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ABOUT + FAQs

ABOUT US

POKE Tattoo Packs Pty Ltd are the first and only Australian based stick and poke / hand poke tattoo pack + supplies company. We are passionate about providing the highest quality utensils, materials and information from some of the most trusted and regarded brands in the business. We are in the business of harm reduction, with the aim of minimising the potential danger in DIY tattooing as well as providing people access to learn and enjoy the beauty of poke tattooing. Absolutely everything you need for your very own safer, more hygienic stick-and-poke/hand-poke tattoo in convenient and affordable packs - a more informed DIY tattoo experience. No more dodgy dangerous jobs. 

WHAT IS POKE TATTOOING AND HOW DO YOU DO IT?

Very simply put: machine-free tattooing/stick and poke tattooing/hand poked tattooing/machineless tattooing is the method of modern machine tattooing done by hand. It involves using a needle to insert ink into the first layer of the epidermis creating (when done correctly) a permanent marking on the skin. It is crucial to do your research when learning the skill of machine-free tattooing. With culturally diverse origins machineless tattooing has a rich history. In many cultures, tattooing is sacred, and the act of hand tattooing has carried on as a part of what is often a spiritual process. Tattooing is also however embedded in a deep history of gangs, branding, prison and general antiauthoritarianism. Machine-free tattooing has it's origins in both of these histories. There is something very intimate and profound in the process of hand tattooing and sharing this with someone close to you can be a very meaningful experience. There are plenty of resources online; some good, some bad, but gathering knowledge of both and understanding the difference is important. Our packs come with a lil' info and tips booklet to help step you through the process as well as some basic dos and don'ts and important information on safety and hygiene. It is absolutely crucial you pay attention to these. Please be safe and clean!! 

WHAT IS IN YOUR PACKS?

Each of our packs are slightly different. All contain a variety of high quality, vegan, cruelty free products including: premium tattoo needles, genuine high quality tattoo ink made by some of the most highly regarded brands in the industry - StarBrite Colours™ and/or Mom's Millennium™, Genuine Tattoo Glide products and Stencil Products from highly regarded brands Tattoo Goo™, S8 Tattoo™ and Inkeeze™, alcohol wipes, nitrile gloves, ink cups, surface coverings, gauze swabs, stencil transfer paper and sharps disposal boxes.

IS MACHINE-FREE/STICK AND POKE TATTOOING SAFE?

In short, whether tattooing without a machine/stick and poke is safe or not is entirely dependant on who does the tattoo and how they go about it. All precautions for safety and hygiene must always be followed and the proper utensils must always be used! The main hazards in any form of tattooing are concerned with hygiene safety, which if not taken seriously can of course be very dangerous. Harm reduction is one of the main reasons we want to provide these products, so there is access to all the proper, highest quality, most hygienic and safest materials in one affordable, convenient pack. We also provide reading material with instructions and warnings, please be sure to read these carefully. 

ARE THE ITEMS IN YOUR PACKS PROFESSIONAL, SAFE AND VEGAN?

  • Needles supplied in our packs are made from high-quality 316L stainless steel and come in a sterile pouch - EO (Ethylene Oxide) gas sterilised and sealed with dates and certification from the manufacturer. 

  • Ink is genuine, high quality, premium tattoo ink made by StarBrite™ (Tommy's Supplies) and Mom's Millennium™ (Technical Tattoo Supply). Both StarBrite™ and Mom's Millennium™ are regarded as two of the best ink brands in the world, StarBrite ink is made from organic pigment and both brands are 100% vegan.

  • Tattoo Goo® is a much loved brand used by millions of professionals and consumers around the world. Their Process Butter and aftercare lotion are vegan and PETA approved.

  • Inkeeze™ products are highly regarded in the industry and absolutely loved by us. Incredible glide and aftercare products that are high quality and vegan.

  • S8 Tattoo™ are huge innovators in the tattoo world, creating amazing stencil products including their world first red stencil paper. They manufacture incredible, high quality, vegan products we are proud to distribute. 

 

All branded products included in our packs are sourced from certified distributors or directly from the manufacturers themselves. We have permission from the manufactures/brand owners to distribute their products and only use their genuine products, never ever fake knock offs. These products are packaged and sealed by the manufacturers in sterile, certified environments. All non-branded utensils and materials in our packs are sourced from authorised medical and/or tattoo suppliers and distributers. 

IS MY TATTOO GOING TO LOOK SHIT?

Obviously if you are just learning to tattoo, it's possible/fairly likely your first tattoos may come out a bit shit. That being said, they could also be great! Ultimately, the unique aesthetic, process, and history of stick and poke/machine-free tattooing is generally the driving factor and appeal. However obviously if you are after a beautiful, professional tattoo, get it done professionally! Practice is the key to perfecting anything which is why we also provide specifically made Practice Packs! These packs include synthetic practice skins which you can use to perfect your skills. You can also buy extra Practice Skins to add to your pack.  If poorly or incorrectly done, the ink may drop out or 'bleed' (making a fuzzy line) or may cause the skin to raise. All these things can happen with either stick and poke tattoos or machine tattoos as either can be done DIY or professionally. The real difference comes down to who performs the tattoo. The outcome of DIY tattooing is obviously in a different realm to professional tattooing, whether it's a stick and poke or a machine tattoo. We have a huge respect for the tattoo industry and by no means want to discredit professional tattoo artists in any form. Our packs inform a very different process and result to that of going to a parlour and getting a professional tattoo. We highly recommend visiting your local tattoo artists and appreciating their work! 

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR MY PACK TO ARRIVE?

We always work hard to get your order out ASAP but ask customers to expect a 1-4 business day processing time + postage times (meaning your order will take 1-4 business days processing time PLUS -not including- postage time).

 

POSTAGE TIMEFRAMES BY LOCATION + SERVICE:

VIC, Australia  

Standard Postage: 2-6 business days

Express Postage: 1-3 business days

Due to current restrictions in Victoria there are less staff processing mail within Victoria. Some parcels are being sent to other states to be processed and then sent back to Victoria, so don't be alarmed if the tracking on your parcel addresses within VIC has headed to another state, it will soon be heading your way :)

Australia (all other states)

Standard Postage: 2-8 business days

Express Postage: 1-4 business days

New Zealand  

Standard Postage: 18-25 business days 

Express Postage: 7-20 business days

All other locations outside Australia   

Standard Postage: 20-30 business days

*Please note there are still significant delays with international postage due to the Corona Virus Pandemic*

WHAT SIZE/KIND OF NEEDLES SHOULD I USE?

We have a written a handy article all of about needle types and sizes check it out here ---> Understanding Tattoo Needles

WHICH PACK SHOULD I BUY?

We always recommend starting with one of our Practice Makes Perfect Packs because well - practice makes perfect! Our Practice Packs come in a small and large size and allow the opportunity to get the hang of the whole process of poke tattooing before the real deal. If you are super keen to practice then get right into things then the Fake It Then Make It Pack is the one for you! This lil baby is both a practice and poke pack in one with everything you need to practice as well as all the bits and bobs for real tattooing. Once you've got some practice under your belt -or if you have done a bit of poking already in your time ;) - we have a bunch of Poke Packs to choose from. Which one you choose mainly depends on how many tattoos you want to do with this one pack and the size of the tattoos you will be creating.

One Tatt Pack is pretty self explanatory - it has everything you need for one tattoo 

Double Dare Pack  has enough goodies for a minimum of two small-medium tattoos and also has the option of coloured ink!

Gimme More Pack has enough goodies for a minimum of three medium tattoos

Biggie Not Small Pack has enough goodies for a minimum of six medium tattoos

- Top Up Pack are for those who have bought a pack from us before and just need to top it up 

Wanna make your own pack? Go for it! 

- Build Your Own Base Pack (Small or Large) has all the base safety and hygiene necessities to safely tattoo, from there you can add as much or as little bits and bobs as you would like! 

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