves answering questions about tattoos.  Shoot him a message at https://www.facebook.com/tattoonerdz/