I had a great experience at Koi! Dodge was friendly, knowledgeable, patient and professional. My tattoo is awesome and I would definitely recommend going there for your next piece. read more

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Super happy with our experience at Koi Tattoo. Over the holidays, my son got his first tattoo and I decided to get my tattoo of 20+ years cleaned up. Here's what you need to know: 1. You can coordinate your appointment via text. A deposit is required, which you can pay for online via Square. 2. Shop is clean and the artists ensure everything is sanitary. 3. Rates are two hundred dollars an hour but you only pay for the time used (minimum of 30 minutes, I believe). So, for instance, if your tattoo takes 45 minutes, your cost would be $150. 4. You can pay with a credit card. Thank goodness! read more

I am so late writing this - but Dodge at Koi tattoo deserves a rave review. Dodge isn't the type to do touristy tats - so you better be serious and have a thoughtful idea of what you want. He is a local artist and takes a lot of pride in that. I was able to chat with him with what I wanted and two days later came back to an awesome sketch. I loved it so much I changed my mind from it going on my back to my bicep. That area is known for being so painful that macho of men have told me they cried like a baby getting a tat there - but I gotta say - Dodge has such a light hand it wasn't bad at all. I have five other tattoos so I know what to expect - and it was not any where near as painful as I expected. Even before we got started he let me take as long as I needed to make sure I had it in the perfect place on my arm - while giving me his honest feedback. The whole process was great and Dodge is a fun artist to shoot the shit with while you are trying to ignore the crazy pain. He's fun, nice and chatty. As someone who was a total tourist - I am so lucky to have gotten work done my Dodge. I am pretty sure while this is not my biggest tattoo - it's my most expensive. And every time I look at I know it is worth every damn penny. read more

Koi Tattoo - Thanks to Dodge. She's a beauty! - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

I have to agree Dodge is awesome. I had never gotten a tattoo but after my husband got some work done by him...I changed my mind. So on our next trip to Hawaii it was my turn. Why I got my first tat on my ribs I'll never know. While it was painful, Dodge made the experience worth my while for sure. He was as gentle as he could be and you could tell he genuinely cared how you were doing. Even at the toughest times, Dodge said "tomorrow you'll look at it, say you love it, and not hate me anymore". With his sincere chuckle I made it through and did just that. I love it and want to go back for another. I don't know who I'd trust on the mainland. Tip: if you're on vacation get inked near the end. Otherwise, you may miss out on some ocean/pool time. Even so...it's be worth it! read more

I know I've already sung the praises of Koi. But I'm here to tell you this is the only place you should get a tattoo. Lisa was amazing. She spent months and hours and many many sessions with me making a beautiful piece of art. The tattoo is as amazing as Lisa is. She's incredible at her profession. read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Awesome tattoo shop. Personally think it is one of the better tattoo shops on island. The artists there all do great work. Got work done by Joe Byrne, who specializes in 'Black and Grey'. Artists were friendly, the atmosphere was nice and chill. The shop rate is ~200$ with some give or take depending on what you get and how the tattooing goes, but it is well worth it. Check out their Instagram, all of their artists have accounts. read more

Koi Tattoo - Joe Byrne, awesome black and grey artist. - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Dodge was a fantastic artist and a very good tattoo specialist. He was super helpful and nice when I walked in for my tattoos. He was able to fit me into his Schedual that day and created two amazing pieces of art for my feet. Without a doubt the most skilled piece on my body now. read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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No one answered the phone the 5 times I called, even though I scheduled an appointment the day before and I could not find the location?? Google maps did not help at all. read more

I am so thankful that I chose Lisa at Koi to do my first tattoo. Lisa took my idea and made it unique and ideal for what I wanted. From my call to schedule my consultation to the first ink in the skin to the aftercare instructions, Lisa made me feel comfortable and welcome. I am thrilled with how my tattoo turned out, clean lines, great shading and solid color. I definitely would recommend Koi Tattoo to anyone and will come back when I'm ready for my second tattoo! Thanks Lisa, I love it! ~Mark read more

Koi Tattoo - Fresh first tattoo! - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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My boyfriend and I travelled to Oahu from Toronto and knew we wanted our first tattoos done on the island! I was already in contact with Joe before our trip even started. From the start, Joe was professional, friendly, and so kind! Joe explained the process clearly from start to end. He took his time and made sure we were comfortable. Joe even designed Jason's tattoos, giving them that Hawaiian tribal vibe. We would definitely recommend Joe to any and every one! Thanks Joe! read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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I had a back piece done by Lisa. She is exceptionally talented. She is patient and has a soft hand, but still somehow works really fast. I uploaded a pic of what she came up with for me. You can't tell by looking but it is a cover. She is a gifted artist and if you let her, she can blow your mind with what she comes up with! Couldn't recommend her more! read more

Koi Tattoo - Original work by Lisa - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Kasha was amazing , she took her time when it came to designing my tattoo . She had a light touch and really took her time with tattooing . I'm so happy with her work , I so will be going back for another one soon !! read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Dodge and Lisa do great work. My younger brother went to Dodge and he did superb work. I had back work done about two years ago with Lisa. She recreated my vision superbly. Recently I went to Dodge as I could only get tatts on a certain day and Dodge was available. Dodge is very chill and cool. I highly suggest both Lisa and Dodge. Know that they do not accept credit cards. Cash only. The quality of their work is very high and they listen to you and what you want. They are both easy going and they do not make you feel intimidated. I like that. I highly suggest both of them. Both of them are masters at what they do. I drive all the way from the East Si' to Kailua just get work done at Koi Tattoo. They are that good. I'm very pleased. I highly suggest! I will be back again :) read more

My husband and I came here for an anniversary trip and got matching tattoos and I have never been so impressed with an artist. Dodge was incredible, fun, clean, incredibly skilled has such a light touch. I wish so much I could get all my tats from Dodge. If we ever make it back I'll be getting another from him. If you are in Hawaii and looking for a tattoo go see Dodge. read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

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I had the pleasure of being tattooed by Joe Byrne and I was very impressed with not only his professionalism, but also his amazing tattooing ability. I got a plumeria on my foot and Joe couldn't have done a better job. He was very patient with me decided on placement of the piece, and he was very patient with me when I needed to take short breaks during the tattoo. Next time I'm on Oahu I will be sure to visit Joe again for my next piece. If you're wanting a tattoo on the island of Oahu, I highly recommend visiting Joe Byrne. read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

I had a great experience at this tattoo shop! Joe was my tattoo artist and did an amazing job. They have great availability and was able to schedule a slot. He communicated with me to get an idea of what I wanted and put together a great piece of what I was looking for. When I walked in, the place was clean, and he cleaned and prepped my arm very well. Being a medical professional myself, his sanitation and cleanliness was very high-standards, even better than some other people I've seen. He is very meticulous with his work and makes sure you are comfortable the entire time. He is friendly and down to earth! Highly recommend this tattoo shop! read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Dodge and Lisa are so nice and great artists. I wanted to get my second tattoo done after a lot of thought about what I wanted. I took my specific ideas to Dodge and he put them all together into a beautiful tattoo. He has such a light touch while he tattoos, I was comfortable the whole time. If you are looking for a place to get a great tattoo by an amazing artist this is the place to go. I couldn't be happier with my tattoo! read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Clean and professional. The owner, Dodge, and his professional team do first class work at a reasonable price. I won't go anywhere else. My wife and I had our tattoos refreshed but they were actually improved and corrected where previous artists had made mistakes Great people and awesome work! read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

Today was my first time ever getting a tattoo and the people at Koi Tattoo couldn't have made it more of a memorable experience for me. I've been in contact with Joe Byrne for the past week that I've been here on a family trip and he's been super helpful about getting every single detail I wanted implemented in my design. To top it off, he was extremely professional and very helpful with every question I had. He was extremely thoughtful and kept on asking if I was okay, which made me feel extremely comfortable laying on that table! Thanks for the amazing experience Joe, you're one amazing dude! read more

Koi Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Kailua, Hawaii

I cannot express enough how amazing Dodge at Koi Tattoo is! My dad, three sisters and I went in for an appointment to each get tattoos in honor of my brother. Dodge was a patient professional, taking the time to ensure we were happy with the designs, sizes, and locations. His work was excellent and we all left their extremely pleased. Everyone in my family would absolutely recommend Dodge at Koi Tattoo! read more

TL;DR - Came to the island to see my little sister graduate, left the island with a gorgeous tattoo by the incredibly talented RJ. When I first described what I had envisioned for a tattoo to RJ, I gave him a vague, abstract, disorganized, and unfocused mish-mash of images and symbols. After I word-vomited my mental picture his way, I felt little hope for him to be able to design something coherent. Twenty-four hours after we spoke, I received a picture message with a gorgeous draft of an image he put together. Through pure talent and skill, RJ organized the chaos of my thoughts into the art of my dreams. I knew as soon as I saw the initial sketch that I was going to get a new tattoo during this visit. RJ was quick to communicate and coordinate a time to sit with me and go from start to finish on his drawing. I sat for 5ish hours and almost snoozed through the session. RJ has a feather-lite touch which made the experience of getting tattooed that much more refreshing. He remained focused and professional during the entire process and only stopped for breaks at my request. His tattoo area was as clean as an operating theater. The music was on point too. Every aspect of the process with RJ was top notch. He's a wildly talented tattoo artist. His style of drawing is unique, practiced, honed in & on point and his tattoo work is worth every penny. 10/10 would pay for RJ art again. read more

Hands down the best ink experience I've ever had, and that's coming from someone with 14 tatts. I was referred to Dodge (the owner and main artist of the two that work there) by someone I randomly met on vacation. She was adamant that if I was going to be getting a piece done while on Oahu I shouldn't even consider anyone other than Dodge, and damn I'm glad I listened to her. From the moment I walked into his shop and shook Dodge's hand I could tell that he had the right energy and skill to do the piece I wanted. Plus, the fact that he knew of Ralph Steadman and HST and was stoked to do a Steadman piece made me feel even more comfortable because the piece, and HST specifically, has so much meaning to me. I explained a few things about how I wanted the design to look, left him a few pictures to sketch from, and made an appointment for later in the week. As usual when I'm about to permanently alter my body, I woke up the morning of my appointment a little nervous, but when I arrived at the shop the good vibes took over and I immediately felt at ease. There were some good tunes playing, we had the shop to ourselves and I was eager to get inked. Not only did the piece turn out perfect, but Dodge has a 'soft hand', as it were, and I really didn't feel more than minor irritation during the session. Granted, I've got multiple pieces on my ribs, back and inner biceps (this one was on my outer bicep), so I'm used to a lot of pain, but I get the feeling that any piece that Dodge does will be a little less painful no matter where it goes on your body. Good tattoo artists have a way of doing that, and trust me, it's something to be grateful for when it happens because I've had some where I seriously felt like I was being punished. Anyway, Koi Tattoo is a fantastic place to get some work done. The $150 per hour rates are pretty heavy, but with ink you definitely get what you pay for. And Dodge works very efficiently (no cigarette breaks, interruptions to take/make phone calls, etc.), so you can rest assured that whatever you get done will take the minimum amount of time possible. read more

Everyone's raving about Dodges work, which I agree is fantastic, but no one's given props to Lisa yet!!! She's the most fantastic artist I've ever seen! I LOVE HER! Her work is so great, I keep going back time and time again. I recently started a pretty huge back piece with Lisa, a peacock, and her sketches blew me away. Above and beyond the farthest reaches of my imagination. I feel like her work is so feminine and flows so beautifully with the contours of the body. I have since referred her to several of my friends and anyone who asks me where I get my work done, and believe me, when people see her work I ALWAYS get approached and complimented. I gave Lisa a picture of the type of peacock i wanted to go with, a henna-ish, asian type of influence. The picture I showed her had incorporated cherryblossoms, which I felt was a little too cliche for my tastes, so I asked her to replace them with peony flowers. At first she was a little skeptical, and told me that it might not work with the style of bird. But she worked tirelessly and eventually sketched up something PERFECT for me, exactly what I wanted and exactly what the vision was in my head. Actually, it was a thousand times BETTER than what I had in my head. She's really awesome, and will tell you if something just doesn't quite mesh well in your design so that you end up with something that you love and that you will CONTINUE to love for the rest of your life. After all, it'll be a piece of who you are forever so you should really go with an artist you're comfortable with that will give you something perfect. Her pricing for the quality of work she does is also very fair. You might end up paying more than you originally plan on, but believe me, when the product is finished, you'll be glad you went to Lisa. **edit: her work is feminine IF that's what you're looking for. I wanted something womanly being a woman, but I've seen her work on several men, and it blew me away as well. I couldn't believe that Lisa had done it! Her style is so diverse from polynesian to asian arts and everything in between. She is literally a tattooing superhero. read more

I can't say enough about Dodge and Koi Tattoo. I had friends in town and we want to get a very simply tattoo as a memorial to a friend we lost. Dodge was great. He treated us the same as if we were getting the most complex tattoos. His care to understand the meaning behind our choice meant a lot to each of us. He was patient as we each decided the look and placement of our version. We were never rushed and Dodge encouraged us to think and be sure it was just how we wanted. He told us exactly what to expect and he prepared us perfectly. I know I will be back for another. Thanks to Dodge for making our memorial tattoo experience special. Hands down amazing shop and artist. read more

Lisa helped make a longtime vision of mine come to fruition. She's spiritual, kind, laid back and easy-going, and the word "talented" does not begin to describe her gifts. Mahalo Lisa. You're awesome. Malama pono, Pua read more

They may be a great tattoo shop , But they have to do something about parking situation, they have only one stall for their business.

This is "Hands Down" the best tattoo shop I've ever been to, and I will not visit any other shop while I live in Hawaii. I asked Lisa for a Taino style half-sleeve tattoo and she did her own research on the indigenous culture. Her sketch blew me away and the final product was amazing! Lisa also fixed a 10 year old tattoo that I had and the fix/addition she did was just breathtaking! I am definitely going back for my next tattoo. Great vibe and atmosphere throughout the entire shop and staff. This tattoo shop is second to none! read more

Lisa did my wife's tattoo and I appreciated her attention to detail and color that I went to her for my first tattoo. (AFTER I interviewed two other Honolulu artists, but that's another story....) She listened, sketched, and worked WITH me to create what's turning out to be an incredible ankle to hip tattoo. I'm blown away with the artwork, detail, color, and her artistry especially since it's artwork I get to live with every day of the rest of my life. She's the best and I recommend her highly. I've also enjoyed the rest of the crew at Koi -- giving great consultations in a pleasant, professional way, and seeing the incredible works of art they create while I'm getting my work done as well. read more

Work of art! Lisa created an incredible tattoo that incorporated everything we discussed. The attention to detail and use of multiple shading techniques reflect Lisa's artistry and expertise. In addition to being extremely talented Lisa is warm and friendly which makes the whole process comfortable. read more

Both my husband and I have gotten tattooed by Dodge. He is freakin' awesome! We were recommended to him by a lot of my husband's friends and we're really glad we listened. I got my first tattoo in February of this year, 2011. I had my appointment right after my husband had his. I was obviously incredibly apprehensive about the whole tattoo thing (you'd think being 22 I wouldn't hear my mom in the back of my head) but Dodge was very reassuring and made me feel as comfortable as possible. I said after my first tattoo that it was going to be my first and last. Well.. after my most recent appointment with Dodge in August, I have FOUR (he's also tattooed my husband twice). I love every single one of my tattoos! We just moved back to the mainland and there's really no other person I trust to tattoo me. I'm more than likely going to wait until we visit again in 2 years to get something else done! read more

I got my first tattoo this past week at Koi with Dodge. I was SO very impressed. I walked in mid-afternoon and he was able to fit me in right after the client he was with. He listened to my idea and provided great feedback about placement. He put me totally at ease, had a light hand, provided me with the setting I needed to be relaxed (easy conversation, a fan!, and great music). I am very happy with my tattoo--it is gorgeous and healing beautifully! I loved the whole experience...all I can think is man, my next tattoo will be REAL expensive since I'll only trust Dodge and will have to fly from my home in Minnesota BACK to Kailua to get the work done. Nice work Koi! I would recommend this place to anyone and I am already telling friends here and in HI that it is THE ONLY place to go! Thanks again Dodge. read more

Go see Dodge. Fantastic artist. I had a general sense of what I wanted (newborn daughter's name on my forearm w/ scroll and scorpio symbol), and he came back with a SICK design. The depth of his shading is incredible...really brings it to life. Cool as shit to talk to while he works. He's your man on the island. read more

Dodge did a cover tattoo for me and it is outstanding! This is truly a work of art that I carry with me now and I would not have imagined trusting anyone else with this. This place is professional and they take the job seriously - but at the same time it's casual and friendly. I don't know that I'll ever go anywhere else (this was tattoo #3). read more

I was extremely skeptical with the reviews of Dodges light hands, and easy touch. Before a session with work getting done in a known sensitive area, I was getting in my zone to prepare for pain . I was shocked and amazed when Dodge started, and I understood that indeed, all the other reviews were not bullshit, Dodge indeed has a light touch. Not only was I pleased that I was not getting torn up, but my piece was exactly what I wanted, the lines are crisp, and the black is solid. I have been to 4 other shops on this island and Koi tattoo has been the best. I regret not coming here sooner. read more

I have limited experience in tattoo art, the design process, or how the actual appointment should go considering the only other "art" I have is an uninspiring tribal stamp I got as soon as I turned 18. Working with Joe opened my eyes to what I believe the experience of getting a tattoo should be. For about 2 months Joe worked with me on a custom design I wanted on my heart/chest that was very personal to me. He was patient as we went back and forth on slight design revisions and had great suggestions. In the end, I couldn't have been more happy with the design. As for the actual appointment, Joe set my expectations both price-wise and how the procedure would go. It came out better than I expected and he even had some in-procedure changes/adds that he felt would make the tattoo "pop". Bottom line: Joe is a great tattoo artist but what really impressed me was how much he genuinely cares about the quality of his art and the satisfaction of his clients. This was a great experience and I would recommend him to anyone who doesn't just want to pick a number from a book! read more

Great spot, true professionals!!! The shop is clean and cozy, Lisa and Dodge are very welcoming, like being at a friends house. Lisa was incredible she was quick and her line work was spot on. I plan on coming back as soon as I can. Thank you Lisa. read more

Life has constant changes. I live in Connecticut. During my last visit to Hawaii to visit my sister who is sick with cancer. We decided to get sister tattoos. Unfortunately, my sister's doctor felt it was best to wait till her treatment was finished. I designed a tattoo with The Tree of Life as a sister Tattoo. Dodge was open and supportive to our idea! He Has a GREAT touch,sensitive and encouraging. With multiple tattoos,Dodge is the Best Tattoo Artist I have met!!Can't wait to see my sister's in the future!! More than Happy!!!! read more