414.4K
Downloads
84
Episodes
Go to the roots, not to the fruits. I’m your host, Stef Bastiàn, tattooer with over twenty years of experience, traveler, painter, coach. Join me to improve your artistic, personal and professional journey through the stories and insights of inspiring guests, within and outside the tattoo world. Learn more about my different projects and programs at https://www.stefbastian.com/
Episodes
Friday Feb 20, 2026
Friday Feb 20, 2026
Today, I’m sitting down with Rue from Ruethless Irons for a conversation that gets right to the heart of things.
Rue has been in the game since the late 90s, coming up in San Francisco and Amsterdam before finding his true calling in machine building.
But we aren't just talking history. This episode is a wake-up call about the current state of tattooing. We get into the quiet corporate takeover happening right under our noses, as private equity firms buy up our supply chains to strip and consolidate them.
We talk about the absolute necessity of voting with our dollars, ditching the convenience of corporate monopolies, and throwing our support behind independent, tattooer-owned brands. We also touch on the real why behind machine building and how smaller, tattoo-focused conventions are keeping the real community alive.
Tattooing has given us everything, and this conversation is all about how we protect it.
Follow Rue on Instagram
No comments yet. Be the first to say something!