Human history and tattoos

Tattoos are nothing new. They’re not even old.

They’re ancient.

Humans have been tattooing themselves literally since before the dawn of civilisation. Think back to Biblical times with Jesus. Now keep going. Double that time frame to the building of the pyramids… and keep going.

In fact, double that again.

We’re heading back to a time when we had to worry about sabretooth tigers.

Timeline of Tattoos

10,000BC: We’re back in the Palaeolithic period, when tattooing for spiritual purposes is thought to have begun. We’re not certain, but it is believed tattoos were a way to ward off “evil spirits” and sickness.

3300BC: In 1991, two hikers in the Alps came across Ötzi the Iceman, a mummified Neolithic man. This 5,000 year old murder victim had over 50 tattoos!

1045BC-256BC: Tattoos in China during the Zhou Dynasty were associated with criminals, gangsters and bandits, with criminals often tattooed to warn others of their deceitful/dangerous past.

Samoa: The traditional method of Samoan tattooing has been carried out for 2000 years.

Maori: Moko tattoos of the past 1000 years differ from Polynesian tattoos in that the lines of the pattern are carved into the flesh rather than pricked into the skin.

1770s: Many of the global sailors exploring the planet along with the likes of Captain Cook, bring home tattoos from the pacific. This starts the long tradition and association of sailors and tattoos.

1876: Thomas Edison designs and patent an “electric pen”. In 1891 Samuel O’Reilly modifies the design to inject ink under the skin, and creates the first tattoo gun.

1898: An estimated one in five members of the British gentry was tattooed.

2010: The Ministry of Health releases guidelines on traditional tattooing to protect against infections, hepatitis and HIV.

2017: One in three Kiwis under the ages of 30 have a tattoo.

If you’re interested in getting a tattoo, Sunset tattoo studio in Auckland are the guys to call.

Tattoo ink in New Zealand

Surprisingly, the tattoo industry here in New Zealand isn’t regulated.

There are guidelines to follow of course, but actually following them is completely voluntary.

As long as all Health and Safety regulations are met, a tattoo artist here can get ink from anywhere in the world, and no one checks what’s in it.

We have some of the highest rates of tattooing in the world, with one in three Kiwis under 30 sporting ink.

Kiwi tattooists are expecting New Zealand laws to change soon when it comes to ink, as the European Chemicals Agency just published a list of potentially toxic chemicals used in some tattoos.

The Australian model

Tattoo artists in Australia are required to have a licence before inking someone, with breaches resulting in jail time, something New Zealand may soon copy.

And while there are plenty of reputable tattoo studios in the country, there are also far too many “home jobs”. Getting a tattoo in your mate’s garage because he was good at art in school is never a good idea.

Sunset Studio tattoo ink

Here at Sunset, we are proud to be an official distributor of the world-famous Eternal Ink.

Made from organic pigments, deionized water and hamamelis water, this bright coloured ink is free of animal by-products and even suitable for vegans.

They arrive sealed in a medical grade bottle, ensuring hygiene, and the ink pigments are regularly tested and comply with all health and safety regulations.

Eternal Ink is not tested on animals, so there’s no guilty conscious tagging along with every purchase.

Come to Sunset for your tattoo supplies

Not only do we use Eternal Ink, we also sell it. Through our sister site, Tattoo Studio, we offer the best selection of top-quality tattoo supplies at the most reasonable prices to the professional tattoo artists of New Zealand.

Eternal Ink are very picky about who they let sell their high-quality products. We are the only distributors in Auckland given this privilege and we take it seriously.

Contact us today if you’d like to order some of the finest tattoo ink at the cheapest prices, or head on over to Tattoo Station and take a look at the other tattoo supplies we offer.

May the 4th be with you!

It’s Star Wars day! And to celebrate, we’ve collected some of the coolest Star Wars tattoos we could find on the interwebs. All credit of course goes to the original artists, but if you want your own Star Wars tattoo, we’ll be happy to do one for you!

Darth Vader

Let’s start with the man himself. There are few cooler bad guys in all of fiction than Darth Vader, so who better to have by your side?

Darth Maul

The only thing good to come out of the Phantom Menace was this bad-ass. Darth Maul didn’t say much, but he made up for it with some kick ass backflips and to this day is the only person in the universe to kill Liam Neeson.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Everyone’s favourite father figure, an Obi-Wan Kenobi tattoo is a perfect substitute for the real thing not showing up as a ghost when the plot needs him to.

Han Solo

The galaxy’s most loveable rogue, who shoots first and asks questions later. Warning: A Han Solo tattoo may result in you smelling like a scruffy looking nerf-herder.

Boba Fett

A fan favourite, Boba Fett was for years the embodiment of cool - until someone pointed out he’s actually pretty crap. He only gets into one fight, and gets his ass kicked by a blind Han Solo.

Yoda

Yoda represents the Force, the balance between Dark and Light. He’s the very definition of calm, control and patience. That was until George Lucas had him jump around with a lightsabre in the prequels.

Princess Leia

The Galaxy’s greatest feminist, Princess Leia was chewing bubble gum and kicking ass from the start. And she ran out of bubble gum in the first five minutes of A New Hope.

R2D2

Beep beep, woop.

The Death Star

And of course the Death Star. There are few things more recognisable in the Sci-fi universe than the Death Star. With the power to destroy entire planets, one thing is for certain; that’s no moon.

If any of these awesome tattoos have given you an idea for one yourself, please don't hesitate to contact us today and we'll talk through your options.

Sunset get our tattoo supplies from Tattoo Station

Here at Sunset, we've been in the tattoo business for a long time. We know the difference between quality and cheap knock-offs. That's why we only get out supplies from Tattoo Station.

TATTOO STATION

Our sister company, Tattoo Station, started from humble beginnings, and is quickly becoming one of New Zealand’s finest tattoo supply companies, and all in an incredibly short period of time.

Sunset started as somewhere we could create artwork, in many different media, without stress or pressure, and in two short years we are now attracting some of the best tattoo artists in New Zealand, and overseas.

This studio may only be a few of years old, but we’ve all been in this business a long time, and after years of buying tattoo supplies at huge mark-ups from people who don't even tattoo, we became frustrated and decided to do it ourselves.

That’s when Tattoo Station was born.

CUT OUT THE MIDDLEMAN

Tattoo Station is a tattoo supply store for tattoo artists, by tattoo artists.

Forget the companies making a fortune off our backs; we’re bypassing them altogether.

We design and make our own tattoo supplies, and with combined decades of experience in the industry, we know exactly what works and what doesn’t.

We supply some of the highest quality needles in the world with our Botan range, along with one of the best aftercare creams available on the market, Protat.

Add to that the usual tattoo studio essentials, and we’ve got you covered for all your tattoo supply needs here in New Zealand.

Forget ordering from overseas, along with their huge mark-ups. Stay in Aotearoa, support Kiwi business, and save money and time while doing it.

Three Amazing Facts about tattoos

How much do you know about tattoos? Well, we are willing to bet you didn’t know this!

Check out these three amazing facts about tattoos to impress (or bore) your friends with the next time you’re at a party.

Thomas Edison invented the tattoo gun

Well, sort of. Thomas Edison is known as America’s greatest inventor, having over 1000 patents to his name, including the lightbulb, the motion picture camera and the phonograph. Although anyone who knows anything about Edison knows he was a thieving bastard. One of “his” inventions was a stencil-pens machine – basically an electric pen designed to duplicate writing. In 1891, Samuel O’Reilly discovered that Edison’s machine could be modified and used to inject ink under the skin, and later patented a tube and needle system to go along with it. Thus, stealing his idea (ha ha) and inventing the first tattoo machine.

It’s harder to remove tattoos on people who smoke

Tattoo removal is an expensive and sometimes painful treatment, which doesn’t really get rid of tattoos 100%. Tattoos are harder to remove from feet and legs than other parts of the body for some reason, but it’s even worse news if you’re a smoker. Research shows that people who smoke have a 70% less chance of getting a tattoo removed in 10 treatments.  

Even Barbie has a Tattoo

Everyone knows Barbie, but did you know Barbie is inked up? Toy maker Mattel had introduced the Butterfly Art Barbie in 1999, which featured a butterfly tattoo on the doll’s stomach. Temporary tattoos were also provided for the doll’s owners. However, it was discontinued after parents complained it was a “bad influence” on impressionable young girls.