Sole is amazing!!! Started my tattoo journey fall last year with Sole and could not be happier with the end result. Our consultation was great, she answered all of my questions and gave me feedback on what to expect. We scheduled 4 sessions and finished my half sleeve in less than 4 which was great for me being that was traveling back and forth from Dallas, TX to JAX for each session. I had been following the shop for a few years prior to actually getting in touch with them to start the process. I brought all of my ideas of exactly what I wanted to my artist and she was very enthusiastic about the piece that I was considering. My first appointment came and I was extremely nervous since I hadn't had a tattoo in a long time especially that large. She showed me the sketch and I was in awe of the piece. It was exactly what I envisioned so we began. Sole put on some music, we talked, Ate food, watched my best friend fall asleep as I was getting tattooed, talked some more and had an overall great time. Aprox 5-6 hours later or maybe more we finished our first session in which honestly felt like it flew by. I think by her being so welcoming and just overall personality helped ease my nerves and make the whole process so much easier. We finished my tattoo after a few sessions and now that it's been a few months since I have gotten it I decided to write a review. Thanks Sole for everything and thank you Black Hive for being such a great shop! read more

Black Hive Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Nick is an exceptionally talented artist who demonstrates both precision and creativity in his work. He takes the time to listen carefully, offering expert guidance on placement, design, scale, and overall composition to ensure each piece is thoughtfully executed. Black Hive is an outstanding studio -- impeccably clean, professionally run, and home to some of the finest artistry around. The attention to detail and commitment to quality are evident in every aspect of the experience. I look forward to returning for my next piece at Black Hive! read more

Such an amazing shop, I've loved every tattoo I've gotten here! The shop is super clean, all of the artists are very talented, and they can make a simple idea come to life. So far I've gone to Colbey, Devin, and Nick, and they were all amazing! I've never gone anywhere else that I trusted the artists as much as I do here. For my latest work, I didn't even know what it was going to look like in the end, I just told Nick to make it awesome. It's not done yet, but I'm in love with it already! read more

Fantastic experience at Black Hive! Four of us got tattoos with Nick Wagner--he was awesome: thoughtful, talented, and easy to work with. The shop has a great vibe, super clean, and everyone was welcoming. We'll definitely be back! Thanks Nick!! read more

It gets no better than Black Hive, the artists are exceptional. The professionalism and cleanliness is bar none. Shout out to Nick Wagner who did amazing cover up work for me. It takes a ton of talent to do cover-ups. Nick makes it look easy. If you get a tattoo somewhere else its not the same. read more

Black Hive Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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There is no other option than Nick when it comes to tattoos. Ever. He is the epitome of talent, professional, passion and just overall being a baddie with art. I speak of more than 25 years of experience in being his client. He's a class act and a great person and artist. You cannot and will not go wrong . A++ rating read more

Nick Wagner is the man! My go to shop in riverside. Everyone working there is solid and the shop is always clean. Make sure you pet the cat!

Everything runs smoothly at Black Hive. Nick is the man! The whole shop is a good time. I recommend bringing a big project request here and seeing what these guys come up with. It's probably better than what you have in your head now. Trust the process read more

Nick is first and foremost an incredible artist, one who uses the skin as a canvas for wearable one of a kind art based on a vague description. Not only is he thorough and meticulous in design, prepping and aftercare, but he follows a dedicated schedule that allows time for skin to heal properly in between sittings. I'm blown away by how well this works and how my tattoo seems to be healing faster with each session. He's well worth the time, money and commitment of a lifelong piece, and even managed to restore and enhance some badly rendered art from over a decade ago. read more

My experience at Black hive tattoo is always the upmost professional and the work is 2nd to none. Recommend everyone to get work done there.

Hands down, this is the BEST tattoo studio in Jacksonville and we have been to most. This is in a great location in Riverside. The ambiance is more like an art gallery than a tattoo studio and the walls and private booths feature some great local and international artists. There are several very fine tattoo artists here, and Chance Isbell and Nick Wagner are doing some cutting edge work along with solid classical designs. This place is defiantly worth stopping in or calling if you are a serious tattoo consumer and know what you want...the shop is VERY busy and works mostly appointments. read more

Well over a year later and my ink from Selina Media is still gorgeous. I can't rave enough about my experience here at Black Hive. read more

Black Hive Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Professional, clean, and a safe environment. Or in other words, FAN-freaking-TASTIC! I did a bunch of research on various shops in Jacksonville before I decided to try contacting Black Hive. Despite these other 1 starred reviews (in comparison to a ridiculous amount of 5 stars) I contacted this tattoo shop a month before I was going to come into town. My email consisted of a basic message of the tattoo I was looking to get and the time frame I was going to be able to come down (I'm in the military and our schedules are sporadic). First off, I went into this email KNOWING just how busy these guys get. I mean really, look at the work they put out, they're busy, surprise. Anyways, I received an email back the same day. After a few emails back and forth, it just so happened the Nick Wagner had space open for me to get a tattoo done and I took that up right away. He was very professional from beginning to end and even offered some advice on what I was trying to achieve in my tattoo. I had sent him a few pictures of some floral pieces and images through our previous emails and he was able to emulate what I wanted PERFECTLY through his own design and creativity. I couldn't be any more happy with how my tattoo turned out and I am so grateful. Oh, and I loved that he played Kung Fu Panda 2 while I was getting inked up. Now, about the shop: Totally up to par. It's not your typical tattoo shop with a bunch of chairs lined up. It's a cool little shop that looks like was a house before it was transformed into Black Hive Tattoo. There are 4 different artists, each with their own room. Immediately as my husband and I entered the shop you could just see how different this place was. It was just such a professional environment and super clean. PARENTS: Do not be afraid to bring your teenagers here, it's a wonderful shop. Clean and totally up to standard. HEADS UP: NO, they don't do walk-ins. They're Shop Info section on their website says it in HUGE font. So don't try to just walk-in expecting an on-the-spot tattoo because this shop is just so much more than that. Fill out the form on their website and sit tight, they WILL get back to you. read more

Colbey Joyce did my tattoo, he is an extremely talented artist and definitely one of the best in Jacksonville. All the artists at Black Hive are the best. Before I got my tattoo, I had seen 3 tattoos in Jacksonville that were so good I had to ask where they were done; all were Black Hive artists. These guys have a very strong presence in Jacksonville and they lived up to the hype. I'm surprised at some of the low ratings; I think people need to understand you're working with artists who know what they are good at, and they are very selective in the work they do. Nick, Sole, Selena, and Colbey are all great artists and I'd highly recommend them all. read more

Black Hive Tattoo - Colbey Joyce - Sleeve work. Not 100% finished but definitely representative of the amazing artistry. - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Top notch place. If you are looking for talented artists working in a professional setting, this is for you. Very happy with the entire process I experienced with black hive and Colby did a terrific job creating and executing the tattoo I wanted. read more

Do yourself a favor and ignore the negative reviews here. If you are looking for a tattoo parlor where you walk in off the streets and leave with a tattoo, you are in the wrong place. The artists in the shop are world class and a bit of patience is necessary. You will be rewarded with the finest artwork and the most satisfying experience you could ask for. I just got my first piece from Sole, and couldn't be happier. She is talented, friendly and professional. The other artists in the shop are equally amazing. Go to their website and follow their clear instructions to make an appointment and you won't regret it. read more

Got my first major tattoo in years from James a couple of months back. The shop is clean and comfortable, and extremely well laid out. James met with me and took some ideas. Then pulled the tattoo right out of my brain, and made it way cooler. The experience itself was excellent. After some good conversation and good music....a couple of lollipops, my forearm tree design was done. He was careful to get me just what I wanted, and it turned out amazing. Very detailed. I would highly recommend James and the entire shop. You won't regret it read more

I've been coming to this sleepy yellow house for nearly five years and my personal experiences have been nothing short of fantastic. Professional, incredibly clean, and absolutely dedicated to honing their craft. This studio is not your run of the mill, walk-in parlor; these artists have the experience and eye to know what will work, fit, and last on your body for years to come, so have an open mind to their opinions, because they will not steer you wrong. read more

I was super nervous about any tattoo shops after a bad experience with my previous tattoo, but after seeing what my artist (Colbey) drew up, I was really impressed. I still love my tattoo a year later and love having to explain its meaning to people. Everyone was nice, and I was able to go as a walk-in, which was convenient. read more

Black Hive Tattoo - Here is my tattoo and the teddy bear it's based off of, given to me by my grandfather when I was 6 or 7. Love it still! - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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I went in for my appointment with Soledad yesterday. She did an incredible job in such a short amount of time. She had prepared artwork prior to my arrival, and we discussed altering the size and placement. She was very open to the process and made me feel comfortable. She was talkative and jovial the entire time, and her skill speaks for itself. The room was clean and private, she was professional and passionate about her work. Couldn't ask for more in an artist. Definitely will be going to her again! read more

Black Hive Tattoo is where you need to go to get tattooed in Jacksonville, FL bottom line. Not only is their shop clean, welcoming, and professional, these are the best artists around. I was tattooed by James Cumberland last Saturday. I got a tattoo that i wasn't happy with at another shop in Jacksonville, and James worked his magic! My new tattoo (upper right arm) is everything i wanted and more. He was professional and focused on what I wanted. I already set my next appointment at the end of September to finish my arm. My tattoo is healing very, very well, and I get compliments on it daily. Please save yourself some heartache and infection... go to Black Hive tattoo! You won't regret it. (Their prices are very fair for the quality of work) read more

Black Hive Tattoo - Before and After. James Cumberland at Black Hive Tattoo. He works magic! - Tattoo Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Poor customer service? They don't answer the phone or return voicemails or emails. Sent an email and called multiple times with messages and got no response. Seems like they do great tattoos, but not sure how to get into the "club" since they don't take walk ins and apparently don't take phone calls either. read more

Great shop, great ppl, very clean A++ work. only thing it's hard to get in with the Artist. But they are... that good. Don't waste your time with any other shop in Jax. Be patient for good work. Some Artist come & guest spot. They are Amazing as well. Highly recommend. read more

I just received my first White Ink tattoo from Sole and it is amazing. I'm so stoked about it, and she was amazing in accommodating me and my request for the white ink. She was attentive to her work as well as any possible needs I may have had. Also I was able to get in rather quick after contacting them via email. I can't wait to take my husband back in a few weeks once mine heals and get his consultation done for his tattoo and then consult on a much larger piece for myself. Thank You again so much Sole. I'm so in love and so excited about it!!!!! read more

A couple months after getting my frist tattoo I was getting a massage. The massause said, "Wow, that's a beautiful tattoo; that looks like a Nick Wagner." I was blown away. I knew I'd made the right choice in Nick as an artist after seeing all the work he'd done on my husband, but having someone see my ink and just based on the beauty of it, the "cleaness" of it, and the amazing bold colors she automatically know that it surely must be a Nick Wagner, was confirmation that I'd gotten the best. That particular tattoo is now 10 years old and still looks fresh, hasn't faded at all. I have one non-Nick tattoo, and I'm not half as happy with it; I feel like I cheated on him and I'll never do it again (ok, except maybe with Chance because he's pretty awesome, too). Thanks for the amazing art; they've gotten me lots of compliments! read more

The best of the best when it comes to artists! If you want an amazing tattoo, trust me it is worth your wait to get in.This shop is in high demand because of the level of quality in their art. Every day I get at least one compliment on my sleeve in progress with Selina. She's bad ass people. read more

I stopped in with my sister, do not bother unless you wanna make an appointment and spend 2-3000. We were just looking but felt like we were from another planet. The lady up front blue hair was rude and her assistant was benign. No thanks we will truly find our comfort zone. read more

My husband & I searched for a whiiile for amazing tattoo artists to complete the work that we wanted done. We were not about to go to your run of the mill tattoo shop. We wanted AMAZING work, after all -- it is a lifetime investment. The tattoo artists at Black Hive Tattoo are not just tattoo artists. They are artists, end of story. We had heard Chance Isbell's name floating around from quite a few people. After seeing his work, my husband was sold. Chance designed an amazing shark vs. octopus 3/4 sleeve for my husband and he consistently gets compliments on how beautiful it is. I personally chose to use Nick Wagner as my tattoo artist because he was as in love with my tattoo concept as I was. Every time I go back to get tattooed -- I'm extremely giddy to see what Nick has in mind for my tattoo. If you want something that you can consider art as a tattoo -- this is your shop. These guys are awesome & my loyalty will forever remain with Black Hive Tattoo. read more

I have some mixed feelings about my experience with Black Hive. My plan was to purchase a gift certificate for $400 for my spouse for Christmas. Becase they have a many month wait time per their website, I decided not to purchase the gift certificate at the last minute just in case the recipient did not want to wait that long. Fortunately, in hindsight this was my best decision. I ended up giving cash and referring my spouse to Nick. After several weeks and several e-mails back and forth, none of the artists wanted to do my spouse's work even though the piece was almost completely open for the artist to come up with a design incorporating the artistic freedom. This was not grudge work like a tribal tattoo, a persons image, lettering or anything else mundane. I understand someone having the choice to refuse business. Black Hive should also understand that turning business away that is not grudge work, work that gives the artist almost total creative control, and produces income of $200 per hour, might just be seen as a slap in the face. I'm guessing had I purcahsed the gift certificate, they would have refunded the money. Perhaps they would have just done the work, instead of turning my spouse away. Regardless, this was my last referral to the folks at Black Hive tattoo, who from my perspective just seem like priviledged tattoo snobs. read more

I spent a lot of time researching tattoo shops and artists and landed on an artist Selina Medina whose work looked awesome. She wasn't taking new clients but because of my social network she made an exception. Since this was my first tattoo, I had a lot of apprehension and when I met with Selina I tried hard to convey my concerns. I told her I needed to work with someone willing to take their time to find the right design. We also talked about sketching concepts on my body so I could see how it looked. Right there in the first meeting, she did just that. We talked about a dagger concept with roses and in 2 minutes she sketched it on my body. That was really helpful because once I got home, I realized that it wasn't what I wanted. Thank God I was smart enough not to rush into it and be one of those losers with a stupid looking tattoo for life. We talked a lot about different concepts and we landed on a few. She seemed friendly and willing to work with me even though I told her that I was not sure what I wanted. After I decided against the dagger, I emailed her some concepts and we landed on a tiger concept. I was impressed with the drawing she did but still had ideas about other concepts that I texted to Selina. Although all communication had been positive, she started getting aggressive and angry. But I was still leaning towards the tiger. I requested that she make the stencil and trace the Tiger on my body for placement or even hand sketch it just so I could see how it would look. Every artist I spoke to said to do that before you get a permanent tattoo. Selina flat out refused and said it was a "trade secret." Really? So the only way I could have worked with her was to go in and have the tattoo done. She said point blank that she would NOT make the stencil unless I was coming in to get it done. After she said she wouldn't do the stencil, I just asked her to hand sketch it for placement. Again, she flat out refused saying it was against company policy and said it was a "trade secret," even though she had already done exactly that a few weeks earlier. Within 24 hours I got an email saying she was keeping the $150 deposit and would NOT do my tattoo and that no other artist in their shop would do it either. I guess she feels like can treat people like that because in our meeting she offered up the fact that she was dating the owner. Selena said she would send me the art work for the tiger but after texting her and emailing her multiple times, she never responded or sent the design. I'm sure she's talented and the shop looked very nice, but don't go here unless you have a concept and are ready to get inked. Although the initial meeting and all communication was positive, she turned out to be arrogant and full of herself. At the end of the day, she's not going to spend a lot of time to land on your design. She did exactly 2 sketches for me and I was 90% there on the tiger concept before she decided to keep my deposit without providing the art that I paid for. There are plenty of talented artists in Jacksonville and a handful of awesome shops. I'd take a pass on this one. This was not a good experience and it wasted a lot of my time. I rarely take the time to post comments like this, but it's the only way to warn others about the truth that lurks below the marketing. read more

Absolutely fabulous shop. Private rooms which makes it seem more cozy. Selina is awesome - definitely worth the wait. I get tons of compliments as well as "where did you get THAT? Strongly recommend for anyone interested in a quality tattoo and let's not forget the "wow" factor! read more

Wishing I could give 10 stars! I have been to a lot of tattoo shops and this is hands down without a doubt the best I have ever been in. the atmosphere is clean, and relaxing. James Cumberland is one of the most talented artists ive had the pleasure of meeting. I have quite a few tattoos, and the aquatic piece he did on my arm is my absolute favorite tattoo I have. I was so beyond happy with my new tattoo, it brought tears to my eyes. He has been the only artist to TRULY listen to what I wanted exactly, and went way above and beyond. He is very fun to talk to, and extremely professional! I will FOREVER be a loyal client to James! he is more than amazing! read more