Dan S

Yeah, he didn't look like he was enjoying it...

Oh yeah! That was a very funky SRO hotel one door west of it when...let's just say it wouldn't have been wise to hang-around out in front!

Another thing to consider, "cosmetic" tattooing was fairly common even way back when, and hand-poked work is usually easier to fade. Given that, I'd hazard that it may have been possible to lighten the stuff a tad, then go over it with "complexion" coloring.

More power to him, but I think I'll stick to the lowly walk-in shop where anyone can just...walk-in! I'm not an artist, not unless you count making things out of metal or repairing and restoring motorsickles and firearms, so I really don't care about prints framed on the walls. I buy my tee-shirts at the Great Wal of China, so I don't care about them, and ESPECIALLY don't care about the new, improved packaging. I want to get a tattoo. It's not a soul-searing experience for me...to be sure, it's a heavy decision, but not one I need to spend hours discussing with anyone but myself. Again, more power to him-if he can get that kind of scratch for his work, and people like it, why not?! In truth, I would bet that that rate is the "scare off the tire-kickers" rate, not what he's actually going to charge you.

Hey-how can you miss something like that!!! Get out and make clouds of smoke, my man, bring that baby back to life!

Beautiful Snyder-Enfield...one of my Brothers has one, and it's truly a trip to fire it. We've played around with all different loads, from powderpuffs to full military spec, and it handles 'em all like a dream. You're a lucky man!

@JustAlex, those scans are about 11 or 12 years old. I still have both pieces-no way I'd cover them. the roses and banner got reworked after my divorce, but basically just covered the names and matched the color of the roses to the color in the surrounding sleeve. Again, lousy pix, but they're all I have. Went to Dale to get the sleeve done, but he had recently stopped tattooing, and intro'd me to Miles Maniaci, who was just getting his chops at CTC. He did a masterful job of putting my ideas together, and came up with a solid design to pull it all together. Now, I am getting ready to have a few things reworked on this sleeve. Nothing really major, just want to shift the perspective a bit, and Nick Colella at CTC will be doing the work. Hell, if I'm lucky, the tattoos will last longer than I will! A minor tidbit...the parrot is a cover-up.

Can't say for sure about hwat methods were used but I don't think they were usually just straight cut-off. I know that the salt-removal method goes way back, and lemon-juice, and I've read accounts of dilute muriatic acid being used to "crumble" the skin so it could be, basically, scraped off. I did see an ex-member of a fairly large 1% Patch have his club tattoo-full forearm, removed with a wire brush in the parking lot of a bar. He did it willingly, I guess it beat the alternative!

Found a coupla pix of my old work before it got blended in...dhon't think I out these up before, but if I did, well, shit-ignore 'em! The parrot is Dale Grande, maybe 1975, and the roses and banner are also Dale, about 1974. And yeah, the images are lousy...they are scans of my arm, not pix, done in preperation for sleeving.

I can usually sum-up a three-paragraph German convo in about two sentences...I imagine it's much the same thing isn Japanese.

At least I talked THIS one into doing it right!!!

Put that bad boy up in the contest section Duffa, sweet!

Very true. In Germany, free speech has progressed to the point where there is an official list (of course) of "forbidden symbols". Sad.

Just get finer by the piece!!!

Welcome home, oder willkomen am Hollander! Glad you enjoyed, and definitely understand where you are coming from as far as conditions-it is truly the 4th world, and a combination of that kind of poverty and a military dictatorship can get kinda spicy.

Definitely hear that! I travel a lot for bidness, and try to check out the local shops wherever I go. I usually just take a look at the portfolios that are on display, maybe watch some work being done, if I can do that without getting up in anyone's space. If anyone asks, I tell them I'm just sightseeing, and unless I'm in full long-sleeves and suitcoat mode, which is rare, I've got ink sticking out. Typically, when they see that, things are a bit freindlier, but I have gone into some places where a bad attitude seems to be a job requirement! I was in downtown Seattle, I don't remember the name of the place, and a young-ish (to me) guy was standing in the doorway of a tattoo parlor waiting for customers and having a smoke. I stopped in, took a look around, and wasn't terribly impressed. The proprietor was Brazilian, quite hip, and since I was in a tee-shirt, proceeded to tell me how he could tattoo my right arm white, three sessions, and "cover-up all that mess" (about 30 hours of Miles Maniaci tying up older pieces by Dale Grande) and replace it with HIS work which would be far superior. Couldn't believe it, but he was actually serious. Somehow, I resisted the temptaion.

Now now don't mind me man. iam just making the conversation.

I'm about the total opposite of PC, but here's what I started the thread with... "...I hear fuck this, fuck that, fuck the next thing, I got cigarette smoke blown in my face, and ya know, the guy never even asked if I was interested in getting a tattoo." As far as the homophobic/racist type stuff, I've never heard any, but I guess it takes all kinds. Hell, take your friend to CTC, they have a whole section of flash dedicated to the hardcore scene..."Prime Meat" and such-I doubt you'll hear any jokes!

You don't share an IP by any chance, do you?!

Agreed. Wasn't the purpose of the thread at all.

Let's see...Arizona, that's 81-go tell them that.

No offense meant, and no offense meant when I say there WEREN'T three "top shops" in Chi twenty years ago. As far as pricing, a 6-inch square tattoo for $150??? Not in any decent shop-and there were only one, maybe two at the time-that I knew of. I'm not tryina be a dick, (just comes naturally) but there was really only CTC back then that was really what you would call a "top shop". There were what, maybe three or four other shops that opened and closed regularly in different parts of the city. AFAIK, the only one that has stuck was Fat Joe's place. I hear what you're saying about butterflies and stars, but it all depends on how big they are and how detailed they are-how much work went into them. I agree that some tattoo shops are overpriced for what they offer, just as some mechanics are overpriced.

@David Flores - I hear you... I was paying a hundred an hour over ten years ago with a MINIMUM 25-30 hour commitment. Inflation never sleeps!

Phuquet-put more ink over it and the hell with removal! Think a little longer before the next time ya hit the parlor.

All I can say is that in this area, 3 hours of work for a deuce would be like a major discount. Most places, I'd say a hundred an hour is gonna be about the minimum. You play, you pay. You can always find someone working at a truck-stop or out of a motel, or go to a "tattoo-party", but you'll get your $50 worth there.