There is nothing like cruisin’ around a car show on a sunday afternoon checkin’ out firme lowriders and talking shit with good friends, it’s like a little slice of heaven for this old lowrider lover. There were women dressed like cholitas straight from the 40’s,  tough guys rappin’ about car and motorcycle building techniques that would bore most normal people into suicide, some of the most beautifully restored old ‘bombs’ that I have ever laid eyes upon, and to top it off, the infamous Jack Rudy and Baby Ray were there to entertain us with their stories of debauchery. “I didn’t even have to use my AK… Today was a good day!”

I just finished this little terror and thought I would share it with you. It is made from some trinkets I collected during my last travels. Every added extra on this sucker is from Thailand and it runs like it’s on ’sick ‘em’. It is also for sale on my eBay store if your interested, I hope it goes to a good home.

I am so proud to be a part of this website. Two amazing tattooers got together and created something great, a website that sells proper flash and prints from extraordinary artists. OK OK so maybe I’m not up on the site yet, but I WILL be, I SWEAR IT!! Anyway, if you want the best flash and prints the world has to offer then you know where to find it. Here is what they have to say about themselves:

ABOUT TATTOO ELITE INTERNATIONAL

We are an international tattoo flash and art work Distribution Company established in April of 2003 by award winning artists Henning Jørgensen from Denmark and Mike Rubendall from the USA. It was a concept recognized through years of traveling for a high demand and low availability for exclusive flash or artwork from the leading tattoo artists in the industry.

Fortunately we have had a unique opportunity to form a company consisting of artwork from some of our closest friends as well as many of the top tattooers in the world. All artists have achieved international status and are responsible for bringing tattooing to the next level. With the utmost pride and sincerity we present to you Tattoo Elite International.com

So after 2 years of sticking to my solid 3 designs I have finally decided to add a machine design I have been sitting on and adjusting for a while. It is a very strong average weight frame with a more sleek contour to the design, and it’s measured to run exactly the way I personally like to tattoo. The Shaders are fast and strong, and the liners are a slightly longer stroke and very accurate. I call it The ‘Hood-Rat’, bitches beware.

If you would like to be the owner of your own personal Hood-Rat, please refer to my eBay store:

http://stores.ebay.com/saltwatertattoo

I must be sick in the head or something, ’cause most tattooers loathe doing tattoos that you would need an eye loop for, but I seriously love them. Something about the concentration involved while using a special needle, my favorite tube, and a specific machine to bust out mini-tats just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. My Wife’s friend from Hawaii came to visit us for the weekend and during her trip I did a small rose behind the ear, now all my wife’s friends are hatin’ on her for getting tattooed before them and I just found a note in my tattoo station saying this:

It feels so good to back in my machine shop building again, I’m happier than a pervert in a vagina tree. I owe my friend Norm 2 machines for a trade we did before I left on my last travels. Norm sold 2 machines to some sad soul in Hollywood and she gave them back saying she couldn’t pay right now, my hearts aches for her(not). So I said I wanted them, Norm said, “let’s trade…”. and that is how fast it happens. Here is one of 2, enjoy.

]]> http://www.saltwatertattoo.com/blog/my-first-machine-back-home/feed 0 http://www.saltwatertattoo.com/blog/be-there-or-be-square http://www.saltwatertattoo.com/blog/be-there-or-be-square#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:43:04 +0000 Tim Hendricks http://www.saltwatertattoo.com/blog/?p=1757

I just got back to Cali and man it feels good to be home. There is a Tattoo Convention going on near my home base shop and so the owners of Gold Rush decided to throw a party, it’ll be groovy I’m sure. Back in the day this establishment was called Club Mesa, and from what I remember some of the greatest rock n’ roll and punk bands in Orange County played there. I don’t care what color you paint the building or re-name the Bar, this place has got rhythm, soul and rock n’ roll permanently saturated into the walls. Be there or be square.

So while we were working steady at the Milan Convention, an Italian gentleman approached my booth. He had a few questions about what to look for in buying a good machine and so I gave him a few pointers that would help him steer clear of those machine building hacks out there. After talking for a bit he showed me this wonderfully clean color piece on his leg, then he proceeded to tell us that he tattooed this on himself! I was very impressed, but that’s not all. As if he hadn’t impressed all of us enough, he went ahead and blew our minds by informing us that he has been tattooing a YEAR. That is right ladies and gentleman, ONE YEAR. His name is Stefano Prati, remember it. Do I need to work harder? Yes. If there is tattooers in this day and age doing things like that after a year then I definitely need to remind myself how lucky I am that I came into this when I did, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up. I will go back to Costa Mesa humbled and ready to work.

I only had a small amount of time left in London before we left back to sunny California and there was one family I just had to go and see. We went to visit my friends Alex Reinke and his wife Bao, and their new beautiful baby girl Alva. What a wonderful place to visit, the positive energy in their home is sublime and they were so warm and welcoming to us. Alex is not only one of my favorite people, he’s also one of my favorite tattooers. If you have never taken notice to his work I recommend you do, he is a very gifted tattooer and also gives back to this business generously by helping those around him. Tattooing is lucky to have you Alex.

http://www.holyfoxtattoos.de/holyfox/

Ok so it’s not the most outrageous website or anything but it is about time. I have finally taken a quick moment to build a site for the Tattoo Pen. It is small, simple and very functional just like the Tattoo Pen. HA, listen to me all salesman like, but really though, if you try this pen I guarantee you’ll love it. I will soon be adding a page that will have a gallery of photos showing the step by step of tattoos from the drawing with the pen all the way to the finished tattoo, it’ll be fun.

www.tattoopen.net