Equipment & Hygiene

Needles (cartridges)

We use only sterilised, individually packaged cartridge needles, opening a fresh one for each client. Kwadron is our main choice; Mast and Inkclaw are used depending on the artist and the work.

WHY

1. 01Kwadron costs more, but in our own experience the needle runs with very little wobble, which makes precise lines easier, so it is our primary choice. As of August 2026 we could not find comparable published figures for this from any of the three makers we checked, so we offer it as a hands-on impression rather than a spec.
2. 02Some artists prefer a softer feel, so we also stock Mast. That difference comes from the membrane inside the cartridge rather than the needle itself, and Inkclaw describes it as a choice of three membrane tensions.
3. 03Each maker describes the cartridge membrane as a structure meant to limit liquid flowing back toward the machine. One needle serves one client, and a needle used on one person is never used on another.

Ink

We use widely adopted standard inks. Inks whose manufacturers declare compliance with the EU REACH restriction and publish SDS will be available from 26 August 2026.

WHY

1. 01Since 2022 the EU has restricted tattoo ink ingredients under REACH. Japan has no equivalent law, but many clients ask for ink they can check down to the ingredients, so from 26 August 2026 we are adding REACH-compliant inks even though they cost more.
2. 02Our standard inks are used by studios worldwide. REACH compliance is about meeting the EU restriction; it is not a comparison of overall product safety. From 26 August 2026, REACH-compliant ink will be an option for those who want to check the ingredients. Let us know at your consultation.
3. 03The REACH tattoo-ink restriction is not a product-by-product pre-approval or certification scheme run by an EU authority. Suppliers placing an ink on the EU market are responsible for compliance, and national authorities enforce it. A safety data sheet, meanwhile, exists to communicate hazards and handling rather than to disclose a full formula, so it is not necessarily a complete ingredient list. For the EU market, formulation ingredients are separately required on the bottle label.

Stencils (transfer)

Thermal transfer paper for placing the design on skin, plus the solutions that fix and remove the transfer.

WHY

1. 01We specify Spirit's Classic paper. The range also has cheaper lines, but Classic transfers more crisply, so fine lines and small lettering hold their shape.
2. 02A clean transfer directly affects the accuracy of the finished tattoo. Placement and size can be adjusted at the stencil stage until you are happy.

Rinse & dilution water

For rinsing during the session and diluting ink, we use sterile saline only, and finish an opened container within that session.

WHY

1. 01We use a sterile rinse solution for skin opened during a session, and discard any remainder once the session ends. Some purified and deionised waters on the shelf are not sterile, so we do not use them.
2. 02Saline is a 0.9% salt solution, close to the concentration of body fluid. We can tell you which product we use before your session.

Green soap & petrolatum

Green soap for cleaning the skin before and after, and white petrolatum to protect the skin while tattooing.

WHY

1. 01Green soap is a cleanser made for tattooing; we dilute it with sterile saline.
2. 02For petrolatum we use a product labelled Japanese Pharmacopoeia White Petrolatum. It is portioned out with a sterile single-use spatula for each session, and what comes out never goes back in, so nothing is dipped into the jar twice.

Gloves

We keep both latex and nitrile gloves and change to a fresh pair for every session.

WHY

1. 01Latex is our default; for clients with a latex allergy we switch to nitrile, a synthetic rubber that contains none of the proteins found in natural latex.
2. 02In both cases we choose powder-free gloves, since powder can fall onto the area being worked on.

Machines

Each artist uses the machine that suits their work. Anything touched during the session (grip, cords) is wrapped in disposable barrier film, and the needle itself is an individually packaged single-use cartridge.

WHY

1. 01The machine shapes how an artist works, and the best choice differs from person to person. Ask your artist at the consultation.
2. 02The machine body is not disposable, so we wrap it in barrier film for every session and replace the film between clients. The only things that touch your skin are that film and a single-use, individually packaged cartridge needle.