Traditional Tattoo Equipment

I recently meet up with one of my friend who is a tattoo freak as I am, (Nearly her whole body is covered with tattoo!..Amazing and Impressive) and she was showing me her recent tattoo of a Hornbill bird on her arm. I can say it was huge! (Sorry, wasn't able to get the picture cause I didn't bring my camera and my camera phone was dead.) But It was amazingly beautiful, the design the natural design background. When I asked her, did she get it done traditionally or machine. She was like, "..Are you nuts?? I am not going to get it done traditionally"..Why I asked,"...Painful leh. Scared of the needles". LOL! For a person who have more then a dozen tattoo on her, she is scared of needles.

Then this made me think, seriously? Is the traditionally Dayak@Iban tattooing disappearing? Most people rather have their tattoo done by machine and having the tattoo done as soon as possible so they don't have to endure the pain. Why have a tattoo done if you're scared of the pain? To have something you have to earn it. Going thru the pain it's nothing if the tattoo means something to you. Yes, it does take a longer time to get the tattoo done traditionally and it doesn't have the smooth finishing touch as a machine does. For me, to get a tattoo done traditionally, the pain you endure, the excitement that you feel to get the tattoo done, even if it takes 4hrs for a set of bunga terong, I am willing to go thru it. There's something about getting it done traditionally.

Well, anyway, I when thru e-bay, and I saw some antique dayak@iban tattooing tools.





Beautiful! I purchase one set, and hope I can learn on how to use it.