Lucky 13 is a solid and diverse "street" shop that...

Lucky 13 is a solid and diverse "street" shop that has been around for 10+ years and are capable of doing everything from custom and portraiture to coverups.I have have had work done by several tattooers there including those that have received poor reviews on this page. I can tell you that their work is NOT poor and that they follow correct universal precautions, use proper sterilization technique and care about the work they do.

I think a big problem is with the customers. As a customer I have seen men and women in that shop that do not know what the difference is between a moth and a butterfly, cheetah spots and leopard spots or parts of their own body. I heard a woman try to reference her clitoris and she kept calling it her "clik". So many customers walk in on impulse with a gaggle of their friends and ask "Can I get a sleeve for $100?", "What can I get for $50", or they say "I want something unique, like me", but they whip out their cell phone and pull up pictures from Pinterest and insist that they must have the same exact tattoo in the same place as the picture on the Internet. (Imagine having that same conversation 50 times a day....you weren't the first person that got that cute feather tattoo exploding into birds, or stars or whatever that day...)

I have heard countless times from various artists advising against BAD DECISIONS from CUSTOMERS and the response is "I don't care I want it, can you do it for less money?" I have heard artists give their aftercare instructions and have watched customers immediately disregard them.

To be fair sometimes these guys use foul language, have a twisted sense of humor and it can come off as unprofessional; but at the same time they need to have a way to let off steam when trying to exercise patience with people that lack basic communication skills.

If you want a tattoo and you want to be treated seriously make sure you have the day off, take a shower, leave your friends and/or your children at home, grab your government issued photo ID, withdraw cash from the bank and be prepared to discuss your ideas in a clear manner and accept the advice that the professional is giving you. I think the aforementioned should be taken into consideration when reading any negative review, because no customer likes to be told something that they don't want to hear, even if it is the truth....and I think all of us have been there at some point.

My current favorites are Bob Knox and Travis Wasko because they have no problem telling me "No".