Reviews (continued)

Some of Keng's clients travel from all over the country. Matt Guin, a 20-year-old insurance worker from London, booked a day with Keng last November to have his first tattoo, based on a traditional Polynesian design. It took two-and-a-half hours to have the design done on his leg.

"It's an amazing method and he's a lovely guy," says Matt. "I didn't go in blind. I did a lot of research and watched documentaries. I made sure it was what I wanted."

Carl Heaton, from Wrose, also prefers traditional designs. He was 29 when he had his first tattoo. Now he has several, including a rather artistic birth date tattoo which Carl came up with the design for. The most excruciating experience, he says, was the dragon on his calf muscle. "That hurt, as it went into the crease behind my knee," he says.

Far from being put off, Carl went on to have a tiger on his arm and a bird on his chest, tattooed using the usual machine method. Carl worked with Keng to create a background tattoo linking the bird and tiger. "If anyone had said you will have a half sleeve' (half is arm is tattooed) I'd have said I'd never have that done but it's addictive!" laughs Carl.

It was his first experience of the bamboo technique. "It is a weird pain but very addictive," says Carl.

Sandy Cochrane, a 25-year-old collections officer from Shipley, had her first tattoo aged 18. "I had to convince my mum and she came with me."

Sandy's first tattoo was a Seikh symbol; a circle with a sword. She worked with Keng on her latest tattoo, a beautiful Japanese tiger down her back.

"It's something I've had in mind for the past few years but I wanted to make sure I had the right place and design in mind," she says. It took 10 hours over two days to complete. I ask how the bamboo technique compared to her previous experience with an electric needle. "It's completely different. It is a lot less painful and mine healed within two or three days," she says. "I just love them, when they're done tastefully they look so pretty."