ratroomhandpoke@gmail.com
Always was, always will be.
The Rat Room is a Meanjin based private studio for hand-poke tattoos, located in Spring Hill. Run by queer and neurodivergent artists, we welcome all bodies for personalised tattoos.
Meet the Team
Jas
Jas is a self-taught handpoke artist. Queer and neurodivergent, Jas prioritises creating a safe and comfy environment for everyone. The Rat Room is named after her well-loved group of pet rats.
Jared
Jared has been handpoking for over four years, learning from a mix of self teaching and handpoke artists in South America. He brings his warm and cheerful vibe to every tattoo he creates.
Connor
Connor doesn't tattoo, but we figured because he's our head chef that he should feature here. Connor is the owner of our studio, and he might sometimes pop in to say hello (if you're comfy with that).
Meet the Team
FAQ
What's the difference between hand poke and machine tattoos?
In electric tattooing, the needle is held in a machine which moves the needle with ink rapidly up and down into the skin. In hand-poking, the up and down motion of the needle is done by hand.
Essentially, the artist uses the needle to create a line by placing many dots into the skin next to each other, one by one. For this reason, hand poke tattoos take a longer time than machine tattoos.
Meet the Team
FAQ
Do hand poke tattoos hurt less than machine tattoos?
It depends! Some people say that they find hand poke tattoos more comfortable, especially because there is no machine noise, and because each poke is gentler than a machine.
Jared finds hand poke tattoos much easier to tolerate than machine tattoos, but Connor (our head chef) finds the individual pokes a bit uncomfortable. YMMV.
Meet the Team
FAQ
Do hand poke tattoos look the same as machine tattoos?
Often hand poke tattoos look a little more "dotty" than machine tattoos (they are hundreds of little dots lined up!). We find this lends hand poke styles nicely to etching, woodcut, dot-work and geometric tattoos
Book In
Got a tattoo idea? Want to book in a consult? This is the form to submit your requests.
If you've already talked with us about your tattoo, use this form to find a time to book in.
Fill this out before your session to help us make sure you're as comfy as possible on the day.