Practice skin or pig skin?

[snorkel.002]

does anyone have any personal opinions on this topic? i am yet to try either but im keen to go for the hardest one cos everythin after that should be easier.

 

[Koi]

Definately pig skin. Dont waste your time and money on fake skin. It is basically thick lino covering that you would otherwise find on a kitchen floor.

Pig skin is quite hard to stretch before you get used to it, but the finish is very good.

 

[snorkel.002]

cool, i was leaning towards pig skin cos i have heard its really difficult. where can i get hold of pig skin?

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[Lucy Locket]

Pig skin from Morrisons

cool, i was leaning towards pig skin cos i have heard its really difficult. where can i get hold of pig skin?

If you are in the UK, Morrisons supermarket in the fresh meat fridges. Ie, where the pork chops n things are. You will find 2 or 3 rolls in a blue polystyrene tray for around 70p, so its very inexpensive.

As for being difficult, once you learn to stretch well, its quite good, and the results look good.

 

[punkvernie]

i used the rubber stuff it stains so you cant tell if you have done the shading right but you can keep the finished product.

 

[crow3030]

i use a childs football cut up into pieces like the one you buy for a *£1.00 in you pounder shop try it works good good for applying stencils too as not all parts of the body are straight and smooth takes ink well from the needles too ;-)

 

[punkvernie]

haahaa cool ill give that one a go

 

[steveo44]

or like me if you have a bro use himm..haha.

 

[MADASARUSTYFISH]

Someone mentioned lino.... has anyone ever tried it?

 

[happyloz72]

stretching pig skin

Can someone tell me how to stretch the pig skin and is there something you can do to it to preserve it without it rotting or smelling? thanks lorna x

 

[Davey]

Can someone tell me how to stretch the pig skin and is there something you can do to it to preserve it without it rotting or smelling? thanks lorna x

Hi Lorna.
As for stretching the pig skin, the answer is very difficult, BUT on the plus side it doesnt really need too much stretch normally, as it is quite thick and rigid. Try getting a good stretch, with both hands, then trap it with your right hand, ang ently with your right. This makes it quite hard to get the feel for you machine, but pig skin is still the best "real" skin alternative.

 

[happyloz72]

preserving

thanks for that will give it a try. What about the preserving thing. Do you have any ideas about that?

 

[Davey]

thanks for that will give it a try. What about the preserving thing. Do you have any ideas about that?

I think a photo would be your only option. I suppose pickling it would draw out the ink.

 

[j3rz3y1]

I still haven't found any here in the states its hard to come by for sure.

 

[oultimer]

I find the pigskin very hard to keep clean and to get sharp lines on!I wash it in soapy water and clean any fatty gunk of the surface as reccommended i then shave it if neccessary'then apply a coat of vaseline but it still i find i have to use tons of paper roll with green soapy water to keep it clean 'but this takes some of the surface of it and it ends up like blotting paper has anyone any tips for this ?

 

[art_class]

I find the pigskin very hard to keep clean and to get sharp lines on!I wash it in soapy water and clean any fatty gunk of the surface as reccommended i then shave it if neccessary'then apply a coat of vaseline but it still i find i have to use tons of paper roll with green soapy water to keep it clean 'but this takes some of the surface of it and it ends up like blotting paper has anyone any tips for this ?

Soak it in red hot water for 10 minutes, then scrub it with a spongy brillo thingy, and dry it. You will find it quite easy to use, but make sure you use plenty of vasso, although not too much, or it will clog up your needle and tip.

 

[oultimer]

Soak it in red hot water for 10 minutes, then scrub it with a spongy brillo thingy, and dry it. You will find it quite easy to use, but make sure you use plenty of vasso, although not too much, or it will clog up your needle and tip.

Thanks will try that'

 

[Patrick]

Big Pig Skins

Earlier today I went to Morrisons to buy some Pig Skin, but instead of picking it from up from the meat chiller cabinet I asked the in-store butcher. He was able to sell me pieces 3 times as big as what you usually find in the normal packs and they dont have so many cuts in them. I was advised to to go to the store just after 9am as they have a daily delivery. These pieces are big enough to tattoo a decent sized koi or sleeve. And if you rub vaseline into the cut marks and use vaseline throughout the tattoo it cleans up quite well when you have finished. The only problem I found was that I clogged the tip up a couple of times because of too much vaseline, but other than that it was great and cost the same price as the packs because it's sold by weight. Our local buthchers also sell it but its usually to thin or to thick and there are often lots of fleshy bits hanging of it as it comes untrimmed, but there are no cut marks so it's easy to clean.
Hope this helpful to everybody.

 

[Sonic]

They are usually quite good at Morrisons, but its the look on their face when you tell them what its for that makes me chuckle.

 

[marfleet]

i have used both and it is pig skin all the way

 

[skinpix]

Morrison's here i come........

 

[j3rz3y1]

I can not get piggy where i live

Board of Health rules say no piggy here

 

[Sl1pperyweasel]

As everybody else here has said, Pig Skin if you can get hold of it in my opinion is the only thing to use if there are no live victims around to ink.
Also I have found that after piggy, human skin is a lot easier to tattoo (aside from the nagging doubt of arsing up someones skin forever)

I have found that if you unroll it when you get it home & freeze it, a) you have a stock & b) the cut mark sometimes dont stand out so much.

Photos are the only way to preserve, so take a few pics then bin that skin

Sl1pp.

 

[Tattooz]

Board of Health rules say no piggy here

If it didnt stink after an hour or so, i would send you a load over. LOL

 

[gazza]

i think pig skin is better than fake what i used to do with the fake
you know that buble rap stuff i used to put that under the skin give it a better
feel.but in the end work on your legs ther is nothink like the real thing.
you can evan blood line to start with thats the best way to learn.

 

[Snoogins]

With pigskin I freeze mine and when I want to use it I half fill the sink with warm (not hot) water and let it defrost for a bit. I found that using hot water seems to make it smell more when I'm working with it. Then you've got to give it a good scrub with washing up liquid to get the grease off the skin. Lay some paper towels down and put it on them, stick some more on top and apply as much pressure as you can. You want to get as much of the moisture out as possible as that also helps with the smell (you'll thank yourself after an hour of inking it!) I use a bit of vas when I'm tattooing it and take it back to the sink to clean between colours since that's the only way I've found to clean all of the excess ink off. Hope that helps (even though most of it has been said already!)