Blake Perlingieri- Large Gauge Conch (Patreon)

When allowed to wax poetic about the history of contemporary body piercing, I always start with the idea of history as a subjective, fluid concept; things that we take for granted as being set in stone are often amended, updated, and rewritten as the new fact that may itself one day be corrected.  

So to say that Blake Perlingieri is the originator of large gauge piercing may be debatable, but his role as it's chief innovator is easy enough to claim. And at thirty years in the business, he may also be the longest continually operating professional body piercer, having gotten his start providing an alternative to the leather & fetish forward Gauntlet inspired piercing scene of the late 1980s. 

His aesthetic- Nomad's aesthetic- was highly influenced by Fakir, by the globe trotting adventures of his Grandmother Dr. Naomi Coval, and by the modification rituals and practices of indigenous cultures and presented a counterpoint to the piercing status quo of the time.

Sometimes that meant going large when his contemporaries were going small; his use of large gauge piercing needles and organic jewelry permanently changed the industry of body piercing. 

This video, from the 1990s, features Blake performing a large gauge conch piercing.

Blake's book- A Brief History of the Evolution of Body Adornment: Ancient Origins and Today is long out of print, but we have original printing copies available in out web shop. Click here to order.  

Video caveat: Clips featured on Sacred Debris are presented to document and contextualize the history of the modern body modification subculture and industry and should not be considered instructional. They often feature techniques that are no longer considered best practice.