Jari Kajaste is a well-known name in the tattoo industry. With over 25 years of experience, he has been one of the pioneers in the field. Jari's journey into tattooing began on a whim, long before he had any tattoos of his own. He saw his first tattoo machine when he bought one himself and started practicing. First few years he was tattooing from his home studio.
After working a few years from his own home studio he was hired by Duck’s Tattoo, which was the leading tattoo studio of the time. Jari worked there for over 12 years before setting up his own studio in Tallinn, where he has been working for over a decade now.
Jari's signature style is realism, which he has been doing for the past ten years. He creates realistic images in black and gray as well as in color. He also does other styles, such as graphic images.
– If the idea is cool, I don’t care what style it is, says Jari.
Besides tattooing, Jari has always been interested in tattoo machines and building them himself. He started tattooing with coil machines for the first ten years, and during this time he built some of those machines himself. At the time, rotary machines were not as popular as they are today. When it started to be more common, he also designed and built his own rotary machine prototypes, even though he didn't initially plan on selling them.
Later on, a chance encounter with a long-time client, Sami, led to the two of them teaming up to bring Jari's machine designs to the market. While Jari had clear ideas about what he wanted the machine to do and what features it should have, it was a challenge to communicate this to the engineers who designed the machine. The first prototype was a complete disaster, but after more than a year of tinkering, they finally had a prototype that was functional.
Even though the machine matched what was requested in terms of features, its appearance was not what Jari wanted.
– The machine was damn ugly, describes Jari.
Jari learned how to use 3D design software to create a more visually appealing design. The final product was a machine that looked as good as it performed.
The idea behind the Kajaste tattoo machine was that it had high power, precision, and durability. It was important to them that the machine was not made of low-quality materials and that it had a long lifespan or was easily repairable. They also did not want a machine made in China.
By manufacturing the machine in Finland, they could better control its design and production, ensuring its quality. The machine's most outstanding feature was its high power. The machine packed ink very well and caused less damage to the skin, resulting in less redness, swelling, and faster healing time. This made tattooing less painful for clients.
It could use both the smallest and largest needles, and a single machine could be used for an entire tattoo project from start to finish.
Kajaste machine takes tattooing into new era. This tattoo machine is a tool from professional to professional.
Check out more Jari's work: @jari_kajaste
