Look Boss, De Plane!

Does anybody even get that reference?

I can't help myself sometimes with my movie and pop culture references.

I have often thought about trying my hand at stand up comedy, but I wonder how many people would get my jokes. Anyway, that's not what this blog is about. This blog is about tattoos.

(By the way, my headline refers to the tv show  Fantasy Island and the character Tattoo, played by Herve' Villechaize. Tattoo would run up the main bell tower to ring the bell and shout "The Plane! The Plane!" to announce the arrival of a new set of guests at the beginning of each episode. This line, shown at the beginning of the show's credits, became an unlikely catchphrase because of Villechaize's spirited delivery and French accent (he actually pronounced it, "De plane! De plane!").

Anyway, I'm in the process of learning how to tattoo. The most important thing to remember when tattooing, in addition to making sure you don't scar someone for life, is using sterile equipment. equipment for sterilizing some of your equipment will cost you at least $1600. (If you find something cheaper than that, you've done better than me.) But there is a cheap an easy alternative. I first seal the tattoo gun inside a ziplock sandwich bag with a hole cut in the corner for the needle and tube to stick thru. You then purchase disposable needles with pre-sterilized plastic tubes. These are the longer tubes that attach directly to the tattoo machine. Purchased together, they cost just a little over $1 a piece when you buy them in quantity. And I'm not even talking large quantities. I bought 2 different size needles with the matching tubes at a cost of $40 and some change for 40 needles.

Here's a link to the ones I purchased (although I purchased different sizes).

 So far I can do outlines but I'm trying to get someone to teach me how to use shading needles. A respected local tattoo artist recently taught me procedures for safe tattooing and how to make greywash (shades of black). I have a friend that is going to let me work on his tattoo as soon as I can learn shading. 

Well, thanks for stopping by.

Phili C Knecht, b.m.f.