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the blue blood studios tattoo blog

The Thorn and the Tap: Kalinga’s Living History Beyond Whang-Od

The Thorn and the Tap: Kalinga’s Living History Beyond Whang-Od

The Thorn and the Tap: Kalinga’s Living History Beyond Whang-Od

The history of Kalinga Batok is a testament to the resilience of the people in the Cordillera mountains of the northern Philippines. Unlike modern tattooing, which often focuses on the individual, Batok is a communal ledger of history, ecology, and spiritual duty. For the Kalinga, the skin is not just a canvas; it is a document that records a person’s contributions to the village and their relationship with the natural world. The Thorn and the Tap The technical execution of B

thebluebloodstudios

4 days ago4 min read

Large Scale Cover-Up

Large Scale Cover-Up

More than a Fix: The World of Tattoo Transformations

Sometimes, the art we once loved no longer resonates with who we are today. Or perhaps, the quality of a past tattoo leaves something to...

thebluebloodstudios

May 26, 20254 min read

The Art of Choosing Well: Understanding Tattoo Quality

The Art of Choosing Well: Understanding Tattoo Quality

The Art of Choosing Well: Understanding Tattoo Quality

Getting a tattoo is a deeply personal journey, a permanent story etched onto your skin. Beyond the allure of the design and its personal...

thebluebloodstudios

May 14, 20256 min read

Experimental novelty clockwork tattoo machine by unknown maker, America, 1880-1920. Homemade with parts from a "Bee" alarm clock manufactured by Ansonia Clock Company, Brooklyn, New York, ca. 1880. "Ansonia Clock Co." stamped on winding key. Early tattoo artists are known to have experimented with machines of all types. In an 1897 newspaper article, a reporter noted that famed New York tattoo artist Samuel O'Reilly used a large clockwork machine with fifty needles for shading; see St. Louis Globe, Dec. 26, 1897, p. 11. O'Reilly later clarified that it was a clockwork movement articulated with a large coiled spring. Provenance: From the collection of "Tattoo Charlie" Geizer (1905-1980)

Experimental novelty clockwork tattoo machine by unknown maker, America, 1880-1920. Homemade with parts from a "Bee" alarm clock manufactured by Ansonia Clock Company, Brooklyn, New York, ca. 1880. "Ansonia Clock Co." stamped on winding key. Early tattoo artists are known to have experimented with machines of all types. In an 1897 newspaper article, a reporter noted that famed New York tattoo artist Samuel O'Reilly used a large clockwork machine with fifty needles for shading; see St. Louis Globe, Dec. 26, 1897, p. 11. O'Reilly later clarified that it was a clockwork movement articulated with a large coiled spring. Provenance: From the collection of "Tattoo Charlie" Geizer (1905-1980)

The Evolution of Tattoo Machines: From Hand-Poked to Modern Coil and Rotary

For thousands of years, humans have adorned their bodies with tattoos, each mark telling a story of culture, identity, or personal...

thebluebloodstudios

Apr 2, 20252 min read

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