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scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by LOrcan on 10.28.11chicago
MAN i thought i've seen all the fucked up tattoos out there, then my co-artist at the shop had one of his clients told us about "kitchen nation" on facebook. (google kitchen nation) there's a million of them maggot scratchers out there. those people should stop to try tattooing. they do not know what the fuck they are doing. i'm sorry for sounding like this but man i'm so aggravated after seeing those pics. i am also aware that it's those people's fault for going to them, but if those scratchers doesn't exist, then no poor soul would be scarred, hurt, and infected. whenever i get a break from sketching drawing or painting every night, i flag every scratcher i find on craigslist. i am hoping by doing this most of you guys will do the same.

i tried to report them too to osha at least 15 times now and they always said they'll do something about it but i haven't seen any results for the past 2 years. those people aren't hard to find, they always have they're phone numbers and sometimes their addresses listed

bootleggers are to blame here too. please do not support them by buying photocopied flash books and burnt dvd copies of respected artists. i know how tempting it is because they sell em for a fraction of the retail price. there is a guy here in chicago that goes from one shop to another, (anywhere in illinois, indiana iowa and wisconsin) selling a van full of those stuffs. that guy not only is ripping off the artists that worked hard for their products, but he also doesnt care who he hands them to. a kid out of middle school might see that and think that he can do it too coz we all know they make it look so damn easy, then start buying machines from ebay and start tattooing. and there goes another messed up skin. i can't buy all those legit copies of every good book and dvd out there, but that doesn't mean i have to get a bootleg copy of it. me and the other artists always chip in to get a copy and watch it one at a time. the flash books stays at the shop and can be used by anyone who wishes to.

we need to help prevent this, we all need to help each other to prevent this. hopefully someday, artists will need a license, with a written and actual test, to tattoo. by then, i wouldn't feel as bad when people still insist on getting tattoos from non-licensed artists.

i know i wrote an entire article but you gotta see that "kitchen nation" shit and hopefully you guys will understand where i'm coming from


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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by ZYM on 10.28.11DIETIKON,SWITZERLAND
I completely agree about this but first thing is
to stop selling tattoo supplies to public via
ebay and there are still a lot of tattoo suppliers
which are selling stuff to scratchers and 'kitchen
tattoo masters'. There are still a big numbers of legal tattoo
studios over the globe which are scratching and
some after 20 years of existence.
We can't stop this.
Producers of tattoo inks and machines should
have much control on who is selling their products.
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by LOrcan on 10.28.11chicago
also when you see that kitchen nation pics, try checking out his wall. it's funny how scratchers talking shit about other scratchers. lol
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by THE PEW on 11.03.11Connersville,IN,U.S.A
Yes I totally agree with everything said !!! Poor Tattoo shops from around here are getting cut short on business because of all of this. Ive been a professional tattoo artist going on 14 years now, and went through an apprenticeship and lost alot to do the right thing and then you have these guys that do buy stuff via internet do a couple and then start advertising " I gots good shit and im a pro". I believe the laws on tattooing has to be tightened a tad but to the people like ive mentioned.Here in the Indiana, Ohio area the laws of tattoing have tightened but has been directed towards legal, legit shops and is totally overlooks the people that are the Kitchen warriors and spreading any disease's and whatever else they can spread. What to do you have me cause we've been trying for years to do something about it but we never get answers or any kind of progress on the situation. If something can be done please keepme informed cause i would like to put a stop to the problem. To allt he tattoo artist out there that are doing the right thing " Push ink with pride and let your talent shine" cause thats all I think we can do at the moment !!!!
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by ray on 11.03.11new jersey
i honestly dont agree 100% with everything...due to the fact that i would be considered a "scratcher" only because i couldnt afford an apprenticeship and NOONE wanted to give me one for free so that means that i have to give up my dream??i tattooed out of my home yet i respected the art to the fullest and put my all into it...but now ive worked in several shops and not only my work but my hygiene was and still is on another level then what these "legit" shops do...not one to brag but now i have artists that been in the game 10-15 years asking me for advice and so on.im not trying to say im great or knock anybody but its not about where you tattoo its about the respect and love you have for this art...before ANYONE can call ANYONE a "scratcher" first you have have a certain understanding of what a scratcher is....you can call me what u want but i overcame my obstacles and did what everyone denied me and it was twice as hard yet i live this every second of everyday and continue to push myself to be the best artist i can be and with only 5 years tattooing i look to soon make an impact in this industry.

feel free to make your own opinion of my work: http://facebook.com/?TaTtOoZ.By.RaY
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by steamer on 11.03.11
i agree with most recent post. honestly, i dont like uneducated "scratchers" and their "guns" either. however, don't blame them for the bad business you experience. people with the right skillset will never complain about lack of business because it's about your quality in tattooing too! no matter if you go through an apprenticeship, etc. , but if your artwork isn't better than a kitchen wizard, you're not gonna get good business as well. you don't see quality artists ever complain about scratchers "taking away business"... i see both sides to the story but bottom line, it's like saying illegal immigrants are taking away jobs. yea right, who's gonna go pick up tomatos out in the field? If you have a legitimate good skill and you still have no business, then blame it on the economy but that kitchen wizard isnt taking any of your business.
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by brent on 11.07.11ADEL
well this is to the last 2 post the only people ive ever seen get mad about being called a scratcher is scratchers!!!!! and to the guy that said high end tattoo artist dont get mad about scratchers is wrong because we do as a matter of fact john wayne is a very high end tattoo artist that post stuff all the time on face book (i do also) about scratchers to try and educate people about want-a-be's so its more than if you stay busy or not (dumb @55) its about a deep respect for the tattooing field!!! not that i would think a scratcher would know what that is!!!!!!!!
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by moxydesign on 11.07.11arizona
One thing missing in this conversation is the reality that there are thousands of people out there that will not pay professional prices, period. I'm at times amazed just how many people who call themselves professionals started as scratchers. One simply has to listen to the many interviews given by the pro's to realize that.
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by youcrackmeup. on 11.08.11ANGELESWILLRISE
hahaahaahaha.
life is toooo short to be focusing on these things.
its still a free country as far as im concerned.
let people live and learn for themselves.
live your own life. you wanna be mad at someone go after currupt polititions and bankers not the small little fish go after the big fish!
so there are some scratchers out there, so what.
we need to lighten up on this issue.
this type of personality is in conflict with our clients and with the people in our daily lives, loved ones and friends.
after all there is more to life than tattooing, if not then oh well, your life not mine.....hahahahaahha
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by Belijaal on 11.08.11
lighten up on this issue?
I mean if the only problem would be that their "artwork" sucks. No problem, I think nearly everyone could handle that. BUT they are disease-spreading! And no diseases like "oh man, i feel sic today" no, REAL diseas, you know, this one you can die because of. And that's the point why people like me get freaky about that, a client goes to a scratcher, gets "wonderful" art and a pack of diseases, this client comes in my shop and wants to get it covered.... hm guess who might be fucked next if he only stitches hisself in the finger because of laughing, earthquakes or alien-invasion, no right know I'm freaking out, but you get the point? It's DANGEROUS, and so every clear-minded tattoo-artist should ban those people, because they don't know the rules of this game, but wanna play in the superbowl, but thats not the way it goes.
just my 2 cents.

sorry for my english, I'm from germany, hope you can read it ;)
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by RORRIS on 11.09.11Vienna Austria
I really thing that as profesional you must be prepared to receive people even with VIH and more diseases and control it, you never know and the skratchers that infect people are just a really small percent. Im sure that if you have a desent tattoo shop you had a lot of clients infected and not from a skratcher. dont be afraid, just be profesional and dont make mistakes man.
As well be a skratcher is in this days is almost the only way to start in the business, is really dificult to have an apprendiceship, I dont like it, but is like that.
Some profesional tattoo artist must do a instructional free downlodeable dvd insted of teach how to tattoo and give tips on that, teach how to sterilize in a non tattoo shop enviroment, cheap and easy, cause we have them already there, we can not do anything against them, lets prepared them a little bit that they just give a bad tattoo to them costumers and not something else.
sorry for my english
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by on 11.09.11
for sure, there are always people with diseases, but we don't need any more than necassary just because of people doing things they can't.

are you kidding me? You want professional artist show people how to tattoo and sterilize there stuff behind the couch?
I know it's hard to find an aprenticeship, but if you really want it you'll find one. So that's no excuse for me. If you really want to be a Tattoo-ARTIST you do anything for this, even if this means serching for the right shop for years. So it's okay that there are no DVD's like "How can I sterilize used needles in my Toaster-By Paul Booth" because of those dvd's much more people would try it. For sure everything would be cleaner, but are you the person who goes into every kitchen and controls all the stuff? No, so just guess how many people would do this if there are no controls and noone who cares......
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by youcrackmeup on 11.09.11ANGELESWILLRISE
there are maybe right now 1 to 2% of the tattoo community who are actually contributing to the solution of this issue [[[by taking constructive action.]]] which is really, really, sad. you can stand high and tall with your chin up and spit on scratchers in forums at home or in the shop, but what are you truly accomplishing?

there will always be scratchers...no matter what!!! super heros can not stop them. so you can blame who you want but the sorce of the problem can Not be solved by shunning scracthers or creating more bureaucracies (you hate tattoo schools, dont you?).

education through constructive action is key here. next time you meet someone who wants to tattoo edumacate them, have a conversation with them!!! about tattooing, and how difficult it IS. if you cant take in an apprentice, thats the least you can do... give um 5 minutes of your time. but wait, ur not getting paid for those 5 minutes huh? haha.
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by RORRIS on 11.09.11Vienna Austria
I agree with you youcrackmeup, we can not do anything against that, our 2 cents must be, not help them if you dont want vangore, you are helping another people teaching them how to do it right, anyways they will do it, with you or without.
And man you can love something but you need to eat, and some people can not wait a lot to learn, maybe you had luck, but in this time is almost imposible and the only way is by yourself, and if insted of watching a Mike Devries DVD, that everything he is doing looks so easy cause is for artist with experience, you see first a video of how to dont spread infections and viruses, minimum you start with the right food.
I thing we are consernd about them, first for the infections they spread no? not for the costumers they stole from our shops, if you are good, people is comming anyways?
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by DyrtiAl on 11.13.11South Lake Tahoe, CA
Yeah, it sucks scratchers do crappy tattoos. im not going to tell them how they should do their tattoos. but ill tell them exactly how to sterilize their shit. if youd rather some girl get hep c than come off your super secret elite sterilization methods, then i hope you meet that chick at a bar and share fluids with her because youre a prick.
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by on 06.30.12
This forum, adds too the problem by giving scratches information. Fuck eBay. Tattoo suppliers that sell to anyone and top artists even u mike d that allow the spread of information so anyone can access it.. Fuck all of ya.. U all sold your industry out.
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by j.g. on 07.01.12
come on, that's stupid. you all know that people are keen on secrets, so if you make a mystery out of tattooing, sterilisation and all that stuff, even more people want to be part of that elitist secret society and you can't prevent them from buliding their shitty kitchen rotaries and making even more mess on innocent people than you can imagine in this very moment you start to think about that issue, if you keep them successfully away from chinese crap supplies. besides that: i had to "repair" a lot of shit on skin throughout all these years- most of them via cover ups- and most of them didn't come from scratchers but from studios. and most of shit from studios came from so called highly professionals, which seemed to have no interest in that flash shit, people wanted to have from them and then made it just for the bucks in quite a hurry without any respect for people and their skin. do you call that "professional"?
best thing on that issue would be, that there are real regulations about apprenticeship, not shop floor cleaning and cheap exploitation, but really plans of teaching and examinations at the end, like normal apprenticeships for every serious profession, who it is managed in countries like germany for example.
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by parlor on 07.01.12midwest
kitchens spread disease, and regulations generally rule out tattooing anywhere that is also used for sleeping... for good reason. you cannot do this properly from home.. not even on your self. i personally think the real danger is that a NEW, IMPROVED butt-flu will spring up in some trailer park... because the law/media wont blame the scratcher.. they will blame the industry. i agree with dirtyal. i dont, however, understand why we regulate the toys (paint) that we allow to be imported but these products skate right through and into the hands of anyone with plastic. seems a huge risk of public safety to me and even a breach of confidence by the health department or even nsa.

(sic) 'yes, i would like to buy two of your newbrand pigments... 2 oz of h1n1 pink and a 4oz of avianflu orange... yes, ill hold' (sic)
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by mike D on 07.16.12northridge ca
Forged_chrome@hotmail.com.. I didn't sell out shit! The industry has a lot more corrupt bullshit going on than a little forum. Go cry somewhere else.
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by @forged is a bitch on 07.16.12Costa Mesa CA
you're a douche bag forged chrome, get off your high horse and get with the times....you're that guy that got HIV for some one at there house and is pissed at the world for do everyone else favors and not you..this forums about about helping...if you don't wanna help, then bounce cause no one wants people like you around.,
sincerly, GO FUCK YOURSELF
srry mike d for this ...
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RE:scratchers and bootleggers

Posted by RKieserling on 07.17.12Stuttgart, Germany
i think the most are upset because they think they loose customers to scratchers. But as mentioned before: If you are good you will not loose any customers to scratchers. And I think its crucial to share as much informations as possible with scratchers. Since we can't stop them, why dont we educate them to atleast work clean, and maybe make the tattoos a little bit less shitty?
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