Stick & Pokes

[MadeIndelible]

Anyone have any fun stick & pokes to share? I couldn't find a thread on this topic, but if there is one, a link would be greatly appreciated.

[Ursula]

The reason you couldn't find a thread on it is because for the most part it's a horrible idea and only encourages people who don't know what they're doing to make a mess of their skin. You should read the Tebori in America thread to see how people feel about doing stuff like that with no knowledge.

Doing hand pokes at home usually just results in an awful tattoo.

[CaptCanada]

While I'll say I don't like homemade tattoos, I'll also say how many people got started with it? They are hmm, rough, to say the least. This did make me check out a blog about them, and damn some of these guys are dedicated to them. Many hours for a simple tattoo that could be done in a shop in no time.

Also what's with the upside down text right above the knees. Looks worse then on the wrists.

[Ursula]

You're right Capt. I do know some people who started by doing pokers on themselves. I just don't think it's something that the general public should be doing, and therefore something we might not want to promote here. I know many people who have hand pokes but they are usually jokes, boredom killers, drunk ideas, or a kind of best friend or brotherly/sisterly trade thing going on. I agree with you it's silly to spend an hour poking a shitty rendition of your initials when you could go to a shop and get something that looks good. To each his own though I guess.

[jade1955]

I had several hand poked tattoos on my hands, but as a teenager in a young offenders institution I suppose I had a good excuse. The tattoos were done by my best mate Phil. Phil sterilised the needle before each session with a lighted match which was good but probably cancelled out , on the hygiene front, by the location which was one of the traps in the shitter. Phil had an unusual technique for ensuring a straight line by dragging the tip of the needle and then poking the Indian ink into the shallow cut. From what I can remember it was very, very painful.

Within a very short time of being released I started to realise that these tattoos were not a very good idea so I got them removed. None of that fancy laser surgery in those days, just local anaesthetic and a scalpel. One of the surgeons asked me if I wanted to watch and he pulled over an overhead mirror. It took many years for the scars to fade.

Here’s some after pictures.

[gougetheeyes]

The reason you couldn't find a thread on it is because for the most part it's a horrible idea and only encourages people who don't know what they're doing to make a mess of their skin. You should read the Tebori in America thread to see how people feel about doing stuff like that with no knowledge.

Doing hand pokes at home usually just results in an awful tattoo.

...yeah. BUT there's usually some pretty good stories/pretty incredible (bad) results! I, unfortunately, in all my teenage angst, could never bring myself to do it. My "girlfriend" when I was 13 though, did decide to carve my initials into her ankle and manage to get most of it in there with pen ink. She was a little off.

SEE?! Stories!

[gougetheeyes]

I had several hand poked tattoos on my hands, but as a teenager in a young offenders institution I suppose I had a good excuse. The tattoos were done by my best mate Phil. Phil sterilised the needle before each session with a lighted match which was good but probably cancelled out , on the hygiene front, by the location which was one of the traps in the shitter. Phil had an unusual technique for ensuring a straight line by dragging the tip of the needle and then poking the Indian ink into the shallow cut. From what I can remember it was very, very painful.

Within a very short time of being released I started to realise that these tattoos were not a very good idea so I got them removed. None of that fancy laser surgery in those days, just local anaesthetic and a scalpel. One of the surgeons asked me if I wanted to watch and he pulled over an overhead mirror. It took many years for the scars to fade.

Also, goddamn. Jade wins in the Tough Guy category.

[jade1955]

Ironically the modern laser removal method of removing tattoos is far more painful, from what I’ve heard, than the local anaesthetic/scalpel which to be honest, was painless.

[gougetheeyes]

Ol' Jade "Double Pain" 55 we call him..

[Ursula]

...yeah. BUT there's usually some pretty good stories/pretty incredible (bad) results!

Exactly

[jade1955]

Ol' Jade "Double Pain" 55 we call him..

Hahahaha when I showed my wife this she said "Yes double pain in the ass"

[swastika stick n poke]

I had to chime in on this one.

I've got one.

Its a clubhouse/brotherhood thing.

Its stupid.

It hurt like hell.

It looks like shit.

........But thats the point!

I'd never really recomend it to anyone, but I don't regret mine at all.

Sometimes i like things with a rough edge, not pretty, far from perfect, but thats me.

Besides, how else am I gonna get tough guy points like jade1955?

While we're on the subject, how does everyone feel about tattooers doing stick'n pokes with tattoo needles and tattoo ink?

Seems more silly than un-skilled americans doing Tebori.

[Ursula]

While we're on the subject, how does everyone feel about tattooers doing stick'n pokes with tattoo needles and tattoo ink?

Seems more silly than un-skilled americans doing Tebori.

In the case where people who know what's up are doing them on each other for reasons like you stated a clubhouse/brotherhood thing or whatever, that's fine, they all know what they are getting into and accept that it's going to be a bad tattoo.

People (who are tattooers) doing it and trying to pass it off as a good tattoo are morons.

People (who don't tattoo) who end up with a needle and cap of ink somehow and do it to themselves because they think it's just a free/cheap alternative to going to a shop, also morons.

[hogg]

People (who don't tattoo) who end up with a needle and cap of ink somehow and do it to themselves because they think it's just a free/cheap alternative to going to a shop, also morons.

While I don't disagree, I also don't think that most people who do stick and pokes see them as alternatives to going to a shop. Almost every example I've ever seen or heard of falls under the category of A) someone like Jade, above, who was badass young 'un, B) someone like Swazzi (my new nickname for you) who did it as a "club" thing or C) the result of an evening of party tatts.

[MsRad]

While I don't disagree, I also don't think that most people who do stick and pokes see them as alternatives to going to a shop. Almost every example I've ever seen or heard of falls under the category of A) someone like Jade, above, who was badass young 'un, B) someone like Swazzi (my new nickname for you) who did it as a "club" thing or C) the result of an evening of party tatts.

it's becoming a trendy thing to do amongst 20 or 30 something "hipsters". i read an online article through Vice i think (might have been another publication) on how to give a proper stick and poke tattoo. it was really ridiculous. i also know some people who do it on a regular basis because it's cheaper than getting tattooed, but really, i think it's pretty dangerous thing to make "cool".

[Ursula]

I agree Hogg, most of the people with are the ones you mentioned. MsRad is right though, I've been seeing a lot of asshole hipsters who don't even have 'proper' tattoos doing them on themselves and friends because it's the cool new thing to do. Those people to me, are morons. Just to make it clear though, I also think people who just buy an electric machine from China on ebay and tattoo themselves and friends because they are too cheap to go into a real shop are also morons.

Rad- that totally sounds like something Vice would print in their magazine. I think the Tattoo Age stuff is amazing, but for the most part I feel like everything in the print magazine is aimed directly at those hipsters.

[MsRad]

Here's the article:

STICK'N'POKE

and yeah Ursula, i too love Tattoo Age, as well as their cute TV channel, but then i see some stupid picture by Terry Richardson, shake my head, and remember why i hate them again. god, i HATE Terry Richardson.

i just remembered too that there was some travel/review show they started doing, and i tried watching the first episode and couldn't get past the first 5 minutes. it was horrible.

[Ursula]

Yeah, the Vice guide to travel. I found it pretty offensive and further proof of their hipster better than you attitude. They had (maybe still have) a big office in Toronto and the people I met who worked for them were assholes for the most part. I lived with a chick who worked with them and she was pretty awful. Total cooler than thou attitude towards anyone they haven't already heard of who isn't an obvious 80's workout suit fixed gear hand poke tattoo giving hipster.

I don't hate Terry Richardson but I also don't think he's a photographic genius. I do think the do's and don'ts are pretty good though. Occasionally they do have some meaningful content but it's overshadowed by the bullshit for me. I find over the past 5 years they've really gone on a downhill run towards the hipster pool and then jumped right in it fully clothed. I can remember when I used to look forward to reading it every month... Anyways enough ranting...

[MsRad]

i think what i mainly dislike about Terry Richardson, other than his general attitude, is that he's not doing anything different from say Danny Lyons or Nan Goldin, and is doing it for what seems to be the shock value, rather than the genuineness of some of his contemporary peers (such as Edward Templeton, or even Glen E. Friedman). i do like his work from when he was in Iraq for the first desert storm, and right after her returned. that felt genuine.

and i'm glad i wasn't the only one who found that show offensive.

anyways, we can go back on topic now.

[MadeIndelible]

I agree wholeheartedly with the opposition toward people who get stick and pokes as an alternative to in-shop tattoos done by professionals. I was looking for those that Jade and swastika referenced. Like I said, fun ones.

I appreciate the story, Jade, and thanks for the thoughtful back and forth from others.

[gougetheeyes]

i think what i mainly dislike about Terry Richardson, other than his general attitude, is that he's not doing anything different from say Danny Lyons or Nan Goldin, and is doing it for what seems to be the shock value, rather than the genuineness of some of his contemporary peers (such as Edward Templeton, or even Glen E. Friedman). i do like his work from when he was in Iraq for the first desert storm, and right after her returned. that felt genuine.

and i'm glad i wasn't the only one who found that show offensive.

anyways, we can go back on topic now.

I don't know shit about shit but while I think the VBS series is great, the one dude invaded my barbershop and was a total douche to my barber. I remember thinking, damn, if you can't respect an old sicilian dude, how can you respect fucking antying? Then he rode away on his fixie -- thank god he could break the hundo he won in AC.

[jade1955]

I agree wholeheartedly with the opposition toward people who get stick and pokes as an alternative to in-shop tattoos done by professionals. I was looking for those that Jade and swastika referenced. Like I said, fun ones.

I appreciate the story, Jade, and thanks for the thoughtful back and forth from others.

Brought back some memories. Nothing at all to do with being a tough guy though. More like dumb teenager.

Shame I don't have any pictures of the tattoos though.

[Kev]

i think what i mainly dislike about Terry Richardson, other than his general attitude, is that he's not doing anything different from say Danny Lyons or Nan Goldin...

Danny Lyon's "The Bikeriders" >>>>>> than anything Richardson will ever do.

[Kev]

*delete