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Thought I might throw up a few more thoughts on my trip to Japan (tattoo-related ones, primarily). We got back last night and the jet lag doesn't appear to be as bad travelling from East to West... I'm back at work, which totally sucks, quite frankly. On the upside, we will be back in Japan in just over a year in order for my GF to begin her backpiece with Shige. Meeting Shige and getting a little tour of Yellow Blaze and the stencils of work he is doing at the moment was amazing. If anyone is interested in getting work done by him the only thing I would say is that actually going there in the flesh seems to be the number one option (arranging it in advance, obviously). I think this is his way of sorting time-wasters from potential real clients. He takes his consultations very seriously and it was one of the most rigorous I've seen... Lots of questions, discussion, teasing out of a plan spanning a number of years. Aside from the consultation at Yellow Blaze that we had to make, Horiyoshi III's tattoo museum is open almost all the time (seems to be closed only the 20th and 30th of the month) and is only 1000 yen to enter. It's a cornucopia of tattoo-related history, which so much stuff crammed into such a small space that every time you turn around you're looking at something which is one of a kind. Right at the door is a painting that Shige gave to Horiyoshi and if you go further in there are a tremendous amount of vintage books and prints as well as quirky statuettes etc. Interestingly while there we met Horiyoshi's future successor manning the till. He was discussing his father with a visiting American at the time and although there was a bit of a language barrier it seemed to be the case that Horiyoshi still meets people certain days of the week, although whether or not he actually takes clients wasn't clear. The tattoo museum stocks a fair range of Horiyoshi's books, prints and some others from State of Grace, but I would point out that they are quite expensive to buy there. 'Kokoro', for example, was 12000 yen more expensive there than at Tower Records in Shibuya (their top floor book section seemed very extensive, huge range of Horiyoshi books, State of Grace, books from Grime and collaborators etc at reasonable prices... For Japan, I guess). While in Kyoto a week later I called into Harizanmai and spoke to Gakkin about being tattooed next year. Harizanmai is a very slick tattoo studio and I picked up a quirky t-shirt designed by Gakkin which I think is a kind of play / perversion of the idea of a Japanese crest. He drew a kind of grub gestating in the centre of it. Harizanmai probably had the most western-friendly access of any of the studios we were in, but perhaps only because Gakkin and Gotch travel to the west so much. On the topic of how large tattoos are received in Japan, on westerners at least, I would say that overall it was not a major issue for our purposes, but if I was living or working there I think it would have merited a bit more consideration. Due to the 32 degrees temperature on some days I was wearing shorts and t-shirts most of the time. Despite this I would say most Japanese seemed to be polite or disciplined enough not to stare, point or otherwise react to the sight of a fair bit of coverage on show. I saw some smaller tattoos on Japanese kids while I was there so perhaps the times really are changing ... Maybe there is a greater degree or acceptance. Or maybe I just got the benefit of the doubt as a foreigner (possibly always more likely). Once or twice someone who we'd been talking with for a little while would politely ask to see something a little closer, and they were particularly interested in the dragon leg piece. Strangely it seemed to be either kids or older people (like 60 plus) who had a positive reaction. Middle aged people either didn't react openly or seemed to have a more ambivalent reaction. The only place I felt slightly uncomfortable, partially because I was conscious that in hindsight I probably should have preferred to cover up more (but didn't because of the sheer heat and humidity), was when visiting some sights like larger temples in Kyoto. On one particular occasion there was a tour group of middle-aged people who seemed, as a group, to react more than normal to the sight of my leg tattoo. Whether that's because they were a really provincial tour group, or were from a conservative or religious group of some sort, or because they were offended on some other basis, I don't know. I wore trousers and a polo shirt out to dinner a couple of times and in the two weeks we were in Japan there were a couple of minor occasions where I thought possibly my half sleeves were an issue. On one occasion we were politely told a pizzeria was by reservation only, even though it was more or less empty. We beat a polite retreat. The other time was at the Park Hyatt in Tokyo, where we stayed for a couple of nights as a treat. There was a 'no tattoo' dress code for the swimming pool and their bars and lobby coffee area. I suspect this is 50% because it's Japan and 50% because it's a 5 star hotel which might well employ the same rules in Paris, London (I'm not really sure, to be hoenst). Either way when we had dinner and drinks at the Peak Bar (made famous by 'Lost in Translation') I wore a shirt and trousers anyway, making it a non-issue. The swimming pool apparently hands out rash-guards, interestingly.... For those wishing to swim anyway. I'm not sure what they'd do about leg tattoos... A burkini? I visited a few sento (baths) in Kyoto and Tokyo without any problems or diplomatic incidents, but I picked locations which I believed were tattoo-friendly (or at least tolerant of them).

Yesterday I drove up to Denton MD and got a gunslinger from Krooked Ken- a true gentleman tattooer. Had a great time talking about hog farming too haha. I then drove to Morgantown vw, slept on top of a mountain, and on to Point Pleasant for lunch at the Mothman Festival then home- 1032 miles in 37 hours. Fun trip!

I just had this finished yesterday and I am so happy with it. The tattoo is by Xam at The Family Business. The camera's flash really flattens the colour, so I'll post a better photo in natural light when it's healed.

I've been a big fan of all Valerie Vargas's pin-ups/women for a while now. She did one on my wife that I absolutely love. I'm sure you guys have seen most of her work but for those who want to see more Tattoos @ Valerie Vargas

There needs to be a thread dedicated to one of the greatest comedians of all time. His new show has trumped the old one (which I never thought was possible.) Who the hell else feels this way?

I got my right foot done yesterday, now my feet match hehe. My right foot is still very swollen and I took the pics myself so they are a it looks a bit distorted

love this Chris Conn girl

He tattooed a little portrait of James Brown (!) on my friend's shoulder blade in the late 80s. When he was done, he said, "There ya go--that's a damn fine Little Richard." Kinda freaked my friend out, but the tattoo was cool (and actually of JB, not LR).

i did this fun one just the other day

It was good to hear a little about your trip Rory. You got it summed up pretty good. Middle aged Japanese are the most conservitive about anything over here. Every summer it seems like you see more and more tattoos out in the open. When I came here 5 years ago it was rare to see a Japanese walking around outside with any visable tattoos, now it's maybe about 1 in 20. I know there are a lot more out there, but just hiding. Tattoos are a good conversation starter with them, cause now they can finally talk about them with out sounding like a criminal.

Just one other thing. We brought over a few small bottles of Irish whiskey (from the last few independent Irish-owned distilleries) to give out as presents along the way. So at the last ryokan we were staying in, Tokyo Ryokan, we gave the owner and his wife some. They were a young couple and the ryokan itself is kind of unusual - it's a sort of eco-house with some unusual architectural features... Little details like hand-finished wood and stone elements where you don't expect them. It was small, but immaculately clean and very friendly. TOKYO RYOKAN OFFICIAL WEB SITE Some info about the design features here: TOKYO RYOKAN OFFICIAL WEB SITE - Design In conversation we'd talked to the husband about tattooing, and it turned out that he seemed to know a little about the scene in Japan. We didn't want to ask him directly (it was one of those situations where it seemed like he was talking around things, and we'd only just met him). So the next day we came back to the ryokan and he had left us a tube containing several Shige prints as a gift... Signed by Shige. He said he thought we might get more enjoyment out of them, and that he had been holding on to them for a while. Guess it's a small world.

Yeah, after thinking about it today. A cock on your cock is one of best tattoos for it... like a snake works, but so does a rooster. Eyes and comb on your pubic hair area, beak down your shaft, and a wattle for a scrotum. It uses the entire area perfectly. And yes I do realize I've thought about this to much while working.

Also, this isn't a theoretical argument, where logic wins. "If this is true, then this must equal false" It's a real-life discussion about real things and when it comes to tattoos and tattooing: The tattooer is ALWAYS right. AND STEWART COMES OUT WITH THE WIN!!!!!!!! well put sir..hahaha i used to work for a guy who only had 6 tattoos...none bigger than a softball...he was too picky or they hurt to bad...fuck that shit...i busted his balls every chance i got, especially in front of his customers...how can you tell someone how its going to feel or how to relax and breathe thru it if you have hardly done it yourself...he is a fucking parasite to my craft that i've struggled for and dedicated my life to, even before i was tattooing i was pretty heavily covered...it's a lifelong commitment. |

Can we all just stop kicking this dead horse. Points have been made, and points have been argued. Does that make them right, no. But if you want to get tattooed by someone with little to no tattoos go ahead. The rest of us will be with the guys in suits.

Yes, I ride and just got home on a 47% night ride through "Deer Alley". I don't think I would be here if it weren't for Harley Davidson, my Dad rode by my Mom one day when she was sitting on the lawn of her parents home, eventually a girlfriend of hers told her that "Bob Hawk wants to take you on a date", my Mom replied "As long as he picks me up on the robin egg blue Harley Davidson of his then he has a date" and the rest has been history. I eventually restored the same year and model with the factory paint color, it was HD color code "Peacock Blue"(Mom always called it robin egg blue) for 1949. My every day rider is a 1948 panhead HD and my land barge is a stock 1967 Electraglide HD and my go fast machine is a 93 inch S&S in a 1974 frame with all the cool chit but goin into Winter I'm ridin a stock 1978 bagger with full fairing and snap on leg covers to deflect the cold and I will probably be ridin it come the early Spring, may have to head to South Dakota on that next week due to a death in the Family. Those are what I have plated to ride but I will always have a Triumph in the garage til I die, it's a 1962 pre unit 650. Can't count all the bikes I've had in my lifetime now and the whole Family rides, in fact we would come home from school to go ridin when we were young and Dad would take one of our bikes to work, guess he felt entitled, ha! I sold off allot of bikes back when I bought the home I live in now, back then Bankers weren't very keen on Tattooers cause it wasn't "popular" like it is now and the banker told me that they could ask for as little as 10% down and the usual was 15% down but from ME they wanted 20%, I knew this was a way for them to get rid of the long haired tattooed biker trash but I said OK. I went home and called a friend of mine whom I worked the motorcycle swap meet circuit with, I tattooed and he sold parts, told him what was going on and to come over and make an offer. Sold him all of my 6 and 12 volt parts, a 1948 Indian Chief, a WW-II 1942 WLA HD, '81 FXR, '80 FLH HD, '74 shovelhead Chopper HD, and a stroker shovelhead custom and that 1049 pan and didn't look back, went to the bank and laid down the 20%. Another kid was comin and we needed more room for what was going to be my last rug rat, 4 boys and this 5th to be a Daughter and here is a picture of the smartest one of the lot, well armed when she was just little, you guys don't get any pic's of the lady she's grown to be...The second is a pic of my other precious the 1948 Pan and she's had some mods since this pic. Thanks for kick startin this thread, enjoying the read. RIDE HARD DIE FREE

Had a growing interest in bikes for a while now but never know how/where to start, and never matters anyway because I'm always dumping cash somewhere else! Sooner or later I'll make my buddy Todd teach me how to ride.. 'til then, I'll just keep ogling bikes and watching SOA..

That's a go, @dcostello.

"Yeah? Well that's just like.. your opinion, man."

If it makes you feel better, I had to go to Dorrington, CA to her little cabin to do so. I paid 50 bucks in gas to watch TV.

Who am I to judge with whom you spend your time with?

i saw a dick tattoo recently on a blog. it was of a sword, but it was on an uncircumcised dude, which i kind of thought was weird, because you can't really unsheathe your sword then and present a surprise...

Finally watching the first episode of the new season. Im impressed so far.

I feel this way. He's brilliant and stupefyingly vulgar at the same time. What's not to love? Also, he was born in Mexico and lived there until he was 7. Not really the dude you'd pick as half-Mexi, but there he is.

I am basically a bbq guy and even have a small bbq catering company. I basically use that to make money to compete in bbq competitions. At home, I love to cook red beans and rice and jamalaya.

I've slept on Troy's couch many times and I have to tell you that one of my favorite things about staying with Troy is all the epic shows he has recorded on his TV box. It's like browsing through the wildest documentaries or shows on aliens, drugs, history or anything taboo. That man has great taste

There's no way he 'loves' tattoos and doesn't have any. Period. Nothing you can say will change my mind on that. All you did was prove Bart's comment that most of the people tattooing who aren't heavily tattooed are in it for the money because they couldn't make it in other art related jobs. There's no way he would make more money as a photographer. Every asshole with a camera fancies themselves a photographer now a days, it's a very very hard field to make money in, unless you are truly talented.

I bet your bro does sick ink and sweet tatties all day long, and he may say he likes tattoos but actions speak louder than words, and getting tattooed shows your dedication to the craft. I don't know I think this topic has been exhausted and we have heard from some of the best tattooers in the world and they seem to have a similar opinion. I am not saying someone can't put on a good tattoo without tattoos, but clearly he doesn't love tattoos as much as you or he would have some.

that's what your legs are for ;) no but seriously, i can't remember who it was now, but someone was shown in one of the tattoo age videos (i think, maybe it was another video??), an artist who i like and respect, who had a lot of space left on his legs, and i thought "aha! that's smart! and sneaky!" but understandable. hell, i want to get tattooed still when i'm in my 50's! and im curious to see what i will be getting tattooed when i'm that age.

I rode triumphs and BSAs fer years, still love em.'' Witworth'', those are the wrenches that fit, not metric. I grew up workin on cars and bikes, amature raced yamaha 600s, I would always recommend diving in to anything you dream about,whatever the cost. thats why im old and broke,but i have no regrets.I never have to say''I wish i knew how to.........''.when youre old and shotout you dont wanna say ''I wish I had....''. corny but true ''just do it''. Even broke my hip on a 73 triumph, back in 90 i think, yeehaw, been there done that...lol

I just got this about an hour ago at Paris Tattoos by Paris Pierides. The shadowing will look more gray as it heals, he said. Apparantly I was a challenge to tattoo because I was clenching up. I feel like I sat pretty well though, considering what a huge baby I am. It's the first tattoo I've gotten in a visible place. I think it was a good choice.

i tell D all the time about how jealous i am at motorcyclists. there's a few on here that i know in real life. i secretly have been wanting to bug Scott about it, wanting to do trade work to learn as much as he's willing to teach me about motorcycles. but i also like getting tattooed... i guess the cats out of the bag now! anyways, i've been drooling over used Honda Rebels (i want to start out with a small engine and i've read several reviews by short, female riders that they're a great beginner bike, plus their pretty cheap). i keep looking on craigslist, keep dreaming, keep looking at romantic photographs and videos related to bikes and riders... and then i come back to the reality of my tiny little 2004 vw golf that i have a love hate relationship with.

Back in black is great.

Hahahha nice ! I think I've seen the midget one before. The 'god bless fatties' is weird to me though cause the chick isn't fat.

I really prefer the tattoo style portraits and i think there is some really clever artists doing them at the moment, here is a couple I've come across that I'm particualalry fond of. The first is straight up traditional by Mitch 13, the second is a really cool mix of of styles by Shaun Topper

Currently a little worried about my tiny Ben Grillo tat on my finger that's cracking and bleeding.

sky james was nice enough to tattoo an image off his flash sheet he did for the book on both kayla and i. both are zeis/bill jones referenced. they were done with a zeis machine built by steve turner.

Got this a couple weeks ago from Justin at Blacklist Tattoo in Portland. In a little over a week I should have another new tattoo to post and then three days after that I am getting my back piece lined and shaded.

Whatever. It's New York, dude, Tompkins Square no less. Those old ladies probably walked past two dead junkies and a homeless dude shitting in the street before they saw Scott. A tattoo is the least sketchy thing you're going to see go down in that park.

I find myself feeling the same way about a lot of Scott Campbell-related things. The fact that he charges $300 an hour is insane to me, but then again, he doesn't seem to be hurting for business, so I guess he wins. I'd read a few years back that he had a $1000 minimum, but I'm not sure that was true. Speaking of money to burn, he's created several pieces of art using sheets of US currency. Seems gauche to me, but again, I read about it in numerous places, so he's getting the press he wanted. He also did artwork for Camel Cigarettes, which is not that cool to me, but seemed to garner him a lot of notoriety. And while part of me thinks that he's an asshole for making this video--and tattooing someone on a nasty ass bench under conditions that would shock a Tattoo School graduate--another part of me is very impressed with the end product. And that's something I can say about many of his tattoos: they're good. Really good.

These are by the always impressive Hans Schroder of Old Bones Tattoo Malmo Sweden Hans Schröder, Malmö Sweden

hehehehehehehe

cfgsteak - i met a guy who was in his late 70's or early 80's in rochester and he had a fresh tattoo! it was amazing (i kno you arn't that old i'm just sayin you have lots of time!)

Ok this is part of my leg after two days with Shige. Got two sessions in November for the next stage,colour!

some totally moronic girl i used to know, and her friend, decided it was a great idea to tattoo their fingers whilst drunk - with a kitchen knife.