Mario was fantastic, I feel that he really listen to what I wanted and drew a piece that I absolutely love. It was a cover up that was important for me to move forward with new memories. His conversation was interesting and I felt like I'd known him for a while, not just meeting him for the first time. His studio was clean and decorated cool. I felt very comfortable. I highly recommend Moth and Dagger. I can't wait to go back and get more work done. If I could rate a million stars I would! Thank you Mario read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

20+ Year Client Review / Context: This custom piece was specifically commissioned as a hooded Nephilim. Instead, Mario drew it up as a long-haired angel. When I brought up the hair to find a middle ground on the design, he took offense, erased the hair off the stencil, slapped the bare head on, and rushed the outline onto my skin. After that session, he completely cut contact--ignoring studio calls and direct messages while leaving the piece unfinished and continuing to post new flash online. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Client 20+ yrs. Mario botched my Nephilim design, threw a fit over feedback, rushed the outline, & ghosted mid-piece while posting flash. - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Botched the linework and showed massive ego from the start. Refused to make reasonable design adjustments during the session--completely ignoring the client's input on their own skin. Went totally unresponsive to calls and messages afterward to resolve it. Do not recommend unless you want the style of the store logo. Absolute Sailor Jerry Tattoo Rockstar! read more

I sat on a this, and decided to share. The artist herself was amazing. She was great and did a great job. However, my issue was with how the studio handled scheduling. I originally came in for a flash sale, but they overbooked and asked to move me to the following day. I let them know I would be out of town that morning, so they offered me the last appointment of the day and took my deposit. The next day, after reassessing my schedule, I realized I wouldn't be able to make it and informed them as soon as possible. I was told the deposit was non-refundable. I then asked if I could reschedule for another day, but they said no because it was part of the flash sale--even though the rescheduling was due to their overbooking. I also asked if the deposit could be applied toward a regular (non-flash sale) appointment, and that was declined as well. I ultimately kept the appointment, but the situation didn't sit well with me. While the artist did great work, I was disappointed in how the studio handled the booking and deposit policy. read more

If you're thinking about getting a tattoo done by Sheena (@yuhsintattoos on ig), this is your sign to do it! I got a modified version of one of her flashes as a tribute to my grandma. She really listened to what I wanted and cared about making my vision come to life. We spent almost 1.5 hours placing the stencil, and she was incredibly kind and patient throughout the process. She's also super efficient, and the tattoo itself was done in an hour. The studio is cozy and clean, and she provides snacks and water! Overall, 10/10 experience! read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - She did an amazing job! - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

My daughter found the shop because of the Halloween flash. We weren't able to attend the day of, but we scheduled afterward in the middle of the day during a week day. Rigers is so nice. Tattoos fast, not too heavy handed. The shop is clean, and was quiet. I'd like to return when it's in full capacity for those vibes. I can imagine it's a lot of fun in there. read more

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Mario. What a scam artist. I use the word artist lightly. Stay clear of this place. My tattoo looks nothing at all like I wanted. He completely botched this. He also messed up my girlfriend's tattoo. read more

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San Francisco has a special place in my Mom's heart, so she wanted her first tattoo to be done in SF. We are located in Fresno, CA so having to look through reviews and endless tattoo websites to find the perfect shop for my mom was exhausting. I came across Moth and Dagger and looked up Riger's work through Instagram, so I messaged him right away to schedule an appointment for my mom. He was fast in responding and he fit us into his availability so quickly. My family and I made the trip from Fresno to SF for my mom's first tattoo and as anyone's first tattoo, my mom was nervous and a tad bit scared. However, Rigers eased her nerves and guided her through the process with such grace. My mom ended up getting 2 small tattoos at her first appointment. She really appreciated Riger's attentiveness and amazing work, so she asked to schedule her for another appointment. Our family made another trip to SF for Riger's work and it did not disappoint! My mom got a foot tattoo this time and with the skin being so thin, she was in so much pain. Riger constantly kept asking my mom the question "are you okay? How's the pain?". So patient yet so quick!! I can speak for my mom when I say this, Riger is an amazing tattoo artist and very patient and caring for his clients! Definitely recommend read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Don't go here at all! This place is extremely over priced. 300 as a minimum is ridiculous. Also they don't respect and try to work with returning customers at all. They don't value the customer/ tattoo artist relationship at all. You will just be a number that they want to get in and get out. And especially DO NOT get any tattoos done by Rigers. This guy is mediocre at best. Shaves your arm aggressively so that you get hella in grown hairs and no matter how small the tattoo is he still deems 300 dollars is the standard. Even if you have come to him 3 times! This guy should stick to his horrible gothic tattoos. Keep tattooing pictures of Wednesday or game of thrones buddy! This place is a joke. Stay away! read more

This is my best choice so far. I love the way Mario designed for me such a satisfying work. Really appreciate the hard work and dedication of this place. Best Tattoo Salon in San Francisco ! read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoos - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had a quick trip up to The Bay this summer and I felt like it was time to get my third tattoo, so I thought why not do it here? It's a risk, I know, especially when you had a great artist in your neck of the woods, but I decided to take a leap of faith and I'm so glad I did. I actually found this studio via Yelp and immediately emailed them when I booked my trip about 2 months in advance. (Highly recommend reaching out to studios far in advance. Another one I reached out to had a 32 month waiting period and I'm not that patient lol.) I got an answer relatively quickly and was connected to the artist Sheena who helped work with me to create my piece. Communication was easy and efficient, which I appreciated, as was booking the appointment. I did want to see the design in advance (a week before my trip) but they have a policy that doesn't allow that, understandably for copyright like situations, though I do think if you've paid the deposit, maybe you should get an exception? I say this only because when I did get to my appointment, the finishing design was not what we had discussed. But I'm grateful for Sheena's patience and willingness to work with me onsite to recreate what I was looking for. And once that was handled, we got to work. Sheena's is super friendly and easy to talk to and very careful in the process. Everything was explained clearly and done with utmost care and hygiene. My experience was great I've already reached out to book a follow up on my next business trip up to The Bay! read more

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Sheena and the team at Moth&Dagger are absolutely wonderful! Not only did Sheena give us the exact tattoo we wanted, she also made us feel extremely comfortable during our stay there. This was my sister-in-law's first tattoo and she found that the whole experience was better than what she was expecting! The entire tattoo process was not only quick and concise, but came at a very affordable price as well (especially knowing that SF is the most expensive city for tattoos)! I highly recommend Sheena and the parlor to everyone, especially those who are a bit nervous coming into their appointment. Thank you so much Sheena, we love the tattoos so much! read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Matching tattoos! - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Highest recommendation for Mario and M&D Tattoo. I got my first tattoo with Mario, and chose him because in addition to the amazing reviews I read about him online, he was extremely patient in explaining the whole process to me and answering all of my newbie questions about the tattooing process. Although the design I wanted was super simple, he treated it with a lot of importance and worked with me to ensure we got it just right, especially the placement on my shoulder. I was so pleased, I immediately booked with him for my second tattoo. read more

I've been meaning to get a tattoo dedicated to my grandfather for several years now and never really got the time to find any shops due to the frequent traveling down to SoCal for school. Finally, I came across Moth and Dagger on Groupon. I looked at their reviews and their portfolio, their work is amazing! So I emailed Mario and gave him ideas of what I wanted. I ended up coming into the shop to have him evaluate what would look better. He is so patient, understanding, and flexible. I came into the shop early, too early, because I forgot my appointment time, but he didn't mind. We struck up a conversation, he's super funny. When it got down to the tattooing part. It didn't hurt as bad as I thought, his technique is great! I recommend this place. It's so chill, relaxed, and just a great environment. Mario and Justin are freakin' hilarious! :) If I ever want another tattoo, I'll definitely come back here. They are priced by time, cash only. read more

Great job from the artist. Good hopitality too! The were also able to accommodate on sorry notice. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I got a cover-up/refresh tattoo done by Rigers at here about a month ago. He was incredibly kind and made sure I was comfortable, and made sure to explain every step of what he was doing since this was my first machine tattoo (I've only had handpokes). Rigers was professional, friendly, and very talented. My original tattoo was pretty blurry and faded, but he managed to bring it back to life and even added highlights for free since it was a small tattoo! His workstation was sanitary and he tattooed quickly without sacrificing quality. He gave me detailed aftercare instructions and even sent me home with extra Second Skin. It's been about a month now and my tattoo has healed beautifully. Truly the best tattoo experience I've ever had and I am absolutely coming back for more work from him in the future. Thank you again! read more

I've gotten two tattoos from Mario and I love them both! Each time I've been in the shop has been clean and has a great atmosphere. Mario is super chill and easy to make conversation with as well! I get SO many compliments on my skull tattoo and I recommend M&D to literally anyone who asks! read more

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Rigers is awesome! It was my first and he killed it with a medium sized tatt on my shin. Super professional, barely hurt, proper advice and kept checking in on me. Will always be a client of his going forward! read more

I've been to a few shops in SF that we're ehhh, but I came across this shop awhile back and had been following Rigers work on Instagram for awhile and decided to get a tattoo by him. He's an amazing artist and is passionate about his artwork. That's one of the things that stood out to me, He was very patient, considerate, and professional throughout the entire process and I was super excited to get inked by him! I can't recommend this place enough! Definitely will be coming back to him! read more

These guys are the real deal. No uber hipster mega ego too cool for skool twat tattoo artists in here. And they are hella funny. The honey and I went in for tattoos yesterday. We had an appointment with Justin. His estimated timing for how long it would take was dead on, his pricing was unbelieveably fair and his lines are perfect. Not to mention his coloring and shading. We are sold and are already planning our next piece. Professional, clean and cool as hell. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Done by Justin (minus "Ava") - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I don't know if it's the same for everyone else, but I need to feel comfortable in communicating with my artist. I've looked into a few shops in the city and visited a couple, for the sake of whom I will not name, and I felt completely ignored the whole time I was there. It seemed pretty evident that what I wanted wasn't that important to them. Maybe it's because I don't look like someone who typically gets tattoos, I don't know. I've heard of Moth and Dagger a few months ago by a coworker and I decided to check it out after work since Tattoo Boogaloo was closed. When I came in, I was greeted with a really chill guy that was very receptive to what I wanted. I showed him the design, he asked me the significance of each aspect, and even pointed out some of the necessary changes to make it more tattooable. Just after talking to him, I knew I wanted him to do my piece and set up the next available appointment which was a week and a half afterwards. After it was set, he shook my hand and introduced himself as Mario, the owner of the shop. Getting the work done here was really awesome. Mario has such a good attention to shading and detail that I could not believe how clean it was each time I looked down at the progress. On top of that, Mario and Justin are hilarious in their back and forth jokes and even include you in the fun. Seriously, they create such a chill atmosphere. None of that snobby business. Pricing is ridiculously good, especially for the quality artwork. If you're considering getting work done, you should definitely stop by here. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Thanks Mario! - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

My good friend from high school has been living in San Fran for a few months. I only get a tattoo once a calendar year and 2011 was drawing to a close quickly. I decided to get tattooed on my winter vacation. I asked if she knew anyone who could give me my two smallish Void crosses, and she lit up like a damn Christmas tree. "My friend Mario has a shop! He is the fucking best!!!!!!!!!" So to Mario's shop we went. He didn't make me wait and before I knew it, the tattoo was done. Not rushed or anything, he is just that damn fast and good. I originally wanted two very small crosses on either side of my left index finger, but Mario let me know the lifespan of something that small on my hand. So per his advice, I opted for left forearm, and a bit bigger. My results were just what I wanted and the price was completely fair for the tattoo's size. I am one of those girls who is all picky when it comes to placement and I wanted it in very very particular spot once I realized I wouldn't be getting it where I had been planning for a few months... but Mario made sure I was one hundred percent before he put that ink in my skin. As I was leaving the shop, my friend showed me the portait work Mario had done on her and I was instantly jealous I had picked something so simple for him to work on. If I am back in SF this year and I can get a few hours for Mario to work on me, I would LOVE for him to tattoo the Tom Selleck portrait I have been carrying around in my wallet for years and years. Go big with this man, his work is bad ass. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - VOID - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Where do I begin? I first met Mario years ago, when I worked for a rape crisis center and he was OBSCENELY BADASS enough to offer a tattoo sleeve for our silent auction. Ever since, I knew that when it was time for me to get a real tattoo piece- I would come to him. These are the things to know about Mario: 1. He's hella funny. Seriously- you will laugh so hard you will be making that ugly face. 2. He's got hella comebacks..so...don't be talking shit because he will always win :(. 3. He is a man of integrity and honesty. I really mean this. He cares about making this world a better place (even if he tries to downplay how much of a softy he truly is). He will tell you what he likes or dislikes about your tattoo idea. 4. He is f'ing brilliant. Seriously. Check out Moth and Dagger on Instagram to find a better representation of his work than the paper print out portfolio in the studio. When it was time for my half-sleeve, I came to Mario with an idea- "roses, lotus flowers, and succulents with a art-deco theme." He blew it out of the water. He also incorporated a symbol I already had tattooed in white- the mayan hunab ku- and he finished the piece with a mayan themed border to draw everything in. I can't tell ya'll how much I love this tattoo. It feels like protective armor or a good luck charm :). There is deep symbolism that is a direct representation of my life's path and it feels SOOO GOOD to have it captured so perfectly on my skin. Love, love, love this studio and wish they could all be my friends :). I would make them tea and we would color. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best experience ever! I purchased a Groupon for an appointment with Justin. After reading the reviews on here. No lie they deserve five stars plus!!! This along with a lot of Groupon customers, was my first tattoo. (Which a lot of first timers are doing,from what I hear from Justin and Mario). But no worries here! Justin was patient, creative, and very attentive to my feelings and needs through the whole process. My best friend came along for support. The chemistry between Justin, Mario and their clients is worth the appointment alone. They kept us in stitches, which I had to stop, so I wouldn't mess up Justin's work. Thank you again Justin for making my first experience one I will not regret! Elaine Y. (47 Grandma)) read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - My name and cherry blossoms done by Justin. - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Rigers did my tattoo the other day and I couldn't be happier with it! I'm generally pretty quiet so our session was quick but he was very kind and offered me plenty of breaks. Dope piece by a dope dude! read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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recently got 2 tattoos by Rigers and they're healing amazing! he's super kind and professional! always offered me ample breaks if i needed them. the pieces always turned out absolutely amazing. definitely will be seeing him again before i move in august! read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This place was great! I was very nervous getting my first tattoo because I'm scared of needles but rigers made me feel comfortable and made it an overall great first experience! I look forward to coming back for any future tattoos. The price was reasonable for the amazing work. will be recommending to anyone who asks. read more

Been researching good traditional artists in SF for some time, and Justin's work really caught my eye. Clean flowing lines & intuitive design, I decided to get in touch with him about the Gram Parsons tribute piece I wanted. Getting in touch with him couldn't have been easier. We had a consultation appt that went smoothly, he understood what I wanted. For my actual tattoo appointment, it was just a matter of finalizing the design, simplifying & resizing and we were off. Justin's a stand up dude, easy to talk to and really sets you at ease for your session. I couldn't be more pleased with how the tattoo turned out! He does many styles, but as for traditional work, he's the guy. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Healed Gram Parsons by Justin Davis - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have been coming here to get my ink work done and I have always been happy with the results. I come up with my creative inspirations, and I am proud to show the results. Not only is this a clean safe environment, but they are very professional and do an incredible job!! Thanks Mario!! read more

It's time to stop being a pussy and get that tattoo you've been thinking about for ages. And now that you're ready, I massively recommend checking out Moth & Dagger. Mario and Noel are two of the coolest, friendliest, and most capable guys you could have drill ink into your skin. I've had two tattoos done here recently and am ecstatic with the results. For my latest one, I had only the vaguest idea of what I wanted it to be, but Mario took the time to work it out with me and throw ideas around, and his input took it to another level. I was amazed at the detail, color, and shading he put into the tattoo--he's truly an artist. It was, hands down, the best tattoo experience I've had. So go on--go ahead and get that dolphin smoking a bong tattoo you've always wanted. The Moth & Dagger crew will take care of you. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - By Mario Delgado @ Moth & Dagger - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Made an appointment with Mario, and he used my expired groupon at face value for the deposit. Life hit that day, and I ended up being like 45 minutes late. He was super cool about it. The shop is split into two little parts, which is strange, but whatever works. I scooted around a couple other people getting tattooed in order to reach the back chair. Mario was super clean and changed his gloves anytime he touched something that wasn't clean. I had him do a fairly difficult copy of some artwork my friend did in photoshop before he died, which was about 95% shading, due to layers upon layers upon layers. Ugh. God it sucked, but yaknow, it's a tattoo, they suck. They're not supposed to feel great. His attention to detail was great, and he also made me feel at ease with friendly conversation during the 3 hours I was sitting in the comfy tattoo chair. He even touched up a small hand tattoo that another artist didn't really impress with. It looks 20 times better. The 3 hour tattoo turned out AMAZING. I'm going to upload it into the photos. It's the orange squid. Check it out. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - My tattoo I got in memory of my friend, the original artist of the design. The shading came out lovely! - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

My mom and I recently got small, corresponding script tattoos on our forearms with Joe. It was a great experience. It was my Mom's very first tattoo at 60 years old. Joe was kind and patient with us. The tattoos turned out great and we're virtually painless. The cost was more than reasonable. I wouldn't be surprised if my Mom will want more tattoos now after this experience! read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best tattoo shop in the city by far !!! Riger has done all my tattoos so far and I can explain the amount of talent this man has.... Great prices and very easy going. Works with you on the best design possible and always gives you multiple options that he thinks best fits the design. read more

This review isn't on the shop itself but more on their tattoo artist Rigers Strange. I made an appointment with him back on 08/04/2022 with the appointment date set for 09/06/2022 at 12pm. I was flying from Dallas, Texas to San Francisco which I informed Rigers of. My original time in San Francisco was going to be from Friday 09/02/2022 to Monday 09/05/2022 however per Rigers he only had openings on Tuesday 09/06/2022 so I extended my stay in San Francisco an extra day solely for the purpose of the tattoo. The day of the appointment arrives and literally 1 hour before my appointment Rigers emails me saying he unfortunately can't tattoo me anymore and if I wanted to schedule for another day or if I couldn't he understood and would return my deposit back. I check his Instagram page and Rigers was in Epcot in Florida on vacation (took a picture of his Instagram story as proof).... I completely understand people need to take vacations however, if you knew you were going on vacation how do you not have the common courtesy to tell the person you had an appointment with days in advance that the original appointment day no longer works especially when you know they are flying in from a different state? I purposely extended my stay in San Francisco an extra day just for the tattoo appointment and then he decides to cancel 1 hour before? This isn't professional at all. I could have saved my self money on the extra day for the Airbnb and the car rental if I had known in advance that the original date no longer worked. I finally received my deposit back 1 whole week later after he cancelled on me (09/13/2022 is when I received my deposit back) after multiple emails to Rigers who had stated he would send it in the prior days but he seemed to keep forgetting. I hate writing bad reviews but the way this whole situation played out I felt like I needed to this time. read more

Mario is an amazing shop owner and artist ! I love he's work so much and he can do no wrong. I will be getting all my work done here from now on ! The shop is super cool and everyone is so friendly. You can tell how much everyone loves what they do. read more

No ego, just work. I came in two months ago for a palm tattoo and Mario gave me sound advice against it since they tend not to last past healing. Choosing to get it anyway was totally my call. Came in two weeks ago to get it done on the top of my hand and no scolding and no charge. All around painless, apart from the obvious. *Update* I had an idea where I brought in an image of Russian folk art (think those little lacquered boxes) and asked Mario if we could do it on my arm. It turned out a lot bigger than I was originally thinking but it looked like a piece of art, even just in sketch form. I was sold. The piece ended up being shoulder to below the elbow but it was so well-done, I seriously didn't even hesitate (it was 2-3 times bigger than my original idea). The finished piece seriously looks like a master's painting and it's on my arm! I'm not a traditional tattoo sort of person at all and love that he gets that. Anyway, the short of it is that he did an amazing job. Well above and beyond expectation. There's a ton of color interaction that you just can't plan or explain and admittedly, I was totally curious how that was going to turn out. It's always fun to sit with him, Mario is hilarious and interesting. Five hours interesting, for sure. I get a LOT of serious "Wow" about the work. And I recently relocated to Seattle and he's still worth the trip down. I've had a number of friends up here recommend people but as an artist myself, one, I'm super picky and two, I have yet to see work as good as his. read more

Moth and Dagger Tattoo Studio - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My wife and I were tattooed by Mario, who is absolutely hilarious. My wife has a weird sense of humor and she even agreed he was funny! We got something small but as this was neither of our first tattoos, we were very happy with the experience. He made sure everything was clean, set up to or comfort, and that we were satisfied with the design and placement. Our conversation with him was awesome and really made the whole process very pleasant. We're from out of town, however, if we're back in the Bay and are wanting a tattoo, we are definitely coming back here to see Mario! Highly highly recommended! read more

April and Mario are great! My mom and I had a great experience here for our first tattoo and would recommend it to anyone looking. Very professional and clean!! read more

Though I use yelp nearly everyday, rarely do I ever post reviews. BUT--I felt compelled to do so for my guy Justin Davis at Moth & Dagger. I felt inclined to get a chest piece and was expecting to wait in line for months just for a consult. I called Justin and within a week I was talking to him face to face. We came up with a design I was excited about and worked within his style--a colored traditional skull with roses and a crown. I liked the fact he was upfront about his strengths and works with you down to every detail to really come up with a great design. I was in for the appointment two Saturdays later. He set up his gear in the tidy studio, put on some Billy Joel and went to work. Dude is also easy to talk to. Anyway, we separated the appointments into two. I came back a month later for shading--this time some Jane's Addiction in the background (solid playlists, my man). He works quick yet precise. For a medium to large sized chest piece, it took about three and a half hours. And for their current rate in the middle of downtown San Francisco, it's as reasonable and valuable as it gets for a legitimate tattoo shop. Another thing--I was dreading the inevitable "peeling" stage for a large chest tattoo. I was weary about walking around feeling and looking like I had fleas on my torso. Well guess what, NO PEELING. Yup, you read that right. I was mystified but this is truly a testament of Justin's skill. Anyway, before I keep rambling on, here's a summary of why I give Moth & Dagger, and particularly Justin, 5 stars: - Great Designing (especially traditional American and Japanese) - Knows his strengths and is honest with clients - Easy to talk to - VERY REASONABLY PRICED - Works quickly and precisely - Bonus for the great tunes You're a pro's pro, my man. Keep it up. I'll post a shot of the tat once it heals. read more

Thank you Justin for the wondering lining of my tattoo! Also, Thank you Mario for being a great shop owner ! Highly recommended! read more