knucklehead211

I can't speak on my experiences much, as I've been getting tattooed by the same artist for the past five years. I know my first tattoo I asked about how much he thought it would be; I was met with the now familiar response of "hmmm, really just depends" and thought, well, I can do this! Five years later and I feel like he almost always cuts me a good deal. He's just a straight up good guy who want gouge you over the price. This last session I was in shop for about four hours, but he only charged me for about three since we took smoke and coffee drink breaks. Naturally left a good tip, and am hoping some of that goodwill comes back on my next session, as I am struggling to get my funds back in shape. The shop I go to is predominantly cash, but my artist has square so I've been using debit lately - much more convenient and I don't have to try and hunt down an atm!

The Division pushed back to 2016... *Darth Vader voice* NOOoooOOOooo!!

Oh man. Not enough ideas to cover his right kidney I guess.

Sorry to revive an old thread. I just had my first experience with a rotary yesterday. Was very odd. We're on our third session of a calf sleeve and my artist pulls out this little ivory lookin box. I immediately asked if it was a rotary; the shop owner had just got a new machine and came to the shop next door (Exile 2) to see if anyone wanted to try out his old one. So Nathan jumped on it. When I told him it was my first time with the rotary, he also grabbed an extra coil just in case. Then he fired it up...so quiet! I was in the zone just chilling to music for the whole session. I wouldn't equate it to more pain at all, felt about the same. As far as heal time, I'm only a day in, so we'll see.

MAY as well *wink wink* submit my progress. Color starting to be added to Odysseus and the Whirlpool calf sleeve. Third session. Done by Nathan Blankenship of Exile 2, KCMO.

Usually I go one at a time. There are ideas that I've been bouncing around for a long time, but I don't get constantly set up for appointments - I can't schedule it, and I can't afford it. Usually around Feb - Mar I have enough money saved up from b-day, Xmas and tax season that I can get whatever I want. This time I went with a big calf sleeve, and that's fine with me - it looks great, and it's fun to see something grow over 3+ sessions (and still counting). Next year, I may do a couple of one shots - I have a good idea of a verse from a Springsteen song I could start my right arm with, and then there's a kneecap piece I want that would be my first tattoo from a different artist, but since these would both be good sized pieces I don't know if I could do both. Really just depends!

Went in yesterday, drove down to 39th St in KC. Hit Starbucks across the street since I'm about half an hour early. I'm sittin there, listening to some blues while I smoke and overcaffeinate, and Nathan walks up to the shop. "Boo!" he looks over, sees me and invites me in. After he gets a breakfast burrito and we both chew some gum, we get to work. Great dude, really - if any of you are ever in KC hit him up. We had to take a few breaks, including one where he accidentally knocked over his drink (another artist shouted "Your passion tea was too passionate!!"). We've probably got one more appointment left, and I can't wait!!

No, don't apologize. I assumed you were a native english speaker, or an American. Over here, there are a lot of people in the workout-super vegan-macrobiotic-hipster culture who will use the word when they're describing a load of baloney, i.e. "so glad I stopped eating gluten, I can feel the toxins leaving my body"etc. As far as purple, I just had some put in me, so hopefully there's no carcinogenic effects! In all reality, just go to a shop you like and see if there are other tattooed people around - ask them. They won't be as shut up about any adverse effects they've had, though I highly doubt you will have any issue with color. Artists thrive on giving people pieces that last a lifetime - not art that lasts a few days before melting them like the Ark of the Covenant. You mentioned solely color lines - my future brother in law's wife has a few of those, text done in pink, blue...they don't look good. Some of it may be the artist, some of it may be the placement (get a tattoo on your wrist and don't put sunscreen on it, it's gonna fade), but I really think you will have a much better tattoo if you surround it on both sides with black.

This reminds me of a Dr. Drew show I heard on the radio when I was young...what is a toxin? Can you describe to me it's individual compound elements, the viruses and other contributing factors that make up it's body? People use "toxin" as a general term to describe their fantasies about what makes them fatigued, irritable, sick etc. Unless we're talking about some poisonous chemical compound from an animal, there is no such thing as a toxin. Not calling you out, just pointing out that this vague blanket term has absolutely no scientific basis - at least, none that I've heard described. As far as harmful elements in ink, there really isn't anything to worry about in color vs black - generally. Some people are allergic to some colors. And short of devising a scientific test for it, you won't know until the ink is in. Other purported downsides, like MRIs making your skin burst into flames if they hit the tattoo, again have no solid body of research. The best info I can give is that I have been getting inked for about five years now, and at present time I have quite a bit of the rainbow on me. That doesn't speak for every ink color from every manufacturer, but as @Synesthesia said this art form has been going on for years steadily - the odds of a bad reaction are fairly low. If you want color, get it. Just maybe think of outlining it in black so it holds well. :cool:

Everyone just shout out what you spiritually want and I'll change my four hour sesh on Saturday into a marathon to fit all your wants in!

Damn, if you'd said PS4, my hand would've been up. If anyone on here has the '4, and plays bf4 or hardline, give me a shout.

I live near Kansas City, BBQ hq for the midwest. Have been to the American Royal Cookoff a few times when I was younger, and we also have Jack Stack, Joes (formerly Oklahoma Joes), and a bunch of other good bbq eats within about five miles. Have yet to do any myself though.

Everybody's doing awesome stuff! Congrats to all you guys. I was just trucking along until a week ago. My job is basically a floater style position, but I heard a spot may open up at one of my favorite sites to work and that they had plans to put me in. It also pays way better than what I make currently, so that's a plus! My girlfriend also found a little guy in need of a new home, so last weekend we went out to meet him - a ten month old english bulldog/pitbull. As soon as he saw us he came wiggling up to give us some of those bulldog specialty kisses, and we knew he was coming home. Was rough with the established home dog until we started picking up toys and treats to avoid fights, but so far things have been better each day! On top of that, another appointment of calf sleeve work on Saturday with Nathan at Exile 2! Hopefully we will finish it out, but no guarantees. We still have about a quarter to shade and then all of the color to do. Fingers crossed!

Yeah, can't recommend anything other than what @marley mission said - let it dry heal. We haven't started color on my sock yet, but the heavy shading definitely stayed flaky/scabby for a while on mine. Just washed twice a day with dove bar soap and after a week I started using the lotion.

Absolutely love traditional. My snake and family crest tattoos are both reminiscent of traditional style, and looking at my tattooer's arms just evokes an immense amount of nostalgia...he looks like a walking road trip, pin up girls, neon signs, panthers, stars and dots filler, etc. It looks like classic Americana ripped right from a fifties ad. When I'm ready to do my forearms, I think I'll do traditional pieces, just so I can have a lot of little one shots to tie together.

Man, where do you get your ideas?! My favorite has to be the triceratops "whatever one.

The only recommendations I will ever make for Canada: 1. Try the fries and gravy. It's really good. 2. Go to the biggest lake you can find and try to catch a Northern Pike. Those are some of the most fun fish to reel in. Last time I went I brought in a 42 incher so tough I thought I'd snagged a sunk tree and couldn't even hold him properly for a good picture.

I'm just saying that's the only thing I think could see as acceptable. It's not like looking for a keyboard, unless we're talking Bill Gate's keyboard. Or Da Vinci's paint brushes is a bit more accurate. They're tools that have made hundreds or thousands of works of art. It's way more likely that they will be sold to a fellow tattooer, or passed on if an apprentice is taken. These are all just my thoughts without any evidence backing it up, and if I'm in trade secrets, delete this post. And @Patrick Bateman, I really wouldn't know. I don't know anything about tattoo machines outside of seeing them run on me. I wouldn't because for me it would be like buying a game for someone you know nothing about. Is he on xbox or ps, does he like shooters or rpgs, does he hate this style of game, etc.

There's also the fact that panthers are classic American traditional, whereas the feather birds are a newer trend. Doesn't make it all right, it just is.

While I think it would be cool if one was given - say, to a lifelong client who had just had a piece done that both parties found phenomenal, broke the mold, or time to retire the machine type good - as a commemoration, I would never ask for one, and would refuse profusely if offered. I mean, it's literally their tools of the trade.

@bongsau doling out the advice of experience, thank you good sir. It is not going to be happening soon, but I figured what better time to ask for advice than when I have at least three other pieces on my brain? That was a good read, and exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks again man.

@RoryQ and @jen7, I realize it's a bit harsh. It probably comes from the area I live mixed with the work I did up until about a year ago - very affluent community with a hipster undertone at the retail store I worked at. I saw more than one person hear our company's very open tattoo policy, only to immediately go and get the most random tattoo on a very noticeable spot (behind the ear, neck, forearms and hands). And that would be all they got during the three years I worked there. I almost felt bad, because they were making their career path harder outside of this company. But that's beside the point! All I'm saying is working within that kind of community, I saw a lot of trendy tattoos that were never expanded upon, sleeved out etc. That's why I'm with you guys on this forum! I'm not hating on trendiness, I'm just more interested in a community where more people are going for full coverage. Apologies for any offense taken.

I'll be honest, if someone sees my ink and tries to start talking about tattoos based on the fact that the have a feather turning into birds, I'm probably not gonna take them very seriously. But that's just me personally. We all get the ink we deserve!