Needles for tatooing.

From: Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_...>
Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 10:56:36 +0100

 > Presumably bone needles would work, too--and since bone is
> less ductile than metal, I expect it's easier to make a bone
> needle very sharp. (Much weaker and more brittle, but it
> doesn't have to be very strong to pierce skin.)

I use both bone and metal needles for sewing. Bone isn't all that sharp, but is surprisingly tough. It's much harder to make a *fine* bone needle than a metal one, though.

I've never tried (deliberate) skin piercing with needles, but going by how often I've done it accidentally I'd say metal has a distinct advantage over bone. Wood might also be worth considering, though you'd have to treat the "needles" as disposable. I think we alll know that splinters can pierce skin :(

Never encountered porcupine quills myself, not being on a continent that has such. I can tell you that boar bristles are used as needles for leatherwork, but that's for drawing a thread through a ready-prepared hole. I doubt if they'd have the strength to pierce skin.

On the whole, I like the wood idea myself, with the choice of tree having its own significance to the magical effect.