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I'm not into the whole treat my customers like they are at a spa experience--- However, i've always felt I don't want them to feel like an ass for paying me at the end of the tattoo either. Sometimes I think tattooing can be like a " trip together" -"get stuck in an elevator together" kind of experience---you are bonded for the time that you are getting tattooed. It can be an intense sometimes intimate experience. But then you come down, the door opens and you go on your way.

my in progress back piece by Travis McGregor this is after my fourth sitting, the shading is pretty much done just a few more bits and some stuff on my ribs. next step is the color, so pumped. i shall date after i get more work done

I had the best healing experience I've ever had with my last session so I figured it was worth sharing. It still looks just as good as my tattoos that healed using my previous regimen, but it only took like 4-5 days until the tattoo was completely flaked, healed, and looking like how most tattoos do weeks later. It also barely flaked at all- the lightest smoothest flaking possible. Thanks to Freddy Corbin for the tip... So rad. Leave the bandage/wrap on overnight. Apply a hot compress to the fresh tattoo after you pull the bandage (transfers heat better than the shower) Then take a hot shower to rinse everything off (cleans the surface better than a hot compress) Aquaphor as needed over the next few days.

For seafood a nice little San Francisco gem is Anchor Oyster Bar in the Castro in SF is my favorite seafood restaurant. I'm still yet to find an indian place that is a must eat regularly though Clay Oven in the Haight in SF is consistently good. Ike's sandwiches is a supposed gem in SF though I am yet to try. But for sandwiches in Oakland it's Genova which is on the same block as Tattoo 13 (Freddy Corbin's other shop in Oakland).

The answers to this thread are simple. There are assholes everywhere. No matter where you are. Nobody likes the I'm too cool for you Tattooer, Bartender, Sales Clerk, whatever. We also don't like the whiny customer, guy who waves his money in your face like he is buying you type, or stalkers, or the never satisfied customer. There is etiquette for any business out there. If you don't act accordingly you will either: Lose customers, Not get served, be asked to leave, or in extreme cases, Beat the Fuck up. You are not the only Tattooer in town, and You are not the only customer in the shop. It's really easy. And if somebody doesn't treat you right....don't come back. That's like the battered wife who stays with her husband. "He mistreats me but I keep going back, whimper, whimper." Ok I'm done. Get it? Got it? Good.

This thread could be interpreted a few different ways.

Mr. Bingham, was taking a look at some of your ladies the other day and I'll second Romance&Worship's comment!

those lehi pieces are crazy. derrick's eagle/skull came out rad too. i like thomas hooper and theo mindell on this one as well. i sit and stare at this hooper peice all the time!

haha, thanks everyone. Nothing too exciting just a busy day of work, research and now an early night leaving town tomorrow (SAC) for the day for a mtg on a new contract with the state I just found out I was granted around linguistics and psychology which I am very very excited for. It'll be my first time doing the Amtrack line to SAC so should get to do work with a new view.

that's one of the coolest tattoos i've seen recently. i love your work and hope to visit you in NYC in september, for my first trip to the big city.

i am guilty of so many of these annoying things. not the worst or the ridiculous. but i sometimes say; ink, work and i love to call shitty tattoo artist that work at home kitchen wizards. do i care that it may annoy other people? not really.

I'm also an atheist who is intrigued by religious imagery. Here's my tattoo by Matt Wes of St. Denis, who according to legend was beheaded by pagans for preaching the gospel and then carried his disembodied head through town while it continued to speak the good word and here's one much closer to my actual religious beliefs, Charles Darwin by Mario Desa

in palo alto, there's a good frozen yogurt place called Fraiche. it's not cheap, but it's delicious. and one place i'd recommend for food would be Burma Superstar. get the tea salad and mango whatever (they do tofu and chicken i think, but obviously i'd advocate for the plant based option haha).

Oh, I forgot to ostentatiously name-drop Fred Corbin among the pantheon of big-name tattooers that I'm cool enough to have tattoos from. I probably neglected him in this discussion as, in my experience, he was as far from disrespectful as you can get. Dude was fucking cool to me the first time I ever travelled out to the Bay to get tattooed in 2002. I greatly appreciated it. Oh, and one other note: With all due respect, I'd argue that the relationship of collector to tattooer, and vice-versa, is not analogous to that of bartender or sales clerk to customer. I don't spend three hours naked with the gas station attendant as they grope and permanently alter the appearance of my ass. I do with Tim Lehi. No wonder tattooers hate people. I would hate all that intimacy with people, and this is coming from a personable guy who can muster a semblance of social skills, at times. I can see how being "nice" to people all the time and babysitting them through what some perceive as some mystical rite of passage would get old, fast. So I sympathize with tattooers' plight. At the same time, I'm not exactly a fucking imbecile, and I've done my homework. It was cool of Dick Stell to say to me last month "You'd be a great shop owner or manager. You know more about tattooing than some tattooers." I'm the first to acknowledge that I don't know shit about tattooing, drawing, or painting, technically. However, if I haven't developed at least a mediocre eye for the aesthetic over 15 years of study, I'm retarded. Problem is, everything becomes a fucking insecure little boys' pissing contest. I really don't give a fuck, I just want to learn shit. If I have any insight to offer anyone who's sincerely interested in this bullshit (and not ascending the social hierarchy of "cool"), great. There are shit tons of tattooers who know more about this crap than I ever will, and if they're willing to part with some of their knowledge, I'm grateful. It seems pretty simple. I swore a lot in that paragraph. Tattooing is rock-star shit, ego-trip-wise. Difference is, you don't interact with rock stars. The reason why so many tattooers are so disrespectful is because they can get away with it. I had issues with a few of the tattooers I encountered right from the get-go, when I first started getting tattooed. Why? Well, I'm an adult, and I demand some modicum of respect . . . And I happen to get along with almost everyone I meet. If you have a problem with me, it's your problem. I'm far from perfect, but I treat others respectfully. I see right through these idiots' weak facade. It's boring and pathetic. Not everyone's as dumb as they think they are. If this particular breed of person who makes a living as a tattooer wants to see an imbecile, find a fucking mirror. Can I get a witness??

You guys, don't worry about Gia, she's just easily annoyed. I suspect it's the people, and not really their choice of words that's bothering her. Or that her squid slacks are itchy.

Hey Lochlan favorites got to be Horiyoshi 3 of course, horitomo, horiyasu, horitsune, filip leu, and mike roper. Black and grey Freddy negreti, Freddy corbin, Tim Hendricks, and El chino come to mind just love that Westcoast gangsta style.

Paulywhore: You are correct, period. Not that it's a prerequisite for seeing simple insecure egomania for what it is, but I have a decent amount of experience from the collector's perspective. I've been lucky enough to have been tattooed by the following, among others: Lehi, Rassier, Malone, Sylvia, Grime, Don Nolan, Bert Krak, Stell, Adam Ciferri, Seth Ciferri, Whitehead, Brooks, Spanks, Roberts, Conn . . . and my best bud Kyle Franklin! You don't need a fancy bullshit worthless psychology degree from a "Little Ivy", which I happen to have, to deduce that most tattooers succomb to the temptations of warped adolescent egomania. There are exceptions, but those guys (and gals) tend to get so disillusioned with tattooing that they quit. Read Mike Malone's letters to Keith Underwood in recent issues of TAM. Spot-on. He rags on "cool guys" who are too self-absorbed to actually learn about the fucking artform. I've wondered if the absolute elite echelon isn't as likely to be possessed by this meek demon. Hell, if you spend all your time seeking empty accolades and proverbial fellatio, it might be hard to fully concentrate on something of substance. Then again, I don't know: Bullshit megalomania permeates tattooing from the bottom up, doesn't matter how well you paint or tattoo. Power corrupts, in every context. If you're used to having your ass kissed, you come to expect it. Fucking pathetic. I'm sorry these folks are really insecure and immature, but it'd be peachy if they wouldn't take it out on me while I put food in their mouths. To be fair, at the same time, I can totally see why tattooers get sick of clients. I couldn't do their job. Hell, I can be annoying as fuck, myself. Give me a painkiller and I never shut up. That being said, some of the behavior I've personally experienced and witnessed is absolutely inexcusable. Straight disrespect. Funny thing is, most tattooers are sedentary lumps of shit that couldn't fight their way out of a colostomy bag. Tattoos don't make you tough. Tattooing's an intimate and intense experience, and, too often, familiarity breeds contempt. Like I said, having spent a fair amount of time in tattoo shops, I can totally see why being a tattooer is the yellow brick road to misanthropy. I hate people, too, but I try to be humble, honest, and respectful. Ya know, all that "Golden Rule" bullshit. Speaking for myself, I'm glad my bodysuit's about done. I'm too old for this shit. It's too much work. God Bless!!

My aussie buddy had me saying "tadoo" for a while, kind of half making fun of him, half wishing I had a righteous accent of some sort.

Was waiting to see if you'd have a car.....so know that we know... Tattoo Shops in SF: -Blackheart Tattoo (given) in SF, Nick Rodin and Cody Miller (does some cool lettering among other things) do great tattoos and both should be easier to get in on a last minute tattoo over Lehi, Puente, or Rassier, & Sylvia though you never know... -Temple Tattoo in Oakland, they all once again do radicool tattoos though I've been watching Heath Preheim & Derrick Snodgrass but can't seem to see enough tattoos from these two and would enjoy seeing more, hint hint if you get tattooed by one of these two pls post pictures though all pictures will be enjoyed! -Hogg suggested one recently in SF that caught my eye but I can't remember....HOGG? -State of Grace in San Jose -Plus some others though these in my opinion are the ones but my opinion is biased I know that. Food in SF & Bay Area: -This is even more of a loaded question than tattooers and tattoo shops in the Bay Area so how about your top three types of food you like to eat or want to try and I think we could offer suggestions there as well.....

i too have had one or two less than perfect tattoo experiences in my day, and there may be another one to come someday. but point being, bottom line, it's the tattoo i'm after, not the respect of someone i have never met or don't really know that well, i believe that respect has to be earned. a good example would be; there's a really talented, popular tattooer in my local area and i have always really wanted a piece from him, i even have the ideas ready to go. but for one reason or another i find this person to be rather arrogant and pompous and that always kind of rubs me the wrong way, but dammit! his tattoos are so sweet, that i'm just going to have to bite the bullet one day and sit there quietly and get tattooed, because it's the tattoo i'm after! tattoos hold a great deal of meaning to me and when i look at mine, the first thing i think of is the reason i got that tattoo, not about the person who gave it to me. even if that person is a dick, if they did an awesome fuckin' job on my tattoo and gave me my moneys worth, i can't really complain or feel entitled to a certain kind of treatment because i walked into the shop with cash in my pocket. you chose a professional to get the job done and that's what happened, he/she is not obligated to give out smiles too, although it does help, no argument there! i would love to have good vibes and a positive experience while i am getting tattooed. you know, shit talking and joke cracking, talking about music and all that. but fact is, some people don't want to do all that shit, and i don't always blame them. they're at work, and some days you just don't want to be at work and you may be moving slow or whatever the case may be, we're all human. i'm a bartender man, i don't always want to hang out and entertain with all of my customers, like they expect me to. but i treat them all equally and try my best to greet each person with a smile. what puzzles me is the fact that you said you really enjoyed the artist's attitude and the finished product and it sounds as if, even though you had to wait a bit longer than you initially thought, over all, you did have a positive experience, am i wrong? but, i also wonder, did the artists apologize for making you wait so long? as a professional i do believe someone who makes me wait that long for a scheduled service of any kind should at least compensate me with a sincere apology and recognize his or her fault in the matter, if that wasn't done then maybe this person doesn't understand the big picture of good customer service. but running late? c'mon, it happens to all of us. just be glad this isn't the 80's and you didn't get chased out of there by some coked up biker yielding a flat head screwdriver!

Oh the end product turned out great, its by far my favorite tattoo i have got so far and has a lot of sentimental meaning to me so its a keeper, and thanks for the response, and i'm not looking for any new friends when i get tattooed, I have enough friends that i dont have time to see as it is. Im a 6 foot tall 29 year old drop out that could be accused of partying a little much and getting in a few fists fights here and there, Only work I have ever done is Construction or Metal shops, and from what Iv'e heard back in the day as you guys speak of the kinda guy that got tattooed was kinda like me? so i beg to differ on me getting in a shop back in the day, no hard feelings, i know you guys dont know me.

(A man walks into a tattoo shop he has never been in before, with 450 bucks cash in his pocket ready to get tattooed, not to window shop. he go's to the desk and says "hi i have a appointment right now with so and so", the helper says to the man "oh hes got a quick tattoo to do and he'll be right with you" ok the man says, he sits down on the couch in the shop and waits patiently, not expecting a free rib dinner or a blow job, or a cappuccino or anything like that, he just sits there, about 30-45mins go by, the man notices the helper going around taking orders from the artist for a coffee/lunch run, the man thinks to himself "hmm a coffee sounds pretty good I hope she asks if she can grab me a coffee" , she walks right past the man saying nothing, the man thinks nothing of it at the time because he thinks the tattooer will be done soon, so he waits ... another 30 mins go by and the helper gets back with coffee and food for everyone, the artists take a brake and eat lunch with the whole crew, another 30mins go by, the man still waits patiently, than the artist is ready to tattoo, the man gets tattooed, he very much enjoy's the attitude of the artist and very much likes the piece he did, so the man pays for the piece and tips the artist, he shakes the artist hand and says to him "thank you i really love the piece" and the man go's on his way. Later that evening the man thinks to himself, oh theres that new tattoo site ive been checking out, maybe if I put up a post about customer relations and how i think it could be better it could help the way customers see artists and the way artists see customers. So he puts up a post.) - Hey Shawn by you saying that you threw some guy out for yelling "i pay your rent" or something like that, I took it like you were saying I should have been thrown out to, like I was acting like that douche you threw out when you dont even know the way I am, or how my deal went down? I didnt mean to offend anyone and I guess what I was trying to say came out wrong, or just in a curt way, The real deal is I fucking love drawing and art and getting tattooed so I guess i get passionate about it at times, especially when i pay good money and give good respect, all i expect is the same amount of respect, no free steak dinners or special treatment. Ive had a few bad experiences but out of all half aint bad, its just a bummer looking down at your arm and remembering some douchebags cool guy attitude everytime you look at ur tattoo, but I guess you gotta get the good with the bad, in retrospect maybe it makes me appreciate the good experiences even more. ya I will go back to the shop that didn't offer me a cup of water, its not gunna make or brake it for me, like i said the tattooer is down to earth and does good work so that is really what matters.

i too like a lady head to be real dark around the eyes with a good amount of color/make-up to contrast on the face and eyelids. i like 'em too look real old and even withered. more black in the hair the better. and if you want to through in some sort of exotic nose or something like that, i'm way down. with that being said, i also really like bailey hunter robinson's girls, especially when he puts a rose in there. cris cleen also does some very original girl heads that i think are very cool. i am a big fan of everybody at spider murphy's but i really like paul dobleman and stuart cripwell's lady heads, and i wear one by matt howse. grez and eric jones(goldrush) also do awesome lady heads! for something a lil' different i love bart bingham's girls.

Maybe Tattoo collector /corrector could become Tattoo Enthusiast ?

i get and understand that side too Mario. and i definitely don't think i'm better than the next person who's coming in to get a tribal armband or a heart with the word mom in it. but at the same time, i recognize that i am actively seeking out individuals based on their artwork, just as i could do with any other form of art, and having work made. i have invested money and time into trying to get work done by certain individuals, and i am actively collecting this work that happens to cover my body. so i'm sorry if my word choice was seen as comment on status, as it wasn't intended to be so. however, i'm not sure that there's a better word to describe who i or many others are. and i, as a client of you Mario, sincerely appreciate that you value every customer that you have, because that's part of what makes you a great artist. and like any good business, the client should be valued and respected, because they are supporting you financially, regardless of how small or big the task they're asking you to do. i just wrote this whole long response, thinking i had gotten to the end of the thread, then realized i hadn't and that everyone had basically said what i wanted to haha. also Pat, i was in no way angry, just sort of annoyed haha.

A tattoo shop should only and always be referred to as "Ye Olde Tattzappery."

That Bert Grimm 'Duel in the sun' backpiece from earlier is very cool - love the double eagles and 'rising sun' motif. I like the Valerie Vargas back piece attached a lot. I think she could do an amazing take on the 'rock of ages'....? Another piece that has always stood out to me is this back piece by Shige (also attached). In his book it mentions that it is a tribute to the vanishing tradition of falconry in Japan. There's something very 'airy' about it.

I am going to stick with the all seeing eye in the pyramid, the flaming torch, and palm tattoos of any kind. I know that some of you will say that those are so 2010, but I think that they will keep up their dominance through the first half of this year. Quotes from pretentious novels will dominate the fall and winter months.