*Marc Pinto - Traditional Japanese Hand Tattooing (Tebori)

Marc Pinto has traveled extensively researching the art of Traditional Hand Tattooing.

During one of his trips to Borneo in 1998 he got an traditional hand tattooed at Lalang Longhouse , Skrang River , Borneo.

He was shown their traditional way to make the traditional soot ink and tools for tattooing. That was a his inspirational start to hand tattooing. He has done years of research, was granted permission to tattoo by hand and now travels to Borneo occasionally.

Marc has since incorporated the Japanese technique of hand tattooing to his work.

Many thanks to my good friends of Lalang and Entalau Longhouse, Penghulu Legan, Chief Dau anak Saleh , Chief Bau , Entalai, and to my partner for Traditional Tattoos.net, Hori Hiro sharing the knowledge and techniques with me.

All Marc's work is done 100% by hand, without the use of a tattoo machine! Including outlines too..

A unique art that has been passed down from generations to generations. Practiced by various cultures around the world, in many different forms and exclusive only to PRIMITIVE BODY PIERCING in AUSTRALIA.

Hand Tattooing CANNOT in any way be compared to MACHINE tattooing, there is a vast difference between the 2 methods, one of which is that traditional hand tattooing methods has been around in some cultures for thousands of years. The mummified iceman found has tattoos that dates back 5000 years ago.Hand tattooing may sound like a crude method and painful. But those whom have experienced it with us or any traditional hand artist in the world would relate that hand tattooing is not as painful as some machine experience, Sure it take a little longer but the experience and personal meaning behind it would also be cherished and remembered for life.

Personally... more than machine experience for me.

The technique used for my methods of tattooing is very light insertion of ink into skin, resulting in less traumatic healing with swelling reduced from 6hrs-3 days and tattoos will have light flakey scabs from 3 to 4 days. Only the finest tattoo inks used of Jet Black and Bright Colors.

Lastly, traditional Tattoos can readily be distinguished by the experience eye as the work we do is fine and most often compares to that of a good machine finished job.

Most that have experienced this methods of Hand Tattooing, have preferred it to the conventional machine methods...