Not sure why my previous review posted under a random, new profile:…read more
This is insane. Such high hopes to find a "home shop" just to be let down in the biggest way.
You can tell from their page and site that there is a level of arrogance with this shop. Yes, any good artist will carry that and their work on their site is top notch. We did extensive research and even some trial runs with other artists but we found Divine and thought this was the place we wanted to call home.
My wife wanted a large thigh piece. But being new to tattoos (she only has three) she is heistant to grab the first available artist. Being that I have 30 tattoos, I have no problem sitting through a tattoo to "try them out" for her. Anyways, before her big thigh piece, she wanted a small owl on a branch on her chest. I did warn her that some of the detail in the drawing may be lost because of the size so she was aware of this. We call Divine and they say we have to do walkins. We explained that we wanted to set an appointment with the person who will do her thigh so it can be a trial run. We were essentially told that our tattoos were not good enough to warrant an appointment so we had to do walkins and we can schedule an appointment for the big one when we are there. Fine, whatever.
We walk in and, of course, I'm up first. Steven is the tattooist that was available. He tells me my tattoo is $200! WTF?!?!?! Again, I have been getting tattoos for 20 years and I know my tattoo is a shop minimum tattoo (couple dozen dots on my calf. Seriously, 20 minute tattoo no color, no shading!) Shop minimum is $100 and I was mad that I was going to spend that but then he dropped $200 on me. Fine, I will do it for my wife. She needs to feel better. So he sets up the station and gets ready for me. Then he comes to talk to my wife and says her tattoo will cost the same, $200. That is realistic. Expensive but not outrageous. Then he drops a bomb on us.
"By the way, I need to let you know I'm not licensed, I am an apprentice with 8 months of experience." WTF???? You are an apprentice charging those prices! I should have walked. Anyways, my wife declined to have him tattoo her so another artist looked at her tattoo. I believe his name is Jesse. He looked at it and said it was nearly impossible but if he did it, it would be $350. Wow! That is all I can say. Needless to say, she declined but I was stuck, I didn't want to be rude and walk.
He sends me to his station, puts the stencil on and says "I'm going to go smoke while that dries, I'll be back in five minutes." 10 minutes later, he comes back and says, "hey I have a girl that needs her nose pierced so I need to do that first then I will get started." Seriously? I thought it was first come first served? But these teenage girls walk in and you drop everything and serve them and make me wait longer? Pervert!
It is a total of 35 minutes I spent waiting for him to return. He had 5 more minutes before we got up and walked. Anyways, he came back and set up the chair for me to lay in. He didn't even put a barrier on the chair! He told me to lie down and I said "Don't you want to drape the chair?" "Oh well, I disinfect everything so we are okay but I guess I can drape it for you." Seriously bro?! You will never pass blood bourne disease control tests with that lack of knowledge!
I get in the chair and the dang thing tips forward and almost make me legit break my neck! I caught myself because of the little wall around the station. His fiance/mentor Brooke came over and advised him the chair is backwards and unstable. Did he make me get up so he can fix? NOPE! So I had to lean back to prevent tipping and my wife had to hold on to it to prevent tipping. What a joke!
30 minutes later, I'm done. Apparently this guy is a $400/hour apprentice! Yeah and needless to say, my dots are not clean, some are more bumpy than a OB/GYN office waiting room! So I go to pay with card and yup, $10 surcharge for using my card.
STAY AWAY AND STAY AWAY FROM STEVEN! This place might produce quality work (from their seasoned tattooers, not walk in artists) but their prices are insane. I got a perfect, color portrait covering the entire inside of my bicep at a tattoo down the street for $200. This place is a joke!