DrewA

All I said was "We hate poor folks here". I think you proved my point wonderfully.

Here are two living legends that i know have already been mentioned but I got to hang with them both this past weekend and had such and awesome time! Mr. Tony Polito....who showed up to surprise me....and in the background you can see Mr. Mike Perfetto tattooing! Sorry....I look like crap....mostly because I had already been tattooed earlier in the day by Steve Delgatto...ha ha ha!

Got this by Ashley Howell today.

Here's one I got from Mario at the Philly Convention this year..

I love it when people ask me how much my tattoos cost. I always reply with, "Sorry, they're not for sale."

It doesn't bother me a bit.
1 It just makes my tattoos look that much better.
2 If you have to justify a tattoo by telling how little you paid then it's probably a shitty tattoo.
3"You'll appreciate the quality long after you've forgotten what you paid."

we had a guy have a seizure at the counter of the shop where i work this week. he was there to ask about advertising... next thing you know, the two tattooers in the shop have him under the arms and i'm holding a big soft chair in place that they tried to guide him into, but he was locked up in such a way that he was only about halfway in. also, whoever he had listed on his medical bracelet didn't pick up their phone when the paramedics tried calling them. big help they were.
the best part was the look in the eyes of the girl who showed up for her appointment while the EMTs were getting him some oxygen and asking him the standard questions.

the original singer of the dead milkmen lives up here in spokane..moved up here a long time ago, sadly he has parkinsons disease really bad..he used to come into the shop i worked at and get tattooed with important memories of his life...cbgb...dm...cool jew..stuff like that...well we were grabbing drinks one day after he got tattooed and asked if he would tattoo the dm logo on us...well after a few more drinks he was in....said it was the coolest thing that has happened to him in a long ass time...haven't seen him in awhile so hopefully he is still around and kickin...great guy with cool ass stories..here's a pic of his first tattoo ever...

That is a great story, thanks. Dead Milkmen were a great overlooked band.

she is hideous and tore up. they found out who she is and the police are trying to locate her and talk to her but she is hiding out somewhere...she def. needs to lawyer up...and be banned from the marina...i mean she needs to remain in the marina FOREVER with the other douches..and never leave...

I forget how tattooed/tattoo accepting a city Philadelphia is until I read threads like this.
I'd KILL to have a waiter/waitress not bring up my tattoos, show me theirs, etc.
The last time I went to court (Jury duty, 3 years ago- oddly, going again in two weeks) I had both a Bailiff and a judge comment on my tattoos (positively) while waiting for a danish at the free breakfast table.
My mortgage broker asked me "where do you get your work done" while I was closing on my house.
My doctor has a backpiece.
I dunno. I feel it a little when I travel outside of Philly, but even in the middle of buttfucknowhere I tend to get positive reactions. Perhaps it's my charming dimples.

Holy shit! A new Gypsy Gentleman episode AND news of Tattoo Age returning for a second season before my first cup of coffee!?! If jesus is coming back I bet it's today.

Half of the whole tattoo experience is GETTING TATTOOED! If you leave that out you will never understand. Most of my best tattoo experiences were on the customer side of things. I wouldnt trade those times or tattoos for anything regardless of whether or not those tattoos are dated now. Thats what made me the tattooer and person I am today. Not an abstract "love" of tattooing but actually taking part in it for the last 20 years. Its fine with me if you do not love tattooing enough to get tattooed, just dont expect any respect from those of us who do.

got a quick one from my fiancé James Buie at Inksmith n Rogers the other day... it's from some Paul Rogers flash

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kinda bummed about this

I just finished this yesterday. Two two hour sittings. Matt Brotka, Salvation Tattoo, Richmond, Virginia.

Think less. Get tattooed more!
Joking aside, although your point is very valid, it kinda doesn't matter. In my experience foreign cultures (i.e. any not your own, except Maori) don't really get offended when someone gets a tattoo influenced by their culture. I'm not sure, but this idea of offending whole cultures seems to spring from the days of usenet or early forums where there was more typing than tattooing going on.
I encounter variations of this question all the time. My answer usually is "it doesn't matter" think about everything else in your life and it's cultural authenticity. Think about the language you speak, the food you eat, the clothes you wear etc, etc. unless you are part of a tribe or Japanese, there's a good chance you live a fairly multicultural life without realising it.
But yeah, I'd say Japanese tattooing is one of the cornerstones of tattoo culture. Yes there is such a thing. To me "tattoo culture" is more interesting and valid than "tattoo lifestyle" maybe I don't act, socialise, party, work, fuck, drink, ride transportation, dress or eat like others in this culture but they still accept me as a friend, peer or brother when we meet, for the first time, or the hundredth time, anywhere in the world.
That's not to say having a sleeve will give you access to a global network of friends but 'tattoo' is a thing in, and of itself. Your Japanese tattoo won't really be a Japanese tattoo, it will be a Japanese style tattoo hopefully executed with love, effort, craft, and respect for its origins. Which is more than can be said for much of our modern lives.
Also, traditional arts and crafts are dying out in their native countries around the world. It's often foreigner's interest that keeps them alive.
With that in mind, the idea of offending a culture that allows its traditions to die through adopting some of those traditions seems a little redundant to me.
After all is said and done, I hope you get a tattoo, for you, that makes you happy.

Our Guns Make Art...Not War. You don't say.
Well how come most of the work looks like a bombsite.

I flew down to Two Roses in San Diego a few years ago to get tattooed by Ben Grillo. The guys at the shop were picking up lunch at their favorite burrito spot, Cuatro Milpas, and bought me lunch. They also have a coffee bar there and hooked me up with espresso drinks. One of the best experiences I've ever had in a shop.

Mom did the kanji for Mom on my sternum when I was 17.

I am not heavily covered in tattoos, but I have a couple. I posted two of them in the gallery, and they should be attached to this post. Both of these tattoos were done by Abe Krupinski of the Flesh Chamber in Appleton. The sailor woman was a replica tattoo of one that my grandpa had. He got it when he was in the Navy in the 50's. I'm not sure who the artist was. It is of a woman in a sailor uniform with a mop and bucket. I put the dates my grandpa lived underneath. The tiger is a tiger... not too complex.

good book! i really enjoyed it, couldn't put it down!

Here's mine.

When I was first pursuing an apprenticeship, I talked to one of the artist's at the best shop around. He invited me over to his place where we talked about it, mostly over his old Triumph. I drove him around for bits and pieces he needed to fix it up and by the end of the day, he had given me tips on presenting my portfolio of drawings and said he'd put in a good word for me...not schmoozing, just an organic conversation...then after all his wrenching and swearing, he kick started that bike. The look and sound had me hooked and hanging around at the shop after that when he'd pull up...I had to have an old Triumph. As it turned out, unbeknownst to me, he was moving. I was apprenticed to take his place.
Having married young, there was never any money for extras (or three meals some days) but I worked hard for years, doing my best to be good to tattooing and it rewarded me. When I found this 68 at the right price, I jumped on it and when I see my bike in front of the shop, I feel like it came full circle.