Jack Omoto of The Ink Pit tattoo shop counts actor Bruce Willis among his clients. The action star got his first tattoo there, according to Omoto, who has also "inked" University of Hawaii and NFL football players such as Leonard Peters, Lauvale Sape, Vince Manuwai, Ikaika Alama-Francis and Davone Bess.
Omoto has been a tattoo artist for more than two decades, and his work is featured in "The Polynesian Tattoo Today" book, authored by Tricia Allen.
The 41-year-old Makaha resident opened his Kapalama/ Dillingham establishment in 2007 and is typically booked four to six weeks in advance. He built his reputation not only on his designs and tattooing skills, but on the care he takes with the tools of his trade and sanitation standards.
Omoto is one of more than 1,100 tattoo artists licensed in Hawaii, although the majority of them do not live or work here.
Because several states don’t regulate the trade, some tattoo artists who want to be able to say they have a license will get one in Hawaii, even if they work somewhere else, according to Peter Oshiro, environmental health program manager for the department’s Sanitation Branch.
Tattoo artists and shops in Hawaii are required to obtain a license or permit, respectively, from the state Department of Health. The agency reports there are 136 permitted tattoo shops statewide.
To obtain a license, tattoo artists are required to complete an online course on blood-borne pathogens and infection control and undergo a medical check for certain communicable diseases.
In order to obtain a permit, shops must comply with rules regarding sanitation, record-keeping and operating standards.
Oshiro said an Oahu tattoo establishment was investigated by the Health Department in January following five reports of infections. The business was cited for sanitation violations, but a follow-up inspection by health officials indicated the problems had been corrected.
"The only recent problems were five alleged infections," Oshiro said. "But for the past 20 years prior to that, we haven’t had any outbreaks."
Omoto said anyone considering getting a tattoo should make sure the shop and tattoo artist are licensed. The shop should have its permit posted, and the artist should display a license or at least have it readily available should the client ask.
Other things to watch for:
» Be leery of artists who use deodorant sticks to make stencils stick. Everything should be in liquid form to avoid contamination.
» Tattoo artists should wash their hands often. If something is dropped on the ground, it should not be picked up and reused. If the artist touches anything besides his tools and client, his hands should be washed again and new disposable gloves used.
» Tattoo guns should be covered in plastic, and so should the cords, as they rub against clients’ skin. The plastic bags should be replaced after each client. The guns have electrical components and can’t be deep-cleaned, so the bags serve as a protective barrier.
» Single-use needles are cheap, so there’s no reason to sterilize and reuse them.
» Ink should be poured into disposable caps. Unused ink should be disposed of and never put back into the ink bottles.
» Ask whether the establishment uses the proper sterilization equipment such as a steam-producing autoclave (sterilizer).
» Establishments should use powerful disinfectant cleaners, such as MadaCide to wipe surfaces, and not simple rubbing alcohol.
The Ink Pit is at 1095 Dillingham Blvd.; call 848-1001.
