The Hyena

So awesome. Thanks!

Just shaved mine off after 4 years. Instantly growing it back.

Twin Peaks. Tom Waits. New England in the Fall.

Don't try different things. If your skin is irritated, doing new healing things to it expecting fast results is wrong. Just keep it clean and dry at this point and let it chill.

OOOOOOR.....

Go see a doctor if it's really bothering you.

Those are the two best pieces of advice in here.

Absolutely. I just like listening to her. The interviews like you said are well researched. I feel more informed afterwards. Her interviews with Tom Waits are awesome.

Julio, I second Terry Gross

Also, different clients like different shit. I know that's a no brainer, but I've heard people talk about how they like to get tattooed to metal, because they feel it gives them the balls to sit through it. And that's not just teenage dudes saying that either. Some people obviously like mellower shit, and some the more upbeat fun stuff.

Whatever. You can't please everyone. At least if I'm happy and the client isn't too put off by it, then it stays on.

Last time I did a spot at Three Kings in Brooklyn, Albrigo had the greatest tattooing music. Weird ethereal, ambient shoe gaze shit. I love that shit. Like half Jesus and Mary Chain, and half Twin Peaks soundtrack.

Old Jazz works great. I listen to the shit out of it, but the last shop I was at, a few of the dudes couldn't handle it. Those were also the super black metal dudes, and I couldn't handle that shit. Oh well. Shuffle is pretty great. You can weed songs out or creat large playlists, but Mario is on it with the LastFM shit. Way better than Pandora. Old school hip hop on LastFM is awesome. Like UTFO or RunDMC. It's fun as hell.

LastFM stations I frquent: Django, Juliee Cruise, Throwing Muses, The Replacements, Van Halen, Black Angels, Billie Holiday, Janet Klein.

This thread is awesome.

Workhorse Irons. Not too expensive and definitely reliable.

Yyyyyeeeeesss

I second Bob Wicks. Also my favorite of all time. I only have small pics of his shit, but I have seen a few originals in person and I'll say this, if those things were released tomorrow they would still be ahead of their time. Seriously good.

Very nice, dude!

Some stupid lady went and soaked her feet in hot ass salt water four like three hours after getting a tattoo.

"Why does this look so awful?"

Ships, roses, girl heads, birds.....

Actually, If it's done well I can never see enough of it. I don't care about the image as much as I care about if it's a good tattoo or not. Nothing is played out if it's done well.

Yeah, the cuticles of my thumbs were horrendous.

I would love to be the single dude, and at the end just tell them all that they are trash and they all lose.

I really don't ever want to see another show. I try to be open about the added business, but even my walk in's lately think that shit is passe and gay. It's encouraging people who don;t even want tattoos to get tattooed and they end up being the kind of people that take three hours of hand holding just for a 60 dollar name. I'd rather bang out fast names on gangsters all day before having to take three hours to talk someone through a fifteen minute tattoo. Not to mention the freaking amount of people walking in trying to be tattooers.

Just an aesthetic some people use. Everything has it's place.

Cory Lenherr kills it though. Issac Fainkujen does some great things with female heads.

Probably my favorite thing to do ever. I love it. Lady heads and tall ships are my two favorite things t do ever, and they are fucking HARD. It's always a swing and a miss.

I kind of regret that so many people at one point started saying things like "make sure it means something before you get it."

I don't have issues with something that naturally means something. That dog names tattoo for example. Straight and to the point. Awesome. Or say, you have three kids, you want three roses with the kids names in banners. Fine. Bit cluttered, but given space and a smart tattooer this looks great.

Trying to force a tattoo to be justifiable is ridiculous, though. "There needs to be some blue because that's my Mom's birthstone color,and some red, because that's my Gramma's, and there needs to be a cross because I love God, and there needs to be three poinsettias because I have three kids, and in each of the poinsettias I want initials of the kid they represent, and there needs to be a basketball because I played on my high school team and we were all state, and there needs to be this bible passage because it means a lot to me, and ......etc.

None of those things in there are bad on their own,or in smaller groupings, but there's no need to try to make your tattoo as justifiable to everyone you know. No need to try to make it as un-tattooey, or benign or as un-offensive to others as possible.

Sometimes viewing it as collecting art from an artist, or just getting a very well done image of something you like is just as valid as something that holds a deep meaning to you. I have all three kinds of tattoos, and nothing against getting any one kind, but don't feel that you have to force a meaning into something that you already like but are nervous that it's not some deep truth to your soul.

All of the above!

ALso:

The healthier you are the more prepared your body is for what's about to happen to it. Try not to come in hungover, get a decent nights sleep, eat a good breakfast, and lunch, essentially come in on a full stomach, by hydrated, and be relaxed as much as you can.

I've been told that exfoliating the are you are going to get tattooed for about a week before hand helps greatly with the healing but that's more of a suggestion.

Try to keep an open mind. Tattooers are professionals(for the most part, but not always so do your homework!). We have a wealth of knowledge we can bring to bare at any time for you, so take advantage of that. You will get a great tattoo. A tattooer who cares won;t talk you out of your idea, but might help you do it in a way that transcends your personal whims and trends, and will age gracefully, and compliment you as a person. Though it may be somewhat different than what you initially had in your head. Try to be a little malleable, and trust your tattooer. Try not to be some emotionally attached to every single detail. Remember: you aren't thinking like a tattooer. You think like a person who likes certain images and is used to seeing things on t-shirts, computer screens, and prints. Sometimes things don;t work in skin and we try like hell to make things work the best for you.

Try to remember that as much as tattooing has become a main stream product for most clients, it's still a hand made craft to us. If you are expecting hospital levels of sterility, Professional attitudes and expert technique then see us, not just treat us, but SEE us as professional craftsmen/women. Most of us have your best interest at heart because we can and do see the big picture. We are looking at your tattoo in our heads 10 years into the future. At least. We just want to do a nice tattoo for you. So when a tattooer explains why an idea is too complicated at a certain size, or why there is too much clutter, or that outlining it pink may not be the best idea, pay heed to that. You are hearing the educated opinion of a craftsman.

If you want a tattoo, don;t let your significant other try to do all the talking. Be plain, and straightforward with the things you want out of your tattoo. The less we have to guess, the fast we can get on the same wave length and make you happy.

If you are on vacation and you plan on things like tanning, going to the beach, strenuous activities, swimming, hot tubs, etc. Plan to get your tattoo at the ass end of your vacation so there is less interference with healing(and we can't tattoo sun burned skin so take care of it!), but try to get to the shop at the beginning of your vacation to set the appointment up, or if possible call ahead. Many shops can accommodate walk in's at most times, but since you have a limited time, try your hardest to think ahead. Rush jobs at the last second may not be ideal especially if you want something more involved than a single sitting, quick tattoo.

Avoid food that makes you fart before the tattoo. No one wants be sniffing your pooh ghosts while they work.

Hope some of this helps.

I would not support this, but I would feel like a bigger hypocrite than I am if I didn't disclose that one of my all time favorite tattooing stories comes from Geogre Burchett, and it involves tattooing a baby's hand. And that I'm getting a tattoo based on that story.

Dude gave you the retard plague. Fuck. Shitty ass day.