This review is for mark the piercer.
I read about him refusing to pierce a belly and I can say it's bollox. If he doesn't think something will take he will be honest about it. I don't know about you but I'd rather have some one refuse to do a craptastic job than take my money and run.
He does use surgical (implant) grade steel, only for his  jewelry(and yes this does cost more than the dollar crap at those mall stores). Why does he use this quality? Because it's the only proven Jewelry that won't cause a reaction. While bioplast is nice and can help hide your piercing, but it should not be used for an initial piece. Piercing is a trauma to your body and causes swelling. A proper  (medical) grade piece  (which is what mark uses) promotes proper healing and helps your body heal to the proper shape/placement so you don't have discomfort of your piercing.
Infact I now live an hour and a half away from mark near SF but it is because of his professionalism that I am making a appointment in the morning just to see him. Years ago he placed my first  snug (think anti-conch) and I vowed never to let another person pierce me.
Through life decisions etc, I had to remove all facial/ear jewelry and the snug piercing in each ear has become so I can't get but a tiny piercing in now that I want it back. I can tell you that if he advises that my piercing shouldn't be re-done I will accept that because he does know his craft.
When you wake up out of a deep sleep and wake your partner saying we are going to my piercer and getting g my jewelry put back in ASAP ...it's then that you know  how much you trust your piercer.
It is because of mark and knowing that he will be honest and tell me if my piercings are salvageable, that I will make the hour plus drive just for a consult. Fingers crossed my body will allow me to get the piercing done.
Never got a negative vibe from him and I've been seeing him on and off for close to 9+ years, and yes I am 33. Â This is California (aren't we lucky to live in a liberal state)? Sure he's got tattoo's and piercings...but he's one of the kindest people I know in the industry. (Yes we are all human and have good days and bad)
I will update once I have my consult and let you all know how it goes.
Got two additional ear piercings done here on my right ear lobe to make a total of three for that lobe. My ears had been pierced since I was a young child, so I was pretty nervous about the pain and piercing process. However, Mark was kind and calming, and a real professional. Although he does the piercings by hand and with a needle, they barely even hurt when he pierced them, and were only sore for two or three days later. It took a while, but they healed great too!
Review Source:Came in to ask about the Micro Vaped and definitely appreciated the friendliness of 'Cinnamon.' Honestly, the most chill and best customer service I've experienced in a while from anyone while they were working. The shop is clean and the workers are welcoming and friendly. I most definitely will be coming back for more. Thank you, Cinnamon.
Review Source:They refused to accept my credit card as payment, because I refused to show my ID.
They claimed it was for their protection, and told me that with no ID, I can only pay cash. I explained to the dude that their VISA merchant agreement prohibits them from asking any extra information when someone pays with a card, but he told me doesn't care...
When you post the VISA sign on your window, it means you accept VISA, no questions asked. Thanks for wasting my time...
(For reference: from the VISA International Operating Rules (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fusa.visa.com%2Fdownload%2Fmerchants%2Fvisa-international-operating-regulations-main.pdf&s=c556012459473e22d5af08e073b8df8de85a10281ec0468d7566e56a1148c8ae" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://usa.visa.com/down…</a>): """Effective 15 November 2012, clarifies that Merchants must not require supplemental Cardholder identification as a condition of Card acceptance unless otherwise allowed.""")
Great little shop. Hadn't been here in maybe ten plus years, but we came in to check on the prices they had on vape pens. Asked her the price and she said $69.99, which was lower than the other places were and plus with a 10% off for checking in on yelp, the total came out to a very nice $68.50 so my buddy grabbed that. When he left town, I needed to grab one and came in and got another (and you can use the yelp check in again, but this time the manager was there this time doing tats and she came to the back room to check that it was used or entered properly through the cashier, not sure that happened last time?)
Lots of nice glass pieces as well and the prices for those back in the day were always good, so I'm assuming they still are. Â
Will I be back? Of course (When I need to replace my coil).
We went there to get my daughter's ears pierced. She is eight and she has been waiting for this for some time. After some research I decided we should go to a piercing studio and after checking yelp I made an appointment here. Mark was our piercer and he was really sweet and patient. He explained everything very thoroughly and took his time. My daughter was a little bit scared but Mark made some funny comments and was able to distract her. I was really impressed and would go back again.
Quick note for parents: this is a tattoo-piercing-smoke-shop, so you should be mentally prepared for the upcoming questions:) However, this was not a problem for us.
We took our 6 year old to get her ears pierced. its hard to find some one to do piercings on a child that is both good, and patient. I was very impressed the way Mark talked to my daughter and pierced her ears. She did not even cry and was very happy. He asked her her favorite color "blue" and gave her little child friendly blue stone earnings. He took his time talking and explaining every thing to us and her, and we appreciate his ability to work with children when it came to getting her ears pierced. I would definitely recommend him.
Review Source:My favorite headshop in Cali :) (Can't speak for the piercing..)
+Always a great quality selection!
+Super chill staff, very attentive and knowledgeable as well.
+Carries locally blown glass, has some awesome art pieces/heady glass.
+Carries a decent selection of scientific glass as well.
+Utensils, torches, male-male, papers, butane.. anything else ritual involved you can find here.
-Inventory does vary
Overall I've been to many headshops, including living in Venice/ LA low-end/ high-end shops. But still The Fatty Zone ranks #1 in my books because of the awesome customer service and quality selection. They aren't the cheapest by any means, but you wont be disappointed by their stellar (not to mention now-a-days, authentic) selection.
*Personally I can't even count on two hands all the glass I've bought at Fatty w/ my Best Friend. A few Illadelph pipes.. Crystal Fog stemless..a beautiful custom blown local sherlock bubbler (RIP Amaryllis)...all of them truly cherished and never once regretted a purchase.
-Ken (theonlineguy) T.
I'm not a smoker, so I can only comment on the piercing business.
I got my earlobes pierced here and was impressed enough that I have recommended it to several friends who also have had positive experiences.
Making an appointment was straightforward. I wanted slightly larger piercings than usual, since I was considering stretching them. Mark, the piercer, was professional and explained my options thoroughly, and we settled on piercing my ears at 10 g. Attention to detail and cleanliness was good, and the actual piercing went without a hitch. I was more than a little nervous, but Mark was patient and responsive.
I had some trouble with bleeding the next day due to the size of the holes in my ear, and called back as I had been strongly encouraged to do if there were any issues. This was a little unpleasant as the employee who answered the phone really didn't help very much. True, I'm not sure what they could really have done, but I didn't feel reassured putting the phone down. This is the reason I am not giving five stars. In any event, the bleeding resolved spontaneously later that day and I had no further problems.
I haven't been back to get anything pierced since, but I have gone with friends who have had a similarly good experience to mine, and if I were getting another piercing I doubt I'd even consider going anywhere else. Hard to beat that, I think!
The guy who does the piercing, I don't remember his name, is an ungrateful jerk. He is incredibly rude and unprofessional. I made a mistake and bought some jewelry  at hot topic (which, I admit, was a stupid idea ) and came in when it didn't fit properly. He was so rude to me even though I tipped him $20 for changing the jewelry for me. His bad attitude was completely uncalled for and it was  hurtful to be treated so poorly. I will never come back here again and I hope others don't bring their business here either. I would give zero stars if I could and I hope that loser reads this and learns how to treat his customers better.
Review Source:So my daughter was out for the summer and she wanted to get her belly button pierced. I did some research and saw that fatty zone had got some great reviews.
We scheduled our appointment and went in and met Mark who talked to her before she had it done and explained it. He was great, very clean, friendly and the after care (my daughter was getting light headed) was amazing. I got my eyebrow done right after.
If I could give more than 5 stars I would. I would recommend that anyone thinking of getting a piercing go and see Mark.
I wasn't sure what to expect when I first walked in. It looked like a skate shop/tattoo parlor with nobody behind the desk. I walked further into the store and saw some employees in the smoking accessories section of the store. I was looking for a water pipe to use in conjunction with my vaporizer and I found a really informed and helpful staff!
The guy who helped me (I think his name was Mitch) took the time to explain many different options to me. I haven't purchased any new equipment in many years and the staff really took the time to bring me up to speed to all the things I've been missing out on. I ended up picking up some great pieces and this is definitely my new go to place for vaporizing and smoking gear.
This is the ONLY place I go for piercings, and I've been coming here for years! Mark, the piercer, is fantastic! The place is clean and organized, Mark is professional and easy to talk to. He's done most of my piercings and fixed others. They also have a great variety of beautiful gauges. I highly recommend to GO HERE if you want a piercing you will be proud of!
Review Source:To my dismay Mark was not the best piercer ever = Â
He's one of those "bullshity" kind of people that sound like they know a lot about something but they don't...
First I did a lot of research on piercings and what kind of materials work best for initial piercings. When I showed him my bioplast ring, he rejected the idea right away and it was obvious he has a huge ego since he started boasting about how he's the best piercer around. He was also very rude to me and my friend (who is a professional piercer- which is funny since he graduated from Stanford University).
I wish I could give this place 0 stars because all the times I have come here I've had a bad experience. I decided, hey maybe I'm wrong, I'll give this place another shot, but when I came back, the staff was rude and didn't seem to care about what I was looking for (wanted a tongue piercing).
The third time I came here with my friend, she wanted to get her belly pierced (also with a bioplast). Mark rejected her wish since he said scar tissue cannot be pierced due to an old piercing (which is funny because it's a year later and her belly was pierced by a better professional and it wasn't rejected or infected and the scars healed as well). Not only that but Mark said her "anatomy" made it so that her belly was unpierceable HAH, I'm sorry but someone that probably doesn't have a GED, and obviously hasn't gone to college, I can't take your word for shit. My friend who graduated from Stanford, majored in human anatomy and also a professional piercer obviously knows best.
The only reason why me and my friends came here was because of the "good" reviews of how this place is "amazing". My friend just didn't have the piercing materials at the time, otherwise he would have pierced my friend himself.
This place is just overpriced and the only reason why people come here is because Mark/Fatty Zone are just to cocky and think they are the best thing around and people believe that because they believe Mark is the professional so he MUST know more than him.
Disclaimer: If a piercer doesn't want to pierce you because he believes it's too "risky" then obviously he must not be the best piercer around (especially when another piercer says "yeah it's risky but I can do a good job on it" and have it fully heal.) Also if the piercer does not know about all types of belly, tongue rings etc. (like bioplast, titanium, sterling silver etc.) the piercer is a dumbshit.
PS just because you have tattoos all over your body and face, as well as piercings, does not mean you are intellectual in the field of piercings.
Mark is awesome! Â Made an appointment with him to get my first piercing (ear, cartilage). Â Very friendly guy. Â I was a bit nervous but he made me feel at ease. Â He also took time to properly sanitize the work area, and it was clean and professional. Â
He walked me through how he'd do the piercing and made sure there were no surprises. Â You can tell he's got experienced hands. Â The piercing was swift and I didn't feel much pain. Â I'm happy with the piercing. Â Thanks Mark!
I've been coming here for over six years. The workers have all changed but the quality of service and integrity of the store has not. What makes this place the best is the great selection and knowledge and helpfulness that the staff brings the the table. Â One thing to note is that they support American made and local glass if possible (vs cheap imported shit) and if you ask the staff, they can usually tell you they know the glassblowers and where they are from. Â Yes this drives up the prices a little, but hey, check in on Yelp you can get a small % off.
I've "retired" but I still faithfully bring all my friends here with smoking needs and I'd recommend anyone in the Bay Area to come to Fatty Zone over any other smoke shop.
Street parking but it's usually never a problem.
The name threw me off first of all :P, moving on.
Mark is great, he cleaned up what my other piercer from another place had fucked up. He swapped out my jewelry for me (and sterilized it for 20 minutes in the awesome jewelry sterilizing heating machine), he gave me real instructions and was overall reassured that I wasn't going to die. Haha.
My only beef was some of the workers are a little meh (not including Mark here - folks - he was 100% and on top of his game). The others act like they are either way strung out or just lazy.
I will be returning in a week or two to get extra jewelry. This place is worth it.
I went in here with my friend Madison so that she could get her septum pierced. Â And I have to say....MARK is the best! He is super funny and professional. It was near their closing time and he still took us in and did not make us feel rushed. My friend was a bit nervous but he talked her through all the steps and did not avoid the fact that it would hurt and there might be some complications since she had her septum previously pierced. Afterwards he talked us through the after care process and told her she is welcome to call the shop at anytime if she is concerned with anything. All in all my friend is very satisfied with her septum piercing and I'm planning to come in here soon to get something pierced!
Review Source:Came all the way here so my boyfriend can get a piece to smoke wax. He has a cannabis card so it's nothing illegal. Came in the guy asked us for our ID's and then we got to look around. We asked him a a few questions like "where is this piece for wax blah blah blah." He left us alone and helped other customers and then came back to us. He was really nice and answered all the questions my boyfriend had. We ended up getting this piece for $100. Got 10% off because we check in on YELP! ;) Overall I had a great experience.
NOTE: I was going to get my lip pierce here too but,I didn't know I had to make an appointment. If you want a piercing make sure you make an appointment!
I came here for a simple piercing for my ear lobe. I've gotten my first ear lobe piercings at a jewlery store and I got my cartiledge done at claire's (I know I was stupid but lukily it didn't get infected). This time I wanted to get my piercing done right. Mark didn't give me any crap for just a simple piercing. He said he'd do it right and it'd be nice and fast. He did warn me though that the selection of earrings for me were going to be minimal because he usually does body piercings.
He had me sign a waiver and then I went straight back to get started. He walked me through what was going to happen and he spent a good time figuring out where to pierce my small ear lobes to make the piercing look good. I picked my earrings and that was that.
The piercing area and piercing itself was a super sterile procedure. The earings and needles were autoclaved and I saw them in the autoclave pouches. He wore gloves and washed his hands before. He also uses high grade metal. If you want to bring your own earrings that is fine too they'll accept it and sterilze it for you before using it.
My piercing plus the price of simple studs came up to $36 bucks.
I got my nose pierced by Mark here about a week ago and it was a great experience! Â I wanted to wait about week before leaving a review to make sure that everything he told me to expect about the aftercare was true. And so far, so good!
My piercing looks great and it is healing beautifully, especially because I have been following Mark's very thorough after care instructions. He was really great about figuring out the best position for my piercing and the actual piercing was so quick, I hardly felt a thing!
Mark made sure to give me his card and told me to call or stop in with any questions I have. I am definitely recommending him to everyone I know!
The teenager was determined to get another piercing for her 18th birthday and invited me along (to pay, of course). Â I'm so glad I went. Â I can't say enough nice things about my experience with Mark and Fatty Zone. Â Mark is a true artist who really knows his stuff. Â And what a sweetheart! Â Don't let all the tattoos, piercing and gauges fool you. Â He really is a doll!!
I'm not one for tattoos or excessive piercings, but I can say from taking my daughter all over for hers that this is the place to come!!
TIP: Don't forget to tip!
I have been coming here for years and I've always loved it!
This review is mainly for Mark though! I owe him a ton! If it wasn't for his SUPER last minute help last night, i probably would've been at the El Camino Hospital waiting for a doctor to perform surgery on my ear. Due to a stupid decision of getting my triple inner helix at Body Jewelz in valley fair mall, my piercings (that were done completely wrong; wrong jewelry and all) had gotten infected to a new level..Mark thankfully was able to fix the disgusting mess that the piercer at body jewelz had done! (my ear was beginning to swallow the small jewelry that had been put in)
I learned a huge lesson! I will definitely be staying away from body jewelz and coming to Fatty Zone for all my piercings.
If you have any piercing trouble or are looking to get pierced, DEFINITELY see Mark! he's awesome!
I am not the demographic The Fatty Zone caters to. Â I don't smoke and I don't have anything pierced other than my ears. Â I came in the other night with a friend who wanted to pick some supplies. He seemed happy with the selection of products and the wares sold. Â He was happy with his purchase and I even fell in love with a hoodie that was in the front room. Â There is quite a selection of clothes/shoes up front.
The two people working were friendly and answered all the questions my friend had.
I have gotten several piercings here from Mark. A few I was a little scared to get and he really good at reassuring its fine without making you any more nervous or making you feel like you HAVE to get the piercing.
When I was younger one of my first piercings was at another place and they just wanted to rush through it, get it done, and get me out. But the staff at Fatty Zone are friendly and the piercings are amazing. I would not go to another piercer.
I actually held of on getting one done a few years ago when I had gone in without checking to see if he was there. When he wasn't I did not go to another place even though I really wanted my Tragus piercing. I also really wanted it here and from Mark. Everything is clean and its a great place.
So I never write reviews. I enjoy reading them, but after today I had no choice but to proceed with a review!
My first comments are in regards to location, appeal, the place, the cleanliness and such other blah blah blah....this store is dope. great set up. on el camino very easy to find and get into. the store has a great variety of things to purchase as well as look at while waiting on a friend to get pierced! the smoke shop side is decent. good variety and great products. the store itself was very clean, smelled just like a smoke shop (i love that smell) and every thing was easy to look at, not to cluttered etc. overall great store
the staff as a whole. awesome people. both times i came in i saw the same gentlemen but very nice, helpful people. always willing to help me and answer questions. Ha ha one guy was even throwing back jokes! great staff.
NOW THE GOOD STUFF!!!!! the piercer, mark!!! Im not gonna lie great looking man. but aside from that, great person. very informative and had the willingness to answer all my questions, even all my random ones!! so sadly i had to redo a piercing that had scared tissue, i was nervous and not to excited, needless to say he assured me i would be fine and took great care of me. during the process it was a little intense but i expected that, and it all ended up great. he is VERY VERY good at what he does!!!!
through everything, to the clean tools and sterile needles and all that, explained the after care process very through.
Overall, I AM SOOOOOOO COMING BACK. maybe to buy a pipe be on one and get pierced after...maybe a shirt???
either way, great place. without a doubt they earned 5 stars. would get more but its all i can give!!!
thanks guys
I got my nose pierced last night, out of a spontaneous decision made just 30 minutes beforehand. Had I gone somewhere else and gotten it done, things could've ended up a lot worse. I hadn't done too much research about it, and only afterwards did my friend tell about her worse/scarier experiences at other places. But instead, I'm sitting at work happily typing this review with an awesome nose stud, lots of compliments because of it and no regrets at all.
Mark was awesome-- he answered all of my questions, had awesome stories to tell the whole time we were there, and put my friend and I to ease. He told us exactly what to expect, was super sterile, and very efficient. He was nice enough to stay for our piercings even though we showed up later than his normal appointment hours. And I was expecting some pain, redness or the sort today... but (knock on wood) my nose looks and feels completely fine.
Couldn't be happier!
My ear lobe piercing closed on one Friday afternoon and well, I panicked. Â There was no way this earring was going through. Â I could feel that the skin was thin where the hole SHOULD have been but I couldn't bring myself to pierce it through. Â Ugh. Â I'm getting the hibbee jibbees just thinking about it. Â I've been looking at this place for awhile thanks to Yelp and when this catastrophe happened, I decided to give it a try.
I called on Saturday at around 12 PM, hoping to get an appointment that afternoon. Â Mark was leaving at 4 PM and they gave me the last appointment at 3:30 PM. Â I arrived at 3:30 PM and Mark was just finishing up with another customer. Â The shop was really cool, kind of a Hot Topic (is this insulting? Â sorry! Â not mean to be!) for a cooler, more grown up demographic. Â There were a couple of people waiting for Mark with some questions; he answered them patiently but with speed and explained to them that I had an appointment.
I told him what I wanted (to not be lopsided) and then I decided to ask him about my cartilage piercing. Â I had gone to Claire's (oh to be young and stupid) to get it and it ended up closing after getting infected. Â He said he could totally do it and do it RIGHT this time. Â I was worried about getting it infected again but he said he would give me the tools and tips needed to avoid that. Â
My lobe piercing was fine; all he did was swiftly put the needle in and put in my earrings. Â The cartilage piercing....well. Â It HURT. Â But he was really nice about it and talked the whole time to distract me.
He gave me a really great deal on everything. Â The whole shop is so friendly and I got the Yelp discount as well. Â It's been a few weeks since my piercing and it looks great and it hurts less and less everyday (more like, is less sensitive). Â If I ever want to even myself out again, I'd come to Mark and his buddies at Fatty Zone. Â Quality stuff.
So I've been threatening to do this yelp thing for a while. Â Mainly when places suck and I'm irritated and want to rant about it. Â But it turns out the first place to actually get me to write a review is the Fatty Zone...due to it's amazingness (which is not a word, but I don't care).
Mark did an awesome job with my friend's and my piercings. Â He was patient and fun and really took care with what he was doing. Â Everything was really clean, which is super important to me. Â I've been to so many places where I felt rushed and pressured into things and here I was completely at ease. Â In fact, I was only supposed to be there as moral support for my friend, but when I saw how great he was with her I thought, "Eh, why not?" Â
If I decide to put any more holes in my body...I will definitely go back. Â Great experience.
So I've been here a couple times with friends, but this last time I went was to help my mom get her ears pierced. I know it may sound funny, but my mom is almost as straight edge as you can get, so walking into Fatty Zone was entertaining for me. She wanted to go to a place that would do it right and so I thought this would be the place to do it.
Mark was awesome. He was patient with us and really didn't seem rushed or short like the first impression I got of him in the past. He was social with a sense of when you were ready to get it done. Even though people come here more for body piercings, he definitely educated us about the ears and where would be the best placement, with our final call. The piercing was quick and painless and my mom was out of the door very happy. :)
After finishing with my mom I wanted to look at the different gauged jewelry they had and was very very VERY happy to see that they have a wider selection for both smaller gauges and larger ones as well (I am at a 8-6). I wanted something other than plugs and Mark helped me pick two very cute and complimenting organic spirals and I love them to death.
With the check-in offer I was all set and I will not hesitate to come back again.
Totally broke my smoke shop cherry here haha
All i can say is this place is prettty legit. Â i was in awe in what they have here and what exists!
i bought my friends hookah set here and it was pretttty AWESOME! a little on the pricey side but it was worth it.
they have everything you can think of: bags, lighters, tobacco, flavors, things you can hide shit in ... i was in total AWE of everything there!
Overall: im probably gonna go back to buy myself a hookah set!
Honestly the pieces available were great looking, but when you tell them a price range and they give you that look, like we don't have anything here you can buy for that except a tiny piece of ceramic. Its lame, when I went down the street and found what I was looking for at half of their asking price, if you want a straight up Nike store of smoke shops check it out, but unless your wallets Fatty better just pass Fatty Zone on by.
Review Source:I avoid this place whenever I get the chance.
I'll start with the one thing I like about this place. Out of the smoke shops near me - fatty, my smoke shop, the cave - fatty has the coolest bowl pieces (for BONGS) at the best prices.
Now the downsides. The staff at this place (with the exception of one or maybe two employees) just bugs me. They are never welcoming. I don't know how many times I've been asked to show my ID upon walking in the smokables room; just a hassle. Being a glass collector, I like to call my tubes "bongs" because that is what they are; every time you say "bong" inside of Fatty Zone the staff will get mad at you.... BE REAL, FATTY ZONE!! Besides an irking staff, their prices are generally a little high and not worth the mark up. They have some cool pieces but not too much selection.
One time i came here with a 17 year old friend to look at stickers and they wouldn't let us look at them inside the room with the smokeables... we had to take the sticker binder outside with us and the whole time the employees were giving us attitude. I've left Fatty zone annoyed far more times than I've left satisfied.
Another time I went here and whoever was working was going on and on about how the shop had the "hook-up" with illidelph and zong -- as if Fatty was the only smoke shop around to carry the brands! She was bragging about being one out of the only two smoke shops in all of the bay area to carry a giant Zong... I've already seen four in the bay and I'm sure there is plenty more. She bragged about theirs being the cheapest as well which was also a lie because the giant Zong I saw in SF at the shop, Good Fella's, was FAR cheaper. The attitude at Fatty is just very stuck-up.
I am so pleased that this store exists in my town. Â It is comforting knowing it is there, and every few years, when I break my, er, water pipe, as they prefer ["It's the law!" sighs the affable store piercer], I know that they will have another one for me. Â The same one in fact. Â I keep buying and breaking the same ... water pipe. Â Argh!
But, yeah! for the Fatty Zone.
Let's just say if you need it, they've got it, at the right price and with excellent customer service. You can throw any curve ball at them and they'll be able to answer you from the top of their wonderful noggins. Fatty Zone seems like the least menacing and/or intimidating of all head shops I've ever entered, so I don't know why some people are saying they feel intimidated when they come here. Perhaps you haven't been to all that many? Because Fatty Zone is seriously the most professional and organized shop ever.
But I didn't decide to write this review because of the shop, rather, it is for their skilled piercer Mark. The other day I spontaneously decided to re-pierce all of my previous piercings on my ears (huzzah for not having to maintain a professional image at work anymore!), so I rashly called Fatty Zone and set an appointment without doing any real research myself. All evening long I started over-analyzing everything and making myself a bit nervous about the forthcoming ordeal, considering I've never really been properly pierced because I thought getting "pierced" at the mall by a gun was legit. Fast forward 8 years and all those crappy so-called piercings are now closed up with scar tissue to prove it.
Anyway, I showed up for my 6-7pm appt (the scheduler penned me in for a full hour because I told her I wanted to get at least five done that day) and Mark was behind schedule since the scheduler only gave him 5 minutes in between each appointment. He came out and apologized and explained to me how long it's going to take to sanitize the jewelry I picked out anyway, so I should come back in about a half hour. Some people gave him bad reviews because his appointments sometimes gets overlapped, but I really think it's unfair to critique him on that. Do you really want someone to do a rushed job with your piercing? Would you really rather he cut down the time it took him to sanitize your jewelry and his tools?
I returned in 30 minutes and he still wasn't exactly ready, but at least he took the liberty of coming out and telling me what he was going to do next and that I shouldn't have to wait much longer. That, to me, is beyond excellent customer service. I mean, what more can a guy do? He's only got two hands. When it was my turn, he examined my ears and confirmed my worst worry: The top of my ears are shaped too weird to get properly pierced. That means 3/5 of the piercings I intended on getting were not going to pan out as I had hoped. BIG BUMMER!!! So we started examining my ears some more. I was hell-bent on getting some major piercing done today, so let's find out what we CAN pierce. After close inspection, we decided to replace those three piercings with a more extreme-yet-cute piercing that I am beyond thrilled about. It's nothing too eye-catching, or "wild" if you may, but it is definitely out of the ordinary and AWESOME! I couldn't be more thrilled about it.
Truth be told, Mark is one really cool dude. He's been playing in a punk rock band called Insolence for years, and they still tour Japan frequently. Oh, the Japanese and their love of American punk! He is an amazing person to talk to with tons of cool stories to tell. He's a skilled piercer in a punk rock band, need I explain how cool he is any further? He's not going to fluff anything nor bullshit around. If you ask him if it's going to hurt, he will tell you the truth.
I am already pondering what else I want to get pierced. And when I make that decision, Mark, I'll be coming back to you!
Mark is amazing and puts me right at ease every time. He pierced my nostril, septum, medusa and did my snakebites. When I had to take them out for some job interviews he was more than happy to redo them for me with the original jewelry. He's a great guy, nice to talk to, and knows his shit. I wouldn't go anywhere else.
Review Source:Can't say enough good things about this place :) Â Mark has been piercing me for a few years now and I will never go anywhere else. Â He's done three dermals (two on my hips and one on my chest), my conch and my rook. Â He is knowledgeable, honest, clean, professional and I always leave feeling confident that my piercing(s) will heal quickly and look great. Â I usually end up hanging out for a little while and shooting the shit with Mark and the other employees because the atmosphere is so awesome and laid back. Â
Thanks for everything, guys! Â Keep up the great work :)
The fatty zone was open Christmas eve. we needed some smoking gifts and it was 6 pm.
El camino's power was off but the fatty zone employee of the month was outside holding the open sign out into traffic... So we pulled up fast and brought our own flashlight.
The other awesome employee showed us stuff with the wind up emergency flashlight. We got some sweet presents and Christmas won't be lame with us showing up empty handed!
Thanks fatty zone- the buddah candle is ready to burn!
I'm so glad my friend and I came here to get our nose piercings. There's a reason there are so many great reviews on here.
Mark is so great. He's professional, personable, and clean. He told me everything I needed to know and answered all my questions. And I had a lot!
My piercing is healing as expected and I've not had any problems. Mark was very honest and thorough in telling us what to expect and what not to do. He even helped me with my cartilage piercing that I haven't worn a piercing in for many months!
His station was very clean and well set up. He warned us that we might tear up during the process not because it's painful but because the eyes and nose are so connected and it's a sensitive area. He was right, it was not painful. Plus the fact that needles and I don't get along. I tend to pass out or get dizzy. I had no issues whatsoever.
I highly recommend Mark to anyone in the area needing a piercing. Even if you're not in the area, he's worth the drive!
I needed a new industrial, and I got one here for $20. Having lived in Berkeley, I'm used to more expensive places, so I was happy with the price. Service was alright, and it was pretty amusing seeing the smoke shop's selection. To say the least, they had everything ever smoke-related.
Overall, a convenient local place
I got my nose pierced here a few hours ago and I have to say that all the fantastic reviews about Mark are true!!
I was greeted right away when I walked into the shop and I let Mark know that I used to have my nose pierced but it wasn't pierced the right way and didn't seem to heal correctly. I asked how long I would have to wait to put a hoop in and he was very helpful.
His piercing station does look like a doctor's office, very sterile! He let me know exactly when he was going to pierce my nose and it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. I teared quite a lot but that's just because I'm a cry baby, lol!
Mark overall made my experience pleasant because we also talked about my upcoming move to Germany and his trip to Japan.
I would definitely recommend this place to anyone!
I will never waste my time in this shop again.
My first and only experience was when a friend and I went in to check out piercings, I don't know the name of the guy but when we came in he said "I hate it when these little kids come in here, they never buy anything." We left without a second glance.
Excuse me but last I checked insulting people who come in to your store is a good way to drive them away. Just because a person is short doesn't mean they are a "little kid."
I came in here a little over a month ago to get my anti-tragus pierced. Mark the piercer was absolutely great - if I could rate him alone he'd get a solid 4 stars. He was very professional and explained the entire procedure, made sure I understood how to care for it, etc.
Minus one star for completely ripping me off. I called in prior to coming in and he said it would be about $30 for the anti-tragus piercing. I paid about $65 afterwards. (Later compared prices with other people - mine was definitely the most expensive. My friend's industrial was cheaper.)
Minus one star for store service. Lost the ball on my piercing and came in during Mark's hours. He wasn't there, so I told one of the other employees about my situation. She told me to come back in 4 days, when Mark would be in. I called the next day about it and THE SAME GIRL said to come in and buy a ball. Now why couldn't she have done this the first day? She charged me about $8 for the ball itself. A complete 16 gauge barbell goes for maybe 3 bucks. Ripped off, again.
Thanks for the great piercing, but I definitely will not be coming back.
Oh and one more thing - his hours are:
Mon-Wed 1-4
Sat 1-4
Sun 4-9
I got my nose pierced by Mark just last night and I love it so much. I was prepared to be crying in pain I thought it was really going to hurt. But to my surprise it really didn't at all.
Mark was so helpful in what to avoid and what to  expect. I wish i had more cash on me to tip him better but, if I decide to get any other piercings done I am definitely coming here again!
Thanks Mark
Brittainie
It's been two months since my nose piercing, so I went in and asked Mark advice about changing the jewelry, etc. Â He was pretty busy with several other piercings, but he remembered me, inquired about my piercing, took a look at it, and said he could help me in a bit. Â Since my piercing hadn't quite healed yet, it was a slight struggle to get in the new stud, but Mark was super gentle and got it done with little trouble. Â He also gave me some great advice about how to minimize the swelling and speed the healing. Â Even though as a suburban housewife, I'm probably not your "typical" Fatty Zone customer, Mark always makes me feel welcome and comfortable. Â I'm not planning on changing my jewelry for quite some time now, but when I do, I will definitely go back to Mark and the Fatty Zone!
Review Source:AWESOME! I just got my nose pierced here about 2 hours ago. This was a first and I had the pleasure of getting my piercing done by Mark. He is so sweet and informative. I was a little nervous, but he not only helped me choose a ring size, he let me know step by step what he was doing. I would recommend him to anyone! He kicks ass!
I need to go back and give him a better tip!
xoxoxo
I went here in late January to get an industrial and my friend got a rook. Mark was my piercer, and was really knowledgeable about tattoos and piercings. The piercing actually hurt less and is healing quicker than the cartilage piercing I got done at claire's many years ago. (I was younger and dumber.) I'll probably get my conch done here at a later date when I have more cash to waste.The industrial no longer hurts and doesn't have any discharge. It'll be another 7 months before I can swap the jewelry but so far so good!
As an aside, someone hit my car right outside the shop before I got my piercing done. I went into crazy rage mode and probably had a gallon of adrenaline released into my system which might be why my industrial didn't hurt very much right when I got it pierced...
GREAT experience at the Fatty Zone today and Mark was AWESOME! He was super clean and sterilized his hands and tools and must've changed gloves like 5-6 times when he was prepping up. I've never seen anyone change gloves and sterilize their hands so much but boy, was that much appreciated on my part.
My sister got her tragus pierced and I got a rook piercing. It was such a painless experience and as I'm sitting here typing my review 1.5 hours later...it doesn't even feel like I had a needle pierced through my cartilage.
I know my sister didn't feel any pain when she got her tragus pierced b/c when Mark pierced it, she asked if it was even in yet and he said yes. I remember when I got my tragus pierced years ago somewhere in SJ, it was kinda painful and for my sister to not even know when the needle pierced her tragus says a lot about Mark.
He was also very thorough with the after care instructions and I'm confident that my sister and my piercing will heal well.
If I decide to get another piercing, I will definitely come back. I've never had a better piercing experience than today!
Skeptics, I know what you're thinking-it's randomly located in Mountain View, and it doubles as a Smoke Shop.
But, I actually had a great experience there - they have a good nose ring selection and Mark's awesome. Â So awesome, in fact, that I got this done about a year ago and still feel like I should yelp review it :)
Despite the random location, Fatty Zone is as good as it gets.
I came to the Fatty Zone as a walk in just checking my new neighborhood and got to talking with Mark, the resident piercer. Â Let me tell you, after 10 years of living in another town, I was loyal to my previous piercer, but mark won me over. Â not only does he know exactly what hes doing, hes a true artist! Â He won't just pierce you because you want it, as an expert if he doesn't think it will heal right or their may be problems, he is sure to tell you and give you his opinion. Â I went in and ended up getting a dermal punch on the back of my neck, Mark had me come in for a follow up once a week for 3 weeks to make sure it was healing correctly!
This guy is not only professional but really cares about what he does. Â I recommend this place to anyone in the area thinking about getting pierced!
I had my nose pierced recently in SF and was told I need to soak the piercing in hot/warm salt water. Â I started doing this religiously because I didn't want my piercing to keloid over - however, my nose didn't appreciate the hot bath.
After a week I looked like I was going to morph into rudolph - seriously. Â The redder my nose got, the more I broke out. The more I broke out, the more I'd apply cream/acne meds to counteract - but it made things worse. My girlfriends said I should stop the soaks but instead use plain saline contact solution. I started this but I started to keloid.
Confused and frustrated I went into trader joes looking for dr. bronner's soap. I didn't see any hand happened to talk to an associate - Rachel and told her about my dilemma. She suggested I go to Fatty Zone in Mountain View and ask for Mark - he's great and he'll tell me what to do.
I drove straight over and I'm SOOOOOO glad I did.
I walked in and even though I didn't have my piercing done here, Mark was attentive and knew exactly what I needed to do. He had me purchase this solution and told me what to do - its been 2 weeks and my piercing looks great! Thanks Mark! I really appreciate your help!
I will definitely refer my local friends to Fatty Zone - not only for piercings but for jewelry too, they had an amazing collection of body jewelry. Â :)
I visited the shop for my first time on Sunday to get my dermals and was naturally kinda nervous. Mark is a real cool dude, friendly vibe, talked me through the entire processes, and made me feel much more comfortable. He spent more time prepping (very clean and sterile) than he did actually doing the anchors. It was painless and they came out exactly like I imagined them. PERFECT.
I left 100% satisfied, with full aftercare instructions and cleaning supplies.
He scored extra kudos for having the exact jewelry I wanted. I'm already planning my next trip to the shop to see him for more.
FIVE STARS ALL THE WAY!!!!
I woke up on Saturday feeling spontaneous and decided to get my nipple pierced (would only be my first piercing besides my ears). I yelped tattoo shops in MV and The Fatty Zone popped up with excellent reviews so I called in to check on the availability of appointments. Mark fit me in right away (and within 2 hours of the initial phone call, I walked out of his shop an extremely happy customer).
When I got there (plenty of free parking in the back), he was very informative with jewelry and even offered to custom order things if he didn't have what I was looking for. I thought it would be a little awkward since I went in on my own to strip off my shirt in front of a total stranger, but Mark was extremely professional and I felt comfortable the entire time as he was an easy conversationalist.
The shop was clean, clean, clean!! Everything he touched was sterilized and came in an individual package (even the mark-up pen was sterilized!) Very impressed with the cleanliness. He talked me through the whole process and it didn't hurt at all (well maybe a little, but that's expected when getting a needle speared through a nipple). He recommended some sea salt cleaning solution but wasn't forceful about me buying it...so I did!
They have a big selection of Rebel 8 clothes; done by a local artist and very unique. Not to mention an amazing selection of smoke shop amenities and clothes/hats/shoes/etc.
Overall, I was extremely impressed with the shop, the recommendations, the advice and overall cleanliness and professionalism. I will definitely make this my first shop to visit for future piercings!!!!
Mark is the bomb and my piercing looks hot!!!!!
V. nice to first timers!
Helix and lobe pierced in one visit for under $50. Â I didn't know what I was doing and I wished I could have more choice in the jewelry type but could have done more internet research before coming in. Â I didn't watch any sterilization or unpackaging happen but the guy who pierced me was kind and not demeaning at all even though it was blatantly obvious I had never done this before. Â He also only charged for 1 piercing ($20) and the 2 jewelries.
Afterwards he advertised some cleaning solution without being too pushy at all, and confirmed I was a Stanford student and gave me a discount without my asking at all! Â (Found out later there is a coupon in the unofficial Stanford guide, also.)
Best of all, they were chatting about Yelpers when I came in. Â (: Â Please tip your piercer!
UPDATE! I got my industrial pierced here back in December and I have had ZERO problems with it. Â Everything there is super clean and super professional. Â It was great, too, cause when I came back looking for new industrial jewelry, the piercer guy was like, "Umm honestly the industrial jewelry here isn't very good. Â I'd suggest ordering some online." I love honesty :)
Review Source:This place was crackin.
There was a long wait before I had the chance to sit in with Mark to get my septum done... but it was worth the wait.
Clean, clean and clean. That's all I want in a pierce job.
I thought I'd cry like a little bitch, but Mark was really gentle and didn't judge me for having crusty boogers in my nostrils.
10 stars for their selection of Rebel8 apparel, deviant glassware and stripper shoes. Plus a stripper pole?
Off. The. Hook.
(starting from 3 stars)
+1 for being clean
-1 for only accepting cash for the piercing fee (without prior warning) and being semi expensive (definitely too expensive for just one carty)
+1 for waiting for me to run over to an ATM to get my money
+1 for Mark being comforting and knowledgeable
-1 for not really talking about when my piercing will heal, just giving vague instructions
Overall: I decided to go here after reading rave reviews. I was glad to call in advance because their piercer Mark is not there all the time and you will need to find out when he is in. I'm glad I got my cartilage pierced here rather than Claire's since Mark used a needle and put in a hoop. The guy up front was really nice but did not tell me that I had to pay most of the fees in cash (avoiding taxes aren't we?) so I was stuck looking for cash and having to run out.
Would definitely recommend this place to my friends.
Overall: I'm glad
I have some seriously degenerate friends.
Well, not so much degenerates as they are hilarious.
For example, I have this one friend, who drank a case of beer on "suitcase saturday" and woke up with two shaved legs and in the bed of a not so desirable girl.
Crazy guy.
Another friend of mine took mushrooms at a party once and started freaking out. Â So, he hid in a tiny closet and freed the "dolphins" that were stuck in the shoe boxes all night. Â The next morning apparently there were like 30 pairs of shoes all over the room, balcony, and front yard.
What a nut bag.
Another buddy of mine decided to ask his doctor about the link between a blood alcohol content of .20 or greater and erectile dysfunction. Â
Apparently there is a link. Â Who knew?
And my last buddy told me about his exploits at The Fatty Zone. Â He told me that this place has the best supplies and equipment for his smoking needs. Â
And apparently they have a great assortment of vaporizers as well.
If I ever decide to start behaving badly, it's good to know I have many "friends" to draw some experience from. Â
Amigos.
My nose ring fell out a few months ago and I couldn't get it back in. Â In a panic I ran to The Smoke Shop on El Camino and asked the guy to help me. Â He struggled for 15 minutes to get it in with no luck, my nose was bleeding and he had to use plyers to reshape the ring to get it back in. Â He got it in but then the back part was hanging out of my nose! He told me there was nothing that could be done because my hole was in an awkward place.
After weeks of frustration, I decided to try to get a second opinion. Â I spoke to the piercer at Fatty Zone and he told me getting a new ring in would be no problem. Â And within 5 minutes, he put a brand new ring (without reshaping) in my nose. Â
I am so glad that I didn't take the guy at The Smoke Shop's word. Â The guys at The Fatty Zone definitely know what they are doing. Â If I ever need anything else, this is the place I will be going.
way overpriced, somewhat deceiving staff, but good quality stuff
they'll try to sell you anything, and definitely over-hype the quality of their products (scent-removers, bags, jars, cleaners). their cheapest pipes are twice the price of those at My Smoke Shop in Sunnyvale, though granted they do carry good quality glass.
definitely overpriced on everything they sell
also they're super anal about the "acceptable vocabulary" in their store
i have three main goals for my move to san diego this summer:
1. learning to surf
2. unemployment
3. being a total stoner*
so like, none of those seem that far out of reach.
to prepare i am like, going to smoke a whole bunch of salvia while it's still legal. & weed. & do a buncha other drugs, too! wheeeeeeeeee!
it's really too bad san diego doesn't have a head shop called the FATTY ZONE because that's just the most awesome name i've ever heard. even though i kept forgetting the name, wanted to call it FATTY PALACE and decided that if i ever opened up a head shop of my own, i'd want to call it that, except spelled with ph. PHATTY PHALACE. umm, fatty phallus? i think i was high when i was imagining owning my own fatty palace. musta been, you know.
extra kudos to the awesome girl at the counter whose name i don't remember. just kidding, it was alexis. she just said i wouldn't remember & i had to prove her wrong.
*i mean, like, obviously, ADOPTING A STONER PERSONA. i don't do anything illegal. leave me alone!
I remember a stripper pole in the corner of this place and mirrors to truly try on the stripper shoes (get into the whole vibe, lol). But I think they may have removed that little section.
There was also a wall of books! They've got some Suicide Girls books there (my fav).
Jewelry selection isn't all that great.
For piercing, I suggest to call and make an appointment. Every time I call or walk in, the piercer dude is never there.
I'm going to have to agree with mark h- FUCK YEAH. Five stars for being called 'Fatty Zone.' I wasn't sure if they sold blunts or plus sized clothing, so I had to check it out for myself. Turns out they sell 'water pipes,' piercing shit, and...stripper shoes! 40% off stripper shoes, how could you not love this place? The employee was clearly baked out of his mind, which only added to my enjoyment of the overall Fatty Zone experience. He offered to cut me a deal on the stripper pole on display, but I just didn't have room for it in my apartment. Will I be back? Um, fuck yeah.
Review Source:Hey FATTY ZONE. While I am impressed with your self-serving review of your manager and your store I would like to let you know that your employee was rude and obnoxious. I honestly could care less about her "credentials" unless that includes a recent training session in customer service. Â
I especially do not appreciate it when somebody tries to JACK THE PRICE UP after I hand them the money. That's called Fraud. Then when I call her on it she finally gives me change in nickels and mutters expletives under her breath. Excuse me, but thats a piss-poor way of treating anybody especially one of your customers and I think you probably know it. Â
Finally I find it particularly hypocritical and ironic that you criticize my judgment of character before you even found out what happened for yourself. Â As far as you being honored if I don't come back to your store; I doubt that you'll be honored for anything soon unless its a Smart Aleck award. If I could give your store and its employee ZERO STARS I would, you really earned it.
This review is for Mark, the piercer at The Fatty Zone. Â I went to Mark to get my nose re-pierced after letting it close up over 12 years ago. Â Things sure have changed from when I stopped by the booth at the mall back in 1986! Â Ouch. Â
I felt comfortable and confident in Mark's abilities throughout the whole procedure. Â He did a great job placing the new piercing (I like it better than where I had it before) and explaining the entire process to me. I had some jewelery that I thought I would use, but after talking with him about the pros and cons of what I had brought in, I decided to go with something from the store. Â I'm very glad I did and I appreciated Mark's honesty throughout the process. Â So now, I am once again pierced and feel a few years younger for it. Â Thanks, Mark! Â
I'm sorry that I can't speak to the other aspects of the store but I don't pole dance or know what 4:20 means so it was all sort of lost on me. Â :)
Honestly, this place was kinda intimidating. Â As others have said, neon sign, dark inside, big guys with tats...
But when it came down to business, Mark was the most professional, gentle, polite person. Â As everyone else has said, the process is super, super sanitary. Â
I can't imagine going to do this at a Claire's (or some such) after this. Â Mark was so much more professional and sanitary than someone who works in the mall. Â
Oh.. bring cash. Â The piercing is cash only but the jewelry and aftercare stuff can be on cc but the piercing fee is cash only. Â Don't end up swinging by the atm like I had to.
Mark is awesome. Â Believe it.
Before getting my nose pierced I did a little research on yelp and eventually decided to check out Fatty Zone. Mark was totally awesome. The piercing room was clean, he changed his gloves a bunch of times, and he explained the whole nose piercing process to me before doing the actual piercing so I knew what to expect. When I walked in the place I was a little bit nervous, but after talking to Mark I felt very comfortable and at ease. I will definitely go back for all of my piercing needs.
Review Source:I've had my ears pierced since I was 7 or 8. Â For some crazy reason, one of my ears started healing a couple of years ago and it has been a total pain to get earings in it since then. Â I decided today to finally get it re-pierced and selected Fatty Zone based on the Yelp reviews. Â They were super busy when I went in today but they were nice enough to let me add my name to their waiting list and just come back in an hour. Â The piercer (I never got his name) was pretty nice and I was really impressed with how sterile everything was. Â Along with re-piercing my ear, he also stretched out the other ear, too. Â It was kind of pricey ($52) but I think that may have been because I got jewelry for both ears. Â Overall, I'm pretty happy with it but I guess we'll see how it really turns out in 5 weeks when I get to take out my earings!
Oh and a bonus of visiting this place is getting to giggle at all of their pot-inspired accessories. Â Just remember their impressive collection of bongs and hash pipes are for tobacco use only, wink wink. Â And if you need to pass a drug test, they have all sorts of chemicals to cleanse your body. Â So amusing.
I would recommend Fatty Zone to just about anyone I know. Â The staff at this place are so knowledgeable and friendly they make you feel at home.
All the products I have bought here have held up very nicely. Â They are of the highest quality, although this quality does come with a price. Â Not the cheapest place I've been, but I feel the price makes it worth it.
This place for a young geezer like me, is scary on the outside -- think flashing neon sign, scary looking guy with big tattoos and intense piercings. Â
I had pierced my ears last May, but in July my right ear got inflamed from a strong reaction to nickel jewellery, and I lost the piercing. Â So I got it pierced again, and then, after too much playfighting and such, got it infected again, and since then, I have been asymmetrical, with only one piercing on my left ear. Â I'm a girl, so this looks pretty weird.
Despite the scary appearance of this joint, my piercing experience was awesome. Â Mark, the piercer there, was really great, clean, straightforward, and the actual piercing itself was expert. Â I only got my ear pierced, but knowing that this guy pierced far more sensitive areas of people's bodies made me feel better. Â And having gotten my ears pierced at mall shops before, I WOULD ONLY GO TO PIERCING BUSINESSES, NOT MALL STANDS, to get any further piercings. Â The piercing gun is like a blunt poke through your ear, so that it throbs afterward... the needle that piercers use is a clean cut through, since the needle is razor edged and hollow inside, it's a much better feeling, and definitely hurt less than the mall piercers at Claire's, etc. Â In fact, it hardly hurt at all.
$30 for my piercing, (even though I only wanted to pierce one ear), but totally worth it. Â There's also an obvious sign that says "Tipping your piercer is much appreciated." Â I was really happy with how I felt so I tipped and left in symmetrical bliss.
A friend wanted a bong and was pleased with the selection at Fatty Zone. Â They have an assortment of piercing equipment, stripper-style clothes, spray paint, etc. Â I enjoyed checking out the hooker heels.
Disclaimer: I've never smoked, so I am reviewing this head shop based on the experiences of my friends and co-workers. Â This is similar to how as a vegan I review a steakhouse based on the opinions of my dining companions. Â I just feel I should disclose that I have no firsthand knowledge of the quality of this establishment's wares.
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