While I'm writing my monster redux of the Traditional Tattoo & World Culture Fest, I thought I'd give ya a preview of a wonderful experience we had: watching the skin sewing method of tattooing done by the always awesome Colin Dale of Skin & Bone in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Brian entered Colin's tattoo tent just as a reporter from Bizarre Magazine had begun to interview him, and so Brian was able to capture a part of that discussion (about three minutes) where Colin talks about the history of skin sewing. There are also close-ups of the procedure in the video that will make you feel that phantom pain while watching. [FYI: the video starts off with a quick line where Colin makes fun of my NY accent.]

Skin sewing was practiced by the Inuit people of the Arctic. Dr. Lars Krutak, our favorite anthropologist and Tattoo Hunter, wrote an article called Tattoos of the Hunter-Gatherers of the Arctic, which examines the ancient art. Here's a bit from that article:

"As a general rule, expert tattoo artists were respected elderly women. Their extensive training as skin seamstresses (parkas, pants, boots, hide boat covers, etc.) facilitated the need for precision when 'stitching the human skin' with tattoos. Tattoo designs were usually made freehand but in some instances a rough outline was first sketched upon the area of application."

Read more on skin sewing here. And check Colin's stellar tattoo work in its many forms here.

More on the tattoo fest to come!