Just a ? for everyone

[OUTLAWS WHOCARES]

Well several. Being an owner of a Tattoo shop I was wondering what your reaction is to seeing someone that is covered. Do you get scared. Laugh, call them freaks, wonder what the hell is wrong with them? What is your response to seeing a person as described.

Do you understand or know anything about the History or what it means to get tattooed?

I would really like to get honest thoughts on this. I will respond to any and all ?'s

[NightBreed]

It doesn't bother me at all..I've been riding Harleys for the past twenty five years, so with that crowd, I've seen some pretty intricate work that just amazes me at the detail and skill involved..

Of course, I've seen some pretty cheesy tattoos too and wondered wtf was going thru their head when they had it done. :confused: But hey...it's a free country !!

[merkwannabe]

Laugh, call them freaks, wonder what the hell is wrong with them.

Haha.. I'm joking. Well, I think it's cool and not cool.. Depends on the tattoo and the person.. I want to be more interested in the person than the tattoos and unfortunatley a lot of people who have tattoos all over their body make it a really big deal so the tattoos kind of become who they are.. They want people to look at them,(in general).. It's like people who are of a different ethnic sometimes want racism so they can be angry. I know that's a huge sterotype, but recently that's been true with the people I meet. Forget your tattoos and your race, we're all the same and let's live! Does that make any sense. I'm saying that people shouldn't make it a big deal.. Move on folks, if you will.. I'm not really experienced with real people, but hey, I like posting random thoughts..

Edit: I am in no way racist nor discrimative against people with tattoos..

[merkwannabe]

I get the feeling my post is going to be a)ignored b)thought of as insensitive c)thought of as stupid or d)made fun of

[ME BIGGD01]

honestly i think they are freaks if they are covered all over like the guy here at coney island who you see has tattoos all over his body including eyelids. if you have tattoos on places that can be covered and not visable to the eye i see no problem with it. what i mean by that is incase you expect to work for a company where appearence matters.

on a side note, i think this is america and if someone wants to do it, they have the right to do what they want. i also think that it shouldnt matter what others think if it isnt hurting or interfering with their lives.

on another note, i was considering getting a rather large celtic cross on my back. i hear it's pretty painful but that doesnt concern me too much. what does something like that cost and do you have any designs>? also how long does a project usually take?

[JIMINATOR]

i'll be honest with you. that's kind of a double sided question. you have the small tattoos, and some of those can be really cool, and enhance a persons appearance, maybe make them more interesting. And then for someone that is covered, well, that goes to the stereotypes. The initial reaction to someone that is covered in tattoos, well, I think they are trying to shock people, same as someone that has tons of metal in their face. obviously different people have different reasons for getting tattoos. some can be discreet, others are brazen about it. maybe they are perceived as more dangerous, or unstable. hollywood has pushed that stereotype, I liked the tattoo guy on nip/tuck first season. I guess in his case they did make him look more evil or dangerous. not to mention Japanese organized crime.... oh, and look at my avatar... :)

[OUTLAWS WHOCARES]

"Of course, I've seen some pretty cheesy tattoos too and wondered wtf was going thru their head when they had it done. But hey...it's a free country !!"

Good Tattoos are not Cheap and Cheap Tattoos are not good.

"Honestly, I have a sort of an admiration that someone would take their passion to what I think as the extreme...but I do always wonder if they regret what they did....especially those folk that are covered. I don't consider them any different than myself....other than the fact they have artwork all over thier body"

I am amazed that someone besides myself and few others agree with me that Tattoo is an art form. To me it's the highest form of art available. Having said that I see 100's of plain out crappy tattoos every single week. People go to e-bay or the back of a magazine and think well crap I can draw why not tattoo. If not done properly a persone can really be hurt. Proper saftey precautions need to be used.


Mr. Wannabe. I have 70% of my body Tattooed with plans for more. Me personally I don't show my tattoos off much unless asked. Iusually get dirty looks and nasty commenty. Most think I am a skinhead because I am bald. To me each and every single one of my Tattoos has a story and a deep meaning behind them. The Histoy of Tattoos goes back Millions of Years. I will try to come up with something to explain them. And no I do not think you are a racist in any way. I asked for honest thoughts and you gave them For that I thank you.

Big. I will respond to your post in a few minutes with a new one.

[JIMINATOR]

post some pics, i know you have before. i think also there is some pretty grand art in tattooing. the main problem is that you can't really enjoy them if you see someone. then it is like what the hell are you looking at? so people don't.

[OUTLAWS WHOCARES]

"honestly i think they are freaks if they are covered all over like the guy here at coney island who you see has tattoos all over his body including eyelids. if you have tattoos on places that can be covered and not visable to the eye i see no problem with it. what i mean by that is incase you expect to work for a company where appearence matters."

I was hanging out with one of the Tattooed men from the Coney Island freak show today. He was there in the 50's. I asked him why. The only way he could explain why he has his eyelids/face/ and entire body tattooed was that it was a very deep and personal thing. Some people do it for shock value while others do it for other reasons. I'm not too sure how to explain it in any other way. It is a culture. I have never had any problems getting a job with mine and I have no shame in covering them up. Will I tattoo my face never in a million years. It's not for me and my Mom's would kill me.

"on another note, i was considering getting a rather large celtic cross on my back. i hear it's pretty painful but that doesnt concern me too much. what does something like that cost and do you have any designs>? also how long does a project usually take?"

Since you live in NY it will not be cheap. I would suggest that to visit a place called Cliffs Tattoo on Long Island. Every Artist there is highly qualified. I am sure they will have somethin to fit your needs and or personal style if not they could draw something for you. A good Tattoo artist will work with you to get exactly what you want.

[OUTLAWS WHOCARES]

Jim in your first post you mentioned shock value. To some thats exactly what it is. To me again its another way to express myself through art. Shock value means nothing to me. As far as Metal in your face well I think that sh!t just hurts. I have had quite a few done and removed them all over time. Body Modification is a whole different level of how one can expree themselves. i have a website I would like to post but I reallyshould not due to some of it's content. Yes the site to me is full of art but it will most likely offend people. Or make them cringe. You also mentioned Japan style of tattooing. Well they do things different. In many many cultures it is a right of passage.

[OUTLAWS WHOCARES]

post some pics, i know you have before. i think also there is some pretty grand art in tattooing. the main problem is that you can't really enjoy them if you see someone. then it is like what the hell are you looking at? so people don't.


There is a convention coming up in my area soon. I will be entering several contests so I will have to shve my damn legs. That is when I will post some. When there is no hair in the way.


Oh damn Hey Big. The back isn't that bad. I found that right next to the spine and near the kidneys is where it just sucks.

[NightBreed]

Good Tattoos are not Cheap and Cheap Tattoos are not good.



Man...ain't that the truth !!
:thumbs:

On a side note..I never knew this, but up until October of 2000, it was illegal to operate a tattoo parlor in the state of Massachusetts..A few guys I know up in Worcester Mass used to travel down to Raz-a-tat in Torrington Ct to get some work done ..I thought they were fulla crap when they told me about the law, but I looked it up and it was true !! :confused: Any other states like that ?

[OUTLAWS WHOCARES]

There are plenty of states that don't allow tattoo palors. Up untill a few years ago NY was one of them. Off hand I can't think of any other states. I guess it's a fear that people have. Sterotype and such. Bunch of nonsense. Then again there are alot of really crappy tattoo artists out there. When I say alot I mean 8 out of 10 people who say they are tattoo artists really should not be in the profession. You think people who do hair and nails get the dirt on people you should listen to the stuff people spill out about themselves when sitting in the chair.

[merkwannabe]

Thanks Who for not thinking I'm a racist doo doo. :)

I agree that tattoos can be an art.. I still wonder how tattoos can be so cheap when you think about how much pressure an artist has to make sure the tattoo is perfect and there's no eraser!!! :dumbfounded: Like I said though, someone who is never wearing a shirt and is full of tattoos seems a bit too full of themselves. Then again, if tattoos are a personal thing then it's only normal.. What a paradox!

[Slice]

Personally I don't feel I need art on my body. I have nothing against anyone getting ink nor do I judge them. I have lots of friends and clients who are inked all over the place and I treat them just the same.

[merkwannabe]

Personally I don't feel I need art on my body.you are art.

[Dan2]

Tattoos don't bother me at all. I would think that if someone had ink on their hands or neck, they might regret those locations later in life. I also think that the minimum age should be 21 for getting a tattoo. Too many kids get tattoos just to be "cool" and accepted by their "cool" friends. Kind of like smoking cigarettes.
Is there any kind of health department inspections in tattoo parlors? Similar to restaurants.

[Die Hard]

People that have tatoo's in very visible area's such as face, neck and hands do shock me. I guess it's a natural reaction to seeing something very unusual. But it's like everything else, you have to get to know a person before you can make a judgement.

I have a tatoo on my upper arm. It's about 3 inches sq and just an 'arty' design and doesn't say or look like anything. It's right at the top of my arm so you can't see it even when I wear a T Shirt. I had it done for me. (Besides the chicks love it when they see it :D)

People who have offensive words or symbols in visible areas are jerks. :down:

Good post Who :thumbs:

[solid snake295]

i think its alright. if other people dont like them, dont look at them, simple as that.
i think a good example of what your talking about is everyones favorite bike builder, jesse james (except for Shogun... he likes those OCC slackers :P )
hes got alot of tats but i think thats alright, considering his work environment.
you surely woundnt expect someone that works in an office to look like that.
so i guess its acceptable in some places and not in others.
ive got a couple that i want to get. i think i might go get this one on my shoulder in a week or 2. (attached image)

http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/0310/Byko/figA.gif

[OUTLAWS WHOCARES]

"Is there any kind of health department inspections in tattoo parlors? Similar to restaurants."

In most states you have to have a doctor inspect the shop to make sure it is clean and proper precautions are followed. I make my artists take a 2 week class in Osha standards every year. It is a requirement by law.

Now I have the sides of my hands done with 2 small tattoos. One is a pair of dice with flames and the other is a martini glass. As far as words yes I do have several words tattooed on me. On the top of my arm just above the wrists on both arms one says Love the other says Lost. I also have several ddeep personal sayings in banners on me.

As far as the age limit 18 is fine. You can vote at 18 the goverment considers you an adult at 18 free to make your choice. Sure I have a few that I wish I never got but if you talk to anyone that has tattoos they will laugh and say yup everyone has at least on crappy one.

[OUTLAWS WHOCARES]

"People who have offensive words or symbols in visible areas are jerks."

My shop will not tattoo gang signs or just stupid stuff. If you want some retarded saying on you your gonna pay for it.
People think oh how cn someone make a living doing that. TThere are Artists out there that charge 200.00 bucks an hour with a min of 3 hours. These are the top notch guys. My shop being in the area it is in charges 125.00 per hour no matter what. I also charge a few of 5 bucks per needle setup.

I guess the reason I made this post was yesterday I was walking through the mall and people would do nothing but stare at me and give me weird looks. It bothered me. So I figured well sh!t let me at least try to educate people a bit. Let me try to open peoples eyes to how deep a tattoo can be. I have seen people come into a shop so damn depressed and walk out with hge smiles on their faces.

Please keep your comments coming if you wish to do so and I will respond to each. I thank all of you that have responded so far.