So whenever I'm back in my hometown area.. I have to take a trip to Berkeley and visit the A. Hat store B. Psychic and C. Zebra.... for a new piercing.
I stay coming back to this place cause the staff is so knowledgeable and the piercers are the greatest at getting everything done with a minimum amount of pain. I love how adamant they are about after-care which is really important to suggest when dealing with so many different piercings. The shop is REALLY CLEAN, which is also something important.
Im not a big fan of piercing guns, and they don't use them.
I know when I went to get my nose pierced here, he re-dotted it for me 3 times before I was happy with the location, but he definitely made sure I was going to be happy with the final product. (wish I remember their name).
The only thing that I wasn't a big fan of, is the cost. But you get what you pay for, sometimes you just have to pay a little more to know you have a safe piercing that will last.
Any oh yeah, be prepared to wait. I've had to wait for 30 minutes before, this place gets busy.
The staff here is definitely friendly. I went in recently because my ear piercings were closing and I could'nt get any of my earrings through. So I decided to make a little stop at Zebra's. Ear piercings here are definitely not cheap. $17 per piercing meaning $34 for both sides. Yikes.
Anyways, they were able to use some tapered instrument and get earrings placed back in. Because it wasn't a real piercing, they refunded me $$$. $10/ear. AWESOME! It's still pricey but at least I know I can trust Zebra's being clean and sterile!
PS. I got a free soda! I didn't drink it, I just used it to numb my ears w/ the cold beforehand! Works like a charm!
I received a gracious note from the owner of Zebra. He was apologetic, spoke with the sales guy (me betting his reply was, "Not me?), shared my comments with the staff. Fair enough. Â We've been customers in the past and look forward to shopping there again. Give my kid credit for giving "dick" a hall pass.
Now, reconsidering getting my "KAMA'AINA" tat. Thanks, Moe!
I've been here twice-- both times for cartilage piercings. I came once when I was 18 then back when I was 21. I ended up having the same piercer again so I mentioned this to her and she said, "Oh." Lol I was just trying to make conversation!
The staff isn't especially friendly but I didn't mind it too much. I'm sure it gets bothersome to have people ask you if something's going to hurt or if it's going to bleed. Or to watch people squirm for 10 minutes while you're just trying to do your job. But a little smile never hurt! Â I prefer other piercing places to this one but would come here if I had to. It seemed clean enough and they have a variety of jewelry to choose from.
I wish yelp would allow 1/2 stars but I guess I'll round up since I'm in a good mood today.
I was in Berkeley for the day and on a whim, decided to get two more cartilage (helia) piercings. After comparing reviews between here and Industrial, I decided to go to Industrial. When I got there, they apparently had a very "busy" day and decided to close early - so over to Zebra I went. I'll admit, I was really hesitant about getting pierced here after reading several of the reviews and I almost didn't go in. Ultimately I decided to just take my chances. The guy at the counter, Taco (I guess I'll give you that extra 1/2 star just for his name), was helpful and friendly. I wish they had a better selection of earrings for their prices though. They had a lot of barbells with funky designs and colors, but I work in a law firm so I can't get too crazy. For the more simple options, all they had were three CZs and a couple other silver studs. I chose two CZs and course they were the most expensive out of all of them - $32 each (really?!). Anyway, whatever, nothing seems that expensive anymore once you pay for law school, so again I decide to just go for it.
I came about an hour before closing and had no wait, which was nice, and surprising on a Saturday evening. I was told to just head on back and was thankful to find someone other than the unfriendly blonde chick everyone else has reviewed. I got Tim and he was really quick and efficient. I told him where I thought I wanted the placement; he made the marks and let me take awhile to decide if that's where I really wanted them. I'm pretty particular about things and spent several minutes going back and forth in front of the mirror. He didn't seem bothered though and told me to take my time. When it came to the actual piercing itself, it went well. It hurt a little more than I thought it would, but that could just be because I haven't been pierced in years. Like other reviewers have said, he didn't go over what he was doing or explain the process but since I have three other piercings in one ear and four in the other, I wasn't upset that he didn't and he probably didn't feel the need to. He was very friendly and chatted with me the entire time, we even joked around about me working in law and he talked about how he just finished watching the most recent seasons of Drop Dead Diva on Netflix with his girlfriend.
My ears were sore for a day or two after the piercing but it's been a little more than a week and they've otherwise been healing well without any problems.
Taking off a star because of the prices. After choosing two earrings (overpriced and not that many options), paying for the actual piercing, aftercare kit and tip, my total came to almost $140. Ehhh.
Other than the price, I really have no complaints but I'd still probably choose somewhere else for my next piercing.
Dont get tattooed here they're way too expensive... they do good quality work but definitely not worth it. You'll leave their feeling like they got over on you... the guy quoted my gf's tattoo at 500; ok cool..we go back for the 2nd sesh n he charged 2 hours more of work (300) n we were only there for 1:40 & he took 15 smoke break...we were pretty upset.
Review Source:I have wanted to get a tragus piercing for over 8 months and one day I just woke up and decided to do it. I guess it depends on the mindset of the person, because I wanted to get it done that day, I was ready to pay, cash in hand, and I was slightly fearful that my protuberance was not prominent enough to warrant a piercing.
Rosey was inked and pierced, so I was comfortable having her perform my piercing. I immediately got a good vibe from her and she was able to make time for me that day. She took a look at my site and although shallow in front, she saw that I had enough to work with in the back. I asked how long she had been piercing and she told me a number of years I was comfortable with so I chose my stud and signed the release form. Rosey is so sweet, and nice, and efficient. I could tell from the way she worked that she is a true professional.
The whole procedure took about 6 minutes from the time my number was called. She did not use a scary clamp or make me lie down to freak me out. She said it was okay for me to leave my glasses on. She instructed me to breathe and I told her I would not move. My boyfriend was with me and stepped out to get a freddo and when he came back I was already done.
I am extremely happy with my new piercing and I was given clear and concise aftercare instructions by the staff. Rosey asked before she pierced if it was the left side and I said 'yes' to make sure she had the correct tragus.She asked if I had any questions, gave me her card and said I should not hesitate to call. She gave me pointers to more easily soak my new piercing. I opted to buy the cleaning kit, it was not too expensive.
All-in-all I had a great experience. I was sure the place was clean, I did not feel like I overpaid since the price was listed on the wall and I plan to come back to have my stud changed in a few months. I am happy with the way it looks. The reason I did not give it a perfect rating is because the employee misspelled tragus on all my forms and the male employees did not seem very friendly. Who knows, maybe they were customers.
Zebra is the only place that I trust to get pierced. They don't fool around with piercing guns which I love. A couple of years ago I went in and got my navel pierced with them. The piercer was very nice and he took an extensive amount of time making sure that the marks that he made on my navel to indicate where the jewelry was to go, were straight and in line with each other. I went back in just a few weeks ago to get my tragus pierced and I had another great experience. The guy working the counter the two times I've been in is not the most personable, but the piercers have always been pleasant and I've had no problems with crooked piercings or infections. I have no complaints.
Review Source:I have only really trusted Zebra store locations to pierce me. They act professional, don't mind people who are squirmy with needles, and the piercer is always really nice.
I had my belly button pierced somewhere else and it was a disaster! The piercer was new and inexperienced. Not only did he elongate the piercing experience, but he pierced it crooked!!! Thankfully as it healed I was able to help it straighten out a bit. Don't have an experience like I did with a horrible piercer: go somewhere you have experience and that you trust.
I have had my rook and nose pierced at Zebras and it was nearly painless and a very smooth experience.
The counter is always busy.
The employees are not very friendly. I was making it a habit of stopping in here every six months to buy replacement stud earrings because I would lose them and have to replace them. Well, after buying three pairs within a matter of a year, I realized that they were always falling apart.
I also want to get my frenumn pierced, and asked the guy behind the counter if they did genital piercings. He asked me what kind I wanted, and of course, I know what it looks like but not necessarily the name of it.
So, I said, "I'm sorry, what are you asking?" and he  - in a very fast motion - grabs a replica of a penis from underneath the counter - one that has all the piercings attached, and just flops it in front of me without saying a word. He was a total jerk! I pointed out the area I wanted it done and he quoted me a price, but I was not comfortable with his attitude and the loud noise around me. Again, their shop has good selection and is always busy, but employees with an attitude do not earn my respect or business. Too bad because it would be much cheaper getting it done in Berkeley rather than going across the Bay to SF to the other piercing shop I have enjoyed.
I will give Zebra one more try and see if I can get better service and I'll update this review once that happens.
Zebra was my go to body mod spot when I was 18. My how young and dumb we are at that age. I got my very first tattoo here. $120 for a tiny tramp stamp. It didn't heal well at all and as a result I am currently in the process of developing a cover up. My best advice for anyone looking to come here (and just in general as far as tattoos go), make sure to throughly do your homework. Research the artist, look at their portfolio, hunt around at different studios.
Getting a tattoo isn't buying a pair of shoes. There are no returns, well without paying a hefty fee for numerous painful laser treatments. My best advice would be to go else wear for ink. You can get a far better piece for less money and better quality. Their piercing guy (again this was years ago) was great though.
I LOVE Zebra's. I have taken my 14 year old daughter there to get her nose pierced and I have had my ears stretched there twice. I am mostly impressed with the cleanliness of this place but also appreciate the professionalism of the staff. Specifically, Chris has been more than helpful each time I've visited the shop. Rose and Tim are the piercers I've had and both answered my many questions professionally and more importantly with KINDNESS. I've called several times with questions about cleaning and each time I've spoken with somebody that is patient and understanding. I"m sorry to see the poor reviews on here about "unfriendly" employees and lack of "customer satisfaction". Maybe I just get lucky each visit. Either way I will continue to frequent this place and refer my friends :)
Review Source:I love this shop! The people here are cool and atmosphere is cool too. The piercers are hella nice and the customer service is the best. The price is really something I can't complain about, with quality service and a wide selection of jewelry you really do get what you pay for. This place is awesome and I recommend it to people who want to get a piercing for he first time. I had re-pierced my lip because I had to get rid of it due to work. Now that my job permits it, I called these guys up right away and got it done the same in no less than 15 min. They make you feel comfortable too, this place rocks! I just didn't like their stud ring for my lip because the backing was too thick, but that's easily replaceable. Overall, place is great!
Review Source:Zebraaaaa! Back in the day got my first tattoo here and the artist was amazing he did a great job. Really cool guy. The tattoo was really well done and professional. Healed very nicely. He offered free touch ups of course. Fair price. They do take walk-ins for tattoos, if theyre not busy, even though on the website it says appointment required.
I came back another time years later and there was another tattoo artist working there and he was kinda rude and apparently he overcharged me for the tattoo I got according to some friends. Didn't like him. Still I've only been to one other tattoo parlor but I like Zebra is better.
Got my ear cartlidge pierced here and it was done the correct way with a needle instead of a piercing gun like they do at Claire's (the one I got done on the other ear  at Claire's got infected). Anyway in back of the place where the piercings happen its very clean and the tools are all sterile and the guy who did mine is very nice and professional. Anyway they let you buy the little kit that you use to clean the piercings and everything turned out great, no problems with it. The place can get crowded on the weekends with all the college students. They also have a unique selection of hoops and studs and all the other weird stuff they sell...
Got my nose pierced here too and OhMyGlobbbb!! it hurt more than I thought it would! It was some chick that did it this time. Anyway my nose rejected it and a huge bump formed so I had to take it out but that was my fault I didn't take care of it. Went back a couple months later to get the other side of my nose pierced and it was the same guy that did my ear cartlidge piercing. Much better. Didn't hurt as bad :)
Ill be back for more tats eventually.
Zebra is a great shop with a very professional staff using the latest methods. Â I am Jay Sordean, an acupuncturist with over 30 years experience, practicing at The Redwood Clinic in Berkeley, just down the street from Zebra. Â When I first moved to California in 1983 I got one ear pierced at Zebra. Â My two daughters have had their ears pierced at Zebra exclusively -- I especially like having my daughters get the work done by Kerri Naslund who is the expert in the Bay Area in my book.
As an acupuncturist, I am picky about who puts needles in my body. Â Likewise, I am picky about who does piercings for me, my daughters, and my daughters' friends. Â When one is looking for a surgeon you want the best. Â In my mind, the person most like the top notch surgeon, but in piercings, is Kerri. Â Great "bedside" manner, clean, efficient, warm, and precise. Â The piercings have all healed very well and with no problems. Â Even navel piercings are doing great. Â Follow their instructions and your body should heal nicely. Â My ear piercing from 30 years ago is still fine and I don't use it sometimes for years at a time. Â Choose Zebra and Kerri Naslund -- you won't be disappointed!
I have had four piercings done at Zebra, and only one has healed correctly. This most disturbing thing is that my EARLOBES, the most basic of all piercings, still bleed sometimes when I put in earrings, even though I had them pierced at Zebra over a year ago. I had my cartilage done there too and after two nasty infections I had to take it out, even though I followed all of the cleaning instructions. The same unfriendly blonde lady did both piercings. I tried to start conversation with her and she looked at me weird. It was not a busy day and there were clearly no other customers after me, the least she could have done was return my friendly hello.
Another thing that made me mad about Zebra is their ridiculously overpriced jewelry. A few years ago when I was young and naive I bought a replacement nose hoop for $25 and I just found the exact same one on amazon for $5. Go to Industrial
DON'T GO! This place gets a lot of business because of its heavy foot traffic, so they really don't seem to care about customer satisfaction or even health for that matter. I am not someone who reacts to piercings with keloids or other skin sensitivities, but I had to remove my piercing after a few months because Zebra did not do a careful job in the first place.
I got my nostril pierced here and they had not given me enough room for the normal amount of swelling that goes on inside the nostril. So my stud dug into my skin as my nose swelled a bit on the inside, as the new piercing was healing itself. I went back wanting them to check it out, and rather than give it a free look like other places do, they charged me!
They charged me to tell me that my piercer should have told me to get a stud with a larger head so that it wouldn't dig into my skin as much and sent me on my way. But THEY were the ones to pierce me and not give me recommendations for what was best. Don't go. Other piercing places I've been to since then always do free check-ups . The employees I interacted with were nice, but store policy blows.
In response to Moe:
While I'm sure those certificates exist, it doesn't mean you adhere to them consistently. While I thank you for your follow up note, I can assure you that the ring was not metal. I can even scrounge up my x-ray from St. Elizabeths in Boston. Â Furthermore, after finding out that whatever that the ring was not metal, I promptly threw it in the trash. So no refund will be needed.
Dear Rosie,
Thank you for the wonderful service and for answering all of my questions. Â
The staff behind the counter have improved drastically since I last came in and I appreciate that a lot. The five stars are for Rosie, because to me the overal shop needs a little work.
I recommend you call and see if you can make a appointment or shy away from going during peak hours if you need a consultation or more time to chat. This place fills up fast and I think part of what people don't like about it is that they give you a number,similar to waiting in line at a deli.
Zebra can also come across a bit like a chain and less like a more intimate shop due the product line they carry and the way it is pushed at the point of sale. Â They do make it a point to go over aftercare thoroughly ad answer all of your questions.
Hooray for Rosie!
So i went to Zebra a while back to get my belly piercing i was 18, and i paid $60 for it, i had to wait like 45 minutes for the piercing girl i think her name was Kerri; she was Caucasian with blonde hair. n she came in and did NOT even introduce her self to me.
which is kind of rude cause shes gonna pierce someones body the least she can say is hi right? so anyways she utilized a clamp then pierced it and thats it. she DID NOT give any advice at all on how to take care of it or what she recomend i take. simply unwelcoming. my piercing started bleeding right after it hurt.
i called back to the place n they still didnt give me any advice.
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I absolutely hate this place after my experience here. I've gone to a military school for 7 years and was never able to get a lip piercing due to uniform requirements. So after I graduated I was super stoked to get it. Well, this place was such a disappointment.
I think my piercer's name was Kerri; she was Caucasian with blonde hair and many tattoos. SO effing rude. She didn't even make an effort to be friendly and never even smiled. Just a very unwelcoming person. Anyways, I got snakebites which she put ON my lipline when I wanted them underneath the lip. I had to wait two weeks to downsize, so I went back to school in Santa Cruz and made the trip back for downsizing (which hurt like hell! she was so rough and i was groaning out loud and she didn't even say sorry). The piercings were obviously badly crooked. I pointed it out and she agreed and said she would re-pierce one side to even it (with an attitude). So she did, and they were STILL uneven!!!! She looked at them and didn't even say anything, but when I saw them I pointed it out and she then looked at them again and agreed. It was like she was hoping I wouldn't notice!! She then goes to ask me "idk, why do you think its doing that?" b***h i don't know you're the so-called professional piercing artist!!!!!!!! what the hell?! i was so fed up, i just told her to take one out and leave me with one (it hurt like hell when she unscrewed it too, and i later heard from another piercer that its bad to remove a piercing you JUST pierced). i asked for a refund for one side only, and she still gave an attitude!! but she did, but it wasn't even half of what i paid for!! they didn't refund me for the jewelry...bull****!!!! I'm not even using it because she messed up!!! HORRIBLE service and HORRIBLE experience!!!! There are sooo many better places, seriously. DO NOT TRY THIS PLACE.
****UPDATE: i ended up taking the piercing out, it was so ugly just sitting right on my lipline. i can't believe i went in for snakebites. TWO piercings. yet got pierced THREE times and ended up with nothing in the end.
I've had really positive experiences being pierced at Zebra. I had both my lip and two cartilage piercings done here. In both instances, my piercer marked where she intended to pierce me, made sure I was happy with the placement, and was altogether friendly, quick, and professional. The ear piercings hurt like hell, but no more than I really expected, and the lip was relatively painless. I did not have any infections or other adverse affects following either piercing.
Since their jewelry is inexpensive, I don't expect it's particularly high-quality, but I haven't had any problems with it to date (in addition to the aforementioned piercings, I have also used their jewelry for my nose and lobes).
Jewelry and cost of services are far more affordable than any place in SF. Plus, a little trip to Berkeley is always pleasant. I got my old silver hoop changed out for a more snug gold one.
I've also gotten the jewelry for my vertical hood piercing changed here.
Staff is friendly and knowledgeable....I've come here with annoying questions often.
I've gotten coupons ($2 OFF) every time I've stopped by. They come in handy!
Overall, I recommend coming here because it's clean and affordable. The wait can be long sometimes tho....I think they only have one piercer so sometimes being impulsive doesn't always end up how you expect it.
Brought my twelve year old daughter to Zebra to have her ears pierce as a birthday gift. It had been years since I'd been in the place. It looked pretty much the same.
I appreciated the good customer service. I am afraid I scared my daughter a bit by telling her that getting your ears pierced hurts more than childbirth. I think my exact words were, ' It hurts more than pushing someone the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon'. Okay, in my defense, I was trying to get her to pump her brakes about getting her ears pierce. The deal in our house is that you wait until you are 12, so that you can take care of the healing and upkeep on the holes.
We were shown some jewelry, the kids eyes glazed over and she asked me to pick out the studs for her. I knew what she wanted from months of, 'Mom, mommy, ma, mama, can I have my ears pierced? I know what ear rings I want. They look like...' The saleswoman was very nice, explained the difference in materials and prices, explained all the add ons- disinfectants, sea salt (this one made me laugh), etc.
Guy at the register was new I think and didn't look up from the register keys. Cal student working for the summer. He was efficient despite the hunt and peck stuff with the register.
Piercer was a young man named Tim, I think (tall, slim, white guy with blonde dreads). I lost your card or the kid swiped it. She thought you were cute. Anyway, Tim, was very nice, extremely knowledgeable and set my daughter at ease after my ploy about pain made her turn white as a sheet. Â He was super cool about helping her pick out an alternate pair of studs when it looked like the first pair would prove too small for her adult man sized ears on a little girl's head. Â He chatted with us about a book we spied that he was reading (Endimion, a really good book and series by the way) and my daughter was able to relax.
The piercing was fast and very clean and sterile. So much more sterile than what I've seen at Claire's (coughstaphanyonecough) or when my older sister pierced my ears with a needle, a potato and an ice cube eons ago. Loved that he changed gloves multiple times, used everything only once, and explained the whole procedure in great detail. Thanks Tim!
I will definitely keep Zebra in mind when my youngest kids want to have their ears pierced.
I wondered in today after meeting with my Stylist at Maxi on Telegraph Avenue. I have been wanting to get my cartilage pierced in to different places for ages with a particular style of jewelry and spontaneously decided to do so.
The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. The prices were reasonable as well (I usually get my piercing done on Haight Street since I am from SF)
The real highlight of my experience was meeting Rosey. She did a fabulous job at easing me through the pain and was very easy to talk to and answer questions. I felt very comfortable with her and hope that the next sets of piercing I get done with be with her again.
This is a very nice, friendly, and clean facility for body art.
I LOVE this place! I don't know why everyone has had bad service here! I've been here three times and have always had good service. When I go, there's a good amount of people in there, but not so much that the wait line is ridiculous. The workers are always very friendly and treats everyone equally. At Inkies I always get ignored probably because I don't look like I would give them business. Â I also had a lot of problems trying to get pierced at Inkies even though I went 3 times so I came here to get my daith done and it only took one trip! Price was a bit steep but the positioning was exactly how I wanted it! It hurt like hell... I flinched and practically flew out of my seat but it didn't make the piercing look funky (thank goodness). I've also never had any problems with aftercare. It heals really nicely.
I got my anti-tragus done here as well. After about a year I finally came back to downsize my jewelry and I love it even more. It's so cute. I always have the same piercer as well. I love it because she doesn't try to pull small talk. She's very professional and that's how I like it. I always get nervous because I feel like with small talk, they don't concentrate on what they're supposed to be doing.
I took my friend to get her industrial here too. I should have gotten mine done here as well because we both paid the same price but I've always had problems with mine and she never has had any. I got mine done at Simms Ink in Hayward and the bar was too short and my ear was suffocating. Â I came here to change my bar and it helped a lot to let it breathe but it was still the positioning that was off, so I ended up just taking it out. My friend has never had any problems with keloids and she rarely cleans it. I cleaned mine everyday but their was no saving my piercing.
I really love this place and it's the only place I would ever come to get my piercings. I'm planning another time to get my dermal and my first tattoo!
The staff here is very friendly and willing to aid you in any questions you have. I have gotten a few piercings from here and I love that you can choose your own jewelry! At many piercing shops it is mandatory that they pierce you with a stainless steel hoop, lame! But Zebra's will accommodate and make your piercing cute!
They also give you a month to come back and get your jewelry changed for free (excluding $10 labor fee) because your piercing will swell and they allow you to come back for a smaller piece of jewelry.
One star taken because it is a bit pricey, probably because it's a popular tourist spot. Also, one of the piercers is very business-like. She's a turn and burn kind of gal because it can get VERY busy on weekends and it feels a bit violent.
I do love the location, I adore Berkeley and love that if I'm walking around with a Top Dog and get the urge to get my tragus pierced it's no problem!
I got my cartliege done here when I turned 16. Â When I first walked in, I thought it was really sketch because of how the workers looked. Â But.. you can't judge a book by it's cover! Â All the employees were really nice and helpful. Â They do ear piercings for all ages, but if its another body piercing, I believe you need to be 18 or have parental consent.
When they called my number, I was petrified! Â The piercing artist took me to the back room and asked if this was my first time piercing a cartilige. Â I told her it was. Â She proceeded to mark my ear to determine where to place the needle. Â She was really patient and understanding, considering I changed the dot about five billion times [lol]. Â Anyways, after we secured the mark, she pierced it! Â After about a minute i asked her if she was done, and she said yeah. Â I didn't even feel a thing! Â The lady kept talking to me so when I wouldn't notice her sticking the needle in my ear! HAHA, I really appreciated this because I was super scared of getting my ear pierced!
They clean all the utilities right in front of you, before they use it. Â The chairs are comfy, and the room where they pierce your body is pretty calm!
I payed about $50 for everything. Â The piercing was $17, earrings $14, and the rest of the costs was for my cleaning solution.
Overall, I was pretty satisfied with Zebra's. Â THey did a great job! Â I would definitely come back for another piercing and maybe someday a tatt!
So we came here with Zebra being the most popular place I remembered for piercings, as its been years....Took my 16 year old daughter here to get her belly button pierced, walked in, was greeted with courteous workers, paid the cashier, given a number and we sat...While sitting and waiting they offered water and sodas, which we accepted. Â Had to wait about 30 min. for her number to be called, we then have to walk to the back where the piercing begins, room was clean, looked sterile, guy who was piercing seemed like he knew what he was doing, process was soo fast.
All in all this place seems pretty decent to me.
All I can say is...there is a reason why I have never gotten a piercing or tattoo here. I never liked the feel of this place or the lack of professionalism. I have however, purchased jewelry here and have been pleased...their prices are pretty low compared to other places.
I just feel like this is some stupid trendy hipster place to go when you are in high school. After that you should stive for something a little more...put together.. Clean..professional...I dont know which word to use.
Honestly, I'm surprised by the 3-star rating for Zebra. I don't have a lot of experience with them, but the experience I had was perfect.
I went there earlier this week with a couple friends (both have a good amount of piercings). They needed to buy some jewelry and my friend had gotten the majority of her piercings at Zebra and trusted them and their products. On a whim, I decided to get my helia pierced (upper ear). I'm generally terrified of piercings - while I have more than 10 tattoos, the thought of piercing my skin makes me squeamish. (My parents got my ears pierced when I was 5 and it traumatized me for life!)
Anyway, I thought - why not finally take the leap! They have tons of accolades on their walls and I can see why. The staff was super friendly and didn't sell me anything I didn't want. The guy who helped me pick our the jewelry showed me my options and was really well informed on the entire process. I also liked that they didn't offer me studs - only hoops, which creates a much safer and cleaner piercing. He also walked me through the care process in great detail and he also sold me their care kit which was only like $13 and totally worth it.
I waited about 20 minutes (behind a lot of somewhat annoying 18 year olds) and then it was my turn. I went in and the piercer was super cool and professional. He clearly knew was he was doing. I was in and out in less than 10 minutes, and the piercing looked great and was perfectly placed. I've been following their instructions and it's already healing really well. Clearly, I was in good hands. Now that I've got the piercing bug, I know I'll be back at Zebra for more.
My total: $55 for the jewelry, piercing and cleaning kit. NOT BAD.
Reason for visit: Tragus piercing!
Visit date: January 2, 2012
First time? Yes.
I DID IT! After years of wanting a tragus piercing, I went out and got one. My experience at Zebra was pleasant. We were welcomed, attended to quickly and the wait time (since I didn't make an appointment) was reasonable. O, and they served us orange soda (mmm) while we waited. I was nervous for a tragus piercing, but like other ear piercings, it's quick. However, it does feel like a vajayjay exam on your ear cause something is clamping onto your ear as they put on the earring. O_o After the piercing I noticed they put the wrong earring in (not my choice earring). They changed it for me, no problem. Great service and great jewel collection! They also gave me the run down on tragus piercing after-care. Now, let's cross our fingers for no infection!!
I went here to get a piercing switched out because another piercing spot put the wrong jewelry in.
The store was very clean, the staff was courteous and organized. I was offered a beverage while I waited. When I went in to get my piercing switched out, she was careful, clean (gloved, opened new jewelry, sterile environment), and so sweet!
I'm basing my review off of my belly piercing that I got almost four years ago. From what I remember, everything had gone fine. Service was a little rushed behind the counter, but the piercer took her time with my belly button. She never actually counted down for me before she pierced me, something that I will always bless her for because I had no idea it was coming and therefore could not panic beforehand. I walked out with my new, awesomely sexy belly piercing and never looked back.
However, about a year and a half after I got it done, my body rejected the piercing. I had taken care of it by the instructions, down to the letter, but my body still decided to eject the piercing from my body. I had no idea why, and could not figure out why.
Until I went to go talk to a piercer at Fura in Castro Valley, trying to debate whether or not it'd be worth getting the piercing redone.
After telling me that I had the PERFECT belly button for a piercing (I sobbed a little on the inside, hearing this), he warned me that, because I had scar tissue built up from my first piercing, he would have to pierce me a lot deeper than normal -- so it would take a lot longer than normal to heal.
When I told him that Zebra's had done the initial job, he scowled at me and told me, memorably, that "Zebra's is like, the McDonald's of piercing."
My piercer at Zebra's had marked, then pierced me, while I was laying down, so she had pierced me too shallowly. That, he explained, was probably what caused my body to reject the piercing. He made the marks on my body as I laid down, and as I stood up, and the difference between the marks was scary. Unfortunately, I don't know if I'll be getting the piercing redone because, since my body's rejected it once, it may reject it again; there's no guarantee that I wouldn't be wasting another $70ish.
I was understandably upset upon hearing this information, and you can guarantee that I won't be returning to Zebra's for another piercing.
My younger brother wanted his ears pierced so naturally, we headed to Berkeley for our piercing needs. I had advised him to go to Industrial (see previous review) -- which was crowded on a Saturday afternoon --, but sadly, we had a dinner reservation to make and the wait would be well over an hour. Â We decided that because it was just earlobe piercings, the most common of all, we'd just go to Zebra.
The environment of Zebra greatly contrasted against Industrial. For one, it was completely empty. That should tell you a little about the establishment. For two, the customer service when we purchased our jewelry was HORRIBLE. The girl, I believe her name was Caitlyn or Caitlin or some form of it, behaved similarly to a pre-teen being chastised by her mother. She rolled her eyes at us and put in her two cents when it was unwelcome:
"I think you should only get one ear pierced, otherwise it looks weird," I told my brother.
"Yea, only one ear looks weird," Caitlyn/Caitlin interjected. EXCUSE me? I didn't ask for your opinion.
My brother chose to get both ears pierced, and chose out jewelry for $11. Except it was $11 for EACH earring (really? for something that looks like I could have bought it off the clearance rack at Claire's?), so we went back to the lovely Caitlyn/Caitlin.
"We misunderstood the price," my brother tells her. "We want something cheaper."
I saw Caitlyn/Caitlin give a sideways glance at her co-worker (some blond surfer kid who looked like he landed the job only because his friend owns the shop). "Ookay," she smirks.
I wanted to reach over the counter and slap her but knew this would be inappropriate.
Luckily, the rest of the staff was friendly or I may have marched out of Zebra. The cashier was friendly, the person who did the piercing was friendly, and ultimately, my brother was happy with his piercing. Irregardless, I will not be coming back to Zebra again. I hope the management reads some of these reviews and does something about their staff.
Many moons ago, I had my eyebrow piercing done here. It was a good experience.
Selection: 4 stars
They have a wide selection of gauges and styles to choose from, whether it's an eyebrow, tongue, lip, labret, belly, or other. It's nice to have options.
Service: 4 stars
They were nice and gentle. Everything was sterile. There are several small rooms that the piercing or tattoo is performed, so that ensures privacy and comfort. It was a big enough room so that my 3 friends were able to watch the whole thing be conducted.
Method: They used a clamp and a long needle, baddabing baddaboom, I got myself an eyebrow piercing.
My purchase  included the piercing, a bottle of disinfectant, and the brow barbell itself; which I think all in all came down to $70. This was 6 years ago so the prices may have changed. I heard that this was pricey for a piercing, but for the service, environment, quality; in addition to the knowledge and comfort that my body was pierced by sterile professionals; I'd say it was worth it.
I reccomend it.
This was by far the worst tattoo experience I have ever been through. Â In fact as we left the place, we ran into a friend of ours who said that several of his friends had bad experiences there as well!
Here's our experience: Â We went in a week ago to talk to Reed, one of their "top" tattoo artists. Â We gave him a design that we wanted him to embellish, Â made an appointment to come back in a week, left a deposit, and asked him to send us the design when it's done.
A week goes by and on the day of our appointment we called up to speak to Reed to ask about the design and got a woman on the phone who said he was indeed there and not busy with customers, but refused to let us talk to him. Â We thought this was odd. Â What's more, she said not only was she not going to let us talk to him but that if we didn't show up on time, we'd lose our deposit. Â We thought that was strange and amazingly rude and not a good sign, but we jumped into the car for the appointment and got there right on time. Â
We got to the shop and found out that he hadn't even started on the design, and actually got angry with us for wanting to see the design before we got started (even though he had agreed to show it to us which is why he wanted the week to do it in the first place). Â
We think it's a pretty reasonable request to want to see the tattoo BEFORE it the artist gets started...don't you!? In fact, I don't know anyone that would want a tattoo before getting to see and approve of the design first...not even a simple one.
This seemed to incense him that we would even ask to see the design completed first and he got angrier when we said that we didn't want to just wing it and let him draw right on his skin we wanted to see the design just as we had talked about a week ago.
He started to somehow justify blaming us for wanting to see it in the first place and accused us of not believing he could do it getting more angry all the time. Â He somehow twisted that his poor handling of it and not being prepared was our fault....humans will rationalize just about anything. Â We were standing there a bit incredulous and stunned that a tattoo artist would get upset by this...it was bizarre. Â
We said that of course we want to approve of the design beforehand like every other tattoo artist we've ever worked with. Â This made him angry and he said "I'm over it"....go get your refund, and kept muttering other angry words as we walked over to the counter to get our deposit back, which we gladly accepted.
His associate tried to apologize for him and realized that Reed had handled it poorly (so thanks for that!), but it left us a really bad taste in our mouth. Â We will never go back there and encourage you not to work with Reed either.
I am a 43 year old mom and thought I'd be fun to get a nose piercing--just crazy enough. I went to Zebra because it seemed less intimidating of tattoo and piercing studios in the area--like a clean, well-lighted place for body art. I went in twice before I actually decided what I was going to do--once in Walnut Creek and once in Berkeley. The people behind the counter were hit and miss, sometimes friendly and sometimes aloof.
I went to the store alone the day I did my piercing. The person who helped me was nice enough--I chose a small, but real diamond. I tried to tone down my excitement to match the cool "I do this all day" type attitude of the staff. The piercing went fine, I bought the cleaning solution, emu oil and sea salts (which they forgot to put in the bag) and went my merry way.
Two weeks later, my nose wasn't healing as well as I thought it would and my nose ring kept hanging out of my nose. The person I went in to see was terrible (he has blonde hair). He said he'd adjust the nose ring, but each time he worked on it, it hurt like hell. First he bent it in a way that filled up my whole nose--in fact he changed the bend four times (in and out of my nose--yeouch) that visit. But more than that, he was kind of chastising me, saying, "well, maybe a nose piercing just isn't for you." I thought he was an ass.
A week and a half later when my nose ring was still sore and still swinging around and sticking out of my nose, I went back again, this time to the Walnut Creek store. A woman (with short brown hair) adjusted the bend again--but her touch was SO gently compared to the last adjustment. It was SO much better, I thought I was in the clear.
Another two weeks and my nose was still SO sore and my nose ring, while not showing out of my nose was still all over the place. This time I decided to go to another place, partially because I seriously couldnt face them again--I felt really stupid now--and in my gut, I knew something was wrong.
The other piercers helped me and this is what I learned--
--When Zebra bent my jewelry (which was real and expensive) they beat the hell out of it and there were rough patches of metal all over the nose ring (it looks bad) that were cutting up my nose.
--that they pierced it at a bad angle so the jewel sits funny (that's the least of it)
--that I actually shouldn't be using either the solution or the emu oil that they gave me because it isn't good for the piercing.
--I bought another $125 diamond nose ring and started over. This one was a labret style, instead of an L shaped nose ring.
Within two days, my nose stopped hurting--and Im so happy to have the piercing. It's been quite a ride. I have a little keloid scar because of all of the movement of the nose ring for the first month +. I also am carrying around a torn up, worthless piece of expensive nose jewelry in my wallet. I am too intimidated to walk back into Zebra to have a conversation with them about why I think I should either get my money back or get credit for other jewelry.
Wouldn't recommend this place, unfortunately.
I've been meaning to do this review for YEARS but never get around to it, but now that I work with youngins and they asked me about this place ( I have very visible bad ass tats from faaaaar better places) I felt compelled to write it.
This place sucks. Mean time! I have been to shitty places, like wild bill's and this Zebras is no better, I'd say far worse! Rude, attitude, unhelpful staff make this a terrible place. And having read the owner's response that that the staff hasn't changed in years makes this a valid review since the same tattoo artists are still there. I went in for a tattoo, on a very slow day for the shop, the artist that was free came out, and he was a total dick hole, I walked out. Best decision I ever made in my life! ( in regards to my body art) Unfortunately I ended up at Wild Bills shop, but that's another story thats already been told.
Maybe dude has chilled out, but when people I know share stories about this place, no one has ever had a rad experience ( we are pretty serious about tattoos and have very very many) most of us walk out angry at the end of the tale....
As for my students, I'm steering them clear of this shop and pointing them in the direction of a place In Oakland with waaaaay better artists and a much nicer shop!
I got most of my piercings from here. They're clean, sterile and follow protocol when I watch them prep for my piercings. The staff is straight forward, friendly and helpful. They also give you something to drink while you wait if you're getting something pierced.
It can get crowded in here some times and it's not fun dodging people and trying to get attention of a sales person. I like that they give out $2 discounts when you buy anything there for your next purchase. (those are printable online as well) The extra $2 off helps :)
Me & my gyrls took a random spontaeneous trip to Berkeley...said to each other "Ok we should just go get tatted today!!"
So with that said, we got up got dressed & headed out to Telegraph Ave. To our surprise there was no long wait for a Saturday night. Walked in and we were greeted by every employee there, walked straight to the back to talk about our tat's. Bob helped us with our designs which we already had in mind. He told us that James only had one other person ahead of us & that he was sure that we would be able to get it done that day.
Shortly after that James walked in & come to find out he had done the exact tat, LoL!! So of course it was no problem for him to do it.
We only had to wait about an hour which wasn't really that long. So we decided to take a walk & kill time....came back & I was the first to get my tat, was really scared but James said it would only hurt a little bit!! I laid down and sure enough he started and finished it within 5 mins!! I almost took a nap!!
<a href="http://static2.px.yelp.com/photo/tUZ72zAtjc86e98zJH_NfA/l">http://static2.px.yelp.c…</a>
James was so nice, & well he did a great job with all our tats.....pics to come soon!! If you are in the area and gettin a tat or piercing i suggest seeing James for your tat.....it will be well worth the wait!!
I know me & my gyrls will be back there again!!
Stupidly expensive. Like really, $88 for an ear piercing? Â Granted, I picked the jewelry, but really??? OVERPRICED. Â Simple ear piercing. Â I should have just gone to Claire's Accessories.
The employees were nice, but not really concerned with my satisfaction. Â NO refunds so when the clerk assured my bf that these extraordinarily thick earrings could fit into his ears, we bought into it. Â When he realized it DIDN'T fit, the employee just said to lubricate the ears and try it after a shower.....aka "too bad, figure it out yourself"
After 24 hours, our conclusion: they still don't fit. Waste of about $30.
No room to sit. Â They called your number when they were ready, pierced you, then sent you on your way. Â Very impersonal. Â Seriously, we aren't cows in a line waiting to get branded.
Didn't get any tattoos there, but I have a sufficient portion of my body inked from another place. Â I looked through one of their books and it was filled with plain drawings. Â I like to look at actual pictures of actual work done in that shop, and I was surprised to see they didn't have any. Â I didn't see the process of anyone getting a tattoo when I was there, but I wouldn't doubt it being something similar to their piercing process. Â Impersonal. Â Rushed.
Definitely won' t be coming back.
I only went there because my sister got her tongue pierced here years ago. Â Back then, the reviews on yelp were apparently really good. Â Things must have changed.
This review is for jewellery purchase only.
I wanted to replace some of my piercing jewellery but was bored by the selection at shops back home, and with the surplus of tattoo/piercing shops on Telegraph Avenue I decided to waltz (quite literally, yes, I was waltzing) into one of them and have a look at the selection.
I was blown away by the options at Zebra - when I told the clerk that I wanted a circular barbell, he pulled SIX different display trays from behind the glass and onto the counter for me to peruse. Gold, hematite, white gold, and about half a dozen other materials, different gauges and different sized balls on each of them. I was overwhelmed.
Buying jewellery here was a no nonsense operation and no smiling or joking was permitted - I paid and left. To be fair, the store was absolutely slammed with UC Berkeley frosh students wandering in and out in varying states of intoxication - surely the staff's patience was wearing thin with all sorts of underagers requesting finger mustache tattoos and the like. I think I would have lost my mind dealing with so many students at once! Oh, and I also got to see boobs.
I stand by my review!
In response to owners Message:
Hi Moe,
My apologies if you feel that way. I am actually a fairly new resident in California and don't have any ties to ANY tattoo or piercing parlors on the west coast. While your staff was mostly nice, the woman who "fixed" my nose ring literally ripped it out of my nose TWICE - even after I told her that it was a fairly new piercing. It was because of my experience at Zebra that I had to go search for more and more piercing parlors in the bay area to undo the damage (damage that i am STILL in the process of nursing months later). Trust me when I say it would be nice to go to a business that is closer to my residence rather than travel through SF trying to find a new place.
With that said, no offense to you, but I wrote a review that was strictly based on MY experience at YOUR business. I wont write a 5-star review just to appease you when my experience at your business was awful - and I have two witnesses that were with me on that day. If your business is the BEST as you claim, then my one negative review wouldn't damage Zebra's credibility. In fact, your accusation of my "unethical" behavior goes to show what kind of business owner you are, instead of asking for more information about my experience you'd rather project the negative experience on the customer - an unethical approach for certain.
Upgrade to five stars, most def!
Went in for a variety of questions--even after my last "just ok" experience, I wanted to give Zebra another chance, especially since I thought that it was possible it was just an individual human error that gave me a meh impression last time. Â So, a friend and I hopped over to Zebra on a whim, with several questions regarding piercings, as well as seeking an estimate/information on a tattoo.
We were greeted immediately as we walked in, and the gorgeous girl (with fabulous eyeshadow--I didn't think anyone could pull off those kind of dramatics without being in a photoshoot or something, and this girl rocked it) who helped us was friendly, informative, and super sweet. Â
While contemplating the information she gave us, we went over to the Tattoo Counter and asked a few questions. Â James not only answered all of my questions, but he also gave me an estimate, told me who I should ask for when I plan to get the tatttoo done, and alsoprinted something out on the computer to show me a few options as to text, etc. Â He was incredibly amiable, and I will definitely be making an appointment with him in the future.
We stepped outside for a moment, then came back in and discussed industrial piercings with Chris, who then set me up to get one done. Â We waited very shortly, got through the process extremely quickly, and then back we went to get my industrial.
Now, a little backstory: despite having several piercings, I am still terribly phobic of needles. Â I usually tell every piercer this to warn them, and because of that it hasn't been an issue. Â Even so, while getting a piercing can be fun, it also is usually a really stressful experience, since I spend a good chunk of the time battling my phobia.
We walk into the back when our number was called (my friend went with me to hold my hand....AWWWWW!), and we were greeted by Timothy (hellooooo handsome!). Â I blathered on nervously, but he was all business. Â He walked me through what he was doing, step by step, and got it done in record time. Â I cannot even express HOW impressed I am--his calm, professional demeanor, combined with the abundantly evident knowledge & skill he had enabled me to be equally calm & collected, as well as allowing the process to be done expediently. Â ASK FOR TIMOTHY. Â He did an incredible job.
(Also, to Timothy: sorry I had to return with cash! Â I had to stop by the bank before I tipped, which makes me a jerk. Â :( Â BUT I DID COME BACK!)
 I will definitely be returning to James for a future tattoo, and any piercings will be done at this place, no question, not to mention all of the recommendations I'm going to be giving.  Zebra is a go!  DO IT!  They're informative, gregarious, good looking, and on top of their game.  Could you even ask for more?
I won't go back again. My friend recommended the place and her piercing was fine. However, I kept my piercing for over a year and it never healed. I did exactly what they told me. When I went to get another piercing at another place, they told me that the jewelry I bought from Zebra was not appropriate and was too heavy.
I'm sure this place does good work for some, but overall, I think you need to know who to talk to.
I don't know much about plumbing so I rely mostly on the plumbers opinion as do I on the expertise of my piercer.
I am writing this review partly on behalf of my sister, who does not have a Yelp account. I have personally never gotten anything done at Zebra, and I refuse to give them one penny. I have been in the store quite a few times and have always received a pretentious vibe from the employees there. My sister has quite a few piercings, almost all of them done at Zebra except for her earlobes, which were done at Claire's (not a good idea to go to a place in the mall that uses a piercing gun. Go read up on the cons of piercing guns if you need more info). Although some of her piercings have turned out just fine, her nape piercing recently got infected and she had it taken out at Body Manipulation in San Francisco (who were nice enough not to charge her) and although the swelling has gone down, it turns out that it has not healed correctly.
Today I went in to get my tattoo touched up at Industrial Tattoo and while we were waiting the owner at Industrial came over to talk to my sister and I and she asked him about her nape piercing and told him what had happened. We learned a few different things. One was that the piercing was not pierced correctly and the type of bar used was inappropriate. Another thing was that Zebra had told my sister to use emu oil on her piercing and the owner at Industrial told us you are never supposed to put any type of oil on piercings because it attracts germs. We also learned that my sister has scar tissue that needs to be massaged at least 10 minutes a day in order to fully break down and heal. Once healed, she is going to get it re-pierced at Industrial.
Aside from the piercers being apparently ignorant about their practice, they have never seemed to be particularly personable with my sister when I have seen her get pierced.
After today, it looks like my sister won't be back ever again.
I GOT AN YELP ACCOUNT JUST TO WRiTE A REViEW ABOUT THiS PLACE.
i GOT MY VERY FiRST ATTTOO DONE HER BY LES.
iT WAS A GOOD EXPERiENCE.
THEN i CAME BACK THE VERY NEXT YEAR TO GET AN iNDUSTRiAL EAR PiERCiNG.
W0RST EXPERiENCE EVER.
THE PiERCER DiDNT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE ME, SHE JUST CAME AND DiD HER THiNG.
WHATEVER.
i TH0UGHT iT L00KED PRETTY GOOD.
i PAiD $60 WHiCH i SH0ULDN'T HAVE D0NE.
THE EARiNG WAS SPARKLiNG G0LD iN THE CASE.
BUT AB0UT 3 WEEKS LATER iT C0MPLETLY TARNiSHED!
TO MAKE THiNGS WORSE i GOT MY EAR PiERCED iN NOVEMBER.
BY JANUARY iT FELL OUT.
i W)NT GO HERE AGAiN.
a friend and I just had tattoos done here and every step of the experience was fantastic- we were quickly greeted and set up an appointment, we showed up for the appointment and everyone seemed happy we were there (and kept offering us something to drink in this way that made me feel like i was a guest at someone's house), our tattoo artist had 14+ years of experience and was so calm and friendly, and the tattoos turned out better than we expected! Â I was especially pleased that he seemed very conscious of the pain level, so we took a few breaks to let me "recover"- all in all, we felt very taken care of and confident that this very permanent decision was in good hands. Â
the $75 minimum for every tattoo seemed a bit steep, but if it guarantees a friendly, safe, quality tattoo experience, i will gladly pay whatever i need to pay.
I used to get pierced here all the time! and i mean ALL THE TIME back in 2003 and 2004 but man have times changed! on our way in one of the employees almost knocked us over walking out because she was on a phone call and then no one was helping us! i had few questions about finding new guages for my ears and nothing seemed to look like what i wanted with a group of people talking to the other counter girl about her piercings...really if they arent paying they need to at least move or something! and dont try to say i dont understand because i used to work in a tattoo shop so i know the drill... move them away from the case to give the info to answers so other people can view the sellable items! duh!
And finally on our way out someone out of nowhere asks if we needed help... uh NO too late!
My roommate in college got her clit pierced at zebra and said it didn't hurt at all. Â If she could trust Zebra with piercing her most treasured body part this place has to be great.
I haven't gotten anything pierced there but I did buy my first butterfly knife at Zebra. Â It was christmas break from my freshman year at UCSB. Â Most of the girls in my dorms had a plethora of "self defense" weapons, pepper spray, rape whistles and various types of knives. I remember one girl had a pair of brass knuckles, seriously, she was no joke. So, I have to thank Zebra for keeping me protected in college.
Go Zebra!
I have only been here once.
It was 7 years ago.
I had the most awesome tattoo on my foot, and it still looks great today!
I wish I remembered the name of the gu ywho did it, cuz I know one of these days i'm gonna be due for a touch up....
anyway, I hold a special spot in my heart for getting my first tattoo here...it's a good place to get started!
I got my industrial done in 2005 and decided I will NEVER give them my bussiness again.
The people working there were insanely rude and not pleased that I was asking questions. The jewelry in the cases was generic but seemed safe, haha definately not.
The piercer was completely rude and unwelcoming and did not even warn me when he was going to do the piercing. This is apparently something I have heard from alot of people, I guess Zebra thinks this is a good method, "the surprise stab", but I really did not appreciate it. He was very irritated that I flinched, but of course I wasnt expecting it so ya I flinched.
Afterwards I was given my care materials and sent on my way. The piercing was immediatly red hot and throbbing and after walking a couple blocks I had to sit down because I was suddenly woozy and felt like I was going to throw up.
Considering the cheap jewelry they use its lucky the piercing did not become infected however the experience was so unpleasant I will not return. I was unable to even touch my ear for almost 2 weeks and funny enough after about 3 weeks the jewelry had gone from a clean steel color to an ugly tarnished possibly rusted color from the sea salt soaks.
Since then I have done all my piercings just a few minutes away at Industrial. I have had my conch, nose and surface sideburn done there and none of those have been so painful and unpleasant as the simple industrial that Zebra slaughtered.
If you respect your body and want art, not just hole punching, go to Industrial and never set foot in Zebra. I really wish I could leave zero
stars.
Note: apparently the owner is incredibly hostile and childish and has since sent me harrassing emails because of my review.
I will not walk back into Zebra for two reasons:
1) The stud jewelry they gave me to replace my current hoop infected my tragus which resulted in a month of super detailed care and attention of the infection until it subsided and healed. If you're wondering, I had the piercing for over year before switching out the jewelry.
2) While searching for my tragus jewelry, I saw that the girl helping me had this cool orbital piercing. On a whim, I convinced myself to get another cartilage piercing so I could connect both cartilage piercings with an hoop. She convinced me that it would work with ear.
The piercing was more painful than I remembered and the hoop I was given was so small that it squeezed the cartilage skin in between the two piercings. It wasn't until I had the piercing fixed at Industrial a month later that I realized the mistakes the piercer had made.
Okay, so this piercing and tatto place is GREAT, but i feel that if they worked on their customer service a bit more, they would get better ratings . Overall, my experience was great . I got my lip, industrial, and navel pierced here .
My first ever piercing was my industrial and no joke, it felt as if a nail was hammered into your cartilage not once, but twice, but it was well worth it .
My next piercing was my belly button . Okay so this is where i wish they did a better job. I asked for the numbing cream (which was $5 dollars extra) . And as i waited for 15 minutes, it was finally my turn ! So thinking the cream worked, I dont feel it worked at all because as the piercer who also thought my naval was numb, pierced me, she simply just jammed the needle (again, thinking i wouldn't feel a thing) through and of course ... i goddamn felt that .
The last piercing i had was my lip, and of course, this piercing was done in a very short and simple amount of time with no pain .
My friend also had her first tattoo here and ill admit, it was BEAUTIFUL ! i feel that their prices for both their tatts and piercings are a bit pricey but I feel that in a way, it was well worth it (: .
Just say no.
My friend used to work here, I have had numerous friends get pierced here, I made the mistake of getting my nostril pierced here.
All bad.
Besides the soda pop you get to bring up your blood sugar (cute touch, I will admit) Zebra is not the place to go for quality piercings. Â
The space is small and cramped, they run you through like you're at a deli. Â They care more about numbers than quality.
Stop. Â Walk down the block, and go into industrial strength.
Please.
Hot Piercer: Â Wow!! Â Someone really Fu@ked up this piercing!! Â Who did this hack job???!! Â I mean, it's not even straight!! Â I hope you got your money back...
Sexy Me: Â Ahem....well....actually YOU did this hack job. Â (insert small voice: You huge tool.)
Hot Piercer: Â (silence) Â
This is where sorority Cal girls come to get their belly buttons pierced. Â They scream and cry; I laugh on the inside. Â I'm sick like that.
hi, note to employees. You aren't the shit cause you work here.. why don't you take some time and pick out the RIGHT SIZE barbell for once. I chose  two, you gave me one shorter because you didn't give a fuck and just tossed it into the  bag.
The piercer was great... fabulously full of spunk of attitude.
Don't come on weekends, you will be pushed around and ignored, sometimes glared at.
Zebra is frickin famous in the bay. Everyone knows someone who's been there. So when my navel piercing closed up, I knew where to go. It was not crowded at all when I got there, which I'm sure is unusual. Then again, it was a Tuesday morning and I'm not too sure how many people go out to get piercings/tattoos at 11am in the middle of the week.
The counter people were friendly and helped me pick out a nice little stud-ish thing. The little piercing room is immaculate. It's cleaner than dental offices... except that dental offices don't tend to be decked out in bamboo and indie-looking art.
My piercer was very quiet and a quick worker. I was in and out in a few minutes. Detailing how to care for my piercing took much longer than the actual act of piercing. My piercing's still doing great today, nearly one year later. I'd definitely recommend this place to people who are a little new to getting holes punched and such (I actually have 9 piercings. Count 'em.)
My only complaint is that it is on the pricier side. But I guess shelling out a little extra moolah is worth not getting an infection from improperly sterilized equipment.
This place gets 4 stars for not making fun of me for when I went there...
Yes, story time it is!
So I wanted to go get a second hole in my ear so I went with my friend Rupi to get it done at Zebra, because that is the berkeley place to go, and for a place on telegraph known for being clean, that is a BIG DEAL!! (no offense to telegraph at all  because I love it and will always be a golden bear, but if you know the area like a berkeley student does, it isn't the "cleanest of places" if you know what I mean--people's park is around the corner from Zebra....)
Anyway back to the story... So getting a normal piercing on your ear lobe is usually not a big deal, right? Well my piercer was really really nice and walked me through everything she was doing, only she forgot to ask me if i had eaten recently before she punctured the first hole through my ear. It hurt, but I was fine, the second one goes through and all of sudden my hearing goes away and my vision starts to get spotty and almost disappears!! I remember saying "ummmmm i can't see just to let you know and I can barely hear you" before passing out for a few seconds.
But she was so nice and made sure I was fine and gave me some candy to boost my blood sugar up, so all in all a fine little establishment with lots of piercing options, tattoo options and nice, supportive staff. So for the future kids, make sure you eat something near the time you are getting a piercing done, otherwise you may pass out like I did!
4 stars for proximity to campus, nice staff, and a plethora of options
I was so nervous about getting my nose pierced, that I babbled dirty talk to both of the guys in the piercing room.
I was completely fine picking out my stud, signing the forms, buying a fab new bag, and was completely calm and relaxed waiting for my turn...and then Bawdy Blatherina took over my mouth.
I walked into the piercing room and immediately asked, "Which one of you guys gets to poke me?!" Â WTF?
After that a litany of dirty double entendres, innuendos, lascivious comments and wildly obvious flirting ensued. Â I must have sounded like a sailor nympho on Ecstasy. Until the needle came out.
NEEDLE??? What happened to those nifty gun thingies? With very little verbal warning, I felt my cartilage being raped. Â Not much blood though. I wonder if he doubted my virginity.
I haven't been nervous in a VERY long time. I hope I don't need to do a job interview anytime soon. JAYZUS!!!
Anyway, they're sparkling clean, the sales people (Yay Liane!) are nice, and they test all their jewelery for dangerous substances.
My only gripes:
- it's very popular. And crowded. Â It felt like less of an ink/piercing shop and more like a retail store. Â Call me odd, but I usually like to help struggling genius types rather than thriving establishments.
- one of the guys in the piercing room got my nervous chatter right away. Â The other was way quiet, even when I tried to ask a mundane question or two, (i.e. how long have you been here, etc?) Â I think that made me even more nervous.
All in all, a bit pricey and it can get crowded. But Zebra has an excellent reputation in the body mod field, most of the staff is friendly and very helpful, they are very careful about the body jewelery they sell, and they are vigilant about teaching care of whatever modification you desire.
UPDATE:
My daughter is now 16! GASP!
We went here on a Thursday afternoon, and there were customers, but it was WAY less crowded. Â We had all of our "paperwork" handy, (her birth certificate, my ID as mom, and her picture school ID) so getting her nose pierced went smoothly. Â She picked out a very pretty turquoise stud that shows up beautifully against her tan. The very nice woman that did her piercing was efficient and friendly. And her tiny little fingers made my little girl's experience very good. Â The fantastic after care information has made us both keloid, infection and pain free.
She got a free tshirt! AND SHE LOVES IT. Â I love the bumper sticker that says, "My honor student gets pierced at Zebra" but it keeps falling off of my car. Â It stays very nicely on my laptop though!
I compare Zebra to Urban Outfitters. Yeah, they have cool stuff and the service can be great...
but other times, it's just overpriced and lame.
I've come here a few times. Once I got a tattoo, other times I've consulted about future tattoos or just browsed around at the accessories. When I got a tattoo. it was my 2nd and I had a great experience. The guy was fun, informative and did a great job (it was my own custom design). It was priced okay, but I'm sure I could've gotten it cheaper somewhere else. Whatever.
Other times I've gone in there, I've realized the artists aren't all that great compared to other places I've gone. Also, the people who work there can be really rude and unprofessional. That really does it for me, Â just because a place has been a popular spot to go for a tattoo/piercing. There are just better places to go, for good prices and amazing service.
Please. I'm trying to save you, here. Don't do it.
Counter staff? Completely and totally rude.
Piercings? I got my nose pierced here. It was immediately infected and the piercing moved around a lot because they didn't make sure that it was secure, which only exacerbated the issue. After 2 months, a boil developed and I called and they told me to come in. The piercer told me specifically that he would need to pop it.
This didn't sound right to me. I checked online and--what do you know?--popping is bad, bad, bad for infected piercings.
Since I took the piercing out, things have healed up and whenever I tell someone I got pierced at Zebra, they say, "Oh, yeah, I got pierced there. It got infected. I got it redone at Industrial."
My first time coming in here was to get my second earlobe piercing. I had been looking around the area for a good, clean, and cheap place to get it done and Zebra was definitely it. My whole procedure including the surgical steel studs cost only $25!
I love their surgical steel studs because they've never given me any problems. I hate taking my earrings off in the shower and I've noticed that when I get cheap studs, they either fade in color or collect an immense amount of mold and crap. But with these studs, I get very little to no accumulation of dirt, grime, or mold. Actually, I don't get any mold!
I came back again for a third earlobe piercing and again, the same process. Very quick, essentially painless, and affordable.
I was pleasantly surprised at how FRIENDLY all of the people working in this store were. Â It was also really clean...crowded, but clean. Â I was in the back room where they do the piercing and it was very very sterile and clean. Â They are also registered with the Better Business Bureau.
My server at Max's had the TINIEST nose stud on that I had ever seen and I had to have that. Â The one I have is a 1.25mm diamond stud, which is definitely quite small, but I wanted SMALLER. Â She told me to go to Zebra. Â It's sterling silver and it cost me a whopping $3. Â Â I also got a new 1.5mm white gold ball as well ($22). Â There was a $5 labor charge to have them fit it to my nose, but that was fine and even though there were tons of people around, I waited maybe 3 minutes for my turn in line.
They definitely have a process in place. Â You place your "order", pay at the register and you're given a number.
Their selection of studs, rings, bars, tubes.... anything you can think of putting in/on/through your body...they probably have it in every shape or size or material you can think of. Â
They also sell a large selection of spray paint...in really pretty colors.... which I found really interesting....
It's just past Amoeba on Telegraph between Haste and Dwight.
I had a good tattoo experience here. It was my first tattoo, but the whole process went relatively well, some blood, but no crying or Leo in  fetal position which is always a plus.
My artist's name was Drew, completely inked out guy but surprisingly soft spoken. Â Wasn't too rough, I had hear horror stories of guys with really heavy hands but this wasn't the case. He was real chill, walked me through the process, dealt with the whole first tattoo jitters and didn't seem stuck up or too cool for you at all.
I went in 2 weeks before to make an appointment, these guys are so busy that you should most definitely book in advance. I had a small piece put on my upper back, the whole process took around 30 minutes or so according to the buddy who came with me. I honestly lost track of time.
Tat cost $80, I tipped $20. So far it's been healing nicely.
The "hard ass" know it all, rude attitude of the people that work here is less than inviting. Â They think they're all that when anybody who knows anything about shops in the area knows that this place is a joke and their jewelry and technique is crap.
I got pierced here when first moving to Berkeley--never again.
I considered getting my first tattoo here until I saw one of the main artists drinking a beer while tattooing... so professional... I turned right around and left!
Go to Industrial instead on the opposite side of the street (and read their amazing reviews!). Way better vibe, they don't talk down to you if you ask a question, quality jewelry of a huge selection, the most sterile environment process ever (that they pride themselves on), and amazing tattoo artists (request DAN!)...Got various other piercings and two tattoos here and was beyond pleased compared to the "I'm better than you" attitude you'll find at Zebra.
Hey Zebra--lose the attitude, as you're losing customers!
I got my nose pierced here when I was 13, and man was I terrified! Back in those pre-high school days anything that didn't have a tameness factor equivalent to Hilary Duff would have sent me running. The tattoo artists and piercers here didn't exactly assuage my fears, either. Their methods are very plain and businesslike; I went in, chose the lucky nostril and went out with a piercing in under 5 minutes. No conversation, no coddling, just swab with alcohol and go!
Their prices are a bit high (it cost more for the nose ring than the piercing) but it is very clean and sanitary.
I just took out the belly button piercing I got here due to infection unrelated to Zebra. It lasted two years though, which was fine by me. (Truthfully, I think I might be getting a little too old for a belly button piercing--sigh.) My experience was good though, mostly because it was clean, quick, and relatively painless, and I never had problems with my piercing until it recently got infected.
I guess I am probably the perfect example of the "teenybopper" type who gets pierced here... I was 20 at the time, had just been through an ugly break-up, and wanted to do something "crazy." I don't remember the exact price, but I do remember it was expensive. If you can find a better place, go for it, but Zebra worked for me at the time.
Things may have changed a bit from when I used to frequent this place and I know the piercest have with exception to Tim (I believe he is still there). If your getting a piercing Tim is your man, years of experience super laid back, can be mistaken for an elitist attitude because he is so laid back and not very outspoken.
Tattoos, I have a total of 6 tattoos 5 of them from artists at Zebra (at least last time I checked). Les helped me design my arm piece and did all the work on it. Â Reed did my nautical star (yes I know so typical) and Olmy did my tramp stamp and my flames...I love all of my tattoos they all still look great which is not bad considering I've had some of them for as long as 7 years. Not worried about pricing because you get what you pay for...and as far as I'm concerned I'll pay a pretty penny for something that is stuck on me till death. my humble opinion...I rarely purchase items from the store front.
I didn't just get up one day and say "I want to get a tattoo, Its trendy, I'll go down to a shop and pick out some pretty flower". I knew I wanted CASH in the trademark block letters on my right calf. Â I dialed in the font, size and placement to be exact. I had heard that block letters are quite tricky as tattoo inked bleed until the day you die (see the cool old sailors tattoos on your grandpa's arm). I heard of an artist named Stash that did block letters quite well and made an appointment for an after work inking.
Stash was quite nice, clean and professional and the tattooing area was very clean also. I still dont know why there had to three people in the tattoo room with me and people in the store kept asking me if it hurt or not. Getting a tattoo is a spiritual experience and to have a bunch of 16 year olds yacking non stop really put a downer on the experience.
The quality of the tat was exquisite and I ended up paying 80 bucks for it. A little steep, but I saw some f the prices that were coming out of SF so i figured that's the going  rate in the Bay Area.
Since then I hooked up with a great guy back home in Minnesota who will do as good, if not better work for 1/2 the price and wont go back to Zebra. Its too crowded and not really dedicated to tattoos as an art, more of a trend  for tramp stamps.
We walked in here to take a look at some of their work and get some inspiration for our next tattoos...my friend currently has three, I have one, and we both think it's time to get new ones....the first guy who greeted us was a total pusher: "Hey, so what are we going to tattoo on you today?" Â and then gave us a pissy look when we said, "Well, we're just checking it out right now." Â The second guy was sitting there working on a drawing and gave us a look like, "Oh great, fucking tourists." Â Granted, we looked totally out of place because we had just come from a wedding and we were wearing dresses and heels and walking up and down Telegraph, but...bitch, please...you can take your "i'm so cool, i'm a tattoo artist" attitude and shove it up your -- *taking a deep breath*.
Anyway. Â My cousin's a tattoo artist - I'd rather drive all the way down to San Diego and have him do it.
I got my back tattoo here (3rd of 6 currently). Â They were clean but I agree that the artists think their poop don't stink. Â The process seemed to take a long time and the revolving door of tourists and youngsters does get on your nerves when you are getting a fairly large piece done. Â If you want something quick and clean, this is your place. Â If you want to enjoy the process, go to a less trendy place and really bond with an artist while getting your work done.
I worked with Les and I must say that I still love my back piece he drew for me (my sun sign, rising sign, and moon sign) every time I catch a glimpse of it in the mirror.
This place is as pop culture as tattoo and piercing parlors can get. (i.e., this is the place teeny boppers go when they can get their aunts to sign a written letter saying that it's ok for them to pierce something other than their ears.)
I'll give them props for being super sterile, but they totally take advantage of their popularity and charge outrageous prices for so-so work. Their jewelry is crap: I bought a nose stud here and the little "diamond" fell out in a matter of days. Plus, they tried to sell me a 16 gauge nipple ring as a 12 gauge one! HELLO!
Any time anything becomes corporate or "popular" you must be weary! Especially when that something is a lifestyle that has often been reserved for the artistic and the passionate, not the money or status quo-hungry.
Yes... I have body piercings and I love it! Â I never got into tattoos after the one I got at age 18. Â They say you get addicted but I never went through that phase because it hurt so bad!
Anyway, there is this cutie that works there on the weekends. Â I think his name is Wes or West. Â He has spikey blond hair and hes always in leather. Â It all started with my tongue, then my nose, then under my lip and then down under... I wont give details! Â lol
Anytime I have seen him, its always been very comfortable. Â Ive actually had a few friends that have gotten piercing here as well. Â They have no complaints. Â Most recently, my 19 year old sister went here to get a tongue and upper ear piercing and although she didn't see my dude, her results were good. Â
The main thing to remember about this place is that they are clean. Â Although you would expect different, they don't use the steam autoclave to disinfect their tools. Â Instead they use disposable. Â
Another cool point about Zebras is that they have all kinds of cool stuff for you to look at in the lobby. Â From Bongs to stun guns, they have a wide variety of things to play with. I actually bought a stun gun there. Â Ive never got a chance to use it and hopefully I wont have to. Â All in all, a cool place to go for piercing.
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