The difference between Spotlight and a lot of the other shops out there is evident as soon as you walk in. “Most shops in LA, or the world even, just have Xeroxed shit on the walls,” gripes artist Charlie Roberts. But at Spotlight, Roberts points out, “We’ve got original flash.” Much of that flash, it’s important to note, was hand-painted in the ’70s by Charlie’s own father, Spotlight proprietor (and living tattoo legend) Bob Roberts. Ultimately, however, it’s the quality of the artists that separates Spotlight from the pack. “I’d put my team against anybody’s,” boasts Roberts. “There are maybe only one or two other teams in the world that even come close.” Originally opened in Manhattan before moving to Los Angeles in the early ’80s, Spotlight shines as one ...
Seventh Son might be the best amalgamation of all San Francisco’s tattoo scene has to offer. Co-owned by Jason Kundell (former coowner of Artwork Rebels), Erik Rieth (formerly of Everlasting Tattoo), and Luke Stewart (who was a regular guest artist at Artwork Rebel), the studio may be on the new side, but its artists have certainly been around long enough to garner respect. It shows in their clientele. “We cater more to the serious collector who wants bigger, custom pieces,” says Rieth. Translation? The accumulative hours spent working on a piece means the artists at Seventh Son often end up developing personal relationships with their clients. “For us, clients aren’t just customers,” says Rieth. “Since we see the same person several times, we end up becoming friends. Half the time ...
Co-owned and operated by venerable artists Ed Hardy and Fip Buchanan, Tattoo City, in the heart of the historic North Beach area, is at the apex of the tattoo world. Hardy himself hand picks each of the store’s artists to carry on the tradition he began more than 40 years ago. “Everyone has an individual style, but they all work under Ed’s eye,” says Tattoo City manager Aleph Kali. “It’s quite an honor to work here.” Small and covered from wall to wall with antique flash from Sailor Jerry, Hardy, and other legendary artists, Tattoo City is also part “ink museum.” “A lot of the flash is older than most of the customers that come in here,” says Kali. But don’t head there expecting to pick up any Hardy gear. ...
Grime talks fast, but his work takes time; his website, grimemonster.com, informs visitors that the wait to get inked is currently a whopping three years. Opening the store just over a year ago (after, Grime says, he grew tired of the “speed freaks” and “shitty landlord” he was dealing with at the now-defunct Artwork Rebels), Grime and his staff of self-proclaimed “tattoo warriors” have carved out a niche for themselves in the Bay Area. And that’s not just because they have a reputation for producing super-high-quality work or because the owner is something of a tattoo rock star; the shop works because, as Grime says, “We’re really nice.” With no signage to advertise that they even exist, Primal Urge is the studio for the erudite collector looking for a warm, ...
“We are more or less the anti-shop shop,” says Everlasting Tattoo’s Henry Lewis about this staple on the San Francisco tattoo scene. “We’re more like a fine arts tattoo gallery.” Why? To begin, there is no flash of any kind in the store. Instead the walls are decorated with paintings by the artists, many of who have had shows at galleries in and around San Francisco. Owner Mike Davis, whose paintings and illustrations were recently featured in a show at San Francisco’s White Walls gallery, also had a hand in building everything in the store. Although they travel to conventions around the world (the studio recently attended a convention in Rome), they don’t enter contests. “We don’t believe in that sort of thing,” says Lewis. “The work speaks for itself.” ...
Run by Bill Salmon with Juni, his wife of 20 years, Diamond Club is anything but your average mom-and-pop shop. Both Salmons have spent their whole lives tattooing, mostly as a team. “Working with my wife everyday is fun stuff,” says Bill. “It’s a good time everyday.” Before opening its doors to the public just a few years ago, Diamond Club operated for 13 years solely as a private, appointment-only club that offered high-quality, custom pieces in a comfortable environment. While they do a little bit of everything, the shop, according to Bill, is mostly “all about color.” What they don’t specialize in is ego. Notes Bill, “We are just one of many out there in what is a great tattoo city.” Eat: Rex Café, 2323 Polk St., San Francisco, ...
When you ask Blackheart owner Scott Sylvia what sets his studio apart from the sea of shops in the Bay Area, you are likely to hear words like “established” and “tradition” somewhere in his response. And, “We don’t suck,” he says seriously. “There are only a handful of good shops left in the area,” Sylvia says with a combination of ruefulness and pride, “and we’re one of them.” Having logged more than 14 years working in and around San Francisco, Sylvia considers himself and the members of his team to be part of an elite group of artists. “That level of experience counts for something,” Sylvia says. Opened in 2004 by Sylvia, with friends Jeff Rassier and Tom Lehi, both of whom he’s known and worked with at several locales ...
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