MrBruce

Bob Roberts.... Stan Moskowitz.... And my pal Tattoo George Benjamin..... This coming year I'll be adding Tony Polito for sure......

Seems obvious

I remember when nickel plating and triple chrome were the way to go......tattoo machines were like the Tin mans hand... Then, as years went on....it became KOOL to have one that looked like it was found in a time capsule..."vintage" ...sorta grimey... Hell, the new electric pen movement has most machines looking like plastic toys....but those Neo things aren't really an issue...who cares. I guess I looked at my machines in a way that combined some style and some aesthetics ......but I always lean toward the ability to CLEAN and disinfect the machine regularly.........these are wild times after all.... When did the machine kinda become the "Abercrombie & Fitch" of tools....? You know those jeans that are a bit over priced and come " pre distressed" with the KOOL knee holes and rips pre cut in.............most of us wouldn't wear those, yet the same aesthetic is applied to some of our tools...... Doesn't matter either way really....just an observation...." So... Do you like yours pre distressed...or minty fresh...?

My sentiment exactly....... My local BOH regs state walls must be of light color. My guess is they feel a brighter, lighter area will be less likely to hide biohazard material splatter..and also must be sanitize able 36" from floor level... This is probably some sort of OSHA reg from Food service areas...made to adapt into tattoo shops.. Like I said, they adopted a lot of outside information into the local regs...it's insane. I'm preparing certain change proposals for next year...along with a couple local guys.....hopefully if all our ducks are in a row we can make the changes without screwing ourselves with these people. - - - Updated - - - To illustrate further the out dated regs we have... We originally had beautiful pressed tin ceilings in the entire shop. They had a great vintage feel..and actually had to be dry walled over because the BOH felt the ceiling should be free of texture to prevent bacterial growth....lol....unreal.... One of the changes we will address...hopefully

Sometimes the local BOH has regulations that are quite old & somewhat outdated in scope..... In the case of my local BOH here in MA it's borderline frustrating. Keep in mind the 38 yr ban on tattooing was just lifted in 2001, so most cities and town have just adopted regs from other states where it's been legal, and or made up a few regs of their own... To amplify the rigidity, since MA is a Commonwealth each city...town or county has the ability to not only regulate separately but can also STILL make tattooing illegal... So...that brings us to my question....... Has anyone taken steps in their area to rewrite or revamp shop regulations? Examples being square footage for stations....wall color in stations....floor plans....hours....etc???? I'd like to hear from those who have , and what tips they may share....... a couple shops in my area have been discussing approaching this...... I'd like to think it thru before I poke the bear................because I hate pissed off bears.

Well... I might push a little.... Lol

Well...welcome aboard....

The general public......and the tattoo community are two separate concepts. I don't try and push people around with what they should and shouldn't get, I'm not a social worker...... But I do try to present them with options when I can. I still give em the haircut they ask for....... I just try and comb it real nice for em.

Oddly enough, the second one down seems to be applied pretty well.... Leading me to believe the Tattooer CAN produce solid work. I can't imagine the reasoning behind such an ambitious copy, when I'd be in this case he could've designed an original.

This is a pretty common thought from clients....... ......I explain to them that tattoo "collectors" are different than people with tattoos.... I push clients to explore the world of tattooing and collect tattoos from folks who create the kinda stuff they dig. Especially if your already interested in travel. Work a tattoo appointment into a vacation..or a trip.... Get work from outside your bubble. So...whether it be from 3 guys in one shop.....3 shops on one block or 3 shops around the map.... The goal should be to get excited about your collection. Any shop that has tattooers tattooed by many, should endorse you getting tattooed by ANY... As long as it's good solid work.... Go get it... Anywhere you find it....

Taking this route illustrates how serious you take your future position. Thank you for your service

I understand your frustration.....I'm not trying to insult your artist, but those credentials do not reflect in THAT tattoo. Seeking out advice once it's healed as to what to do next is still a good choice..... No disrespect intended man.....and again, good luck with it.

Your lucky.... Too many folks shift into high gear early...get coverage for whatever reason..and screw themselves outta the chance to get extra good stuff now that they are "in the know" of where to get the goods... Now you can go hard man.... Good luck with it....

These aren't the best pics...but this looks like it was severely overworked .... I don't know the experience level your artist has, and I won't comment therefore....but, this looks poorly executed. Let it heal..... COMPLETELY .... And get a second opinion from another shop. Seek out an experience Tattooer, and don't go in trashing on your man...but ask them what can be done...... There's always a chance the client mishandled the after care...but the application, tools and execution can make a mess out of anything if not handled with care. Good luck with it...I'm sure you'll be alright....