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| - Though it's been years (almost a decade) since I've gotten a tattoo, I got my last piece by Dirk- the owner/tattoo artist of this tattoo shop. It was my divorce gift to myself. I had just regained my independence from an abusive relationship to my previous husband. (When I couldn't bring myself to get his name tattooed on my body, I knew it was over- he had just gotten my nick name on his arm in huge lettering and he wanted me to reciprocate.) I was also a previous client here but with another artist (yup, he was a little rude, I can see why some customers would get turned off, as other reviewers mentioned)- two small characters on my right shoulder underneath my first one (got the one at a downtown tattoo shop, where bikers were the usual clientele).
I set the appointment up but something had happened- the appointment had to be changed, pushed back. Dirk was very apologetic and knocked the price from $160 to $130 (I brought cash, plus I tipped). The whole process took about 5 hours and 45 minutes total, on two occasions (yeah, it's big). He was always checking to see if I was alright; we took breaks (I'm not gonna lie, it was so painful). He was pretty laid back- likable, the sleeves would make him seem a little intimidating, at first glance. I was pleased with the result. It was a little funny that people kept popping their heads into the room, to see his work in progress, but I understood why. I would suggest requesting Dirk since he's an excellent artist. The tools are clean. I would not trust going to a shop that offers $10.00 tattoos (like the ones in the downtown area). Dirk's shop is all about the tiki's- he's a collector; the vibe is "eclectic cool".
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