jade1955

I'd be interested to know how much money each of us went through during our visit, i spent £200 on a tattoo and not much else but it looks like there was a lot more money being spent by the rest of you!

Spent £300 on a tattoo. Tickets for 2 days, train tickets, a few drinks & food. Prob about £500.

Plus this little hand painted sugar skull cigar accessory for a tenner.

I have absolutely no idea whats it's used for. I just liked it.

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While I remember did anyone else notice how many people were walking around with the wrapping removed from fresh tattoos. Even lower leg ones.

In a crowded venue there's a very good chance that your fresh tattoo is going to come into contact with peoples clothing or some other numbskulls exposed lower leg tattoo.

A tattoo mightn't be the only perminent souvenir you bring back with you. If you put the brains of some of these people in my little sugar skull thingy, it would rattle.

@mattmcclaintattoo, thank you so much for your posts! That front piece is too damn tough--I love it already. And that Eric Inksmith story and tattoo are so, so cool. Awesome stuff!

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I love that! Please tell us more about the hand tool technique. Is it different from Japanese tebori? I bet it hurt less than a machine (I thought tebori did). How long did it take?

I've never been tattooed with a tebori but the technique seems to differ in that the tebori is longer and is applied using both hands, the thumb is used to support and direct the business end of the tool. The hand tool that Adam uses is more the size and shape of a pencil and is held in the same way. The needles are the same tattoo needles used in regular tattoo machines.

It hurt less than being tattooed with a machine but by the end it was getting a bit sore. I was supprised how quickly it was done (it's about hand sized, across the wings of the moth). About three and a half hours of tattooing.

One major difference, for a lower leg tattoo, is the absence of any swelling or lower leg pain. Usually I suffer really badly with, post tattoo leg swelling and pain.

Had such a great day today in Brighton. Got tattooed by Adam Sage at Into You.

Adam tattoos without electricity with a hand tool. Amazing experience,

Not exactly an EDC (we're not allowed to carry knives in the uk).

This is my knife of choice for kebabing intruders.

A Cold Steel Trilite with a 6" blade.

yeah that one will never get old.

quality post Jade. what the hell happened to your foot?

Thanks man. Thats my other halfs @Jade1959 s foot. She was dancing in the bedroom and kicked this.

Beautiful Snyder-Enfield...one of my Brothers has one, and it's truly a trip to fire it. We've played around with all different loads, from powderpuffs to full military spec, and it handles 'em all like a dream. You're a lucky man!

Well spotted. @Jade1959 bought me this for my birthday from IMA.

It was in quite a sorry condition. I had great fun restoring it. Haven't got around to trying it out yet.

Heres some of mine. Not particularly funny but pretty random.

Some new one from the last two weeks...

Two by Duncan X

and one by Jondix

Got some monster appointments coming up within the next 2 months... 4 with Hooper and the beginning of about 20 sessions with Rubendall.

@CercleRouge Did you get the Duncan X tattoos on the Tuesday 25th September.

I was in Into You getting tattooed by Jondix at about 2pm.

I had to re-read this last night. My new Burk leopard head was killing me--the swelling was intense! I had to rig a few extra pillows and try to sleep with it elevated. I think I'm probably past the worst of it. Funny how it's always more painful the night after than during.

Since my last post on this thread I had the lower inside of my leg tattooed. I'ts right what you say about the pain. I only started to experience bad pain a day or two after the tattoo. It was so bad I took three half days off work and that was four days after the tattoo.

I was told that as you get older you experience more swelling and pain in lower leg tattoos. It's to do with the circulation in your legs not being quite as good.

That feeling when you get out of bed and stand up. Horrible.

@Jack He is so fast but amazingly not particularly heavy handed. Before he got into tattooing he was a graffiti artist. As such he needed to work quickly so as not to get caught by the police or blatted by a train. He's carried that speed over into his tattooing. Deno told me his apprentice was also a graffiti artist and is also pretty quick.

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Boy, you two really cleaned up! Thanks for letting us enjoy it vicariously.

So, how'd you find the kneecap? It wasn't quite as bad as I thought it'd be.

You're welcome. I didn't find the kneecap too bad either. My biggest worry is my leg getting the shakes but it behaved itself yesterday.

I got this from the wonderful Henning jørgensen at the London Convention yesterday:

It's safe to say I am very happy with it. Very.

One of the best I've seen.

Had the best time at the London Tattoo Convention this weekend @Jade1959 got a couple of great lady head tattoos from Lina Stigson & Mary Joy.

I got tattooed by Deno on the Sunday. It was his last appointment of the convention @6pm. He was running a bit late.

At 5:45 I saw him putting a stencil on a girls lower leg and I thought no way is he going to get that tattoo done and mine before the convention closed at 8pm. At 6:40 he had finished the girls tattoo and I was ushered over.

Deno freehanded the skull on my knee and by 7:30 we were done. Boy is he fast.

Deno banger on kneecap.

Dark Star cask ale... @jade1955 take note!!

Sounds like you had a good day yesterday.

Yeah I was looking at the range of beers last night. Looks good.

I'm there today with @Jade1959. It'll give me something to do while she's getting tattooed.

Militant Black Guy from the TV Show Balls of Steel.

Coming along nicely. :)

How long after the last session do you have to wait before getting the area tattooed?

So great, @jade1955! How you doin' now?

Pretty good, thanks. Tattoos doing nicely covered by a cotton glove at the moment.

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@jade1955

how'd that feel?

It's very intense to say the least and it's every bit as bad as everyone says. I can only describe it as a deep searing, burning sensation.

Jondix, mercifully, works quickly and is such a calming influence.

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That looks awesome, Was the palm pain as bad as its reputation?

It certainly is. I coped by concentrating on my breathing and sort of zoning out. There was an air conditioning fan above me, I think, and I was mentally pushing the pain into the unit. Sounds a bit weird but it works for me.

Tattooed by Jondix at Into You Tattoo, in London, yesterday.

I've never been so nervous before a tattoo but Jondix is such a lovely guy and made me feel a lot more calm.

Happy birthday LST and many more to come.

Could be an idea for your train rides, @jade1955

That's not a bad idea. Your can get an aluminium one from the Brewdog website. I brought this growler home with me from NY (I just liked it) but mislaid the screw top.

Also bought a large bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale from a food store just 100 yards from my hotel. As I sat, in just my underpants drinking it, a maid stuck her head around the door. The look on her face was priceless.

A good range of beers can be found at Home | Beer, Wine, Cider | Beers Of Europe.

Coolest growler ever? Holds 4 pints. Ceramic.

Wow I've never seen those before. Brewdog make some seriously good beer.

One of the few times a staph infection would improve a tattoo.

I have the back of both of my calves tattooed. Each took over 4 hours, and I did them both in one sitting. My left ankle swelled up a pretty good size. It hurt like a bastard to walk on it for about 3 days. My right leg wasn’t nearly as bad, but still swelled up.

Strangely enough I had the back my of my calf tattooed from top to bottom in one session. Very little swelling and no pain afterwards.

Had such a great evening. The opening of the Great Western Tattoo Club in my home town.

Tattooed on me by Kris Manyana

Tattooed on @Jade1959 by Joel Blake

On the Wednesday & Thursday before last years London Tattoo convention I got tattooed on the outside of both lower legs. Nothing too large (about hand sized). On the Friday all seemed well a little swollen but nothing drastic.

So Saturday came and it was off to the Tattoo convention. Had a really great day there and even got a walk up from Nick Colella.

After a long day on my feet I got home I noticed my ankles felt a bit sore. Anyway when I took my trousers off I freaked out. My ankles were red raw bright red and really swollen as were my calves. A bright red rash covered both legs up to the knees.

Being diabetic I nearly crapped myself. The next day there was no improvement so I took myself to the A&E of the local hospital. Anyway they were totally mystified. They gave me some anti histamine and sent me home. I ended up having to take a week off work.

In May I got tattooed on the inside of my lower leg by @mario desa. Anyway when Mario showed me what he'd drawn up it was quite a bit bigger than I thought. It fitted really nice so great.

Usually ,with me, about a hour or two after a getting a tattoo it starts to sting a little and then after that it starts to calm down. This was completely different. When I was on the train home it felt like Mario was still tattooing me.

Taking into account my previous experience with lower leg tattoos I had taken a days holiday on the Thursday to give time for any swelling to subside. But as with the first lower leg tattoos the problems started a few days after the tattoo this time with the most excruciating pain.

Come Monday I only managed a half shift at work and had to take half shift holiday on the Tuesday & Wednesday.

Lower leg tattoos don’t you just love them?