OT: Trustworthy tattoo artist in the South Bay?

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 24, 2009 9:27 PM PDT Comment 34 comments

My birthday is coming up in a few weeks. A friend is buying me my very first tattoo as a gift. We need to find a reputable, clean, and trustworthy tattoo artist in the South Bay Area. Preferrably someone who specializes in custom designs. A place that does piercings as well as tattoos is fine. I'd go to my usual piercing place in Pleasant Hill but my friend lives in Sunnyvale and really wants to go to a place near her place. She's paying for it, so I have to do what she says. Thanks!

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I know you go to SJSU, and I work right across the street from Pizza My Heart…well, across the street from me is Death Before Dishonor, and they’ve done a lot of work on my friends and coworkers, and it’s all looked pretty good.

I got a few done at a place on San Carlos called San Jose Tattoo…definitely a rougher place, but John is a pretty cool guy and does good work for cheap.

Also, according to yelp, Guru Tattoo over on Saratoga is supposedly awesome, although I never got any work done there, even when I lived right behind the shop.

Billy Ripken is not a fuck face

by Karlifornia on May 24, 2009 9:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

that should have said “I work at Pizza My Heart”

Billy Ripken is not a fuck face

by Karlifornia on May 24, 2009 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You’ve served me pizza?

by Grant on May 24, 2009 10:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That Pizza is awesome

Not so proud adoptive parent of the set-up man.
This is definitely not Howry do it!

by CB30 on May 25, 2009 1:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Cool thanks. I might have to go to that Pizza My Heart and bother you one of these days.

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by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 24, 2009 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

by Grant on May 24, 2009 10:42 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

How did you know that's what I'm getting?

Supporting San Francisco Dugout since 2005 and Manny Burriss since 2006, and bringing you all your California League needs since 2009.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 24, 2009 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just don’t get a boyfriends name or something. You break up with him and it’s “oops” unless you find someone else with that name. Fine if he’s name “John” but if you’re date a “Ransus”, might be tough.

by SFGuy on May 24, 2009 10:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

by Ed Jew on May 24, 2009 11:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’d say butterflies and stars are banned as well. And read at least a year’s worth of Hanzi Smatter before getting a character form an Asian language tatooed on you.

Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.

by oldjacket on May 25, 2009 6:56 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know the characters I’m getting. I can write them, read them in both their readings, pronounce the characters, and tell you what they mean. I think I’m good.

Supporting San Francisco Dugout since 2005 and Manny Burriss since 2006, and bringing you all your California League needs since 2009.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 25, 2009 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

you aren't getting this?

Randy Winn is going to catch that. And he'll do it real classy-like too.

by oldjacket on May 25, 2009 6:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m getting that tattooed on my [censored]

Supporting San Francisco Dugout since 2005 and Manny Burriss since 2006, and bringing you all your California League needs since 2009.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 25, 2009 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

TROGDOR

Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti. "I treat Timmy differently from most pitchers: I leave him alone."

card carrying Bochy Hatter

by natteringnabob on May 25, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

burninatin the Dodgers

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by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 25, 2009 5:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

where did Goofus get a velociraptor?

STEVE HOLM! refuses to be the odd man out.

by UnleashTheGore on May 27, 2009 8:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Check out Temple Tattoo on 17th in Oakland, or Black Hearted on Valencia in ‘The City’. Neither will be cheap but you can be confident you’re getting top quality.

If you’re getting anything Japanese, I’d reccomend Colin Stevens at Body Manipulations in SF.

by mxmob33 on May 24, 2009 11:14 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Baron is looking for a place in the South Bay.

by SFGuy on May 25, 2009 1:18 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read that, but given the length of time you have to live with your tats I don’t think a short drive is much of an inconvenience.

by mxmob33 on May 25, 2009 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Analog Tattoo in downtown SJ. Expensive and it can take forever to get an appointment, but its the best around

by m34josh on May 25, 2009 12:51 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

There’s a place on Meridian upstairs above the Starbucks on the corner of Meridian and San Carlos, across from the Safeway. I forget the name of it, but I’ve had a few friends get some nice work done there.

by Hobbes2d on May 25, 2009 4:40 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Humble Beginnings

i was gonna hop in here and suggest it, too.

their website has samples of their artists’ work. friend of mine got work done by Orly, damn good stuff.

by dorkiedrummer on May 26, 2009 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Baron is going to get Goofus’ face on her butt!

(and she is going to get a tattoo as well!)

by Lars The Wanderer on May 25, 2009 10:05 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

funny thing is

that was a birthmark

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by merkin on May 25, 2009 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Graven Image

It’s near Sunnyvale, on El Camino in Mountain View, and they do great work and do custom designs. I got my tattoo there and would highly recommend the place.

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by marcello on May 25, 2009 10:38 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This is the second recommendation I’ve had for Graven Image. I think that might be the winner.

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by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 25, 2009 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I do not have any tattoos so I really do not know. But I have some friends that got work done by Dawei Tattoo in Santa Clara. They have done work for many of the mid-90s 49ers, and you will see their pictures on the walls when you go in there.

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by Giant among Angels on May 25, 2009 11:12 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Guru Tattoo

I’m currently getting my 3rd tattoo from Cory at Guru Tattoo in San Jose, and I will be getting my 4th as soon as my current one is done. Cory is great at the custom work, as for my sleeve I just give him an idea of what I’m looking for and any reference samples, and he custom draws it himself, no flash on the wall. Cory is on vacation this coming week, but will be back the week of June 2nd. Cory is pretty booked up, but the other artists are good too (Josh, Shana, Che, & Dave the owner), but they have been pretty busy the last month or so. Best advice is to drop by and talk with one of the artists and see when they would be available for a consultation.

Their address is 4213 Barrymore St in San Jose, and their number is 408-247-4878.

You can check out some of their work on their website http://www.gurutattoo.net/

and their reviews on Yelp http://www.yelp.com/biz/guru-tattoo-san-jose

by hitme on May 25, 2009 1:22 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Whatever you do, don’t go to the place my friends go to.

I guess it is cheap so you have more money for other stuff. *shrugs *

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by WalrusMan on May 25, 2009 7:54 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Tell me what it is so I can steer clear of it?

Supporting San Francisco Dugout since 2005 and Manny Burriss since 2006, and bringing you all your California League needs since 2009.

by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 25, 2009 8:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well it’s a ways away from Sunnyvale. I know it’s none of the places you’ve looked at so far, but I can’t remember the name.

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by WalrusMan on May 25, 2009 9:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs