Lala Blackheart

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that a tattooer with no tattoos cannot really adequately represent what he/she has never felt themselves, nor can they give you specific information about so many other aspects of the experience. I was at a convention recently and the apprentice at the booth next to ours had no tattoos (her family wouldn't allow them) and said she might not ever get any. It confused me a little as to why she even wanted to be a tattooer; during our conversation (we talked a bit, as the two female apprentices on our side of the event) it was obvious that she didn't know about what styles of tattoos she liked or would want to do, what kind her shop specialized in, or the names of any tattooers other than those on the tv shows. I can't take seriously a tattooer with no tattoos; just can't.

Oliver will be guesting at Allstar Tattoo here in sunny Ireland April 10 - 15th!! If you are wanting some work from him while he is here call the shop 00353(0)61409439 or email [email protected]
Don't miss out people
Thanks
Ross

I'd rather see 500 Ed hardy things a day then one affliction or skin t shirt. And if you think Ireland is overloaded try America where you can't walk into any convenience store without seeing about 5 different items with Ed hardy on it.

Or just go to the hardy marks publishing website they have lots of amazing books. Just google it

So I was in a local book-store yesterday looking through tattoo related publications, and I found a book titled "Ed Hardy Cross Stitch Patterns".
I know lots of people love Ed Hardy, and I respect his tattooing and his contribution to the industry, but come, does he and the guys who own the licence to his images want to make money out of everything.
It occurred to me, that when they are finished they will knock out a line of Ed Hardy toilet paper, just so they can wipe their ass on the industry one last time.
Sorry, I know you guys love the man, but I am sick of seeing the Ed Hardy EVERYWHERE.

But dude if you buy the perfume you get a free handbag!!!!!!!

honestly, "collector" bothers me (sorry robin)! generally speaking people who refer to themselves as collectors are a bit smug and see themselves as above other clients. no offense robin, or anyone else who use this term, it's just been my experience and bothered me for years. the guy getting his girlfriend's name is just as important as a "collector" getting a custom "cool" tattoo. sometimes these "collectors" scoff at having to wait while i do a regular walk-in on someone they deem "uncool", and it eats me up. but i guess this is a whole other discussion!

Hopefully. THAT is going to be covered by panther and roses in a couple of years.

Get some ink , and doing the Kat von d and calling every one dude lol ,but the thing that I hate the most is free hand "do you do free hand " or look at my shite tat he did it free hand " great next time get him to use a stencil .

i dont even care. im saying this.

I can understand this. However -- just to keep stirring the pot here -- I think the next point becomes if a rapport has been established with a tattooer friend and you two trade slang terms back and forth, I think that's ok, since you've got that relationship and it's established. But, say you go to a new shop or get tattooed by another person, you're certainly not going to talk to that person like your buddy and be all, "What's up tat-wizard, tryna get those squid pants!"

I generally don't like discussing certain points of music with fans or certain points of my day job with clients. I think that's kind of common. If I had some random kook come up to me and start talking using slang I use exclusively with friends, band mates, or coworkers I'd be turned off. There's a big difference to me for instance of a fellow musician calling a guitar a "shred stick" vs. a random person I don't know complimenting me on my sweet "shred stick". It seems intrusive and out of place.
Everyone has freedom to use whatever words they want and I'm not debasing that one bit.. but with that freedom comes choice and choice implies responsible and respectful linguistic usage.

Tats gives me chills, but the norwegian slang term for tattoos "tattis" makes my blood boil.

I really would like to see a collective effort on LST to start promoting SQUIDS/SQUIDDLING.
Anyway, Tats and tat-guns remain the worst in my book.. I don't know what's worse though, getting asked about "my tats" from folks with no visible tattoos or folks who are covered. I almost like LEG SLEEVE simply because it sounds like a euphemism for some kind of weird, cozy, leg love.

It doesn't make me cringe but I don't like the term - leg sleeve

yeah, leg sleeves has to be the most stupid term ever. when's the last time you woke up, put on a shirt, shoes, and a pair of leg sleeves and went to work?

Shawn, you are my sweet tat bro, and you rule. From now on, instead of asking Scott if he's "making sweet tats," I'm gonna ask him if he's "squideling," a combo of squid and scribbling.

This is a thread for our pets! most of us know that our pets can be very dear to us and it is not uncommon to see portrait tattoos of ones pet. i hope that people will open up and share stories, pictures and tattoos of their loved ones, past and present. i didnt know where this topic should end up, i was debating between where it is now and Random Crap but since it has to do with pet tattoos i figured its just as relavent here!

I've never had a problem with tattoo equipment or Beards. However I did have some women from the bookstore at lax dis my neck tattoo's. They spoke to each other in their native tongue as they held their throats shaking their head in disgust. I had a moment of reactionary thinking regarding their decision to immigrate to the USA.

As far as traveling with tattoos, I toured with my band all over North and South America and all over Europe and never had any problems at all at airports. The only place I had trouble was in Mexico. We pulled up to a military check point and were asked to step out of the van. Because I was sleeved out, the military assumed I was a junkie and moving heroin. The were grabbing my arms searching for track marks and pointing huge guns at me. They also tore our van and trailer apart. It fucking sucked.
As far as traveling with gear, Im relieved to hear they don't really give a shit at airports. Im about to start traveling as much as I can and figured it would be too much of a pain in the ass to fly, so I planned on taking trains everywhere. Although its cheaper... id rather take a 5 hour trip flying opposed to a 48 hour train ride.

i def got some crazy stares when traveling through some rural towns in germany last year. keeps things interesting

I took a trip on a bus to Mexico last year. I was strongly advised to wear a long sleeve shirt, cuz apparently all the mexican gangsters look like me. So I did of course and was trippin balls sittin in those bus stations down there thinkin I was gonna get kidnapped or murdered because of my tattoos. It was hot as hell, my ass with sleeves down and collar flipped up. On a good note, the police seemed especially scared of me when I would visit other towns.

I used to be in a band called The Sick, and we spent 3 months in eastern Europe on tour in 2000. We lived in a small town outside of Prague in Czech Republic called Teplice (pronounced 'Teplitza'), and people told us that being tattooed as much as we were made the local residents think we were in the mafia. The Russian mafia had a presence there w/ prostitution rings. In general people seem to steer clear of you more - unless they're cops I guess..

Not counting the three little dots on my right big toe (that I darkened when I first picked up a machine last year), my first real tattoo was done the day before Thanksgiving of the year I turned 18 at the Sunset Strip tattoo parlor. Shock was the artist. We went there because that is Nikki Sixx got tattooed in 'Motley Crue Uncensored' and that was where I had decided I would get my first tattoo. It's a small (palm size) Celtic knot piece with a Pisces symbol in the center at the base of my spine. I went with my best friend, she got the same tattoo, same place but with a Gemini symbol instead of Pisces. She has since covered her back with tons of crazy work, but I have a big idea for my back and have not added much to it since then. Lots of tattoos in other places, tho! Looking for a pic of it. :)

i would also like to add luke francis. he works at everlasting tattoo in san francisco and does great, clean work and beautiful soft shading that i dig.
we went to high school together and were pretty friendly. he moved to sf a few years before me. when i moved up here in 2001 and randomly saw him working at anubis warpus at the time, on haight street and later got a tattoo from him shortly after he started at everlasting, in 2008 i think. check him out at Everlasting Tattoo - San Francisco, CA