Handpoke, also called stick and poke, is a tattoo made without a machine. The artist puts ink into the skin by hand with a needle, point by point. The drawing is made of tightly placed dots and has a softer character than a machine tattoo.
What is a handpoke session like?
The work takes longer than with a machine, because each point is placed separately. There is no machine buzz, and the needle moves more slowly. Some people find it calmer, others more tiring. How it feels is individual, just as with a machine tattoo.
Handpoke and traditional hand techniques
Hand tattooing has a long history in many cultures. The Japanese variant is tebori, in which needles are mounted on a long rod. The improvised, unhygienic version was the prison kolka. Professional handpoke follows the same sterility rules as machine work.
Handpoke does not replace every technique. Large black areas and smooth shading are easier to achieve with a machine. We write about pain during tattooing in Does a tattoo hurt? Places and comfort.