Traveling for a shop?

[David Flores]

There are enough tattooers here in the Bay Area that I don't necessarily need to travel to get tattooed, and we have the State of Grace Convention each year. The farthest I have traveled is about 80-90 miles round trip from Half Moon Bay (Peninsula, southwest portion of the Bay Area) to Oakland. I'm also in the beginning stages of accepting the fact that I might have to travel to Japan for a tattoo sometime in the distant future.

I kind of feel the same way about Pacific Northwest,too many people I haven't got tattooed by in Portland and Seattle area. but running out of room want to get some tattoos from some different people, I am going back to SF to get tattooed. Blackheart and Spider Murphy's back to back days. Funny thing is the person who is going to tattoo me at Blackheart owns a shop a mile from my house, he is just so booked up here i am flying down there to get tattooed. I never got tattooed by him when he was up here full time because he just seemed so busy and there are so many guys who do great traditional work, but I decided I need this tattoo and figured might as well cross Stuart Cripwell off my wishlist while I am at it.

[mtlsam]

So here a a couple of pictures of what I got on my west coast trip. They are all healed up now.

The dragon is by Jeff Rassier of Black Heart Tattoo. Juan Puente did the sugar skull at the same shop, an hour later!

The week after I got Stuart Cripwell to do the moth. While I was a Spider Murphy's I picked up their flash book which is quite beautiful as well as getting two new sheets of flash.

I just got the sheets home from the frame shop. They look awesome on my wall!

The three tattooers were super friendly, I would highly recommend all three of them for your tattoo needs!

[Trinket]

I'd go as far as need be :)

My tattoos are going to stay with me forever, money is not an issue. (:

[Adam Elkins]

I've been very lucky. Living in London close to Frith Street means that I have some of the worlds best on my doorstep. There is also a stream of amazing guests that go through the shop. So far I haven't had to travel out of London.

Having said that I would be willing to travel to get tattooed. I'd love to take a trip to NY and California. Smith Street, Black Heart and Spider Murphys are on the hit-list.

[hogg]

So here a a couple of pictures of what I got on my west coast trip. They are all healed up now.

The dragon is by Jeff Rassier of Black Heart Tattoo. Juan Puente did the sugar skull at the same shop, an hour later!

The week after I got Stuart Cripwell to do the moth. While I was a Spider Murphy's I picked up their flash book which is quite beautiful as well as getting two new sheets of flash.

I just got the sheets home from the frame shop. They look awesome on my wall!

The three tattooers were super friendly, I would highly recommend all three of them for your tattoo needs!

Awesome! I've been tattooed by Jeff, Juan and Stuart, and my wife got me that Spider Murphy's book for my birthday, so I can vouch for everything you say. Great stuff!

[Brock Varty]

There are enough tattooers here in the Bay Area that I don't necessarily need to travel to get tattooed, and we have the State of Grace Convention each year. The farthest I have traveled is about 80-90 miles round trip from Half Moon Bay (Peninsula, southwest portion of the Bay Area) to Oakland. I'm also in the beginning stages of accepting the fact that I might have to travel to Japan for a tattoo sometime in the distant future.

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Shige? Horiyoshi?

[Janerae]

My first choice is 2 hours for Freedom Ink...still need to look into that place.

Next stop would be 4ish hours for Chicago.

- - - Updated - - -

My first choice is 2 hours for Freedom Ink...still need to look into that place.

Next stop would be 4ish hours for Chicago.

[CABS]

There are enough tattooers here in the Bay Area that I don't necessarily need to travel to get tattooed, and we have the State of Grace Convention each year.

Agreed, the amount of talent in The Bay Area astounds me. I wouldn't mind getting all my tattoos from Temple. But I also like to travel. Not necessarily for tattoos, per se. But if I can squeeze in a fun souvenir from my trip, I most definitely will.

[MadeIndelible]

Funny to read that when I took a trip to NYC to get tattooed a couple months later. Either way, the Bay Area still has amazing tattooers whom I need to get tattoos from.

[Graeme]

I'm doing the seven hour Montreal-NYC drive right now and I feel fortunate that my artist is within driving distance because it allows me to get large work. I don't think I would be as willing to do that if flights are involved because there's no such thing as cheap airfare in Canada. But with the right artist and idea, who knows? I didn't think I'd be going to New York as much as I am.

[Dennis]

I've always traveled about 4 and a half hours each direction to get work done, but in a month I'm flying 1600km to get some work. After that, my next big piece will have to be in Europe or Japan! That'll be quite a ways down the road, though.

[tatB]

My currently in progress 3/4 sleeve involves 6 hour round trip (Boston to NY) drives once a month for at least the next 3 months. Gas and tolls add to the total investment but its well worth it to get tattooed by Chris O'Donnell.

[KYboy]

I'm headed to San Francisco in June and I am definitely going to visit some of the iconic shops out there (Tattoo City, Temple.. etc). I at least want to see them and get a freakin' t-shirt or something. I'm going to try and get some work done if I can manage. Money is sort of an issue after the cost of the plane tickets, but I'd like some suggestions on maybe some other artists/shops in the area that I could check out?

I always try and pay my artists in cash, if on a trip like this where money might be a little tight is it cool to pay w credit? I feel like cash in hand is just the right way to do things and I wouldn't want to offend anyone. Any opinions on this?

[Scott R]

My currently in progress 3/4 sleeve involves 6 hour round trip (Boston to NY) drives once a month for at least the next 3 months. Gas and tolls add to the total investment but its well worth it to get tattooed by Chris O'Donnell.

Get cash, cash is king unless you have gold

also stop by BlackHeart Tattoo San Francisco: Our Shop - Jeff Rassier, Tim Lehi, Scott Silva, Nick Rodin, Cody Miller, Juan Puente and @KatieSellergren its a must. Temple,Blackheart State of grace, you could stay busy just visiting tattoo shops

[Avery Taylor]

I'm headed to San Francisco in June and I am definitely going to visit some of the iconic shops out there (Tattoo City, Temple.. etc). I at least want to see them and get a freakin' t-shirt or something. I'm going to try and get some work done if I can manage. Money is sort of an issue after the cost of the plane tickets, but I'd like some suggestions on maybe some other artists/shops in the area that I could check out?

I always try and pay my artists in cash, if on a trip like this where money might be a little tight is it cool to pay w credit? I feel like cash in hand is just the right way to do things and I wouldn't want to offend anyone. Any opinions on this?

If the shop says it takes credit cards then it is fine. Some shops do, and some shops don't. If you plan on getting tattooed at specific shop then call ahead and ask. I know you plan on stopping by Temple, but one of Temple's best tattoo artists, Derrick Snodgrass, lives in Kentucky. If you live in Kentucky you need to get tattooed him.

[chrisnoluck]

farthest i have traveled so far is central PA to chicago to get tattooed by mario & frank at ctc last summer. about to double that by flying to SF from central PA in september. getting tattooed at spider murphys but i definitely want to stop by temple and a few other shops while i'm there and have the opportunity.

[CABS]

farthest i have traveled so far is central PA to chicago to get tattooed by mario & frank at ctc last summer. about to double that by flying to SF from central PA in september. getting tattooed at spider murphys but i definitely want to stop by temple and a few other shops while i'm there and have the opportunity.

Hey do you post on B9 too? I lurk the tattoo thread and saw that you were asking about Stu? He did a snake on my thigh in one shot. Took maybe 2-2.5 hours. He had two separate snake designs (a one shot and a two session version).

[chrisnoluck]

Hey do you post on B9 too? I lurk the tattoo thread and saw that you were asking about Stu? He did a snake on my thigh in one shot. Took maybe 2-2.5 hours. He had two separate snake designs (a one shot and a two session version).

Yep that would be me. How big is the snake he made on your thigh? I'm really wanting him to tattoo a tiger head on my stomach I just didn't want to screw myself over if he happened to be fairly slow or whatever. Mario tattooed a decent sized scimitar on my stomach in one sitting so I think ill be ok but I just wanted to reassure of it.

[motsimus]

The shop I go to is two hours away by Train and foot , I enjoy catching the train and occasionally seeing the odd junkie or crazies doing stupid shit, I saw a baby throw up on a woman's face the other day it was priceless but the commute home always sucks

[Daggboy]

By coincidence, I have just moved cities to Canberra and realised that I am now living around the corner - literally 2 streets away - from the site where I started collecting my very first proper tattoos in 1996. So I've always travelled to get tattoos.

Back in '96 I travelled from Sydney to Canberra (280km) to get tattooed by a dear friend who was apprenticing with a really great artist called Ex de Medici who's now pretty much stopped tattooing and I think is working on her amazing paintings.

For the last few years I've been travelling from Aus to Switzerland to get tattooed by Filip Leu & Sabine Gaffron, an incredible experience. Filip is starting my backpiece this year and even though it's super stressful getting all this money together to do it, once I am there and we start working it all feels worth it. The advantage also is that he tattoos faster than lightning, and has a very unique approach to large scale work. I've given him a few key elements I'd like and the coverage and I don't think he'll plan & draw the design until our first outlining session! And that's usually with visiting tattooers watching, asking him questions and hanging off his every word. Don't ask me how he does it but it really is watching genius in action.

That said though, the first time I took a regular train and then a little 2 car mountain electric "train" up to the tiny mountain village where the Leu Family studio now is, I was laughing all the way up at where I was travelling to to get a damn tattoo!

[ChrisvK]

hitchhiked from the Netherlands to Italy to get tattooed and then from Italy to Gothenburg in Sweden to score a little piece there. Good times!

[JeffK]

Like, an hour? There's a few dudes I wanna go and hit up, but with school and work and a kid and blah blah blah it just doesn't happen. I was considering heading about 4 hours out this summer to get something by Troy at Timeless Tattoo in Kansas City, MO when he's in IN, but I hate tattoo's in the summer and I'll be in the middle of school still. Maybe.....

[Hank]

hitchhiked from the Netherlands to Italy to get tattooed and then from Italy to Gothenburg in Sweden to score a little piece there. Good times!

That's epic!

The furthest I've traveled was just a hour by plane to Portland. Took a long weekend to hang in the city and got some daggers on my shoulders at scape-goat

[Lngbeard]

For my first tattoo of any significance I flew to Oakland from Seattle. EZ two hour flight. Actually got inked in S.F. The cab fare from Oakland to SF cost more than the $48.50 I spent to fly from Seattle. If money and time allowed I would be willing to travel further.

[MadeIndelible]

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Shige? Horiyoshi?

Realized I never responded to this post. I just watched the Japan Gypsy Gentleman a few nights ago, and Shige's work was blowing my mind.