Idahoink

Morality is held hostage by the government.

Gots to ride with @David Flores on this...I buy whatever I can from local stores. After that, if I have to go to a bigger store, I look for American Made. If I still can't find what I need, then I try to avoid the real culture-traps and go for the simple stuff.
AS far as boycotting or avoiding certain companies, oh hell yes. Used to wear nothing but Levi's, but stopped buying anything Levi Strauss associated after they started pouring money into the so-called "gun-control" movement. Anyone that wants to restrict my rights-any of them-doesn't need my money. Another beautiful example is anything owned, controlled, or influenced by George Soros. Again, if someone wants to restrict my rights, then they don't need my help to do it.
Politics...there are a LOT of people I do business with whose politics are divergent from mine, and that's all kool. Now, if they are making their politics a part of their business, that's different. Used to eat in a certain diner, owners are friendly, food is edible, place isn't too shabby. That changed when they hung out huge posters for the Presidential candidate of their choice during the 2008 election-cycle. Handed out pamphlets in the restaurant, buttons on everyone, like that. Well, when it becomes a part of the business, I can't support it anymore, and told them that.
Just my .02...

So, this happened this evening:

Done by Richard Pinch in Aberdeen Scotland. Got the Foo Dog done last year and always wish I went bigger. Richard added all the background and more flowers and I think it fits my back a lot better now. Very happy with it. There is another chrysanthemum going in on my ribs that you can't quite see.
The flower on my hip will be the same colour as the one on my inner biceps, dark reddish. The yellow on the spots on dog will also be getting more dark tones too, like the mane.
Very, very happy with it but also slightly freaked out at the size of the tattoo on my back now!

I don't ever re-wrap my tattoos and I don't typically recommend doing that. If your skin is wrinkly like after a bath then it is definitely too moist. I personally would unwrap it, wash it and then just let it air out. If it seems kinda of goopy and wet then I wouldn't put any type of ointment or lotion on it yet either. Let it dry out a little and see if that helps. I've had some tattoos that have been very heavily packed with black and they get a little goopy like ink is coming out if I pat it with a paper towel. I have always jet let them dry out for a few days (regular cleaning but no lotion) and they have healed fine.

I dont like controversy in my life as I have lived within my entire life and can't imagine the situation you are in and hope the best for you as I support the legalization and medical use of Cannabis. With that said, I know some excellent officers with unmatched morals and ethics that I would trust my life with and had to overseas. I also know there are bad people in all industries including tattooing.
I feel fuck the police is a bit harsh and understand your mad but, when kids are taken, women are violated or beaten, people are killed, etc. they serve a purpose and some are damn good.
I dont mean to start a shitstorm and I guess as a new member you all are welcome to bash me and say fuck that guy for his opinion. I spose my membership could prove short here but Good Luck anyway.
Dont hate, educate.

Sure I'll give it a go.
My name is Kye and I'm now 24. Born is Arizona and lived there till I was 15, I moved all around the valley during those years. After that moved to Sacramento until I finished HS. Came to Japan the day after graduation, mostly as a "fuck it, I'm young. Do something stupid" moment. Yet I'm still here, and now manage a club. When I lived in the states I really loved cars, BMW e30 were my favorite. Still want to get back into one, just no chance of driving over here... Don't really know what else to add.

Heading to prison again.
J/K.
I am in no rush. I just have some time and have an opportunity with a very talanted professional artist/friend.
I also recently left the USMC for a number of years and feel free again but, was in a recent near fatal accident and should not be here typing this. I guess I want to live and dont want to miss it.
The schedule is only for 3 months - 6-7 sessions for now to finish work that never was complete.

Heading to prison again.
J/K.
I am in no rush. I just have some time and have an opportunity with a very talanted professional artist/friend.
I also recently left the USMC for a number of years and feel free again but, was in a recent near fatal accident and should not be here typing this. I guess I want to live and dont want to miss it.
The schedule is only for 3 months - 6-7 sessions for now to finish work that never was complete.

Heading to prison again.
J/K.
I am in no rush. I just have some time and have an opportunity with a very talanted professional artist/friend.
I also recently left the USMC for a number of years and feel free again but, was in a recent near fatal accident and should not be here typing this. I guess I want to live and dont want to miss it.
The schedule is only for 3 months - 6-7 sessions for now to finish work that never was complete.

Got this by Chad whilst he is here in Sydney working at Hunter and Fox

So while this whole thing is a shitshow, it's really interesting to me that by far the most depressing and pathetic episodes have been the American traditional and Japanese ones. These fuckers get very excited about doing like, black and grey portraits and the like, but across the board suck at these forms. If I remember correctly, the same was mostly true of the first season (although they at least had a decent Japanese guy, if I recall correctly).
So, question for the group: why does this keep happening? Or rather, is this an accurate reflection of the mediocre pool of tattooers out there, in that shitty tattooers are more likely to have a background in certain styles over others? Are there no people at the same meh level as these dolts who do Japanese? It seems like the kind of shitty, talentless tattooers that mostly end up on shows like these all come from a particular place stylistically, and I am wondering what that correlation means.
I have to say that that terrible fucking dragon mess was one of the worst tattoos that's ever been on that show, which is saying a lot. And that it's hard to respect a tattooer who throws himself a pity party when he's asked to tattoo a DRAGON. What the hell kind of tattooer doesn't like doing dragons???

I don't know why I can't seem to stop watching this train wreck. It's like a two headed bug - as much as you want to step on it, you can't help but look.
Did anyone see that abomination of a dragon that Clint tattooed last night? Oliver said something like it looked like he shot the dragon and beat the shit out of it for six hours. It was God-awful. From a few feet away it looked like a big black blob. I don't know what I'd do if I had that on me.
As much as I know that the "human canvases" should know better, I have to feel a little sorry for someone that had that done to them. I'm not sure it's even fixable. He may have to have it lazered off and start over. Or as some people on here have said, have it covered up with a black bear eating licorice in a dark cave at night.
At least the crazy lady appears to have taken her meds before the show. After last week's complete breakdown, I was afraid for the three amigos. I thought her head was going to start spinning and she would start hurling pea soup, doing her best exorcist imitation. I was waiting for her to say, "Don't count me out and don't turn your backs if you do!!"

Last night had my entire lower leg(knee down) and foot colored....I should have known better as when I had the outline done I could barley stand for the next 4 days. Today I am sporting a very fat foot, a calf that I do not recognize and a saweet cankle.

Ah well...
So. I thnk I'm the oldest one posting here, and I've been an employer for 17 years now, and before that, a foreman and manager for another 10.
I hired an old partner of mine to work a trade show last year. Did I say a "trade show"? Let me rephrase. I hired him to man a booth at the largest industrial exhibition in the world, for 8 days. The job was to be in the booth, hand out flyers and like that, talk to people, get names and phone numbers, all that good stuff.
My partner has work pretty much all over his body, with the exception of his face. He has a second face tattooed on the back of his head, his neck is covered, his hands are both covered down to the nail, and 99% of the work is jailhouse. Well-done jailhouse, but jailhouse nonetheless.
DIdn't hear a bit of negatory feedback.
The industry I'm in has always been a tad more open to new things than most...pretty much, if you've got the stones to rock it in a machine shop, hey-go for it. There are exceptions, of course, and I can tell stories about customers banning me from shops, or kicking my co-workers out of field-sites because they didn't like the tattoos/beards/hair/clothes/whatever, but that's really in the minority. Even when calling on GM, Boeing, Cincinnati-Milacron, places like that, as long as you wore the uniform-suit and tie-you were good to go. Didn't matter if you had work that was visible from under the cuffs, as mine is, as long as you had that tie.
Now, hell, I don't even think about it when I go out somewhere, and that's usually in a short-sleeve, open-necked shirt.
But would I mind if someone else was like that?
I gotta admit, if I went into my lawyers office, and found out I was laying out four bills an hour for a slacker in ratty jeans and a tattooed face, I would probably not go back.
I know a good number of people who have work, a lot of it pretty radical, on their faces, heads, necks, and hands. I personally don't find the oak leaves and feathers around the eyes and down the cheeks to be a very professional touch, more like the equivalent of ratty jeans. Just my opinion.
At that, I would say yeah, great to try to see everyone treated equally, but you have to be realistic to a degree as well. If you plan on EVER doing anything that is a traditional "white-shoe" type of thing, I'd pass on the face and hands.
But that's just me.

I have Victor Portugal continuing my backpiece in 2 weeks time. After Krakow I am driving to Italy and booked with Alex De Pase. From Grado Italy, driving to Genova where I am booked with Silvano Fiato for a leg piece. Then driving to the tip of Sweden for the northern lights. Around 8000 mile round trip by car. Will post some pics :)

Welcome to LST and glad you were able to find the site via googling your question and hope you'll find this community helpful...I must ask...I know the picture is close up and small though there appears to be several things that have me wondering so my first question is, was this tattoo done in a shop?

Just got this Kano Hogai inspired dragon from William Yoneyama at the New Plymouth convention.
- - - Updated - - -
Those pics need to be rotated, can't work it out on this phone,

Recently I painted this ships with skulls, I really like Samuel Briganti´s ships, really solid.

I am lucky enough to get in with Darcy Nutt by March or so for a full back piece. She is an incredible artist and one of the top in the industry. Her waiting list is 3+ years out and only taking on full back pieces to boot. Her work is not short of incredible and well worth looking up on Google or checking her work out on You Tube.
On another note I am starting on my right leg sleeve thursday. I am in the process of sleeving both legs from the toes up. I have some pics of my left leg and the start of it. Thursday I am finishing the color on my left an starting a huge skull portrait on the right shin/calf. The idea on each leg is to display both good on one and evil on another, which describes my personality.

I am lucky enough to get in with Darcy Nutt by March or so for a full back piece. She is an incredible artist and one of the top in the industry. Her waiting list is 3+ years out and only taking on full back pieces to boot. Her work is not short of incredible and well worth looking up on Google or checking her work out on You Tube.
On another note I am starting on my right leg sleeve thursday. I am in the process of sleeving both legs from the toes up. I have some pics of my left leg and the start of it. Thursday I am finishing the color on my left an starting a huge skull portrait on the right shin/calf. The idea on each leg is to display both good on one and evil on another, which describes my personality.

I am lucky enough to get in with Darcy Nutt by March or so for a full back piece. She is an incredible artist and one of the top in the industry. Her waiting list is 3+ years out and only taking on full back pieces to boot. Her work is not short of incredible and well worth looking up on Google or checking her work out on You Tube.
On another note I am starting on my right leg sleeve thursday. I am in the process of sleeving both legs from the toes up. I have some pics of my left leg and the start of it. Thursday I am finishing the color on my left an starting a huge skull portrait on the right shin/calf. The idea on each leg is to display both good on one and evil on another, which describes my personality.

I also am heavily inked. I always found it funny that in my Marine Corps career that I was rarely judged because people realized that I was a respected Marine first.
Now in the civilian life, I dont see much "to my face judging", maybe because I am not a little guy. I also live in Mormon alley and in my town it is obvious who drives the minivans and who doesnt.
I guess I just dont care if any one does judge me. Married for 26 years, 3 kids graduated from college already, Chamber Prez, Rotary Prez, with quite a resume and still getting a bunch of classy body art.
Although, I know that I have changed a few opinions and have done my job as shaking the "he must of been in prison" stigma.
I am guilty of judging myself, but i feel we all go through life judging as it is instinctual. We judge clothes, shoes, bosses, cars, etc. and even people. The difference is that I treat all people with respect until I have a reason not too.
I also think those of us that take tattooing seriously as an art form are a very special breed. We have each other and we need to remember that.
There are very few people that don't know someone with a tattoo, whether its a hidden Hello Kitty or an entire sleeve, don't let them fool you or pretend they are better than any of us..
One more thing, there is also an entire camp out there that is just jealous but have that wife, husband, father, mother, job, etc. that just will not allow it.
Good luck everyone.
It takes money to join a country club, but it takes commitment to join our club.

I also am heavily inked. I always found it funny that in my Marine Corps career that I was rarely judged because people realized that I was a respected Marine first.
Now in the civilian life, I dont see much "to my face judging", maybe because I am not a little guy. I also live in Mormon alley and in my town it is obvious who drives the minivans and who doesnt.
I guess I just dont care if any one does judge me. Married for 26 years, 3 kids graduated from college already, Chamber Prez, Rotary Prez, with quite a resume and still getting a bunch of classy body art.
Although, I know that I have changed a few opinions and have done my job as shaking the "he must of been in prison" stigma.
I am guilty of judging myself, but i feel we all go through life judging as it is instinctual. We judge clothes, shoes, bosses, cars, etc. and even people. The difference is that I treat all people with respect until I have a reason not too.
I also think those of us that take tattooing seriously as an art form are a very special breed. We have each other and we need to remember that.
There are very few people that don't know someone with a tattoo, whether its a hidden Hello Kitty or an entire sleeve, don't let them fool you or pretend they are better than any of us..
One more thing, there is also an entire camp out there that is just jealous but have that wife, husband, father, mother, job, etc. that just will not allow it.
Good luck everyone.
It takes money to join a country club, but it takes commitment to join our club.

got this outlined yesterday by max kuhn. looking forward to finishing it.

If you want your head tattooed get your head tattooed. I don't have mine tattooed, but I have seen it done, and the recipient didn't seem to be doing that bad.