I met Ruby Jae in her gorgeous studio - a space that is pleasing to all the senses & shared with other tattoo artists (at Diving Swallow in downtown Oakland). I was nervous. Reason being that I had seen her magical art on the bodies of my friends - it was magnificent - the style is like no other tattoo. It was hand poked. Also, I once wrote her a thrice-edited, careful email about my company, about what it means, about what I am trying to do (and not trying to do). She wrote back - and unlike the feedback I usually get from professional tattoo artists (lots of expletives, few complete sentences), she wrote a thoughtful, helpful response - but ultimately she against the idea. What I appreciated about this exchange was that she told me why. Her concerns were with the safety of the public....
*** *** Fun fact: Ruby's dad works for a county Health Dept. in California doing Code Enforcement (i.e. he licenses tattoo shops amongst other things)...(and she has tattooed him). ***. ***
You cannot guarantee it. People are stupid and lack common sense. But what you can do is to provide people with the means to execute a clean tattoo. This is a Harm Reduction approach to an inevitable experience that many people of all different ages will seek out. In a studio, professionals are trained in Blood Born Pathogens and Cross-contamination. I thought about Ruby's points, and I took action. I took a Blood Borne Pathogen class and proceeded to overhaul my product to give instructions that follow the same safety guidelines as a professional artist. As a result of her considerate response, people are much safer poking themselves in their homes using my kit. Awhile later she wrote to me to say that she would grant an interview and that she was sorry about her harsh words. {What harsh words? Constructive words, not the angry caveman-speak}. I decided that I wanted a tattoo, and would she do it?
It all started in high school. Ruby, at 14 years old, completed a self hand poke on her ankle using Bic Pen ink and a sewing needle (!). Over the next several years, she tattooed her friends using sterile 20 gauge hypodermic needles acquired from a friend who's family performed their own veterinary work on their farm (she has since graduated to using super tight 4RL). She learned to stretch the skin & to feel for the best depth. She is self-taught –working on herself and her friends to learn the tricks of the trade. She experimented in poking and actually built tattooing contraptions that served her as she grew as an artist. She learned little tricks, like you must hand poke calloused skin, hands and faces for best results. Other things may as well be done with a machine (for speed), although some of her clients insist on the slow, painstaking Hand Poke.
I asked her about deep trade secrets
- like what you do about those nerves under the skin?…and other lurking dangers. I once read a fear-mongering article about why DIY stick and poke is SOOO dangerous. The article claimed that professionals learn in Tattoo School (yeah, that doesn’t exist) about how to avoid delicate nerves just under the skin. “Bullshit” she said. “Nerves that you could really damage with mechanical trauma are deeper that the first couple layers of skin. You don’t avoid any part of the body in tattooing. Every part can be tattooed. You learn how to tattoo with practice, by paying close attention to all aspects of your work and by developing yourself as an artist outside of tattooing.” Hmpf. There. She said it.
RubyJae is more than an artist. She is a mother, partner, and business woman, amongst other things…. Interestingly, she does not visit the doctor. She has not taken antibiotics since age 17. She heals with food and herbal medicine. She had two doulas at her home birth. I ask, “How do you actually EAT the chicken liver?”(gag) She hides it in stews. When asked about sharing the valuable knowledge & skill of whole foods nutrition, she said, “It is a interest, but I would not do that for work.”
Things are changing for Ruby. She is maturing and with her new child and partner to keep her busy, she feels the crunch of time that the stick and poke method requires. Therefore she is mastering the art of tattooing with the machine in such a way to replicate the look of a hand poke tattoo- random, natural, organic, gentle. This is more affordable for her clients, easier on her body and allows her more time with her family. After a few hours of consultation, machine line work and pain, I have come away with a Ruby Jae Original, and I could not be happier. It is a simple botanical tattoo with very fine, intricate line work. I couldn’t have drawn it on paper. Also, it just feels nice.
I hear that the person who tattoos you is very, very important. There is a guy named Mr. Hang in Bangkok that people seek out to get a tattoo. A friend of mine rang his bell, said hi to his family and sat down in his living room. She bore her chest, said, “right here” and he began to weave an intricate prayer in ink on her breast bone. It is said to hold a power for the wearer – a protection. I sense that my new tattoo may do something like that.
Please check out her Facebook/Instagram full of breathtaking work along with some personal shots: @RubyJaeTattooing. The tumblr: https://
Some helpful notes from RubyJae, professional hand poker
***Put a few drops of green soap in your ink to prevent the ink from beading up on the needle. Also, this slippery castile soap mix is good for tattoos (I may consider adding this stuff to kits in the future).
***Don’t poke too hard or go too deep! Classic over-eager beginners error…its best to go too light and need to touch-up the tattoo after its healed then to overdo it and go too deep causing blown out lines and scarring.
***Some reds and greens can be allergenic for some. Black is best for hand poke anyhow.
***Permanently raised or bumpy tattoos occur for a couple of reasons: Some people of African and Native American descent are prone to a type of scarring called keloids. In people who are predisposed to this type of scarring may see some keloiding in their tattoos. Secondly, the depth of poking may be too deep. This causes scar tissue to form and may also cause “blow out, ” which is ink bleeding into surrounding tissue.
***Want Grey? Add distilled water to your black 
Or buy grey wash.
***Want a nice poke? use the aftercare ointment (included in our kits) before and during tattooing – it will prevent the ink from spreading!
Thank you Ruby Jae for sharing this wisdom! You can get a gorgeous hand poke by a growing number of hand pokers or hybrid hand poke artists such as Ruby Jae. You can also try yourself or with a friend with this kit. Mwaa!