Bunny Switchblade

I have come to really not enjoy conventions anymore.....I haven't been down to Richmond since the year Billy Eason passed!

However.....I am toying with coming down for this since there may be one or two tattooers there I'd like to add work from BUT nothing is a definite though! I did see Scott's name on the list as tattooers coming!

Tattoo Flu.....

Yup.....Jon Glessner does great work......just have him do a tattoo that is finished in one sitting! JMO

I'm not sure what nickname he went by back then. It might have been rags or smiley. But his name was Henry also. He knew Dennis and Gail before they got Charlies place.

I still have Charlie's obituary. My dad had one Charlie's brass machines.

That's awesome.....I will mention this to Gale this evening when I see her!

Very cool!!! :D

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@MattB .... Baltimore/Maryland is a very strange city when it comes to tattooing!

There are some really amazing options....a person could stay within a 50 mile radius and get GREAT tattoos by so many different tattooers and never get a bad tattoo as long as they understood who the right people to go to are!

Then factor in NYC/PHILLY/DC & Richmond and you have insane choices of world class tattooers!

But for some reason the Baltimore tattoo community seem to be more "shop" loyal than they are "tattoo quality" loyal!

Nothing really wrong with that....but people really cheat themselves but doing that!

You sound like you are definitely on the right path to getting some amazing work!!!

Keep that mindset!

I consider make-up....clothing.....hair (even facial) styles......and anything else humans do to alter their appearance to either be different or the same (including tattoos) as body mods! (maybe clothing is not an actual mod to the physical body but it still has the same affect.....

I have seen some people I personally think look ridiculous (although I do hold my tongue because that is their form of self expression) so I am sure there are those who feel the same about me/us!

BUT.....no one should ever be ashamed to be who they are and freely express that!

Society does it's best to force people to conform.....that will never be me....he he he....even though I do and have fallen into that trap on occasion!

:D

@Bunny Switchblade you are a gem, and thank you for the words of wisdom. I'll be taking a leaf out of your book if any further tattoo shaming happens and say "fuck 'em!" :D

People don't always agree with me on this BUT......

I chose to alter my body in a way I knew at the time (and still to this day) that society was not going to fully accept!

I was not born this way.......so no one else is to blame but me!

I knew how stupid people are and how they would treat me....and I was pretty much right!

BUT....I made that conscious decision to do it anyway!

If I had been born this way then their judgements would have been down right ignorant....BUT....the people who give anyone crap about tattoos are just mindless sheep that will follow the rest of the herd right off a cliff if the rest head that way! Be proud you made the decision to be different....YOU are being who you are while they just follow trends!

Some women decide to get tattooed to adorn their bodies and some get those goofy little (imo) designs painted on their finger nails for $100+ dollars.......to each his/her own!

<3

My dad tattooed in Baltimore in the 70's with Charlie Geizer. And my grandfather was Vinnie Myers barber before he passed away.

Who was your Dad... Big Henry???

My mentor is Gale Watkins....wife of Dennis Watkins (RIP)

And some of my first apprentice tattoos were done at Tattoo Charlies Place before Gale sold it a year ago!

Very Cool!

As I've mentioned before, my close girl friends have zero interest in tattoos. I caught up with one last weekend and she asked me if I had any coming up and I almost fell of my chair. She also asked how far I was going to go with it. When I mentioned an idea for a chest piece her face screwed up, she grunted and said "Urgh, don't ever, ever get your chest tattooed! They look disgusting" I said to her "Well thank god you don't have to live with it then! I'll do what I want!" and that was the end of the conversation. Boy did it feel good to say that though.

And good for you doll! :)

You are really finding yourself in all of this!

I grew up in a time where it wasn't acceptable for a young lady to be tattooed.....but then I was not a "lady" by most people's standards so I didn't give a fuck to be honest!

It's great that these people are showing you who they are upfront......makes it so much easier for you to decide if you want them in your life!

I was told with my first professional tattoo that I better develop a very thick skin because society was going to not accept a big ol' butterfly on my left breast.....and very visible too....LOL

It made it very easy to figure out who belonged in my life and who didn't....and that included family!

Now everyone seems to want to be fully covered over night.....silly people!

Take your time babe and get tattooed at a speed you are comfortable with BUT never again be ashamed of any tattoo you get....it is who YOU are....not them....and you should be proud of who you are! <3

Dana Helmuth.....

That I love easily consumed, portable, chocolate covered fruits.

I mean.....who doesn't???

Welcome fellow Marylander!

Matt Rinks.....Brady Duncan....Eric Gregory......Dave Sobel......Uncle Paulie......Hunter Spanks......Tom Beasley......Kike Castillo....Vinnie Meyers! And these people to your list of Baltimore tattooers you should get tattooed by or at least look into!

Shop loyalty is awesome......BUT with as much talent as we have in Baltimore it is almost silly to be a loyalist!

Frederick has some incredible artists.....Hagerstown has Dave Kruseman.......and the list could go on honestly!

Was it here that someone suggested we all coin the tattoos on the "love handles"....."Hoe handle tattoos?

He he he.....lets see if we can make people even more self conscious than they already are!

Who cares what it's called......just get tattooed wherever you like! :)

I'm not sure why a term would make someone ashamed of their tattoo honestly.....I am not trying to be an ass.....but maybe it's because I have been tattooed so long that I got very accustom to being judged for so long....that just about nothing bothers me anymore other than people coming up and touching me for no reason!

10 years ago I started grabbing women's boobs who thought it was okay to touch me........it's funny as shit now when it happens....I almost want it to happen sometimes! ;)

Yeah....public forum.....so don't discuss it here!

Funny how 10 years ago you would get told to mind your own business if you asked what pigment your tattooers was using and the bottles in a lot of shops had no labels!

Now people are "sponsored" and they hashtag it all over the fuckin place and fly the banners high at conventions!!!

Keep your set up a mystery to the public......they don't need to know anything!

AND.......if a tattooer is nice enough to share something with you it is privileged info and only for your ears....not for your mouth to repeat it (even to another artist)......that's how I have always tried to treat it at least!

That tacos are the best food for discussing tattoos.

I love tacos...... <3

It's taught me how to attract other women without even trying! ;)

Like a fly to the spider......he he he

I hope you wanted a serious answer!

Pain killers fuck everything up.....makes it worse.....at least the time or two it was offered to me as an option and I chose it!

Some one told me if your going to take something then take an anti-anxiety med......just to relax you.....but honestly I wouldn't take anything anymore that isn't prescribed specifically for me!

People get all hyped up and syke themselves out and make it worse for themselves sometimes!

It hurts.....it is temporary pain though! :)

I'd choose "tattoo mojo" over technical perfection any day. It's like music man... It needs soul! I think Deutsche, Roberts and Horiyoshi's work has plenty, and then some.

I'll read this whole thread tomorrow.....but this pretty much sums it all up!

I have been tattooed by several "legends" as you call them......but most of these people are only legends in your mind.....in their minds they are just tattooers who appreciate that so many people are stoked to be tattooed by them! I think you would be surprised by how grounded a lot of these people really are!

I personally decided about 10 years ago i was going to concentrate on getting tattooed by tattooers who have 30+ years in the craft....leaning toward the 40+ year guys and gals! Some of them you may have heard of and others you may not have heard of.....but they put their time in and started tattooing in a time where tattoos really weren't socially acceptable and the "in" thing to do!

Some of their work might not be the most technical or most innovative BUT that shit doesn't matter to me....I have really solid work on me that has held up 20+ years and it still looks better than a lot of people's 10 year old tattoos!

To each his/her own though....that's how I look at it all!

I'll never say anyone has lost it though!

Tattooing is a journey.....just like life! ;)

Here is me getting tattooed this past Friday night!

DISCLAIMER --- I am a tattooer that served a formal apprenticeship!!!

(just testing out a new set of machines...before I use them on someone else)

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@SeeSea .......That's what i had thought you were talking about originally......but it does seem to have morphed into "anything goes" :)

Quickest way to get the page count into the hundreds.

Ha ha ha!!!

Sad thing is I probably do have photos of just about all the tattooers that have tattooed me!

I have always asked for at least a photo even if they would prefer for me not to post it online.....

I was going to frame a photo on me being tattooed with the stencil from the tattoo......but it has never happened to date! One day i will do some of them though....

You don't want me to post them all do you??? ;)

That one was cool the first fifty times I saw it.

I know....I know......but it's a classic and it meets his needs! :/

Am I really the only one who has said welcome to him???

Manners people.....manners??? :)

Now i know it's been really overdone......but I say a walrus holding a club......but instead of clubbing a seal (could be a cute baby seal if you like) instead it gores it with it's tusks!!!

strive.....seek.....find......not yield!

I would so get that if it weren't so cliche'

Oh....welcome to the forum too!!! :)

While I was up in Brooklyn, NY this past weekend I also added a tattoo from Peter Giaquinto of Pete & Cubo's Tattoo in Queens!

Pete is the 100th tattooer to have tattooed me!

(yes I have kept track at several peoples request in the craft)

I am not sure whether it was posted or not on here BUT it seems I got to be tattooed by and visit with Peter Giaquinto just in time!

Peter was laid to rest last weekend!

He was very welcoming to me and told me some really cool stories as well as sharing with me a few things on tattooing!

:(

You can hit up Rich, @daveborjes! He would know a lot more about it then me since he pretty much has helped Tony keep the place open on a limited basis!

My guess is that Tony will continue to tattoo at a shop or two around the city by appointment or just on occasion and I heard mention of another trip down to the Philly convention.....but not sure that is reliable!

If he does tattoo I am sure it will be quick and simple american traditional stuff off of a few flash sheets!

I do know that this will be the last time that the shop will be opened.....it will be closed for good after this Saturday!

I want to be there so bad.....there's just nothing I can do....can't leave the shop short-handed! :(

Wagner's business cards have "Tattooing Artist" on them........so the terms has been used for many....many years....but over the years there have been all kinds of names given to it!

I prefer Tattooer......

It was posted up by Rich Fie that this is the last Saturday Tony Polito will open Old Calcutta for tattooing! He and Rich Fie have been going in every other Saturday for a while now to tattoo mostly other tattoo artists but it seems that is going to be coming to an end!

If you want to see Old Calcutta once last time......or even for your first time.....then this is the last or only chance!

I can't make it up because I would leave my shop short handed if I did BUT I thought I would let everyone know!