Cliff Raven & Phil Sims Tattoos

[Lochlan]

I was killing some time in the city yesterday so ended up at Blackheart as I normally do when I have free time in SF and was flipping through books in their "reference library" and two books that kept me in awe were a Phil Sims Flash Book and a Cliff Raven Flash Book.

I saw all sorts of great tattoos I would love to have.....anyone on this forum have any Phil Sims and/or Cliff Raven tattoos and/or ones from their flash? If you have some from their flash who tattooed it? Pictures of course would be enjoyed!

[Avery Taylor]

Lucky Supply Tattoo Museum

This is the Lucky Supply Tattoo Museum's flash collection. There are a couple of pages of Phil Sims flash in there.

[Shannon Shirley]

help me, much of what i know is from what i can't remember. was'nt phil on the peninsula,san bruno? It amazes me thier are books on some of these people now.

[Lochlan]

help me, much of what i know is from what i can't remember. was'nt phil on the peninsula,san bruno? It amazes me thier are books on some of these people now.

I know some of his flash in the book had SF on it and Juan was saying he had a shop just east of Masonic on Haight but don't know of others....Also on the Pike he tattooed but thats not Bay Area......

[Shannon Shirley]

I know some of his flash in the book had SF on it and Juan was saying he had a shop just east of Masonic on Haight but don't know of others....Also on the Pike he tattooed but thats not Bay Area......

we would have to ask someone older than I, I'm thinkin Chuck. Sometimes when reading some of this stuff, I wish Chuck (Eldrich) was overseeing the history portions ,at one time he was the only person I knew that knew anything pertaining to these subjects. ya know he worked at Tattoo City the original shop, I believe out on the mission,in the excelsior I believe. Until it burned down, I believe he told me this 20 some yrs ago. I tried to get him to hire me back then. again Its funny,Phil Sims was to me a name when I was a teenager, before I could go into one of those scary places. To help you understand a tidbit of my journey, I got my 1st wives name on my arm (long ago covered) at Doc Webbs in San Diego, me an her used ta seek out the wierd old joints in the late 80's. ''look mom no gloves'' hehe.

[cwbyht]

I was killing some time in the city yesterday so ended up at Blackheart as I normally do when I have free time in SF and was flipping through books in their "reference library" and two books that kept me in awe were a Phil Sims Flash Book and a Cliff Raven Flash Book.

I saw all sorts of great tattoos I would love to have.....anyone on this forum have any Phil Sims and/or Cliff Raven tattoos and/or ones from their flash? If you have some from their flash who tattooed it? Pictures of course would be enjoyed!

I have 9 tattoos from Phil I got in the 80s. I lived around the corner from his studio in Hayward California. Actually he did my first one, and I had to go back for more! he colored my left arm and chest, but my favorites are the blackwork on my right arm. Hes a master of blackwork. I also have work from several of his protégés.

[Shannon Shirley]

ahhhh...he was on foothill,thx

I have 9 tattoos from Phil I got in the 80s. I lived around the corner from his studio in Hayward California. Actually he did my first one, and I had to go back for more! he colored my left arm and chest, but my favorites are the blackwork on my right arm. Hes a master of blackwork. I also have work from several of his protégés.

[cwbyht]

ahhhh...he was on foothill,thx

it was on Mission Shannon. About a quarter mile North of downtown Hayward.

- - - Updated - - -

it was on Mission Shannon. About a quarter mile North of downtown Hayward.

This is a recent picture of Phil. He is working in Tucson.

[Graeme]

I have 9 tattoos from Phil I got in the 80s. I lived around the corner from his studio in Hayward California. Actually he did my first one, and I had to go back for more! he colored my left arm and chest, but my favorites are the blackwork on my right arm. Hes a master of blackwork. I also have work from several of his protégés.

On Instagram a little while ago Doug Hardy posted a picture of a Phil Sims reaper from the 80s that he managed to get a picture of and it looked great. Same thing with these. I hope my tattoos look as good after that long. Guess this proves, yet again, the importance of getting good tattoos.

[cwbyht]

On Instagram a little while ago Doug Hardy posted a picture of a Phil Sims reaper from the 80s that he managed to get a picture of and it looked great. Same thing with these. I hope my tattoos look as good after that long. Guess this proves, yet again, the importance of getting good tattoos.

Thanks Graeme. I appreciate the complement. Phil knows how to get the ink into the skin. You really feel the sting. But it's worth it, even the thin shading is still detectable in most of my tattoos.

[hogg]

Super cool stuff, @cwbyht! Thanks so much for sharing.

[heathenist]

Anyone know exactly where/if Phil Sims is working in Tucson? Tucson just had a convention that he worked or at least attended, but the website didn't say if he worked out of a shop or anything specific. I'm moving to Tucson in the fall and if he is still tattooing I'd love to get something from him, even though it's probably a long shot, but hey I figured it's worth asking. Tried google and came up with nothing.

[whitneywelch]

Anyone know exactly where/if Phil Sims is working in Tucson? Tucson just had a convention that he worked or at least attended, but the website didn't say if he worked out of a shop or anything specific. I'm moving to Tucson in the fall and if he is still tattooing I'd love to get something from him, even though it's probably a long shot, but hey I figured it's worth asking. Tried google and came up with nothing.

Phil Sims worked in San Francisco for a long time in the 90's then was losing his vision so he told me he was going to give it up, but it does look like he's on the Flyer for 2014 Tucson Tattoo Expo, April 4-6th. He did my 1st tattoo and was good friends with my dad(Mel Forrest), so I'm trying to find him now too, since my dad just passed. Maybe Phil is managing a shop and not actually tattooing anymore. Can you let me know if you find out what shop he's in? There are so many in Tucson!