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My first tattoo was done when I was 15. A tattooer called Steve, as far as I can remember, in Bath. My first visit to the shop was with a couple of pals. I went first, I think we all decided on a swallow on the forearm. Anyway I had a bit of a rash on my forearm. The tattooer asked me about the rash. I said it was probably a sun rash. He said ok come back when it's gone. So my first visit ended in bitter disappointment. The next in the chair was my mate Pete. He always fancied himself as a bit of a tough guy, but he was looking very nervous. So the tattooer started the tattoo. He did the outline on this tiny tattoo and was about to start on the colour when my mate said " you don't have to colour it in do you". The tattooer, looking rather puzzled said "no not if you don’t want me to". We really took the piss out him on the train on the way home. What a pussy. I went back a few weeks later with two pals and we all had the same deaths head tattoo on our forearm. Ones now dead the other had his covered. So mines the only one left. That was 41 years ago and I still love that tattoo. So much so that I booked Alex Binnie to recreate the tattoo on my upper leg on April 13th.

tilt at new life tattoo in champaign, il

I got a lovely new tattoo today from Valerie at Frith St in London.... https://instagr.am/p/IR82kEOt4R/ (It's the purple ranunculus flower. The pink rose is on me too, I had that one done 6 weeks ago)

So I am in NYC the first week of April. I am hoping to go to Smith Street as a walk-in. Has anyone experianced success walking in there? Not going for something big, I has some space on my arm for a smallish piece.

since both of my parents have been tattooed since well before i was born, i have no idea... i do remember once i was getting a bit older (and making friends that weren't cousins or kids of my parents' friends) realizing that not everyone's parents had pictures on them.

goto the shop not a tattoo school

This thread is making me sad :( I need to step my game up and get a lil something! (to be fair though, I am on one serious saving tip to get back over to Kyoto this year to start my back ;) ) P.s much respect to everyone else however! @jade1955 - do you have room left or are you now starting a second layer? lol you luck bast... ;)

@Reyeslv I like your style and I am showing her this as proof Its ok lol

@Reyeslv Everything apart from the trip to the Big Apple is booked. Alex Binnie is a bit of a legend over here. Hes been tattooing for over 20 years and is the owner of Into You, in London. On the subject of New York I have to say this thread is cracking me up. http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/lst-get-togethers-tattoo-conventions/1503-nyc-meet-up.html Started in October 2011. Now into its 11th page. At this rate I'll be meeting up with you guys in October.

Duncan X - next Saturday Alex Binnie - April Brad Fink - April Daniel Albrigo April Mario Desa - May Stewart Robson- June Hopefully New York in October Bailey Robinson and something at Smith Street.

Got my sparrows yesterday from Nick Colella at CTC

When was the first time you remember seeing a tattoo.....

The fact that it was Friday/paycheck day probably had something to do with it too...

Walked in at Smith St yesterday afternoon. Got tattooed by Josh Mason, who was visiting. Great experience. Seems like the earlier the better for walking in. Things started to get really busy after I came in.

I remember it very clearly. One of my crazy uncle's crazier friends showed up and had just gotten a new tattoo. My uncle being the nice guy that he was slapped him directly on the back were the new tattoo was. Off came the bandages to review the damage...it was a fuckin panther crawling on a log.

My "tattoo commute" is 1 to 1 and a half hour commute every 2 weeks. (NJ to NYC). I actually like go outside of my immediate area because then it feels a bit more "special" instead of running an errand like getting a pack of smokes from the store.

Have you considered not getting a tattoo?

I grew up in a hippy ass section of Minneapolis called the West Bank, and there were a few biker bars on the south end of the neighborhood. I remember I was about 8 years old when I really noticed them and thought they were rad as shit. On another note, I remember when my son first noticed tattoos as something unnatural on the body. When he was 3, he was sitting on my lap when his eyes locked onto my arm. He grabbed my arm firmly and scanned it over with intense focus...then let out the words "cool, dad"

I agree. The longest I've driven for a tattoo is about an hour and a half each way, but I'd drive much further to get a tattoo from a tattooer I admire. The inconvenience of a long drive is nothing compared with a lifetime with a better tattoo.

The year was 1992! My closet friend (still to this day) had just had his first child and was doing a piece for her. It was Mickey Mouse from the movie Fantasia. I at the time didn't know anything about tattoos. I just knew you were doing this act that would remain for long after. So in ignorance I didn't agree with getting a tattoo. We go into the shop (Divinci - Wantaugh NY) and I watch as they discuss design and the artist prepares the stencil and away they go. Don't know what drew me in but it grabbed me. Halfway thru the session I am booking an appointment for my first tattoo. Never looked back..... My wife blames my buddy for getting me into tattoos.

I'll be in New York the first week in April too. My partner and I both booked appointments at Smith Street. I just booked last weekend and they had lots of options for appointments available.

The young Turks

I'm finishing my sleeve in a month and around September/October I'd be looking to start my back. I'm really looking forward to the summer this year because I'm sick of the cold weather but I also wish it was the end of summer already so I can begin my backpiece.

Thanks for that. Looks good. I'll be booking the flight & hotel package as a City break two weeks before the tattoo. I can get the flight + three nights at a decent hotel for round £800 ($1267) which I think is very reasonable.

I would say the 5th since I am off that following Friday. As for location, for now lets just say same place same time.

just sayin... got an opportunity to have a world class tattooer work on you for a good price at a guest spot. Lord Google's map says Full Circle's about 40min away from Escondido. but if you found a good artist with a good vibe, it's all you!

myself and a co-worker walked in and got tattooed by Santoro in June 2010. We called first, but had no problem being walk-ins. Awesome shop!

I just got tattooed there. As an appointment. But people were getting walk ins. If it's small they'll fit you in.

Brooklyn heights leaves you at an awesome transportation advantage

Yea us New Yorkers (or tri-state area...ers?) suck at making plans. When you do come out drop a line in the thread to let us know. Did you think about possibly looking in NJ (Secaucus or similar) to find something at half NYC money? I know NYC can get a bit pricey. Also, in terms of this/next year my plans are. Some more from Regino Gonzolez Stewart Robson (April) and at end of this year/beginning of next year to try and plan a trip to San Francisco, but we will see how that works out.

happy wife happy life!!!!

I'm heading to NY in April. So the new guy is 2 months old. I'm shipping the mother-in-law to help my wife with the 2 little ones. It's a win-win, my wife has some help. Gets to hang out with her mother and I'm not there for the entire visit. :cool:

Well, reviewing progress:- Finished my backpiece with Ching, which is grand. I'll probably still get tattooed by Chris Smith in Chicago in June, but for the moment there's no sign of Chad Koeplinger coming back to Ireland. I've had my mind on bringing my sleeves down for a bit, but that's gone on the back burner a little because I've ended up booking in to be tattooed by Tomo at Yellow Blaze in November. That's super-exciting and hopefully we're going to do something fairly epic - still ironing out the details. Anyway, I'm more or less saving for that now and will see about the sleeves either afterwards or in 2013.

Which is what I wanted.......ha ha ha! And might I add......my pussy's are pretty spectacular too.........although my dick is a little wrinkled and missing a leg! :( We won't even discuss my blown out butt-hole! ;)

There is such a thing as a Light handed tattooer? I always thought it was a myth, like Bigfoot or the abimondible snow man. Actually there was one guy who tattooed me with quite a light hand, but it took him 6 hours to do a 2 hour tattoo (of course he charged by the hour), so by the end I think it hurt just as bad as any other tattoo session.

Black metal 101 with Darkthrone's Fenriz. He did a pretty good job with this one, but warning it is long, but worth it. While I pretty much knew everything before watching this, still nice to see all the history put out there by a very influential person (in the genre). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRNf_72h2LE" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGJKafk1Rug"

How are you doing? My Tattoo goals for 2012 were: Work on Backpiece - scheduled in April Get something done at Smith Street - going to try walking in when I'm there in April. Attend Bay area convention - scheduled the vacation. I'll be there. New item - getting something done by Aaron Colrman!!! April 27th.

I remember sitting on my grandfathers lap and tracing his tattoo's with a covered pen/marker etc. I would have been about 3. There's a home video of me and my mom asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and I said a tattoo person. I was probably 5 at the time. I have no artistic talent so that plan went out the window but I love getting them. It's relaxing (albeit sometimes painful) to me. I live in Iowa. My first tattoo was done in a shop in town. I can't remember the name but it was the guy who my step dad went to. All my others have been done by Skin Kitchen Tattoo in Des Moines Iowa. I'm working on a half sleeve now. I'm going Sunday to see the final design and then hopefully the week after start the sleeve. There is a huge chance we will be moving to Switzerland in the fall and I'm excited about checking out some of those shops.

i absolutely agree, tattoos should be fun! After my first over-thought, going-to-every-shop, price checking tattoo was done I found I was unhappy. Now that I go in and just say "hell I think a dagger would be cool" I found that I am much happier.

like I said, if you ask "do whatever you want", expect that their might be the possibility of getting some crazy shit. I think BunnySwitchblade mentioned that this is why she has a few crazy things tattooed on her.

Here is my outline got done yesterday Regino @ Invisible NYC

Finally got in to the shop, finishing my Banshee on May 10th, got put on a call list if there is a sooner opening. Wanna knock this one out so I can start plotting my back piece. We're thinking it may be done in two more sessions as we have to do the veil, her neck and neck lace. And then the back ground which is essentially my entire arm. I can't wait, its been to long..

Here's a link to part 1:

By Stuart G. Cripwell Spider Murphys Tattoo :: Welcome Who else gets the feeling that this bad boy will hold?

Don't know if this is quite the right thread for it, but it's a pretty good story anyway. As I was having my back tattooed I sent progress photos to my Dad via e-mail because he wanted to see how it was going. A couple of his workmates had tattoos and he'd been keeping them in the loop too, because they were interested in the progress. Anyway, after it was finished I sent through a final photo and Dad has it up on his computer screen at work with a few of his buddies looking at it when his boss walks in. Everyone goes sort of quiet and the boss strolls over and looks at what's on the screen. Then he turns to Dad, shakes his head, chuckles and says "Mate. Imagine if your daughter came home with a tattoo like that!' 'Actually,' says Dad...