Journal
Notes from the bench
Aftercare, style guides and honest advice from the people who do this every day.
AftercareStylesArtistsStudioGuidesCulture
Aftercare · 5 min · Sep 28, 2026The first two weeks: a day-by-day aftercare guideWhat a healing tattoo should look like on day one, day five and day fourteen, and what to do at each stage.Read the article 
Styles · Sep 19, 2026Blackwork or realism: choosing a style that will lastTwo very different ways to use black ink, how each one ages, and how to decide which suits your idea.
Artists · Sep 8, 2026Twelve years of Ironhand: a conversation with Arjun RaneOur founder on opening a studio above a Bandra bakery, drawing by hand and why he still turns work down.
Studio · Aug 27, 2026Inside the studio: what actually happens before you sit downThe forty minutes of setup you never see, from wrapping the station to the autoclave log.
Guides · Aug 14, 2026Your first tattoo: an honest guide from booking to healedHow to choose an artist, what a consultation is for, what the day feels like and what it will cost.
Culture · Jul 30, 2026Dragons, koi and wind bars: a short history of irezumiWhere Japanese tattooing comes from, what its motifs mean and why the background matters as much as the subject.