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As promised, here are a couple of pics taken the day following my session with Nick Colella during his visit to The Pearl Harbor Gift Shop. I admit my photographic skill are weak at best. Nick is a helluva a guy and does killer work. Excepting the part that hurt like *^$, the experience was awesome, and since I'll be in Chicago over the summer, I hope to get at least one more done by Nick. So the inner bicep is tender - who knew?

Lost my LST shirt so maybe my tiger can help out. Tony Hundahl - Rock of Ages Austin, Texas - one shot

I just want you all to know that I love you very much.

I love Cool Hand Luke. Kill Bill - meh. True Romance - now there's a movie!!

Worked some more on my back yesterday with Mike Rubendall And then a new one today from Thomas Hooper

My newest tattoo done by Ron Henry Wells:

I guess I'll go first, but I already have a feeling that I'll be going up against some really tough competition this month. Nick Colella formerly of Chicago Tattoo Co., currently going rogue until he makes an announcement about whatever he has in the works:

Since a lot of us are getting tattooed at the same shops, I was wondering if it would be useful to have a thread to consolidate bar and restaurant recommendations around those shops, sort of like a LST tattoo-themed travel guide. I searched the board before starting this thread and found posts about specific cities, but nothing that could be used as a general resource. Is anybody interested in this idea? If so, where do you get tattooed and where do you eat around there? Where do you go for a drink after your session? For the tattooers: what places do you recommend if your clients ask for advice on where to eat or drink?

since none of you will end up in gothenburg it's kinda useless for me to tell you where to eat. too many places. so i say, if you're in my town, i'll cook for you!

I know I joke about a lot of stuff (especially my skinny naked man-ass!!!) but really, getting the back piece has been like therapy for me this past year. Starting March 19th 2012 I started having some really bad back and pelvis issues. Through misdiagnoses and what not it has been a real struggle to get it corrected. A LOT of really low points in my life over the past year with some very bad chronic pain. I was beginning to get to the point that if pain was all that was left for me the rest of my days, I'd just pull a Hunter S. Thompson and not live like that anymore. Chronic pain over a long period of time can fundamentally change your personality. But, anyway I went ahead and I got the back piece started on June 30th, 2012, and about once a month thereafter I'd go in for another 3 hour session. For those 3 hours I'd know getting tattooed was going to hurt worse than my back and pelvis was that day, when it was gonna start hurting, about how much it was going to hurt, and then, when I'd had enough, I could say "Stop, I've had enough." Long story short, I got the back all finished, touch-ups and all around January 20th 2013. Ironically (hipsterism!!!) I was reading Tamblog shortly thereafter and saw one of the health posts and discovered Piriformis Syndrome (look it up on wikipedia folks, it ain't fun), turns out that's what I have. It can be fixed with exercise and physical therapy, and I'm now on the road to recovery. I ain't out of the woods completely yet, but I'm getting there. I feel much better now and I've buried Hunter completely.

ok mine is frome Chad Koeplinger! done at invictus /Oslo a few days ago!

I'll put my newest up there, from Mike Fite:

Mario Desa, Frank Carter, Beau Brady, Yushi Takei, Matt Ariola, Zuno.... yep i think it's safe to say you're right!

Mine always look faded and kind of "sad" for a little while during healing. But they're are all as bright and deeply colored now as the day they went on now that healing is over. Give it a little time. :)

Ive never heard of anything like this before, is it irritated by clothing? regularly shaved area? If its not settling and bugging you id say see your GP and take it from there. just my 2pence

I have done the breakfast club and it was rather good. Another busy place that is small so there can be a wait there as well.

And here's me ducking in to Nando's for a takeaway burger all the time. I guess that's because i usually drive to London and have little time to get anything done before i head to the shop, not enough time to look around! Got my appointment with Mario next week so maybe i'll be a bit more brave with my dining choice!

it's pretty hard to see what's going on. i don't see any reason to fret about it right now, you're barely a week into the healing process. the worst thing that will happen is that you might lose some of the color when the scabs come off (i can really only see a little bit of scabbing anyway, but the picture is really small.) and if that happens you can get it touched up. if and when you do get it touched up, i'd talk to your artist about adding some black shading for contrast, because it makes colors look brighter against the black. good luck!

@else, you're so cool.

Frith Street-Koya Smith Street- Prime Meats, Court Street, Blooklyn. - - - Updated - - - @Tim Burke Thats useful info about Honest Burger taking your phone number. I turned up there in January. I didn't fancy the idea of waiting outside in the freezing cold for 20 minutes.

Frith St/Soho in general - London Koya - Japanese udon noodles on Frith St, sometimes there's a bit of a wait and you can't book in advance but it's really fucking tasty and they do a good beer from the Kernel brewery. Honest Burger - Really good quality burger served medium unless you state otherwise served with rosemary salt chips. They also don't take bookings, but if you go along and they can't seat you they'll take your number and ring you rather than having to wait so you can just toddle off for a well earned beer round the corner somewhere. http://honestburgers.co.uk

While most of my body is still empty space, this particular empty space was bothering me the most... Drove up to Toronto yesterday and had this sparrow/rose done by Tim Pausinger. It was my first time at that The Pearl Harbor Gift Shop - what an amazing place! All three of my tattoo experiences have been great but The Pearl was on another level (maybe due in part to me being more experienced at getting tattoos also) of cool. Definitely now going to be my default recommendation to anyone who asks me where they should get tattooed. If they don't want to drive an hour and a half then they just don't want it enough ;) edit: Just wanted to add that this was my first tattoo since joining LST and my first chance to post in this thread. Looking forward to many more.

Got tattooed by Matt Arriola at the West Texas Tattoo Conv. Super pumped on how this came out.

All of the above! ALso: The healthier you are the more prepared your body is for what's about to happen to it. Try not to come in hungover, get a decent nights sleep, eat a good breakfast, and lunch, essentially come in on a full stomach, by hydrated, and be relaxed as much as you can. I've been told that exfoliating the are you are going to get tattooed for about a week before hand helps greatly with the healing but that's more of a suggestion. Try to keep an open mind. Tattooers are professionals(for the most part, but not always so do your homework!). We have a wealth of knowledge we can bring to bare at any time for you, so take advantage of that. You will get a great tattoo. A tattooer who cares won;t talk you out of your idea, but might help you do it in a way that transcends your personal whims and trends, and will age gracefully, and compliment you as a person. Though it may be somewhat different than what you initially had in your head. Try to be a little malleable, and trust your tattooer. Try not to be some emotionally attached to every single detail. Remember: you aren't thinking like a tattooer. You think like a person who likes certain images and is used to seeing things on t-shirts, computer screens, and prints. Sometimes things don;t work in skin and we try like hell to make things work the best for you. Try to remember that as much as tattooing has become a main stream product for most clients, it's still a hand made craft to us. If you are expecting hospital levels of sterility, Professional attitudes and expert technique then see us, not just treat us, but SEE us as professional craftsmen/women. Most of us have your best interest at heart because we can and do see the big picture. We are looking at your tattoo in our heads 10 years into the future. At least. We just want to do a nice tattoo for you. So when a tattooer explains why an idea is too complicated at a certain size, or why there is too much clutter, or that outlining it pink may not be the best idea, pay heed to that. You are hearing the educated opinion of a craftsman. If you want a tattoo, don;t let your significant other try to do all the talking. Be plain, and straightforward with the things you want out of your tattoo. The less we have to guess, the fast we can get on the same wave length and make you happy. If you are on vacation and you plan on things like tanning, going to the beach, strenuous activities, swimming, hot tubs, etc. Plan to get your tattoo at the ass end of your vacation so there is less interference with healing(and we can't tattoo sun burned skin so take care of it!), but try to get to the shop at the beginning of your vacation to set the appointment up, or if possible call ahead. Many shops can accommodate walk in's at most times, but since you have a limited time, try your hardest to think ahead. Rush jobs at the last second may not be ideal especially if you want something more involved than a single sitting, quick tattoo. Avoid food that makes you fart before the tattoo. No one wants be sniffing your pooh ghosts while they work. Hope some of this helps.

I was hoping I'd stand a chance this month, we'll see Tuesday, but that Hundahl piece is fierce!

@jade1955 cheers I think I might af't to try the japanese place be my first time though, although the first appointment is going to be a bit of a rush back to the train (Ill have an about an hour ) so Ill more than likely have to grab and go, if i miss the train its only an extra hour journey so not to bad. 6h 30m round trip but it'll be worth it. The 2nd appointment Ill have a bit more time to explore around but Im not doing the touristy thing again my legs ache just thinking about it.

Bumpin' it.. @thesandmanisme anything to add? I just got Vol. II of the Russian Prison Tattoos book (finally) -- shit is lewd and crude as they come.

eilin, i know! i ate pizza in norway once. won't happen again! could've gotten a three course meal back home for the same money!

Prime Meats is so good. It's also pretty much next to Black Gold which is a coffee shop/record store/collection of weirdness that is (co?) owned by Dan Santoro. Lots of great little cafes, bars, and restaurants along Court Street and Smith Street too. I really like Carroll Gardens.

Congress St. Tattoo/Hobo's - Portsmouth, NH Portsmouth Brewery - Solid pub food and great beer brewed on the premises. Surf - On the pricier side of things, but this place has excellent seafood and some great cocktails. The raw bar sampler is especially good, the lobster is some of the best I've ever had, and I had an unbelievable (and HUGE) seafood stew when I was last there. It's about a half hour drive into Maine from Portsmouth, but Ron Henry Wells recommended that we go to the Maine Diner and it was SO good. Lobster rolls, lobster mac n cheese, and it was featured on that Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives show. And I believe on Chad Koeplinger's instagram, which should count for more here.

one more session to go on this, for color. Super raw and bloody

It was a Black Flag Reason For Living board, mint condition, made by Rip City in Santa Monica back in 1983...

Either way for me. i think it's interesting in either case cause it's almost like a "beauty and the beast" kinda deal. Or just straight beast on beast action hahaha. it's an aesthetic thing and though it would be cool to have somebody that shares those interests, it's really the time shared and if you're attracted right???

I like Doom/Stoner when I'm sitting to zone out to. Luckily that's what's almost always playing when I go somewhere. That or old country. Once the artist asked if I liked Bob Seger. I said not really and he goes "well....you do today" So really if the person doing the work is into it I can't complain.

This thing rules man! So nice.

A place where tattooers can discuss techniques and information in a private environment away from 'the public'? Sounds great... Wait, I work in one every day. It's called a tattoo shop. Also I travel hundreds, often thousands of miles to go to these places in the real world. They are called conventions. By visiting the cream of the crop of both shops and/or conventions, we grow as tattooers and humans. There is no excuse not to visit if you care about tattoos, tattooing, learning and getting tattooed. LST does something else and does a damn fine job at it.

I was super excited about this forum and check it regularly-ish. I've actually just started delving into the blogs and stuff. Fucking LOVE the interviews. I honestly don't post much for the same reasons that have been stated about the forum being public and a mix of artists and enthusiasts. I have tons of respect for the artists that are on here and would love to be in a forum that was an exchange of ideas, etc, between artists. I think a lot of us hold back in front of the public so as not to offend or confuse new, old or potential customers. I know "artist only" forums can get pissy and jaded and all that, but if there was artist section on here, where folks like Stewart, Deb, Scott and Mario are talking technique, reference, suppliers and stuff away from the public, I'd be here every day.

Tattoo by Chad Koeplinger done at Frith Street Tattoo in London, England Filled up the spot nicely! (and quickly 2 Hours!)

f#ckin facts,hilarious.....yeah......I'm sure Ive got better things to do. - - - Updated - - - hell yeah.....

@kylegrey perfect response. The crux of the matter is that this site is only as good as the things people here say. Lets ALL try to be thoughtful and help others be thoughtful too. Although I can't say I speak for all tattooers... "we" - meaning tattooers, tattoo artists etc. were busy before we joined this site. We're still busy. That's not why we don't post. Switch the focus from 'busy' to ' interested' and think about what keeps people interested. If someone can be entertained by, benefit or learn from someone else, they are interested. Otherwise it's a one-way-street. Entertainment is easy to find on the internet, so that leaves the other two if we're talking long-term. Tattooers is peoples too.

Thanks for bringing this up @Shannon Shirley while we've never met, people who I think are awesome tell me that you're awesome. Everyone here should pay attention to what this guy says. I still check the forums every day but I told myself I'd try to only get involved if I could be constructive in some way (even being a dick in a particular way can have a positive outcome). Lately there hasn't been much 'new' information or discussion where I felt my opinion would make any difference. Often someone else gets to the point before I do. I don't want every post I make to be a verbose "Me too." On the other hand... The more help or insight we give, the more help or insight we're asked for. Everyone likes to say they "Did their research" for their tattoo but that often just means looking at pictures in a Google search or checking Instagram. But what about the kind of research where you follow an idea that someone mentioned and find out for yourself? Learning and discovery is fun. Information discovered is more cherished and valuable than information that's spoon fed. Everyone wants a book or website recommendation where the mysteries of life and everything will be explained, with pictures. Explorers will eventually tire of conversing with tourists and consumers but they may feel nourished conversing with other explorers. (I use these terms with their proper, non-insulting intention) If more people try to be explorers (intelectual, spiritual or physical) this site, and the world will be a better place. I've said it before but I don't come here to help with tattoo questions. We have a phone at Frith Street Tattoo. Helpful people are paid to answer it and answer questions. Most tattoo shops work with a similar system. You can get a helpful answer pretty quickly that way. Even if you're in another country. International calls are not very expensive compared to the price of a tattoo. I come here because I realised that it was a place where professional opinion meant something. I only started typing when I knew that nobody better qualified had answered. The turning point for me was Bryan Burk's post about Japanese tattoo politics. Finally we had first-hand, sensible and interesting information or opinion from a reliable source instead of conjecture or wiki-regurgitation. I knew then that I'd beter keep my mouth (or keyboard) shut unless I was sure I could contribute something worthwhile. I'm aware this approach doesn't make for a lively forum but it was great to see it in action earlier this year when Bart Bingham put a halt to some whining about tattooers drawing directly on the skin with a simple, direct and thoughtful post. Sorry for the lack of links to threads and @ mentions. LST seems to be loading extremely slowly so I couldn't check where stuff was. Other that the fact that one of my favourite tattooers started this site, I still like it that real-world experience holds water over post-count here at LST. I also like it that the mods (well, the one's I've met) are heavily covered with genuinely great tattoos. That really makes a difference.

Third that motion. Prison work, well, the technique could be, I've seen blackwork come out of Statesville looks better than anything I've seen in a "legit" parlor, but I've never seen anyone get hit with kanji and all the other oriental type work that boy is wearinng. I have Brothers that are sleeved, that have full back pieces, that have their legs covered, but it's all "street" themed, if ya catch my drift. .02

I'm not a tattooer, but I have been tattooed quite a bit. Things that I always make sure I do...Sit still as possible, go to the bathroom before the tattoo, don't chew gum (I am addicted to gum, and pop it fairly constantly), have fresh breath, don't text or check your phone (until a break), tell the artist up front how much I can spend (and actually bring that amount), tip your artist. I've brought an ipod multiple times, but I have never used it, playing with that would go along with not playing with your phone. I have brought a gift from time to time to an artist that was doing multiple sessions on me, if we talked about it (like a book, magazine, dvd, whatever), but this isn't something I have done most of the time. I'm sure there is more that tattooers want or would want, but this is what I do.