I got my septum pierced on Tuesday and was very nervous about it. I went to Read Street with a friend and immediately felt comfortable. The atmosphere was very friendly and clean and the piercer was super nice and very accommodating. My friend was allowed to come back with me to help me through the piercing and it was over in seconds and very well done. She even gave me a little aftercare kit and gave me detailed instructions on how to care for it so it healed properly. I'll definitely go back there for future piercings!
Review Source:Had my Japanese sleeve started here by Dana Helmuth and I have to say my first session was very enjoyable. Â After Dana put the 2 stencils on he then started drawing the rest of my tattoo out freehand which was great. Â It took him about 35 to 40 minutes of him drawing it on and looks amazing. Â Throughout the entire time I was being tattooed he kept making sure I was ok and if I need anything. Â The other artist in the shop were also checking in making sure I was ok and seeing if I or Dana needed anything. Â During the breaks I had time to talk to the other artists and all of them were very friendly and easy to talk to. Â The shop itself is very nice and very clean. Â I can't wait to go back for my 2nd session.
Review Source:Had my septum pierced a few months ago.
In short, super clean, super professional, quality products, and an amazing experience. My piecing has healed beautifully, and I will most definitely be coming here again for a quality piercing and a positive experience.
Highly recommended if you're looking for the good shit.
Full disclaimer--I don't have any tattoos and I'm not in the market for any, but I do have a number of piercings and I stopped by here the other day to get second lobe piercings. Â I called ahead of time to make sure the piercer was in and make sure they don't use a gun for lobe piercings (they don't) before heading over there. Â I also checked the price because, by the way, they're cash only. Â The guy on the phone told me 25-45$ depending on the jewelry--seems reasonable.
Only, when I got there, she rang me up at 85 for some crappy black studs. Â I didn't even have that much cash with me. Â I asked her why it was double what the guy on the phone told me, and she said that it's 25-50$ PER EAR for lobe piercings. Â I realize some people only get one lobe piercing at a time but I think it's pretty obvious when a person asks for lobe piercings they're generally talking about a pair. Â Not only that, but 50$ is a bit steep for two lobe piercings, let alone one. Â I realize this is a high end shop, but you can get lobe piercings at Claire's for $5. Â So I said bye.
Just to make sure I wasn't insane, I called Saints and Sinners down in Fells Point on my way out of the shop. Â They said they charge 42$ for BOTH ears, including the jewelry, and plus free aftercare solution. Â Seems a lot more reasonable, right? Â So I'll be heading down there this weekend to get my second lobes done. Â And when I am in the market for more piercings and a tattoo, it definitely won't be at Read St. Â I kind of think the girl might have just been trolling me. Â Maybe I wasn't hip enough to be spending my money at Read St. Â I'm giving them two stars just because the shop was cool and it was clean, which is obviously the most important thing at these kinds of shops, but I definitely would not recommend this store to anyone, at least for piercings.
Emily, the piercer, is fantastic - I can't recommend her highly enough. I'd gotten my nose pierced elsewhere, and it had given me nothing but trouble for 6 months straight. Emily changed out the ring for a stud, and within a week it was healing beautifully. She was as knowledgeable as she was personable, patiently answering all of my questions and helping me to keep a piercing on which I had pretty much given up. I'm incredibly happy I went to her when I did, and only wish I'd had her pierce it in the first place!
Review Source:I have my fair share of tattoos, some big, and some small. I have been getting tattooed since the law allowed me. For most of the time, I had gone to shops here and there, but never found somewhere I could call my "tattoo home". That was until I got my first tattoo at Read Street back in 2010--I knew I had found my "home".
The staff are all great, very nice and very accommodating. The prices are what to be expected for quality work. Whenever people complement my tattoos (which they do often) I always, always recommend them to go to Read Street.
My go to artist there is J Ranno, who is a very polite and awesome dude. I have a friend who wanted a very major back piece done and I did not hesitate in telling her to please go see J. That said, I have seen the other artists' work and they also look like they do amazing work.
I think that recommending a tattoo business is no light consideration, as when you are in the market for a tattoo, it's for life (well, unless you get it laser removed I suppose....) So I can most certainly, without a doubt, recommend Read Street tattoo for anyone looking for a great experience and piece of body art.
I received my fourth tattoo from Tomek at Read Street Tattoo. I had my first at The Baltimore Tattoo Museum and two others at Fat Rams Pumpkin Tattoo in Boston.
I found Read Street Tattoo to be accommodating, friendly, clean and skillful. The shop assistant helped us schedule our appointment and then happily rescheduled with Tomek for another time by our request. During our appointment she was friendly and even asked us if we were hungry for lunch.
Tomek was incredibly skillful and made adjustments to our tattoo designs by request. He was very friendly but a little shy and less conversational than other tattoo artists I have had. However most importantly he did a great job on my tattoo and my girlfriends.
I found the prices to be reasonable. A good tattoo is not a cheap tattoo.
Ohh and they offered us free parking in their private lot across the street!
Let's be real - there is nowhere else to get tattooed in Baltimore. I've gotten 8 tattoos from the good folks at Read Street (Jeff, Tomek, and my personal Jesus Charlie Foos), and none of them have been short of perfection. This includes 4 faithfully executed art reproduction pieces from Charlie - not simple work by any stretch of the imagination, although their lettering, linework, and other simple designs are still wonderful. The shop is professional, friendly, and clean enough to eat off the floor. The atmosphere is always relaxing and you can usually get a walk-in for simple designs. Basically, you're a fool to go anywhere else for your B'more ink.
Review Source:After more than a few referrals to Read Street, from some tattoo-savvy folks, I figured it was the best in town. Â I had recently gone to the Museum, and that's a whole other review :-.
Anyway, I made an appointment with J, I think it was, then got a call the day before the appointment saying "something came up" and that we had to reschedule. (Found out later he had gotten a hand tattoo the day before and it hurt. Then don't put someone on your books. Â Lame!) Â I had a pretty packed schedule so I decided to just book a new guy, Tomek. I came in with a very set idea of a non-traditional, disproportionate anchor. Lots of thought went into it, and that's what I wanted and I even brought in a drawing.
Tomek wasn't having it and changed my idea. Â Again and again. Â After I repeatedly told him I didn't want the size/style he drew up. Â We butted heads for almost an hour and I even let a first-time-sun-on-the-wrist client jump in line ahead of me because I just wasn't happy with the design. Â I should have jetted when she finished and told me she had asked for it on her wrist so she could hide it with a watch but he did it larger than she wanted and in a visible spot.
Anyway, back to me...
It should be said, he is a great artist and there were some design elements that I really liked and wanted to incorporate, so I drew up a new picture and wanted him to stencil EXACTLY THAT on me. Â He still changed it up and I finally gave up the fight and let him tattoo his design. Â
This is not my first tattoo and I understand tattoo culture and that artists want to maintain their integrity. Â There's a thin line though, between an artist keeping his design aesthetic and being a huge jerk. Â Bottom line, I am a paying client and I should get exactly what I want since it's going to be on my body forever. Â I should have just eaten the $60 downpayment and walked out but I didn't.
Tomek was a very talented tattooer, no question about that, but he didn't listen to my requests, and now I have a pretty large tattoo that I just feel so-so about...for the rest of my life...
If you are open to suggestions or have no idea what kind of tattoo you are looking for, Read Street would be a great choice for you. Â It seems as though their crew has a set way of doing things and they'll be damned if someone requests something they don't agree with. Â
If you are somewhat strong-willed and have set ideas, I wouldn't go here. Â Getting tattooed has a stressful element to it, and it's no fun when added stress comes from a bull-headed tattoo artist.
I got my first tattoo here, which is just some basic lettering on my wrist: the word "speranza" written in script. Â The tattoo came out nicely, but only after making the guy redraw what I had in mind about 5 times. Â He was so intent on making the lettering really ornate and intense and wasn't really listening to what I was saying. Â He seemed pretty frustrated when I kept explaining how I wanted it, but I was like, Come on dude It's gonna be on my body forever! Â When the work was done, it came out great, but it was not the most comfortable experience getting there.
Review Source:I went here primarily because I live right around the corner and I didn't know of any other place nearby. I tried to go get my monroe pierced a couple of times, but the peircer was never there. I finally went back on a day she was there and it was an average experiece. The people weren't that friendly and it cost over $60 (probably because they don't really want to do piercings but it's easy money) which is the most I've ever paid to get one piercing. The shop is nice and I hear they do nice tattoos, but I won't go back.
Review Source:The tattoo artist I went to before I moved to MD recommended I check out this shop and a particular artist that worked there. I went in looked around (it is a very nice shop), talked to the artist about my idea/design and everything seemed cool so I made an appointment & paid my deposit. I came back couple days later for the appointment and had to sit for an additional 2 hours while he finished up a walk-in (If I remember correctly it was a tattoo of the sate of TX that was about the size of a half dollar) and THEN started to sketch out my design (what was the deposit for if this wasn't done until I came back?). When it came time for the work I had to sit in a straight backed wooden chair, that when getting work on your chest is uncomfortable as hell, for approximately 2.5 hours. Once the outline and shading were complete, at the artist recommendation, I went home to let things heal & I was told to call back and schedule the next appointment after the healing was done. I called about 6x and every time he was not in and none of my messages were returned. On the 7th call he answered the phone & after I told him who I was he said he was "finishing things up" and he took my number to call me back. I've never heard another thing from him.
The moral to the story is this: unless you are someone that goes in everyday or a tourist that wants a $50 tattoo, you are not a priority. I recommend looking someplace else. I know I will.
a little over a year ago i was helping a friend move who lived a cunts hair away from the fabled read st tattoo parlour. during some down time and after a few pints, i said 'fuck it, dude. im going over there and getting something'. after a little jibber-jabbing, i was accommodated on the spot. no appointment. a total walk-in spot fill design. im not sure if it was the design i wanted or the way i talk, but jeff pitt dropped an appt and got into it. top class crew in there. dont miss it if you are in that neighborhood. watch out for the post-milf chick. she got testy with me when i told her i didnt want her to ink me because i wasnt in to her book.
Review Source:I have been fortunate enough to enter the world of tattooing as an artist and connect with some of the most talented tattooers of the modern age, who have served and mentors and influences, as well as just plain old guys who I love to get my body art from. And I would get art for anyone at Read Street at anytime.
Read Street has long been on the list of Baltimore's Best, as both a tattoo studio and gallery. Once owned by Seth Ciferri, it was always know for art of the highest caliber and for it's safe, professional approach to the art of tattoo. Seth has since sold the shop, but he still works there on occasion and Read Street Tattoo Parlour (though it's not located on Read St. anymore) still maintains it's standard of excellence.
Now located on Park Avenue, the studio is on the second floor of a historic corner building, brightly lit by large windows and an open uncomplicated floorplan. The new Read Street has an impressive collection of old school flash to choose from but each and every artist is gifted and able to create custom works as well. Of course, my heart belongs to Seth (he also builds incredible machines for artists and I adore mine) but the list of permanent and guest artists is always impressive.
When in Baltimore, do as the beautifully tattooed do, visit Read Street.
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