Your thoughts on American Tattooers doing tebori

[Joe Shit]

I was checking out some websites from tattooers in New Jersey,and came across two tattooers who are doing tebori.It just seems odd that a white dude who isn't even an accomplished tattooer,is also doing tebori.I could see someone like Chris Trevino,or Mike Rubendall,who are excellent tattooers,and who have been doing japanese work for many years learning how to do tebori.It seems like their trying to get business by offering tebori,because their machine work isn't that great.

[Jaycel Adkins]

From a customer perspective, what you describe sounds rather off putting and odd.

As an overall concept, I don't think it's too hard a concept to accept. In my own profession, there are some white sushi chefs who came up through Morimoto or Nobu, that are considered very good sushi chefs.

Authenticity is a marketing term now, so it's all about the end product.

[David Flores]

I can't attest to a person's right or personally ability or even background in this art, but I will say that talking to a great deal of people about tattoo ideas many people have aspirations of getting some sort of hand poked tattoo whether it be from Japan, Hawaii or some other tribal civilization. However I would suspect that many of them wouldn't know how to pick a talented artist in this field and/ or won't have the chance to travel to these countries so having someone doing it locally is something they would jump on. But ultimately everyone gets the tattoo they deserve.

[Stewart Robson]

You hit the nail on the head bigjoe.

I call gimmick.

I know some people who offer Japanese style tebori and one of them is Japanese and the other learned in Japan from a master. Outside of that structure it doesn't seem to make much sense aside from the points mentioned by David. Basically fake authenticity in place of talent, practice and hard work.

Real authenticity is hard to find but many tattoo clients look in the wrong places. I've seen too many white dudes with botched Japanese style work done 'with bamboo' in Thailand. I guess they think if it's done by any guy from Asia it's authentic, right?

I'm not sure how popular it is in the US or Canada but at conventions in Europe and the UK there used to be a few (mostly white) guys with facial tattoos working by hand, trying tattoo styles from the islands in the south seas. Even going so far as to sit cross-legged and stretch the skin with their bare feet.

Often they were working within spitting distance of a great tattooer who knew more about their field of 'expertise' but he wasn't wearing a sarong and was tattooing snakes, eagles and skulls all weekend, listening to Motorhead.

[gougetheeyes]

It's kind of like my thoughts on white guys with dreds talking about jah.

[gougetheeyes]

SUMMED UP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDq3_Af_cF4

[Stewart Robson]

Hahaa. That skit is great.

It's kinda the same as gaijin tebori, but not really. It's both fake, but the tattooer side of it is packaging or presentation to mask incompetence. Almost all tattooers have a touch of the showman in one shape or form. Some just pay more attention to showmanship than tattooing.

I guess most of us are fakes really. Most of us don't live the lives our tattoos and clothes portray.

I do a lot of themes from Japanese folklore, american sailor motifs and black and grey religious tattoos. All those things are naturally alien to me and not part of the culture I was raised in, but I love them all the same and try to respect what they are and do what I can with them. 100% authenticity isn't a goal of mine, but respect is.

The caucasian rasta thing is the same as guys aping the look of traditional tattoos while dressing like a coal miner or engine driver with their curly moustaches and tattooing one private customer per day.

[Perez]

"New Jersey Tebori" is just slang for handpokes done at the bar at 4AM.

[Ursula]

Just wanted to say Ras Trent is one of my favourite things ever & New Jersey Tebori sounds like one of the worst things ever.

Come visit me, I can hook you up with some sweet Canadian Tebori, I got some needles and a bamboo stick I can tie them to. They are sewing needles, but I figure their larger size will help me get the ink in. $350 an hour. You know where to find me!

[David Flores]

You hit the nail on the head bigjoe.

I call gimmick.

I know some people who offer Japanese style tebori and one of them is Japanese and the other learned in Japan from a master. Outside of that structure it doesn't seem to make much sense aside from the points mentioned by David. Basically fake authenticity in place of talent, practice and hard work.

Real authenticity is hard to find but many tattoo clients look in the wrong places. I've seen too many white dudes with botched Japanese style work done 'with bamboo' in Thailand. I guess they think if it's done by any guy from Asia it's authentic, right?

I'm not sure how popular it is in the US or Canada but at conventions in Europe and the UK there used to be a few (mostly white) guys with facial tattoos working by hand, trying tattoo styles from the islands in the south seas. Even going so far as to sit cross-legged and stretch the skin with their bare feet.

Often they were working within spitting distance of a great tattooer who knew more about their field of 'expertise' but he wasn't wearing a sarong and was tattooing snakes, eagles and skulls all weekend, listening to Motorhead.

I have a friend from the states who has been tattooing in Auckland for about 18 months while his wife goes to school. He says he has done some many Maori tattoos(with a machine) on rich kid backpackers that he is actually starting to get good at those things and I'm sure he was doing most of them listening to Motorhead or maybe The Sword. I can only imagine who they tell their friends they got their authentic Maori design from. But He is a pretty versatile tattooer so they probably lucked out regardless.

[Paul Shachtman]

Shit's fucking retarded. There are infinitely more resources available to learn electric tattooing than tebori. Like the initial post stated, only guys who should consider fucking with tebori are those who've mastered electric Japanese tattooing. I'd think you might need someone legitimate to TEACH you, as well. Anyone know who taught Horitomo? Was it Horiyoshi III? Shit's impressive.

I liked Stewart's description of pathetic wanna-be Polynesian tattooers. How stupid can you be? Apparently, a lot dumber than me. And I'm a shithead.

99.9% of everything tattoo-related is rank idiocy. I can't take it. And I'm not even a tattooer, for Christ's sake. People need to stop being full of shit.

[Joe Shit]

It's kinda the same as gaijin tebori, but not really. It's both fake, but the tattooer side of it is packaging or presentation to mask incompetence. Almost all tattooers have a touch of the showman in one shape or form. Some just pay more attention to showmanship than tattooing.

You hit the nail on the head this time..I bet they get plenty of people wanting tebori too,even if it's from a white guy in Jersey.You know there's two japanese tattooers working in NYC,and they don't even do tebori.But their work is far superior then these dudes.Now why wouldn't these guy's who were born in Japan start doing tebori?My guess is because their already excellent tattooers with an electric machine,and they don't need to be a showman and start doing tebori.

I'm speaking of KiKU and http://redtailedink.com/

[Joe Shit]

It's kinda the same as gaijin tebori, but not really. It's both fake, but the tattooer side of it is packaging or presentation to mask incompetence. Almost all tattooers have a touch of the showman in one shape or form. Some just pay more attention to showmanship than tattooing.

You hit the nail on the head this time..I bet they get plenty of people wanting tebori too,even if it's from a white guy in Jersey.You know there's two japanese tattooers working in NYC,and they don't even do tebori.But their work is far superior then these dudes.Now why wouldn't these guy's who were born in Japan start doing tebori?My guess is because their already excellent tattooers with an electric machine,and they don't need to be a showman and start doing tebori.

I'm speaking of KiKU and http://redtailedink.com/

[hogg]

Anyone know who taught Horitomo? Was it Horiyoshi III? Shit's impressive.

Yeah, he learned tebori from Horiyoshi III, but he was already a very well established tattooer by that time. He used to go by Washo and (I think) learned from Sabado, so as you can imagine, his style was very, very different from what it is today. I've always thought that it was cool that even after 10 years or so under his belt, he still humbled himself to become a student and start over in many ways.

He's an enormous talent, and I consider myself ridiculously lucky to have work from him.

[CaptCanada]

Yeah Hogg that's correct. Started with Sabado going by the name of Washo, working in Nagoya, moved to Three Tides in Osaka. After that he started trainning with Horiyoshi III.

[s33ktruth]

laughs

[Duffa]

Not exactly the same deal, but along very similar lines -

I stumbled across a European artists blog recently, and although the artists doesn't do Tebori (as far as I know) he does have a Japanese 'Hori' name and has even started a tattoo family. Nothing really abnormal there, except that he goes on to say that he's never studied under a Japanese master? Now I'm not saying this artists work is bad, far from it, its quite well done. Just not sure what to think about people giving themselves names that are meant to be passed on once you reach a standard and are steeped in tradition (from what I know anyway)

[Jaycel Adkins]

Just weird, it's all about the tattoo, period.

[CaptCanada]

Hori is Japanese for engraver, meaning a tebori artist. Even Japanese artists do that same thing. Horiyasu is a good tattooer but not a true horishi. It's become now here in japan if you do Japanese tattooers you add a hori.

[Duffa]

Hori is Japanese for engraver, meaning a tebori artist. Even Japanese artists do that same thing. Horiyasu is a good tattooer but not a true horishi. It's become now here in japan if you do Japanese tattooers you add a hori.

Cheers for shedding some more light on this for me Capt. I knew Hori was japanese for engraver/carver but was unaware of how significant it was or wasn't? But it is something I am interested in finding out more about.

(Arigato gozai-mas)

[CaptCanada]

Well it's just a name, doesn't mean anything. I made a mistake (just checked a book that talks a little bit about him) that I said horiyasu is not a true horishi, he started with tebori but quickly changed to using a machine. But it's just a name, a rose by anyother name is going to just as sweet. Good tattooers are going to produce good tattoos, bad ones will make bad tattoos. In the western world you could call yourself salior xxxx, it's all the same.

[Stewart Robson]

Good tattooers are going to produce good tattoos, bad ones will make bad tattoos. In the western world you could call yourself salior xxxx, it's all the same.

True.

Or 'professor xxxx'. I think this self-given honorific will make a comeback soon.

[Ursula]

Changing my name to Professor Sailor Tatts ASAP

[MsRad]

can i be sailor squid pants!?

[kylegrey]

I like on the Skull and Sword site how Henry Lewis is listed as Horimackerel.