When tattoo veterans Brad Fink and Mark Andrews decided to open Iron Age Tattoo in 1994, they modeled the new shop after a place most people hate—the dentist. “When we opened, there were only nine shops in the St. Louis area, and they were all older and dingier,” Andrews explains over the sound of music and buzzing needles. “We wanted something clean and modern. It seems obvious now, but very few shops were going for that look back then.” Andrews and Fink set up Iron Age on Missouri’s hippest street, the Delmar Loop, and the shop’s approach and crew of skilled artists have helped them stay at the forefront of the St. Louis scene, even as competition has exploded around them over the past decade and a half. “I haven’t ...
In 1990, tattooer Oliver Peck made the decision to never again wear a pair of shoes that wasn't red. "It's sort of an LSD-induced pact I made with myself," Peck explains from the floor of Elm Street Tattoo, which he opened with partner Dean Williams in 1996. In the 12 years since Elm Street opened its doors, Peck has worn out a closet full of red shoes ("I still have them all. I can go count them for you," he jokes) even if the look and feel of the shop haven't changed much. "From the beginning, we wanted to open a really traditional shop. We weren't interested in the new, studio-type place," Peck explains. With his growing collection of dice, more Americana on the walls than the local T.G.I. Friday's, ...
If you're into neon signs and lots of flash on the walls, then there are plenty of tattoo shops to choose from on the streets of Florida. But when Phil Holt opened RedLetter1 in 2003, he wanted something different for both his customers and himself. "When I first opened, I had just gotten back from Mick's shop in Zurich, Switzerland," Holt explains from Skull & Sword in San Francisco, where he is finishing up a stint. "He didn't have street shop flash all over the walls and not everything was tattoo-oriented. He had a library and a place to chill out, too, so it was really comfortable. That's how I wanted to set up." Holt found his comfortable space on the second floor of an old factory in Tampa, FL, ...
When Th’ink Tank Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery opened in Denver it gave the ink-loving folks in the Mile-High City a quality place for tattoos and a stellar gallery space. It almost didn’t last. “When we first started, we opened up in a neighborhood that was just too pricey,” says artist Jef Kopp. “Luckily, we figured that out pretty quickly and we moved over to our current space on Broadway. We’ve been here for four and a half years now and it’s exactly the right location for us. So much so that we’re now undergoing a complete remodel.” The changes weren’t strictly cosmetic, either. In 2005, Kopp sold the business to longtime associate and tattoo artist of 17 years Scottie DeVille, who’s now at the reigns. “It felt right and ...
Don’t even think about asking Keone Nunes to tattoo a dagger or dolphin on you. “All I do is Hawaiian tattoos, designs inked for various cultural reasons,” says Nunes. These designs (bold, geometric shapes) have names, meanings, prayers and can reflect the genealogy of the individual. Nunes, who has been tattooing since 1990, works nontraditionally—he has no shop (he works out of a Hawaiian healing center) and he doesn’t use machines (he taps, which he assures is faster and less painful). “In the process of getting tattooed in the ’70s, my tattooist and inspiration, Kandi Everett, recognized the fact that I knew a lot about Hawaiian tattoos from a cultural view,” Nunes explains. “She encouraged me to bring that back out to the community.” Since then, he’s been inking people ...
You might get a little claustrophobic in the small space of South Pacific, but it’s worth it. Owner Thomas “Wondo” Wondoloski, a Hawaii resident for 15 years, has been tattooing for 22 years and knows tattoos well. After all, his inspiration was the late tattoo legend Asa Lee Crow III. “He was like a carnival strolling down the road. I sure do miss him,” says Wondoloski. The shop’s tattoo artists are versed in everything from tribal to traditional, color, or black, and they’re confident that their work speaks for itself. Most of the designs are painted in-house, and you can get an idea of their work from the fl ash that covers every corner of the walls. Wondoloski has been an inspirational asset to the industry, whether he believes it ...
“We worked hard to get to where we’re at,” says tattooist Kevin Mokuahi. “It’s the quality of our work that has given us our reputation.” And it’s true. Located off a major road between Waikiki and North Shore, the TNT shop is not in the most tourist-driven area, but its steady client base (primarily military and surfers) proves it’s worth the drive. Everyone from Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. to ’N Sync and Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath have been inked here. Mokuahi has been tattooing for more than 12 years and takes the work seriously, from apprenticeship to culture. “The fi rst thing we do with apprentices is give them books on tattoo artists. How do you want to put a tattoo on someone when you don’t even know where the craft came ...
When owner Robert Hackney opened A Tiki Tattoo, it effortlessly blended right in with colorful Waikiki. Unlike many of the tattoo parlors on the island, A Tiki embraces island lifestyle with its laid-back, open atmosphere and friendly staff. The shop feels like a tropical oasis complete with bamboo light decor and paneling. With more than 30 years experience, Hackney plans on making A Tiki Tattoo a household name. Each of the five full-time tattooists (three born and raised in Hawaii) brings in his own clientele, whether locals, tourists, or celebs such as Reverend Horton Heat, Mike Ness of Social Distortion, and members of Alice in Chains. With diverse backgrounds, their focus is versatile, ranging from realism to old school Polynesian. “It’s a good place for people visiting Hawaii—they can bring ...
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