There have been many changes to our industry over the last few years. Besides finally getting the State regulated and up to speed, we have even had legislation in many parts of the country regulating what type of materials can be used for piercing. Our customers have also changed, when we first started providing body piercing services in 1996 - we were the only shop in South Carolina. As time went on our customer base expanded to include not only the experimenting and brave- but now Teachers, Doctors, Nurses and of course many, many Students. For quite a long time we did piercings in the back of Exchange Factor. We then opened Factor Five's doors in order to accommodate the growing, solid relationships we had with all of our loyal customers and clients.

Safety and education have always been #1 on our list. We have never sold needles or piercing kits to individuals as many shops have, which is as bad as using dirty needles or having unprotected sex. We have worked with State and Federal agencies to make sure OUR INDUSTRY stays safe, legal and aboveground. Many other companies, especially the importers and distributors, have just tried to make a quick buck while the market is hot, when body piercing isn't so hot they will be selling incense, clocks or who knows what. Certainly the publics best interest for the long term effects of cheap materials is not much concern to such companies.

We have had a say in many products that are now industry standards, and we have always made sure that quality is number one on our list of priorities. We always use the best possible materials for initial piercings (implant grade, 316LVM Surgical Stainless Steel, our Titanium as well as our niobium are all implant grade). Nearly all our gold items are SOLID, not hollow. We go the extra step to insure an excellent product. ALL OF OUR THREADED ITEMS are countersunk, assuring a perfect and cleaner fit and is more comfortable for the wearer. Most imported and low end US made products are not countersunk, it costs more and is an extra step. Our ring ends are all tapered, not just cut and quickly tumbled, we care about what we make and buy. We hope that as a client, you care about what you put in your body. Piercing is something more than just a product like t-shirts or posters, body piercing can change someone's life. If done correctly with proper materials it can be a wonderful experience. If done with cheap materials just for a buck in the back of a "dirty" store it can be a horrible memory and possibly make that person ill.

I believe strongly in Karma and in the end how you treat others will always come back to you. I believe it is important to offer the best you can to your clients.

Though it is important to keep you, our customer happy with variety and up-dated items...., offering poor quality and passing it off as acceptable for implantation , is something to be ashamed of in any shop.

A note about our materials: ALL OF OUR INITIAL PIERCING JEWELRY IS REQUIRED BY US TO BE IMPLANT GRADE. OUR STAINLESS STEEL IS 316LVM with a beautiful finish. Out titanium is TI 6AL 4V ELI which is used for medical devices and recognized by the AISM as safe for implanting. All our Titanium is very highly polished and NOT PLATED, as many overseas companies offer. Our Niobium is a pure element, 99.9% pure, not an Alloy. Our Niobium is NOT PLATED. Our Stainless steel is implant grade, 31 6LVM and our Titanium as well (as our niobium) are all implant grade. We use the best grade of material available, beware: not all Piercing Shops offer the same materials, it is important to compare apples to apples not apples to oranges. We will always be happy to furnish you our Certificate of Material Grade.



*UPDATE Janurary 1st, 2004
Externally threaded jewelry is under hot debate amungst the piercers... perhaps this sums it up the best...

a note about externally threaded jewelry...
It has been called to my attention by some "other shops in the area" that we do in fact sell externally threaded jewelry. Quite often this type of jewelry is less expensive to make and therefore, has been considered of less quality. We here at Factor Five Studios go so far as to label this type of decorative jewelry as "novelty" and ask you to sign a release form stating you understand that 1. It is decorative and not for long term wear and 2. Though there is little known about the long term effects of decorative jewelry (not of implant grade generally) we want you to be aware that this could become troublesome beyond what we now know. (or that it could not be any problem at all) 3. It is in our and your best interest to support the material used in you initial piercing- it will always be of implant grade and generally we are lucky enough to stock Titanium at no additional charge.

Email to -Allen Falkner
I am not getting this concept of the true evils of externally threaded jewelry- I see your post, (thanks Brian S) and I say if I have the opportunity to use externally threaded true implant grade Ti even for initial piercings... that is still better
than implant grade ss internal if the threads displace to the inside of the same gauge needle and the piericng is not removed until healed- where is all this damage coming from? should bacteria and matter collect in that 12-8 ga open hole (waiting for its studded ball) that is passed less than tightly through
a fresh piercing...? This is making me crazy- I want to feel as strongly about this as many of my peers but am objective and need your explanation in ref to my
points above.
Thanks in advance- Joan in Charleston

Well, you are
actually asking several things.

SS vs Ti - Sure Titanium is a better material. That's why we carry both. Unfortunately, the general public prefers the coloration of SS to Ti...I disagree personally BUT I'm not the consumer

External vs Step Down External - Yes there is huge difference in external threads and stepped down external threads. If you are using threads that fit into needles then you are definitely using a superior product to standard external threads. Unfortunately, most piercers that use external threads wont spend the extra money to buy the better jewelry and I think you would agree that standard external threads damage piercings as they pass through the tissue.

External Thread Removal - A person not removing jewelry until the piercing is healed. Well, in a perfect world yes. Although, that's not always the case. Therefore the internal threads again are better.

Bacteria - Now this is a very subjective. The basic argument is that external threads collect body fluid as they pass through the piercing and internal threads don't. The logic is that any matter collected inside the internal threads is locked in an air tight environment and therefore safe. Whereas, the external threads are open to the air and bacteria begins to breed. I'm not 100% sold on this. However, the amount of externally threaded barbells I have seen that don't screw down all the way makes me sick. More than half of the externally threaded barbells that walk into my shop are fully tightened and still have exposed threads.

Bottom line is jewelry quality. Some external jewelry is good jewelry, most of it is not.

Thank You
-Allen Falkner
www.obscurities.com
www.obscurephoto.com

JhansE-Factor5@earthlink.Net