ironchef

Barring any last minute overtime at work and if it's a Sunday, I'm game. Be cool to meet up and talk tattoos.

I always considered that stuff douche bag wear and would not be caught dead wearing any of that nonsense.

If you are referencing this one, unfortunately it was part of a limited set and no longer available.

See you there brother.

The top row of three prints are available from Tattoo Elite International. Then the remainder comprise of the two limited print runs consisting of four prints per set.

@Lance @el twe : Definitely too be continued and I patiently wait for the next batch of prints to be available. Honestly wish some of Horitomo's earlier tattoo cats were available as prints. I loved the ones with the dragons and the rats! Thanks @Pugilist ! I can't think of a better way to christen a new apartment then by hanging up some tattoo cats! I'm saving a spot on my wall for a future @Graeme cat print!

Saw info about this on Instagram. I will be hitting the TriBeCa location in Manhattan on Tuesday as it is minutes away from my office. Wear Your Dreams: My Life in Tattoos at Barnes & Noble - Tribeca, New York NY http://www.hardymarks.com/

So today's Father's Day and my dad is celebrating the only way he knows best...by spending the day at the mah-jong parlor. My lady is working so that leaves me with a free day to my own devices to which I decided to mount and hang up the Horitomo cat prints I have accumulated. I love the entire series and the various ones that are not in print but posted on Horitomo's Instagram. Patiently waiting for more prints to come out and the much rumored book that collects all of the various tattoo cat incarnations. Hopefully one day I make it out to the west coast to get a tattoo cat from him...would be an awesome experience.

Holding your nose and diving into the deep end of the pool, eh? Kudos!

Pretty much love everything that's been posted to his Instagram. I contacted Hooper maybe over a year ago and he was super busy but asked me to touch base with him in about 4-5 months. Tried again but Thomas just had a full plate and couldn't get me in on his schedule. It's known that he's going to be leaving NYC soon and moving permanently to Austin TX and he basically told me if I ever made my way down there he'd try to fit me in. I also asked him that if he planned to visit back up in the East Coast to please let me know. Through all our communications, Hooper has been a true gentleman and I could tell he really wanted to get me in for some work but just couldn't make it happen and I do not fault him in any way for it. There have been some opportunities where Hooper and the Saved crew have done walk-in Sundays that I could have easily taken advantage of being my proximity to the shop location. But in the long run, I knew I wanted something more than just a quick small piece, so I'll patiently continue to keep in contact with Thomas until the opportunity presents itself. But at the same time, I'll keep my options open should another artist strike my fancy.

I concur with @Graeme though mostly from second-hand information and not direct knowledge. Tebori is a very slow process and generally very short sessions from what I researched online and read in books. I was talking to a client of Horitmitsu during the NYC Tattoo Convention and please take this big a big ole pinch of salt, he had a killer full sleeve from Mitsu and it was still in progress. I asked how the pain was and he said it was less painful under tebori than with a machine. Then I asked how many hours he had into his sleeve...he said about 60+. Completely blew my mind. This was further substantiated by a recent post from Horimitsu of a peony piece he did on a client in Toronto after the NYC convention. The client posted it took 4 hours to do just the peony on his shoulder. I think an artist with a machine would take probably half as long if not quicker but again dependent on the individual artist and their individual work speed too.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing. Really re-enforces my idea of getting my lady something. Matching? Maybe...it's an idea I've been toying with. By the way, saw the updates on Instagram. Hooper really worked you over today. You're a trooper to sit through all that. Can't wait to see the whole thing!

You and @Graeme ROCK!!!! Have either of you gotten tattoo appointments for one another as gifts or tokens of affection? I'm thinking about getting Henning or Rubendall to tattoo my lady as a gift one day.

Yay, western NY represent!!! Welcome!

Anything past the 4-5 hour mark, and my mind starts to revert back on itself. I think about all the negative or bad things from the past and this torture I'm having inflicted upon me is my penance...not that I'm a religious man. I hear faint whispers in the background telling me to sit strong and sit long, but by then it's either the pain, the drugs or the sugar that I'm running on, haha.

@CultExciter How bad was the pain on shin compared to say the meaty part of the calf?

@CultExciter That is an AMAZING calf sleeve you got from O'Donnell. I plan on getting a calf sleeve from him once my back piece is done. We've already spoken about it and the ideas are already churning. You are totally right about O'Donnell being humble and he's a repository for NYC tattoo history and knowledge.

I so wish I could triple like this. One of the most epic back pieces I have ever seen. O'Donnell is a genius! You are one lucky client to have this AMAZING piece on your back. Just totally sublime!

I like what Troy Denning has, both the beads and the bonji.

The comments at the bottom of the article are equally terrible from narrow-minded individuals...

Celebrity tattoo artist Keith (Bang Bang) McCurdy has a thick skin for A-list ink - NY Daily News

Sounds almost like a live version/meet up of LST! hahaha! Glad everything worked out and the weather cooperated. I need to stop into the Long Island shop sometime this summer just to say hello.

I found Rubendall's wait time allowed me to figure out what I wanted and it tempered me from doing anything impulsive. Additionally, I personally don't like getting tattooed during the warmer months so having those 4-5 months cut out help me out as well. It also allowed me time to save money for the tattoo. I'm used to waiting as I started off getting tattooed by Henning Jorgensen and maybe saw him only once or twice a year as I waited for him to roll back around to NYC. Good things to those who wait I guess as it has resulted in me being able to convince Rubendall and Henning to collaborate, not something commonly done by either artist.

Congrats @Eilin! So honored and humbled to be able to share this with you. Thanks to all the LSTer's for voting and much appreciation and admiration for all the mods on running such a great forum. To all the other participants, love all the pictures of your tattoos. Keep them coming as I'm enjoying every bit of it. Cheers!