I would like to express my gratitude to the DJ for enhancing the spiritual experience by playing some Tracy Chapman. (sarcasm)
Unfortunately, the soundtrack was not as fulfilling as the actual experience itself. Listening to "Rock and Roll All Nite" whilst watching an Asian gentleman stabbing my leg with a sharp stick probably isn't the ideal composition, but be appreciative that I willfully omitted the video footage on which the solo work of Bret Michaels overtakes the rhythmical sound of needles puncturing and leaving my skin. A good time was had by all.
The capillary action of opening the skin is different with tebori than with an electric tattoo machine and it actually tends to do less damage to the tissue. The hand method is not common in the U.S.; there are maybe a handful of artists that can do it. It is a 400+ year old method and a very serious practice in Japan. It is a great, long process in which the artist serves as a master's apprentice for many years. It's not like in America where you can buy the equipment from a magazine and go scar people up. The artist must have exceptionally great skill, technique, and control. Getting a tattoo from a tebori master like Horitoshi is considered an honor.
