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@Cork @Iwar you're welcome ; )

HAHA, you'd have to pay me to do the whole thing, but the discussion around 16:00 about successors is pretty interesting. He says that until three years ago, he had a successor (Horitoshi II) lined up, but that the successor did not abide the rules of the family and was expelled. Then, he had a Horitoshi III lined up, but that this potential successor had no intention of leading the family. So, he has decided that they will elect a Horitoshi III democratically between him and his three oldest "sons." The ideal successor, he says, has to be good at tattooing, but also a man of character. He has to be mild-mannered because he (Horitoshi I/the family) has various domestic and international relations to maintain, and dedicated to the family. In another really interesting bit of the interview, at around 24:00, he says his "family" differs from other families in that his relationship with his "family" members is really one between father and son rather than master and apprentice. The apprentices start as such, but after spending some time apprenticing and being deemed worthy based on character, they become his sons. That is why they call him "Oyaji" (Pops) rather than "sensei." Despite this, in the most unfortunate case, he says, an apprentice/son left the family after six years. Finally, towards the end, Horitoshi expresses his devotion to the preservation of tebori as a Japanese tradition. He says that ultimately, he is teaching his apprentices to maintain tradition. The Horitoshi Family, in Japan, he says, is the family most dedicated to tattooing as a Japanese tradition. Machines could be used for lining, but shading has to be done by hand to preserve tattooing as a Japanese art. He doesn't think tattooing will be accepted in Japan anytime soon, but maybe in fifty years, Japanese people will have a more "casual" attitude toward it.

Wow just watched the documentary. It's very informative and interesting to hear Mr. Horitoshi's beliefs and stories and of course the tattooing is mindblowing but the video direction is unintentionally hilarious. If I was those two men, I would've been like, "you want me to do what in a fundoshi?"

@kylegrey, Yes I am totally interested in Toshikazu Nakamura's work. It seems very old school. I'm thinking that as a Tokyo native, I want to go to a Tokyo artist though. @ironchef I'm interested in Horimitsu's work too. The red dragon back piece he did is phenomenal. Very progressive take on mikiri.

Dear admins, if this is too basic a question for a thread, or if it has been covered elsewhere please delete it. Until very recently, I appreciated Japanese style tattoos, but was totally uninterested in getting them. It probably had lot to do with growing up in Tokyo and living here again now. Ever since a tattooer friend recommended (or implanted the idea of) getting a thigh done tebori "for the experience," I've been semi-obsessing about it. Who are your favorite tebori artists and why? It seems the styles, from the width of the windbars and palette, to drawing styles, are so varied. Do you like the artists doing classic work or the younger artists making "innovative" work? Some younger Japanese tattooers seem to be heading in a SSTP direction of simplification, where ultimately, classic tattooing, whether Japanese or American, becomes almost the same (except in subject matter). Some others' works seem too anime-influenced for my tastes. Even among older artists of a similar region, there's also a lot of variety. For example, Horitoshi I's work looks completely different from Horikyo's works and they are both Tokyo-based. Just curious about all your opinions. Horikyo Horitoshi 1

Awesome! What're you going to get?

I'm not in a rush, and I'm more than willing to wait and save room for specific tattoos from specific tattooers that I want, but it is addicting, isn't it? I was ok with having just two tattoos for seven, eight years, but once I became rally interested in tattoos, I've gotten them much more frequently. As far as big vs small, I think for me back, ribs, and thighs will be my big pieces. I totally appreciate sleeves and body suits, but to me it takes away from the stupidity and vulgarity of tattooing, which is what I like about it.

@irezumi Fuhk, that Freddy Corbin one is amazing! It gives me serious tattoo envy.

Oh I had a really difficult time deciding, because I felt I'd be a fool to not get a panther or tiger from him, and I was also really drawn to the weirder stuff he does, but I'm going to get an eagle or hawk on a rock in green waves.

I'm excited that I have an appointment with Timothy Hoyer in New York in December.

YES! That's the one I want. The Hardy tattoo isn't too shabby either.

Genius: "

@hogg Ha! Could be. I just want a wide variety of tattoos and tattoo experiences :cool: Here is a pic of it going down. There were disposable needles and gloves involved and I didn't get the Stoney rat there.

Well in the Tattoo Age episodes on Dan Santoro, a shop in Hong Kong called "Swallow Tattoo" is mentioned as an inspiration for the SSTP interior and having every surface of the shop covered in flash. I was curious about it and did some googling and found that Swallow, Pinky Yun, and Ricky all apprenticed under a tattooist named James Ho and that Ricky Tattoo is still in operation. It's located in the Wanchai bar/strip club district. So I decided to find the shop. Ricky is not tattooing there, but a younger and also apparently completely tattoo-less tattooer was working, and the interior and the flash on the walls probably have not been updated since the 1980s (there were some Bob Roberts sheets) and most of the flash on the wall was made much earlier. There was also an older manager(?) guy. The extent of service was being asked "what u want?" Absolutely no effort was made to be friendly and there were serious sanitary issues but I decided to go for it. The tattoo is not really anything to write home about, but the experience was incredible. I don't think the guy who tattoed me had any interest in tattoos. It seemed like it was just work he had to do?

I got a Pinky Yun pin up at Ricky Tattoo in Hong Kong and it was a totally insane experience.

This?

I'm not looking to necessarily "connect" to a tattooer when I make an appointment, but just as I wouldn't buy products from a business or corporation with politics I don't agree with, if I knew that a tattooer is homophobic, racist, or sexist, I would not go to them. Another trend in addition to making fun of customers, which I saw a while ago on Instagram, was white tattooers using "jigaboo" imagery. To me that's not funny and the idea that it's transgressive because it goes against notions of common decency is stupid. We still live in a predominantly racist society, so reiterating racist ideas is essentially conservative. As far as personality, I wouldn't think you'd be able to tell until after your appointment, but I would never give my money to a tattooer if I knew ahead of time that they're going to be an asshole. You're already paying him or her to put you in pain. That said, I would not base my opinions on a person's personality based on hearsay either. Fortunately, I haven't had any negative experiences in these regards.

Eddy Deutsche finished mine a few weeks ago. Terrible pic of the whole thing and one of the mini ROA in the book at the bottom. Four total in the piece ;)

@hogg thanks! Yes, back in Tokyo now but I finished my back with Eddy and got a one point from him. I put up a pic of the one point above ; )

Bob Roberts panther tattooed by Hiro at Spotlight Tattoo. His photo.

Thanks CABS! Yep, having a blast. I really want to come to SF/Oakland next time :)

In LA to get my back finished by Eddy Deutsche and got this wolf from him and a color portrait of my wife by Bob Roberts.

Yes! Just Kids is great and makes the old New York sound sooo good. I'm currently reading Justin Spring's Secret Historian: The Life and Times of Samuel Steward, Professor, Tattoo Artist, and Sexual Renegade. Steward's tattooist name was Phil Sparrow and his life is completely astonishing. A great read for anyone interested in Phil Sparrow, Gertrude Stein, Alfred Kinsey, or gay culture in the 1950s among other things.