Leaderboard

Oh I've got a few, some laughable some not, but I'm definitely not ashamed of this one First tattoo I ever did, at Tux's studio in '99. I was so nervous telling him & his wife the night before; I asked them to meet me for coffee and got it off my chest that I was ready to do this. He tried to talk me out of it by mentioning no heath benefits, no retirement pay, high-risk occupation, "why don't you be a vet or something, much easier. That's what Alex Herman did after quitting the biz". I could not be swayed. So he said"OK, show up at the shop tmrw and you can tattoo yourself". That really surprised me, I was not expecting that. I was prepared for "what the fuck, you shouldn't be doing this get the hell outta my sight". He had a legit rep for being rather brash and didn't pull punches. Chased a few people out of the shop looking for apprenticeships. When I got there I realized I had no idea what to put on myself. That part had not even crossed my mind, just "Holy shit Tux is gonna let me tattoo myself". So I said, "what should I pick?" He handed me this one and said "That's the first one I did on myself" which may or may not be true (once upon a long time ago he did the borneo scorpion on Higgs and told him he drew it himself hahaha what a classic fibber) but I didn't ask twice. He set up 2 Percy Waters, loud as hell, told me they were worth more than my life, showed me some basic info and turned me loose. That was one of the most exciting moments ever up to that point in my tattoo experiences. Best design ever? no. Best job ever? No. Some good blowouts? Yup. Something I'm proud of? Most definitely.

Got this one from Chad whilst he was at smith street last week. Top dude, real good experience

good luck lol

Y'all, I have not been getting tattooed for that long. I have learned a TREMENDOUS amount over the past few years that I have been getting tattooed consistently, which has been almost entirely thanks to the super kind and open tattooers I have been lucky enough to spend time with. I know very little about tattoos, but what I do know, is thanks to them, and I am so grateful for that. And since I went from one tattoo to three to "there's no point in counting anymore", what I have learned is that there is a lot that I thought I knew when I first started getting into this, and I had so, so much enthusiasm about it! I had a lot of pretty innocent assumptions that I've had to unpack or add nuance to as I've moved forward. As I keep going, I realize I am just scratching the surface. Tattoos are about process, which is part of what I love about them. We are always learning, and like in any good pursuit in life, the more we learn, the more we realize how little we know. So when people say that a tattooer knows more than an experienced collector who knows more than someone new to tattooing, that's not the "forum police" (seriously this is so juvenile) or people being snobs; people BEND OVER BACKWARDS on this forum to give good advice to novices. What it is is having some goddamn humility, and realizing that you know some stuff, but you don't know much more stuff. And you have that humility because you love and respect this thing that you are into, and the people who have thus far guided you into it. I hate that I keep making sincere posts on this godforsaken thread, but seriously; stop feeling persecuted people, and have a shred of humility. We all have a lot to learn. Literally every other tattoo forum on the internet, as far as I can tell, is a free-for-all where people can spread misinformation and feel like kings of the virtual tattoo castle. All people try to do here is respect the tradition and promote responsible and beautiful tattooing. That does require taking a step back every once in a while to ask if a conversation is productive, and it also means that sometime people are going to get told they're wrong. In my experience, people try really hard to be nice when doing stuff like that, and only get snippy when someone has been purposefully obtuse or offensive or arrogant repeatedly, because we all lose patience eventually.

DEPOSIT HAS BEEN SENT!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for the all caps. It's not really yelling so much as jumping up and down!

This box is better, but still, TOO SMALL !!!

Japanese manhole covers

@Reyeslv has himself a full page spread so we can see every detail of that piece. And who can forget @cvportagee's kumonryu flanked by sparrows, on the opposite page before me. anyone else in the catalogue? I feel there's someone missing.

I'm sure a bunch of you saw this all over Instagram already, but Troy Denning started Invisible Radio. It's a podcast, and in episode one he interviews Matt Vancura and Chris Garver. It's a little scattered and kinda awkwardly paced, but overall it's a solid first episode. Worth checking out.

This is Leo who we adopted from outside after he got into a fight and another cat chewed up his tail. He got a bad infection, and we dragged his hissing scratching self to the vet. He would have died. We saved his furry butt, but as a result of the fight, he got FIV and then somehow got diabetes. I spent an insane 9 months following an insulin protocol that can reverse diabetes in cats, and I got him off insulin. Now he's my spoiled rotten loving handsome guy.

After years of trying my To persuade my wife to get a dog. I finnally got a dog it's a French bulldog if just 12 weeks old and it's just awesome he is so damn cute I am in love. Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met behulp van Tapatalk

@Chemical Burn There's no need to feel ashamed about a Celtic Frost tattoo! That is metal as fuck!

I got my hand and my knuckles tattooed way too young. Still in college. I also have been around tattooing my entire life, and remember big intimidating white supremacist bikers being the main clients in the shop my parents went to when I was a little boy. I also know about people pulling away little kids, and getting stared at like you're garbage most days when you go out. Were it not for knowing that history, and truly what I was getting myself into, I wouldn't have gotten them done. I know that because my tattooer at the time told me that outright. I had backup tattoos in case he said no, one of which I got a month after my knuckles, and another three months after my hand. He knew I was willing to be a janitor, unlike most people who are 20 and think a hand tattoo won't stop them from being whatever it is they want to be when they move on from their hardcore phase, break edge, and start listening to Americana exclusively. Fortunately, tattooing chose me without too much time spent as a minimum wage slave at the mall. That said, I turn them down left and right. I don't want to ruin anyone's lives, and I don't know that I have the technical capability, nor have I earned the right, to do too many thing in areas like that yet. Some day, maybe. But for now, I'll say no, and hope that more people in my town will learn to turn away a few dollars in exchange for professional responsibility. And that clients will really hear my advice, not just see something they think is cute on Pinterest or Tumblr, and think hand tattoos will be accepted in the business world.

Don't forget @Reyeslv's ass on page 121 of the Perseverance catalog.

Too much rain to go out much today, this was his response.

I'll try to put this as nicely as possible: asking for free tattoos is not a good look. If you can't afford good tattoos, do what the rest of us did and make that a priority. It may take time to save up enough to get something good, but it's worth it. Definitely not easy, as most of us can attest, but you'll be glad you did. Good luck.

Gorilla from Chad

It's great @irezumi ...... Marvin's brother interviewed their dad (Walter) before he passed and pieced together a lot of the stories and the history from when they tattooed down on the Bowery to when tattooing became illegal in NYC and he and Stan were the first tattoo artist to tattoo on Long Island.....and even them having to fight to keep tattooing out on LI! I love it and thought I would bring this thread back to life in case there were some others out there interested in what tattooing was really like......Walter Moskowitz's mouth to your ear! :)

Totally missed this! Wow this would've been crucial this last summer/fall cross country tattoo shop/skatepark road trip. I have exhausted any new music options and sick of everything I already have so I went with audio books. All the Wizard of Oz series for a buck, not bad. This would've been a good one as well.

Just dragging this post out and dusting it off.....thought some of the people that are new and into real tattoo history might want to know about this! Marvin (Walter's son) gave me this set of CD's on a visit to him when he tattooed me out on Long Island and I think I have probably listened to it 20+ time over and over! Some of you may be interested in checking it out!

Seth Wood's been getting pretty creative with these.

One of the funniest things I've read on here lately, thank you.

I've never personally had an uncomfortable experience with anyone who has tattooed me, thankfully. I don't know if that's because I've only been tattooed by good folks or if it's just been professional courtesy. I definitely have overheard old coworkers make highly sexually inappropriate comments to customers and it's never been ok in my book. I really can't even imagine thinking it's ok to do anything less than having your clients leave totally stoked on their tattoo. It's really in everyone's best interests because your client will always remember the experience well and you build a loyal clientele through doing right by the people who support you. I do believe that that factor is one of the most important in building a successful career as a tattooer. I can't say that I'm shocked or even surprised that this nonsense happens, but to abuse your upper hand in a power dynamic is straight up predatory.

Haha. I was just thinking that there should be a running thread of this.

Okay, here's mine. I got it when I was 17, less than a week after I decided I was getting a tattoo. For extra shit points, it's an album cover: The guy who did it started it and then said, "Wait, are you 18?" "Uh... Yeah." "Okay, I just have to ask." I actually found his portfolio online not long ago and I'd never realised how lucky I was until then. My tattoo was one of his much better pieces. The top isn't bent like that, I took the picture at a weird angle. I hated it for a long time but I don't think I could ever get rid of it now. It's old school as fuck.

Got this little guy from Dan Santoro, Bert Krak flash. Inside of the forearm 2-3 months healed.

The two ladies of the house: Cheezie Cheetah & Miss Pickle enjoy sarcasm, playing hard to get and Temptations treats. Oh, and sleeping in my sweater drawer and getting cat hair everywhere. Winston the pug is my little prince. Actually he is more of a glorified cat without the agility. He enjoys short walks in the park, sniffing the cats butts, soccer and stealing pizza. He is turning 8 this summer and is gracefully becoming more surly as he enters his golden years.

We all know the search function built into this website can be a little clunky. Through some trial and error I discovered a search method that will direct you to the exact page of the thread where you can find the words you search for. Here is a quick example: I want to find posts that include the words "Steve Boltz" Go to Google Type "Steve Boltz site:www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum" into the search box and click search. This might be helpful in discovering who was the first person to use the term "squid pants" on LST.

Oh hell yes!

@MLNYC that gorilla rules! @TrixieFaux - your sleeve is gorgeous.

Oh so gorgeous! Those roses are spectacular!

All right then, a snapped underwire fight to the death! Rah!

Dammit. ::smacks forehead:: Ok, you know this means war. LOL!

That is an incredible article. I've read books on Japanese tattooing that don't mention the seasonal cohesion mentioned there. Thanks for sharing. - - - Updated - - - Hmm. Now I'm wondering if I should email it to my tattoo artist. He's designing a custom koi sleeve with cherry blossoms... maybe I should change to maple leaves if he is amenable...

Spent about 6 1/2 hours at Memoir with Kim yesterday and I think we finished this arm. She did a little more outlining and shading all over, and added a little misty shading background. I love it. Will post healed pics in a couple weeks.

Hannya inside a peony!

@Tesseracts - I don't think anyone is mad at you! You asked an innocent question, were totally cool when people pointed out the problem with discussing that stuff online, and the shit show only started after. As an educator, something I try to help my students understand is that not all opinions are equal. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but opinions based on research, experience, evidence, thoughtful reflection, etc. have and should have more weight than others. Informed and uninformed opinions have different values, and a large part of my job is teaching people how to formulate opinions that are substantiated, credible and worthy of sharing with the world. I am as anti-snob as the next girl, but I also think it's nuts to say that the opinions of experienced tattooers and the opinions of people who just started getting tattooed have the same weight. They don't. If it's my opinion that the world is flat, I'm allowed to think that, but that doesn't mean that my view is as legitimate as an astronomer's who has devoted their life to understanding the way our solar system works. There is a difference between opposing snobbery and denying that experts are, well, experts. I'm a historian. I know more about the people, issues and events that I have devoted years to studying than you do. @irezumi is an experienced tattooer. He knows more about tattoos than I do. That's not being the tattoo police, it's just recognizing that expertise exists, and that it carries important weight with it. And that's a more sincere reply than this shit show probably deserved.

Rad.

Reasons I love getting tattooed as a "bigger" person: 1) More space! Man, I can fit SO MANY MORE awesome big tattoos on my thighs than skinnier girls! 2) A reminder that I gain nothing by feeling as though I am "at odds with" my body; tattoos reconnect me to this imperfect skin I live in and close the mind/body gap a bit. 3) I often think about how some fat activist feminist critics comment that women, in particular, feel guilty for being fat because we "take up more space" in a society where women are expected to take up as little space as possible. I am constantly trying, in my life, to feel more at easy taking up space, being present, and not hiding - tattoos and their incredible presence obviously helps a lot with that. 4) Tattoos are like an awesome treat/adornment for my body - a reminder that it deserves to be treated kindly. 5) As others have said, tattoos have totally changed how I feel about parts of my body I am most insecure about; cellulite seems pretty insignificant when there's a huge colourful dragon over it. 6) Basically, we all deserve to feel like we have agency over our bodies. Tattoos remind me of this. Some extra fat is like, only a small part of what my body is - it's a whole lot more than that, both physically and aesthetically, and it's mine to do what I please with.

Welcome @ElDrago ! I hope someone breaks your hands with a lump hammer

nice attempt at advertising.....

few recent ones

You tattooing someone would be like a heroin addict trying to tend bar. They love drugs. They think selling drugs is better than using drugs. They want to try to sell booze, because it's less scary than selling illegal drugs. Yet, they are completely unaware of the fact that they have no skills whatsoever, because they are so caught up in shooting dope into their veins. Find an apprenticeship, show the tattooer you would like to apprentice under your drawings, and if they say that you can't tattoo, then either go to the next PROFESSIONAL tattooer, or quit altogether.

Oh! This is fun :D I have ONE tattoo that can classify for this thread. It's a drunken clam. Result of dating the wrong guy. Thank god I know better now :p :cool:

I have a black tribal armband that I just ignored and tattooed around... On the upside it seems like ironic tribal is already almost back in style... Although I also saw a well observed comment from someone elsewhere querying whether it ever really went away ... Lots of people still love that spiky (west coast style?) black tribal and kept getting it here. I've seen some awesome blast-overs lately, where a heavy black panther or wolf is just piled on on top of an older tattoo that is faded. I could see myself doing that in 20-30 years, possibly.

well deb..I get it..since we have alot of mutual friends and that seems to be the subject amoung us as of late. I just dissappear for awhile...( I did it for the entire decade of the 90s well part of the late 80s too but some of that was beyond my control.so to speak)then I kinda step out and see whats going on...I am at the point where i feel like stepping off again,well i kinda have and i know it left some people puzzled but I (hopefully) got that straightened out. There,I guess was always politics in this just not so mainstream...but now more than ever that end is heart breakingly sad...Jack Rudy had an idea one time of starting "the tattoo tattler" a gossip column dedicated to the politics and whispers thereof...I only wish I had thought that up first. You know the thing is after many years basically all you know besides a few people have something to do with tattooing.And once upon a time it was harder to have those that were not in this relate to you..but it is so mainstream now that it does not matter as much anymore.I mean the whole world tattoos now...I miss the smell of angel dust in the shop...(not that I ever liked that shit)but just the fact that it was a possibility....etc..etc... I think you just have the blues..the regular old blues..what do you have 30 plus years in now....We need you more than ever...so dont sell your inversion table just yet...did you feel this way before you went to jax bch or after your return...? just wonderin...you got a great spot to lay low...so hang in there...just know you are not alone with those feelings.... you do not need me to tell ya this but remember that is not water some of these people think they are walkin on..after all it aint like we are transplant surgeons..we just put colored scabs on people...then it becomes kinda funny...from the sidelines anyway....hope you feel better

Yup. The "industry"

Hey all, I just posted up a Grez interview from 2010 in the blog section. I'd been thinking of sharing it on here, since the magazine in which it appeared only published a portion of it in 2010. Figured this was an ideal place since so many people will be able to read, learn, share, etc. May be from last year, but it still holds up. Hope you all enjoy, and thanks to the LST admins and the exceedingly talented Grez for giving me the go-ahead. And keep your eyes out for another one... Thanks. Also, make sure to bookmark the King's Ave blog!

Also, perfect for long drives/rides.

Diamonds, owls, victrolas, lanterns, upside down umbrellas with rain, owls wearing diamond necklaces..wait, was the question?