hogg

And it's unsurprisingly fantastic.

This is my take on it, too. When you get a classic design, you can be assured that it won't be unique. I used to think that unique tattoos were where it's at, but now, I go for tattoos that look like tattoos. Which means they look like something that's already been applied to plenty of other people. Also: your eagle is awesome!

Great question.

Ah! That would make more sense, as far as the "facing backward" part goes. Except that, if you have no tattoos, he could always put the stencil on the other arm. I'll try to find out who it was.

A friend of mine told me a story about an old-timer in DC (I believe). If you went to him for your first tattoo, he would only tattoo a Hot Stuff facing the wrong way. The story is possibly apocryphal, but that doesn't make me love it any less.

Shit, @ItsNewport. That's on you? I saw it on IG and thought, "Man, that is one helluva start." Congrats!

Get a haircut, hippy! It's blocking my view. Looks like today was a brutal session, but damn, it's already great.

Welcome to LST!

Welcome to LST!

Will you be able to ride your bike after getting your palm drilled? Maybe if you have a foot clutch.... ;)

This is a wonderful thread filled with great quotes and lots of things I can relate to. This is great advice. It's easy for us tattoo-lovin' freaks to sit here and think, "Who wouldn't love my tattoo? It's beautiful!" But what helps me is to try to understand someone else's perspective. Personally, I find scarification hideous. (No offense to anyone here who might be into that.) If my daughter, who is now 5, grew up to get good tattoos, I'd be happy. But if she went out and got huge scars, I'd be heartbroken. Does that make me a hypocrite? You're damned right, it does. It's no different from tattoos in that it's a form of personal expression wherein the canvas is one's body. So if I think of it that way, I can relate to your parents. Which brings me to another great quote from this thread: Or to my own parents, who--believe it or not--don't know that I'm tattooed. Let's just say that we're not very close. So I hope you can find some solace in the fact that your parents seem very awesome in comparison to mine, who are very judgmental (and old and uber Catholic and lifelong residents of a small town). In a thread filled with great quotes and stories, my favorite is from Deb: I spent many years vying for my parents' approval. I have it in certain areas--I'm married to a great woman, am raising a good kid, and I am successful in my professional life--but I'll never have it in others. And I'm cool with that. Einstein (allegedly) defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." It took years, but I finally stopped expecting my parents to accept certain things. And I'm happier as a result. Good luck to you.

Super powerful stuff, @ mmikaoj. Congrats! And damn, @MJH IV, you chose a couple of great guys named Chris to get tattooed by.

That dagger rules, @cookietruck. How'd you find the shin? I didn't think it was bad at all, but that area at the very top of your handle--where the needles just bounce off the bottom of the knee cap--kinda sucks.

I'm stoked for you, @bongsau! Must feel great to tie it all together.

It was a total breeze! And a very interesting experience to have no sound at all. I've had quite a bit of tebori done, which is far quieter than a machine, but not at all silent.

I got my first-ever hand-poked tattoo last night from our own @cltattooing: It's also my first scorpion. Let's be honest: I needed one.

Since you already mentioned Koji, check out Unmon (Instagram) and Jun Chihara (Instagram).

Welcome to LST!

I trust that you gazed longingly, @Cork.

I'm with you. I only regret the ones I never got.

How much are you willing to spend? Feel free to PM me.

What the...? Wow! Helluva first tattoo. Welcome to Last Sparrow and then some. Who did it? How long did it take? How were you wise enough to choose a massive panther right out the gate?

Because everyone has a skull.