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One of the better and probably most famous prison tattoos out there:

I thought this was a fine example of something that could be "spun" into a great tattoo:

@Avery Taylor Deposit paid & booked in for April 6th.

I was at SOG last week so I got the chance to see Taki's copy. It's pretty sweet! It comes across like an old yearbook of sorts with photos of people (and their work), whom he's met over the years. Most artists, but a couple who have supported tattoos in their own way. More than just random tattoo pictures. It was people who he's come to know, admire, and make lasting friendships with. It was really cool cause when I was there everyone at the shop saw it and were laughing.

I did get tattooed today, a sailor jerry sparrow.

Spaulding would sell to anyone with an address, professional or not. My roommate got a 'starter kit' back in 92, not knowing any better than the rest of us at that point, and went to our friend Tux about letting him tattoo himself there at the shop under his supervision. Tux looked at the 'pumas' he got and snorted & said "what is this, a necklace or a hood ornament?" hahahaha

Megan Wilson posted this on Instagram recently with the caption "San Quentin/Folsom Prison Body Suit":

This thread made it over a year before getting to off topic, that's pretty rad.

I seem to have not run across this thread yet so I decided to start it. I know that there is a large group on this forum who get tattooed by a list of tattooers from all over, and there are some who stick to one or two people. Who do you get tattooed by and if you get tattooed by just one or two people why? I know myself I love the idea of having a bunch of great artists give me a tattoo with their own particular touch, but I also have an artist that I go for a bunch of other tattoos since he seems to nail it every time I see a new tattoo by him.

happy man, although this throws huge kinks in my 2012 SOG,blackheart plans since the little one is due in last week of august. will find out in 2 weeks if its a boy or another girl

I couldn't stick to the same tattooer or tattooers as I'm a complete tattoo slut.

There is actually a blog entry that was started by Mario Desa that a lot of people have added their lists to! Here is the link...... Who Has Tattooed You It's pretty interesting....at least to me!

I have the Wu-Tang logo, back when I was 15 :P Some kinda needle/s was melted in a piece of plastic and the ink was the ink from a ballpoint pen. I got it in a group home, sitting in my bed while other boy tapped it in. Cant remember how long it took. 1 hour? I just realised its almost all worn out. Cant even see it. Had to look for it. Its "covered" with a bad cover up that didn't even cover it. Hate that fucking tattoo. Funny, the tattoo artist asked me "what the fuck is this? A puzzle piece?" I said yeah, yeah... I was too nervous to explain him that is a Wu-Tang logo, and what the fuck the Wu-Tang even is while Jimi Hendrix was blasting from the speakers :D

Don't use a shitty TV show to gauge the best of the business. Those tattooers were picked by TV producers for their differing levels of tattooing. If you're in San Diego, go to Flying Panther. Ben Grillo spends half his time there and does some killer black and grey and has been dabbling on some sweet traditional. Dominic Vasquez pretty much does it all but I think he's best at Japanese tattoos and the owner, Rob, gets down on the traditional. No matter the style you're looking for there'll be someone there that can do it for you very well. The combined talent there shits all over the cast of Ink Masters ten fold.

i think one of the main things that adds to the mystique of higgs is that he doesn't tattoo any more. not because he can't but because he chooses not to. he worked with some really talented folks and for most of us that do this, it's something that we'd probably find hard to give up if we had the same opportunities. also, it wasn't until after i started tattooing that i really even knew that he tattooed. i always knew him to be the singer in lungfish, it was only through diligent efforts that i was even able to obtain the lungfish albums back then and that was from working in a record store. back before the intervebs, if you didn't have an excellent book store or some type of real active art scene, you didn't get to find out about much that went on in the world. so i dig getting to hear stories about and from people who were there and got to work with him and it's obvious he had an impact on them. plus, in reality he is an important component in tattooing history due to those interactions. so rock on!

I've had a sneak peek of sorts--my back is in it! I can guarantee that, my ass aside, it's gonna be a fantastic book. Horitaka puts out excellent stuff, and this will be no exception.

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-101/1235-recommendation-traditional-style-tattooer-san-diego.html You will find all the recommendations that people have suggested and maybe a few more.

Haha see you there! :)

I had my knuckles tattooed when I was in reform school. Love and Hate. They were tattooed at night, in between the patrols. Done with a single neeedle and some indian ink. After I came out I had them surgically removed. So I've just got some faint scars. If you want to see some incredible prison tattoos the Russian Criminal Tattoo books are a good read. The film The Mark of Cain is also well worth a watch, if you're into prison tattoos.

Danny Trejo... that is one legit dude.

@RoryQ thanks for bringing this to our attention....trying to get it sorted out on our end. I was able to rotate it via moderator dashboard but don't know if users have this ability... @steve1461686340 ? Second question for Steve, I rotated it in image edit but it only shows the rotated version there and not in other areas of the site?

My name is Dusty, Livin in Orange County CA. Joined the forum because I think it's Awesome that scott's trying to give back some history through the interviews, and hopefully help turn the industry back to the tattoo community and away from the media and suppliers who have nothing to do with the industry. Also he's a awesome artist himself.

San Diego is a mecca for tattooing, it should be relatively easy to find someone qualified to do anything your heart desires. good luck.

Check out Guru Tattoo GURU TATTOO - San Diego, California and maybe Fip in Avalon Tattoo San Diego Tattoo Artist Fip Buchanan - FipTattoos.com

I always thought it meant rhododendrons or azaleas. That's not true, but i wish it was.

That is some good stuff. I keep meaning to do another beer exchange. We just bought a house and waiting to get the keys, but maybe after the dust settles. This local brewery partly funded by lottery dollars just released a canned Imperial IPA. It's called Fort George Vortex Imperial IPA, it comes in a four pack of 16 oz cans (8.4%) and it is amazing.

@SF Dave and THATS why we watermark photos. Artist/Tattooer credit and contact information are always useful. Jordan Teear tattooed that solid, traditional-looking ROA backpiece. He works at Frith Street Tattoo in London. frithstreettattoo.co.uk

I know exactly what you mean. Isn't it crazy how "covered" you look in the mirror at first? Then, after a few months, you don't really notice anything but the blank spots.

Taz (hubby) was talking on the phone with Todd Noble last night so it looks like next weekend we will be heading out to Black Cobra Tattoo and I will add a piece from Todd! I was not expecting this one but the way the weather has been (knock on wood) we were thinking a trip to the beach to just hang out would be nice and Todd is right on the way....ha ha ha! I have no clue what i will get.....probably whatever he wants to do!

I didnt read every post but I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned the flash sheet with Jeff Zuck's Hot Stuff ROA. I would show you guys but posting flash is in poor taste imo.

I am glad to see that other people posted 'collector' well before I was going to. also, even before the tv show, I found the term 'canvas' deplorable. and finally, this is what my friend Rus wrote on his blog next to the photo of my tattoo he did.

I have a left-field contribution: "Johnsburg, Illinois" by Tom Waits. At about a minute and a half, t's one of the shortest songs around, but I've always loved it. I sing it to my daughter often. http://youtu.be/azD2Q5FudBE Here are the lyrics (with the tattoo reference in bold): She's my only true love, she's all that I think of Look here in my wallet, that's her She grew up on a farm there, there's a place on my arm where I've written her name next to mine See I just can't live without her, and I'm her only boy She grew up outside McHenry in Johnsburg, Illinois Makes me wonder who did Tom's tattoos:

Oh yeah....that's what im talkin bout....another star is born. We've got oil embargos , howzabout tattoo kit embargos. You ever look at "Lucky Supply's'' tattoo kits? ya gotta love it.

Found these on travels around the interwebs (Sorry for any reposts) Lyle Tuttles' back by Doc Forbes 1962 Painless Jack Tyron - this is... I can't even find words to describe this. There's just an 'elegance' to it I think Rick Walters Pamela Nash by Les Skuse

That's really neat that the dudes you go to charge 200 dollars an hour and have your best interest in mind. Us "shoeshine" boys don't always get to pick and choose what we get to tattoo.

Finished this last night:

if it isn't too big, we are open to host... the only problem is, i cook "regular" food...not so good at gluten-free, vegan BUT we can always get sol food to deliver...they have alot of vegan options...

Cris Cleen fucking works. I know some of you have tattoos from Cris.. http://vimeo.com/27647687

i hate sleeves that go onto the hand. looks awful, ruins the whole thing.

tat-zaps, tat-wizard, ink, get some ink, inked up, get inked, tatted, color bomb, trad, neo-trad...