Short Visual History Of Tattoo Tools. As long as people have wanted to piss off their parents be part of a social group, there have been tattoos. Tattoo Road Trip. Ancient Thai Needle Kit.
Ancient Tattooing Techniques
- The English word tattoo is commonly said to be derived from the Polynesian word tatau or tatu.This Polynesian word means ‘to mark something’. Additionally, this word is an onomatopoeia, and is derived from the sound that was made by the tools that were used during the process of tattooing.
- Direct historical approach (see discussion in Lyman & O’Brien The final category of archaeological evidence for 2001) to the material culture of ancient tattooing. Ancient tattooing consists of the implements used to Prior to the inal decades of the twentieth century, the administer tattoos. Tools used to insert pigment beneath the Western.
Ancient Egyptian Needles
Tiny bronze tattoo needles discovered at an Egyptian dig. These date back to 1450 B.C. but the oldest on record are from before 3000 B.C. Source:Tattoo Road Trip
Ancient Thai Needle Kit
Traditional Thai tattoo tools were made from quill-like bamboo needles. Split in two and razor sharp, they range from six to twelve inches in length. Source:Naga Tattoo
Maori Chisel
The Maori of New Zealand used bone chisels to carve designs straight into the flesh. After the lines were cut, the chisel was dipped into ink and and tapped into the gashes. Source:PEM
Polynesian Rake Needle
Polynesian tattoos required two people. The artist used a rake like tool to hold the ink and a hammer to puncture the skin. The assistant would hold the skin taught so the vibrations wouldn't affect the design. Source:Tomoski
Japanese Tebori Needles
Tebori tattoos are done completely by hand, with the tattoo artist creating a rhythm with his hand motions similar to that of an electric machine. Source:Tune In Tokyo
Edison's Electric Pen
In 1876, Thomas Edison created an electric stencil pen for some unknown reason. While the pen never took off commercially, it was converted into a forerunner of the modern tattoo machine. Source:Engtechmag
O'Reilly's Rotary Two Coil Needle
In 1891, Samuel O'Reilly realized the potential of Edison's electric pen. Adding an in reservoir and tube system to feed the needle using an electric (rotary) motor, the modern machine was born. Source:Wikipedia
Advanced Rotary Needle
A more condensed, modern version of O'Reilly's rotary machine. Source:Wikipedia
Modern Electro-Magnet Machine
Today's tattoo machines run on a two coil (or one or three or any other variation) system. The basic premise is that electromagnetic circuit causes the needle to move up and down. Source:Wikipedia
Ancient Tattooing Methods
Tattoo instruments, such as needles and tubes, are sterilized in an autoclave before a tattoo procedure. Before the patent of the tattoo machine by Sam Reilly in 1891, organic instruments were used by cultures to perform tattoo rituals. Some cultures still practice the ancient tattoo rituals and incorporate latex gloves and autoclaves to make the procedure safer for the people performing and getting the tattoo.
Ancient Egypt
Archaeologist W.M.F. Petrie discovered two different types of ancient tattoo tools in Egypt, according to 'Smithsonian Magazine.' The first type was a wood-handled tattoo instrument with a sharp point, dating back to 3000 B.C., found in Abydos, Egypt. The second type of tattoo instruments, discovered in Gurob, were made of bronze, in a shape similar to needles. In modern tattooing, some tattoo needles are referred to as 'flats,' and the ancient bronze tattoo instruments look like flat and wide needles in a group.
Rites in Polynesia
Traditional Polynesian tattoos were -- and still are -- performed as a rite of passage or to show wealth or status. The heavily tattooed men were respected and admired; men with no tattoos were shunned or disrespected. A woman was permitted to cook for her family and participate in preparing bodies for funeral rituals only after achieving womanhood and receiving a tattoo. Tools used for Polynesian tattoos consisted of needles in a comb or rake shape attached to a wood handle. The needles were made from bone or tortoiseshell, and punctured the skin when a separate wood stick tapped the wood handle of the comb.
Thai Tattoos
The Thai Guide to Thailand website explains that in Thailand, monks perform a tattoo ritual known as a Sak Yant, which means “magic tattoo,” believing that the tattoo will bring protection, luck, strength or good fortune. Intertwined with Buddhist beliefs and mantras, monks still perform this ancient form of tattooing today. A stick of bamboo, usually 6 to 12 inches in length, is one tool used to perform the tattoo. On one end of the bamboo stick is a sharp point that looks like a quill. The sharp point is split into two pieces to deliver ink into the skin. Another implement used for tattooing a “magic tattoo” is a metal spike, similar to the size of the bamboo stick.
Japanese Tradition
The traditional art of Tebori, or tattooing by hand, is a technique practiced by the Japanese, according to the Tao of Tattoos website. A row of needles adhered to a wood or metal handle is the equipment used by a Tebori master to tattoo the skin. The constant motion of moving the hand holding the handle creates the tattoo design. Unlike modern electric tattoo machines, the Tebori master performs the tattoo in an ongoing rhythm, instead of performing a line and stopping.
Maori Designs
Ancient Chinese Tattooing Techniques
In New Zealand, the Maori tribe tattooed female and male members of the community. The New Zealand in History website explains that the Maori tribe regarded the head as the most sacred part of the body. Women only received facial tattoos, mainly around the lips, chin and nostrils. The entire face of the man was tattooed. Some members of the Maori tribe wore spiral tattoos that started on the buttocks and ended at the knee. In a tattoo ritual, the Maori used a chisel made of bone to cut lines and shapes in the skin. After the lines were cut, the Maori would tap the chisel, with the edge dipped in pigment, into the lines.