What kind of shop do you go to most?

[Lori Todd]

The artist is more important than the shop. I'll travel for a good artist, regardless of the shop.

The local shops I end up in are all vastly different from one another. From tiny holes in the wall where people are right on top of one another to spacious shops that are very laid back and private.

And repeat business regardless of the shop based on that artists work and their bedside manner ... If I get treated like crap, but got a good tattoo, I'm not coming back. And if I got treated well but had to state at another customers feet for 4 hours, if the product is good I will return.

[Dhopper]

Well,the town I live in has one shop and one tattooer. You willing to bet that he can do a good tattoo? ;)

For my two tattoos so far I've gone to very good tattooers that aren't at what I'd call famous shops. My next tattoo will also be at a non-famous shop,then my (likely) next after that WILL be.

Canada sucks anyway! Just a bunch of toothless hockey players, eating maple syrup, and sedated from you guy's health care! :p

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Ontario only has one tattooer?

[Shaun1105]

Ontario only has one tattooer?

Ontario has plenty,and good ones! My little city, not so much. Actually for my first tattoo I went over the river to Buffalo since that was the closest place I found someone who could do quality traditional work.

[Dhopper]

Ontario has plenty,and good ones! My little city, not so much. Actually for my first tattoo I went over the river to Buffalo since that was the closest place I found someone who could do quality traditional work.

Oh I see, it is like saying I live in New York City but actually New Jersey! I am just messing with you. You got me. Maybe not every single town but every major city has a good tattooer.

[David Flores]

Oh I see, it is like saying I live in New York City but actually New Jersey! I am just messing with you. You got me. Maybe not every single town but every major city has a good tattooer.

Exactly you could live in small town with one tattooer, but the bet is there is a slightly bigger town within 20 miles with at least one good tattooer in it and probably a big city within 100 miles with many good tattooers. I don't know, for me the shop is more important than the tattooer in some ways. Sure I want to get tattooed by good tattooers, but if the shop doesn't have the right vibe then it's kind of a bummer. I want the shop to seem accessible and inviting to hang out in, and look like a tattoo shop with hand painted signs and flash on the wall. , but I guess it's a catch 22 because most of the people I would want to be tattooed by want to work in shops like that.

[MGblues]

I get all my tattoos done by Kat Von D.

Bwahahahaha :)

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I could travel if I wanted to, but I prefer to stick with this one shop I really like. I'm a regular at one little street shop in Tennessee.They tattoo whatever walks in the door (within limits, naturally), but they love doing traditional tattoos.The part of middle Tennessee I live in has a stretch of road with more tattoo shops than you'd usually find auto parts stores and pharmacy's in most towns. 99.9% of the tattoo shops here suck donkey balls or just scratch.

I do have my small bucket-list of tattoo artists i want to get work from outside of my favorite shop though.

[CaptCanada]

Bring in Japan my normal tattoo artist is not a well known artist in this country. But he does do guest spots over the world. Here in Japan he works in a private studio, that unless your interested in getting tattooed by him..... you probably won't hear much about. In magazines or on the web is a different story, cause he does have a following.

It's just the Japanese way, unless you are seeking about to get tattooed by someone in particular you most likely won't hear about them, unless they have a lot of foreigners guest spotting.

[carmen1979]

I have a short list in my head of tattoo artists I want to travel to, they are famous, but I want to go to them because of their skill, not their fame. I won't mention them here, b/c I might get mocked. But unless I become rather wealthy, it's doubtful, b/c I'd get big pieces and have to travel there many times to get my piece finished. Besides, my "local" guy (my regular artist,who I LOVE) is 4.5 hours away from me. So it's not like he's real accessible either. But the only artist local to me who is talented is also constantly high and extremely unreliable, and I can't deal with that. Even if I could afford to travel to other artists, I'd just go to them for a piece that fit their particular style. Most of my stuff would still be done my regular guy, even with loads more money. I'd just tip a lot better :D

[Shaun1105]

I can't afford to travel all over the place to go to all kinds of famous shops either. But I do believe it's important to visit your family. I mean, I want my kids to know their cousins/aunts/uncles and all. How can I help it if they happen to live in Texas, Arizona, Florida and California? As long as I'm driving/flying all the way there to visit them anyway, wouldn't it be borderline criminal not to visit some famous shops with a pocket full of cash and ample bare spots on my skin and, you know, just see what happens?

Well, that's what I'm telling my wife, anyway.

[carmen1979]

Shaun, great idea! I'll have to do that. My husband is totally cool with me going to get tattooed in far off places, as long as he gets a trip out of it!

[Dhopper]

I can't afford to travel all over the place to go to all kinds of famous shops either. But I do believe it's important to visit your family. I mean, I want my kids to know their cousins/aunts/uncles and all. How can I help it if they happen to live in Texas, Arizona, Florida and California? As long as I'm driving/flying all the way there to visit them anyway, wouldn't it be borderline criminal not to visit some famous shops with a pocket full of cash and ample bare spots on my skin and, you know, just see what happens?

Well, that's what I'm telling my wife, anyway.

That is how it went with me. Oh lets go on a trip, I hear San Fran is nice. Tattoo by Grime. Hey we can go to Lake Tahoe for our honeymoon. Problem is we have to drive up from San Francisco and oh there is a tattoo convention by some guy name takin, Tania, Taki! That's it Taki!

Did not take long for her to caught on when I recommend a place to go she say " who tattoos there?"

[bugxjuice]

My first tattoo was at a very custom/appt. only type place, private rooms, etc. I don't remember there being much/any flash on the walls, just larger scale paintings. In some ways it was nice to have privacy for the long sessions (6/7 hours). All of my other tattoos have been at more traditional-style shops, more open, tons of flash on the walls, everybody chatting and crackin' wise the whole time. It's also cool to be able to see what other people are getting, and just observe tattooer/customer interactions.

Can't say I've ever been to any "famous" shops, but I have been tattooed by both well-known and unknown people, and as long as the tattoo looks good and the experience is pleasant, it doesn't really matter to me.

[metalmancpa]

There are some very good shops close to me (Boston). Off The Map is very well known. So is Redemption Tattoo. But based on initial recommendation and research, twice (Oct & Dec) I travelled 1,550 miles roundtrip to Ohio to have Gunnar do my work. The shop he works at, Red Tree Tattoo Gallery, is owned by Durb Morrison who runs the Hell City conventions. But Gunnar is humble, and he could be much more prominent if he chose to. His work is well known in the tattoo community as well as art, and for me he just "fit".

[Tight-Lines]

The kind where I walk in and no matter what people say hello and are friendly.

I've been lucky to find so many of those around the bay area.

[Tittleton]

@CaptCanada

I hear you. It was a lot more challenging to find a tattoo shop here in Kyushu rather than the states. I have to travel around 2 hours everytime I have an inkling to get a tattoo.

[sarapressey]

The kind where I walk in and no matter what people say hello and are friendly.

I've been lucky to find so many of those around the bay area.

I definitely agree. I've only been to one tattoo shop where that wasn't the case-- I didn't go back.