David Flores

Chucho Garcia is a pretty kick ass tattooer, he has been tattooing since 1980 and has a killer shop up in Bellingham Washington, a must see for the tattoo enthusiast. If you a driving I would stop in Seattle @ Lucky Devil South tattoo and take a look at some of Ernie Gosnell's collection and his shop filled with Higgs, Harrison, and Maaske flash and all his hand painted signage. If my recollection is right Ernie started Electric Ladyland Tattoo in New Orleans as well before he moved up to Seattle and opened his two Lucky Devil shops. Ernie has the best line in the sign painter trailer below. Both these guys are legends in my mind.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Old-Gold-Tattoo/207352882635334?id=207352882635334&sk=photos_stream

http://shelby.tv/video/vimeo/61006621/sign-painters-official-trailer

A couple years ago a guy came in and showed us his new Lum tattoo and point out that it didn't have any dicks in it (his other Lum tattoos clearly had dicks in them). Well it didn't have any dicks in it, but the fish he got couldn't have been drawn more like a dick, but we let him have his victory. On the other hand i have seen quite a few Lum tattoos lately that don't have dicks in them.
Ashley keeps talking about setting something up with Lum, and I say I will tag along and get a little souvenir tattoo, but at this point I just need to set something up and drag his ass down there.

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.

If I thought enough people knew about this stuff or were inclined to go this route I would be active in trying to sway people against it, but at this point I think bringing attention to it, is the worse thing, just leave it alone and hope it dies.

I guess the funniest part about it is going to be when someone brings in a design they paid 100 bucks for and the tattooer just trashes it and starts over.

I think it's kind of a learned behavior and attitude. You can't just go into a place and use a service, you have to complain, haggle, and bust balls so people know you are important. The idea that someone has been operating a business for years doing the same procedure you are asked to be done, and you treat them like you are the first and only person they have tattooed, just tells me you are either a self important asshole or just kind of socially inept. I once stumbled upon a corner of the internet where a know nothing with two tattoos was encouraging people to demand to tour their clean room, before they got a tattoo everywhere. I kindly had to give her my insight that the room stays clean because we try to allow the least amount of people back there to minimize any risk of contamination. Think of walking into a restaurant and instead of ordering food, just demanding proof that all the dishes were washed and all employees washed their hands (treating people like idiots). A generation of people told daily how special they are, which incidentally has become a big part of society and tattoo clients.
So you want to the see the package opened up in front of you, cool no problem. But do you know you sterilized those tools? The same asshole you didn't trust in the first place! They are not taking out your appendix, it's just a tattoo. Learning to sterilize equipment and work area is simple and can be taught in ten minutes, and just remember that most of the sterilization process and preventative measures are done so YOU don't spread disease to the tattooer, not the other way around. Most tattoo infections are caused by people using inadequate aftercare (being filthy slobs).

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.

I guess the funniest part about it is going to be when someone brings in a design they paid 100 bucks for and the tattooer just trashes it and starts over.

Some dickhead from this season now lives in Portland, a burger joint is trying to drum up business by showing the show on a big screen and having him attend weekly. The funny thing is they thought the tattoo shop a couple doors down would be stoked to come in and watch the show, they got an invitation to bring the whole crew. The subsequent amount of f bombs that followed, oh dear. I think the best line out of the tirade, was "why don't you stick to making Milkshakes or better yet actually stop by our shop sometime and you can see how a real shop runs, we make money, not drama.

Some dickhead from this season now lives in Portland, a burger joint is trying to drum up business by showing the show on a big screen and having him attend weekly. The funny thing is they thought the tattoo shop a couple doors down would be stoked to come in and watch the show, they got an invitation to bring the whole crew. The subsequent amount of f bombs that followed, oh dear. I think the best line out of the tirade, was "why don't you stick to making Milkshakes or better yet actually stop by our shop sometime and you can see how a real shop runs, we make money, not drama.

"So if you run into someone who asks to see packages opened, it isn't because they don't trust you"
it's exactly because they don't trust us.
As i said in my previous statement I have absolutely no issue with opening packages in front of folks, its not a big deal and while i dont get butthurt i do feel a tad insulted by the request ONLY because i know almost undoubtedly that that person asking me has never asked a doctor or nurse or dentist or even acupucturist to do the same because they view those individuals as professionals they can trust while we're just a bunch of filthy bikers. you make a good point about the stricter certs for those folks but really that isnt whats going through most peoples minds when the ask to watch a setup.the exception to that being people who work in the medical field. what is going through the average non medical field persons mind is based purely on our looks and on preconceived notions that we're mostly a bunch of dirty bikers.
I worked in 2 of the busiest ERs in the country for 6 years and in that time i've seen plenty of nurses, doctors, phlebotomist etc., etc cross contaminate and break the sterile chain regardless of all that certification. sometimes out of laziness but mostly out of just plain ole absent mindedness i think folks SHOULD be asking to see packages opened. my problem isnt that they ask me, its that they ask ONLY me.
i cant speak for every state but the last three states ive worked in including NY where i am now have all required me/all tattooers to be individually licensed as well as pass a test demonstrating basic knowledge of universal precautions/bloodborne pathogens.
side note : a large part of why i personally prefer clients not see me setup is that i worked hard to learn this craft and get every little nugget of info that i could. setting up a tattoo machine for optimal performance and efficiency is not common knowledge and so i don want to give trade secrets out to every aspiring tattoo artist that comes in the door any more that KFC wants us to know what their 11 herbs and spices are.
with that being said i do get where youre coming from and respect your side of the debate.

If you're going to a reputable shop and experienced tattoo artist that you trust I see no reason why you'd have to be a witness to them opening up sterile packages. If they happen to set up in front of me that's cool but if they are already setup and ready to go it's no bid deal for me. I'd like to think that these guys are professionals and will do everything in their power to give you the best tattoo possible which includes making sure that there is a clean work environment and that the equipment being used has been sterilized. Bottom line though if you don't trust the artist and have to question whether or not if everything has been sterilized then maybe you shouldn't be getting tattooed by them to begin with.

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.

What if tattooers flipped the script? What if you had to provide proof that you didn't have a disease to get tattooed, or they were able to critique your personal hygiene? A tattooer has a routine that ensures the procedure will be safe and sanitary, regardless of the situation, so they don't have to bring up those subjects and make clients feel like filthy diseased ridden slobs.

I have heard people say you can't really see it, but I usually come back with something like "yeah it's natural to have a blue ink around your ear I guess if you are smurf.

If you want to be able to hide a tattoo putting it on your head is one of the worst places you can choose.

I think it's kind of a learned behavior and attitude. You can't just go into a place and use a service, you have to complain, haggle, and bust balls so people know you are important. The idea that someone has been operating a business for years doing the same procedure you are asked to be done, and you treat them like you are the first and only person they have tattooed, just tells me you are either a self important asshole or just kind of socially inept. I once stumbled upon a corner of the internet where a know nothing with two tattoos was encouraging people to demand to tour their clean room, before they got a tattoo everywhere. I kindly had to give her my insight that the room stays clean because we try to allow the least amount of people back there to minimize any risk of contamination. Think of walking into a restaurant and instead of ordering food, just demanding proof that all the dishes were washed and all employees washed their hands (treating people like idiots). A generation of people told daily how special they are, which incidentally has become a big part of society and tattoo clients.
So you want to the see the package opened up in front of you, cool no problem. But do you know you sterilized those tools? The same asshole you didn't trust in the first place! They are not taking out your appendix, it's just a tattoo. Learning to sterilize equipment and work area is simple and can be taught in ten minutes, and just remember that most of the sterilization process and preventative measures are done so YOU don't spread disease to the tattooer, not the other way around. Most tattoo infections are caused by people using inadequate aftercare (being filthy slobs).

I think it's kind of a learned behavior and attitude. You can't just go into a place and use a service, you have to complain, haggle, and bust balls so people know you are important. The idea that someone has been operating a business for years doing the same procedure you are asked to be done, and you treat them like you are the first and only person they have tattooed, just tells me you are either a self important asshole or just kind of socially inept. I once stumbled upon a corner of the internet where a know nothing with two tattoos was encouraging people to demand to tour their clean room, before they got a tattoo everywhere. I kindly had to give her my insight that the room stays clean because we try to allow the least amount of people back there to minimize any risk of contamination. Think of walking into a restaurant and instead of ordering food, just demanding proof that all the dishes were washed and all employees washed their hands (treating people like idiots). A generation of people told daily how special they are, which incidentally has become a big part of society and tattoo clients.
So you want to the see the package opened up in front of you, cool no problem. But do you know you sterilized those tools? The same asshole you didn't trust in the first place! They are not taking out your appendix, it's just a tattoo. Learning to sterilize equipment and work area is simple and can be taught in ten minutes, and just remember that most of the sterilization process and preventative measures are done so YOU don't spread disease to the tattooer, not the other way around. Most tattoo infections are caused by people using inadequate aftercare (being filthy slobs).

I bet Kore just uses everything twice! hahaha

This might be my new favorite drinking game.
In Oklahoma there are elaborate drinking games centered around weather reports - tornado season results in frequent intoxication ;)

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.

Getting good tattoos is a current fad, but I'm buying into it for the long haul.