Japanese Tattoos by Hand in Hawaii

Long a goal of Tattoo Adam, and inspired further by his recent trip to Thailand and experiences there, Tebori and hand-poking tattoos are on the horizon for the Hawaii Custom Tattoo Shops Owner.

“Last year was a tough year and my vision for the space (pictured above) was clouded, but now I’m ready to go into it.”  Adam shares candidly, having faced some trials and tribulations in 2013.  Despite the adversity, Adam is as determined as ever to keep evolving and getting better as a custom tattoo artist.

“When I was young, I was drawn to Asian tattoos.” he continues and has often shared.  Having frequented Japan and Thailand, Adam has had the opportunity to get tattooed by and learn from such legends in traditional methods as Horiyoshi III, the Japanese tattoo master, and a number of Thai Tattoo Monks, who you can read most recently about in the Thai Tattoo Experience series. 

“Tebori is something I’ve always wanted to do.”  Adam says about the Japanese style of tattooing by hand.  For a cool explanation of Tebori, check out this blurb from InkArm.com:

“Tebori is the traditional Japanese style of hand tattooing. It is believed to have risen to prominence in Japan during the 18th or 19th century; as professional tattooists first appeared in the capital city of Edo. Traditionally, the process is done entirely by hand; Even the crafting of the tool took on a special significance.  Steel needles were arranged in rows, and tied to a long handle of bamboo which would rest across the thumb of the tattooist’s left hand; with the end of the handle grasped in his right.”- See more here.

From InkArmy.com

Freehand tattoos and hand-poked tattoos are not a new thing in the tattoo world nor are they new at our tattoo studio in Waikiki.  Our team of talented Hawaii Tattoo artists are a part of an award-winning studio, voted the Honolulu’s Best Custom Tattooing Studio for multiple years and counting!  Check out this blog about Karl Juthans and his hand-poked work.

Feel free to contact us any time to learn more about the different tattoo styles and what we can do for you.  We are open 7 days a week, rain or shine, from 10a to 10p and are happy to set you up with a free consultation!

If you’re interested in getting Tebori work done, ask for Tattoo Adam and he will consult with you to see what you’re needs and interests are.

Take care and come and get inked today!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

Hand Poked Tattoos in Hawaii

Check out this recent custom tattoo completed at our tattoo studio in Waikiki!

This work was done by our Waikiki tattoo shop‘s very own, Karl Juthans.

This is not Karl’s first jump into the technique as he has been working on it for some time.  You can read up and see more of Karl’s tattoos done in this technique online here.

Tattooing with needles and by tapping was the original method of inking, prior to the invention of machines, and have a special place in the history of tattooing.

Recently 434 Tattoo shop owner, Tattoo Adam, returned from Thailand, where he was inspired by their own version of tattooing without machines.

Stay tuned to hear more about what Adam has in store there!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

American Hand Poked Tattoos

Recently Karl Juthans  started this piece, pictured below:

This piece has been done in the American Hand Poked Style, and took about 6-7 hours to complete.  Picture below is the second session of the tattoo.

Hand poking tattoos and tapping tattoos trace their technique and roots back to multiple cultures and this style in particular is a bit different.  For example, the Samoan and Polynesian tattooing techniques utilizes two tools to tap the the piece onto the skin.  Another variation is the traditional Japanese style of tattooing, which involves the use of a long rod to ink the tattoo into place.

Stay tuned for more updates on this style and if you’re interested in a custom tattoo, please feel free to stop by our award-winning Honolulu tattoo studio.  Our team of talented and caring Hawaii tattoo artists are very experienced, professionally licensed and certified by the Department of Health, and happy to assist you in developing a piece that you will love for the rest of your life.

We are located at 434 Ena Road and we are 434 Tattoo!!!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

Becoming a Tattoo Artist in Hawaii

What does it mean to become a tattoo artist in Hawaii?

You might ask a member our Hawaii tattoo studio, Karl Doubledown Juthans.  Hailing from Canada, we’ve tracked a few elements of Karl’s work over the years here at 434 Tattoo.

What began as an interest, grew into a Love,  and has become a profession, as Karl has weaved his way through different walks of Life and got tattooed more and more along the way.   Over the last few years, Karl has been apprenticing with Tattoo Adam, Owner and President of this humble Waikiki Tattoo shop.

He has come and gone from the islands only to return once more, with renewed energy and passion for the art and the industry.  It’s cool to see him back plying his trade here.

The beauty of youth is that with it is a hunger to succeed.  Check out what Karl does in his free time to continue his growth and development as a tattooist.

That’s Tattoo Adam helping him place the stencil for…

A tattoo he inked on himself!  This isn’t the first time he has taken the tattoo machine to his own skin believe it or not.  Check out this blast from the past of the first piece he inked on himself a few years back:

Day by day, we all grow, whether we want to or now and Karl is working hard to do just that in his trade.  Hard work in the trade is a big part of 434 Tattoo and the 2o plus years that Tattoo Adam brings to the table and as a leader.

Come on down to 434 Tattoo, our Honolulu tattoo parlor, recognized as the Best in Custom Tattooing on the island four years and counting, and check our team out.  Consultations are free and we’ll work with you to create an awesome memory!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

Tattoos in the Philippines

Recently the ohana of our Honolulu tattoo studio  took the overseas by storm and hit up the Philippines for a tattoo convention, Dudutan 2013!  On hand to tear it up was Hawaii Custom tattoo artist Adam Siehr, owner of 434 Tattoo.

434, a top tattoo shop in Hawaii, also had another representative at the show: Karl Doubledown Juthans, tattoo artist by way of Canada and Hawaii, who apprenticed with Tattoo Adam.

Here are some more highlights from the adventures of the event.  Enjoy!

Tattoo Adam with an event promoter at Asia’s largest tattoo convention!

The booths are lined up and ready!

434 is internationally infamous!  Tattoo Adam working on Doubledown’s tattoo backpiece was featured in the paper!

Doubledown putting on some ink of his own as the crowd gathers to watch the art of the up and comer!

Enjoying the sensation of getting worked on!

Come and get tattooed by our Waikiki Tattoo parlor crew 7 days a week, rain or shine!  We’re open from 10a-10p and we’re here to serve ya the best on the island!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

 

Tattoo Television

Be sure to check out KITV4 at 5pm to check out these two:

Tattoo Adam

Our Hawaii Tattoo Shop Owner Adam Siehr and:

Doubledown

Tattoo Artist Karl Juthans  dish the info about custom tattooing, tattoos in Hawaii, and what we do at the best Hawaii tattoo shop…

434 Tattoo!!!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

 

 

Pacific Ink & Art Expo Pau Hana

The Pacific Ink & Art Expo saw its second incarnation this past week and our Waikiki Tattoo Studio was on hand to take part in the event and do some custom tattoos for any and all.  Pictured above is Tattoo Adam and Yoshi showing off the work on their bodysuits at the event.

Also on hand was Hawaii Tattoo Artist (by way of LA), 434 Tattoo‘s  Logan.  Check out Tattoo Adam and Logan chilling at the booth repping our Hawaii tattoo shop.

And making a cameo at the event, Karl ‘Doubledown’ Juthans, from the 434 family, who returned to Hawaii from his adventures tattooing people around the US and in Canada.  Welcome back Doubledown and be sure to catch him while he’s in town!

Rain or shine, expo or not, our team of talented tattooists led by Adam Siehr and his 22 years of custom tattooing will take care of you!  Let’s get you some ink!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

 

Just Say No to Justin Bieber Tattoos

Guess who our favorite Canadian who does tattoo work is???  No, even if the title says ‘Justin Bieber‘ in it, it’s not that kid!

It’s actually this guy (who is not the Biebs):

Karl Juthans, a member of our Hawaii Custom Tattoo family here at our Waikiki Tattoo studio.  Karl, who apprenticed with Tattoo Adam, went about learning how to tattoo and doing tattoo work the right and legal way!  He studied, put in the time, and took the test to get his license to be able to do work on people, all while an apprentice at 434 Tattoo, a well-respected Hawaii Custom Tattoos parlor.

It’s understandable in this day and age that people would let celebrities do what they want, when they want.  It might even be considered good advertising but Justin Bieber tattooing doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  Apparently, the law agrees and Bieber will be fined for tattooing illegally.

You can read more about this article and see a picture of the kid caught doing the crime here.

If you’re ready to apprentice Justin Bieber and want to learn from the best Tattoo shop in Hawaii, then maybe that’d be a different story but until then, we aren’t ‘beliebin’ the hype!

Come on down to our Award wining Honolulu custom tattooing studio, located at 434 End Rd.  Your consultation is free and though we encourage scheduling a session, walk-ins are welcome.

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

What is the Most Painful Tattoo?

“When people asks if it hurts, I tell them that it doesn’t hurt me.” ~ Tattoo Adam jokes

For a variety of reason, people often ask the question:

What is the most painful place to get a tattoo?

Answers to this question will vary per person because each person is unique and have a differing threshold for pain in the body.  Despite that, there are a few areas that you can bet will be painful…

Anywhere that hits the bone

Tattoos that hit the bone can be painful because there isn’t much ‘meat’ or skin to pad the impact of the needles from the tattoo machine.  It’s pretty much just a bunch of nerve endings bundled up without much around it to absorb the impact and feeling of the machine as it does its job.  So when people say that it really hurt on the extremities like a foot tattoo or tattoos on fingers, now you know they aren’t kidding!

Inner areas

Inner Thigh Tattoos or Inner Arm tattoos tend to be a bit painful and we can’t really tell you why.  A best guesstimate is that these are naturally the more sensitive and less exposed areas of the body and as a result, receive less touch period, so any touch, in particular, that of the needle can be pretty intense for the recipient.

Back up

There are differing views on what part of the back hurts the most as some people can’t take the spine, others the kidneys, others yet the shoulder area.  This seems to be one of those that just depends on the person.  One thing is certain, most people can agree that the bottom of the back canvas aka butt tattoos tend to hurt alot even though there is alot of padding there.

How about a rib or two?

Ribcage tattoos suck.  Enough written.

The skull

And we aren’t talking about Skull tattoos (though those are cool!), we are talking about getting a tattoo on your skull, so either shaving that head or getting one over your bald areas.  These are known to hurt.  Karl ‘Doubledown’ Juthans, who apprenticed under Tattoo Adam and is one of our Waikiki Tattoo Shop Ohana, can attest to that!  See below:

Face tattoos:

Did you say the face?  Yes.  Facial Tattoos are quite a common Polynesian Tattoo Style and many have shared that this hurts quite a bit.  Read more about tattooing the face here.  If it means something to you great, if not, think about it!

Getting Personal:

Getting personalized tattoos of your Lover’s name can be painful later on and cause a cover-up later perhaps.  Getting tattooed in personal, private areas can be even more painful if you catch our drift…

Whatever it is, whether your face, your bottom, your private areas, getting a tattoo hurts in places that don’t hurt as much as those sensitive spots of the body, so just be advised.  It is a beautiful experience but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its moments…  But fear not as we will be sure to give you the best in service and take the best care of you at our Waikiki Tattoo shop, 434 Tattoo.

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

Hawaiiʻs Best Tattoo Shop News

Karl “Doubledown” Juthans left the building where our Waikiki Tattoo Parlor is located, shoot Dude left the island!  You can read about that here and once again we wish you the best on your future endeavors Karl!

Tattoo Adam, owner and President of 434 Tattoo, our Waikiki tattoo studio,  goes back to Japan in February to continue getting worked on by the legendary Japanese Tattoo Artist Horiyoshi III!  Adam’s goal is to get suited this year.  He has been in the game for over 22 years and counting so it’s time to continue.  You can read more about Adam’s last tattoo sessions with Horiyoshi here.

Did you know that Adam once worked on Mike Tyson?  The former Boxing heavyweight Champ Tyson wanted a White Tiger Tattoo and actually got it done before the first Tyson-Holyfield fight.  Yeah, the fight where he bit the guy…

And finally, did you know that Tiki Tattoo will be closing at the end of February?  Hawaii Tattoo Artist Kazan will be joining our Hawaii Custom tattoos team from there.  Best of luck to the Tiki Ohana and for those of you looking for a tattoo in Waikiki, come on through!  Stop by to meet Kazan in the shop and be sure to check us out online for features of his work.

Thanks for tuning into some news from our Hawaii Tattoo Shop!

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287