Much as with the Japanese, the tattoo techniques that were developed in Samoa and Thailand were based on hand tools. Wood, frequently bamboo, and varying types of metalwork gave shape to a variety of pointed tools which were manipulated to create connnecting dots in the skin.
Tattooing in Samoa
Another Pacific culture, the Samoans, also use wooden hand tools to tattoo. Tattooing was widely and openly practiced by these people, and the methods are part of large group rituals. The word tattooing comes from the Samoan "tatu" meaning "to strike" as this was part of their technique. Multiple assistants manually stretch the skin taut. The tattooist wields two tools, one a bone tipped rake and the other the striking stick. The rake is dipped in ink, then struck with the other stick to puncture the skin. The unique method allows for elaborate geometric designs of fine lines as well as large areas filled in solidly. Sometimes drumming and chanting accompanied the tattoo work.
Ancient Thai TattooingThe traditional Thai tattoo tool is an interesting hand tool that has almost the same action as a Western machine. The ancient tattoo tradition is tied closely to Buddhism, and many designs are religious in origin, worn and tattooed by monks. The tool is a long brass tube, with a sliding pointed rod that runs down the inside. After being dipped in ink, one hand steadies the end against the client's skin and the other provides the piercing action, like a very slow sewing machine. This tattoo styles produces designs composed more openly of lines of dots rather than a solid line.
If you're looking for more information on how to tattoo, you might like
Tattooing A to Z: A Guide to Successful Tattooing
by Huck Spaulding
Advanced Tattoo Art (How-to Secrets from the Masters)
by Doug Mitchel
