Two of my very good friends own this shop (Denny and Jon), and I've gotten several tattoos from…read morethem. Very, very happy with their work. Really cool guys. Very nice-looking and clean building. Haven't gotten any work from their new artist, but I know if he works there, he's gotta be top quality. Great pricing also. Definitely the best in Slippery Rock. Professional, very considerate. Just an overall awesome atmosphere. They work with you to make sure you get exactly what you want, which is very important because...well...it's permanent lol. If you go to SRU or live in the area and you're looking to get a tattoo, definitely go to Against the Grain. You won't regret it.

I realize reviewing a tattoo shop with a less-than-five star review is probably inviting all the…read moretrolls to come out and bash my review but here is the reality of the set of experiences... The shop itself is clean, in general, and I would say that going to Devin (my former artist) is a safe bet in terms of cleanliness. The set-up is awkward as you have to walk through what is a "hallway" of sorts, and through someone else's tattooing area to get to your tattoo spot. Not a complaint, more of an observation, so there isn't a lot of privacy in terms of seeing someone else's work being done, etc. I definitely think there is room for improvement for the set-up of the stations but it works as they are young guys getting started. I can't review the other artists work so I can really only review Devin's. And his work is really good--very consistent. Whatever particulars you want in your tattoo, chances are you can find pictures and it will likely turn out exactly as you have seen. Very "what you see is what you get"-style so no surprises there. The fundamental flaw with this shop, and his style of booking is that he books six months in advance and does some very weird system whereby he would open his book via a Facebook post for about 24-48 hours, then close it. That's great if you want a small tattoo, or are on Facebook constantly, or don't mind waiting to complete a large tattoo over what could be 2-3 years. I ran into a booking issue with him once when I got very, very ill and had to go to the hospital for treatment (okay, it was cancer & I was having surgery to remove it). I pretty much told him outright I was willing to forfeit a deposit and/or pay more to schedule again. I always treated him pretty well & completely understood that tattooing was his livelihood. Well, I never heard from him. That was fine--given my illness I had my priorities elsewhere and decided to just wait & see for that "magical day" where he opened his book on Facebook. Well that day came & went (I missed it because honestly, most people miss most things on Facebook) and maybe 1-2 days later I politely asked him what folks like me (working on a sleeve) were supposed to do & if we had to wait another six months. Again--no response--and in fact he removed me from his Facebook which obviously was a sign that I wouldn't be getting tattooed anymore. So, here I am. I have half a sleeve that is unfinished. I feel compelled to share this as I think folks need to understand the reality of what their experience may be.

My girlfriends and I had a fantastic experience!! Joe was so kind and hilarious - we were laughing…read moreso much I forgot to be nervous! He pierced my ears quickly with very little pain and they are perfectly even. The prices were great as well - I paid $50 for my second lobe piercings (both the service and jewelry) but honestly, I would have paid more just because it was such a blast to talk to him. My friend paid $35 for her cartilage piercing, which is by far the best price for miles around. Luckily, none of us passed out, peed, or did both in quick succession. The shop was clean and the other staff were very friendly as well. Overall, we had so much fun and Joe did a great job with all of our piercings!

Got my nose pierced for the fourth time (my bad and NEVER at Boney Joe's) the other day…read more I'm no youngster and I have to say the gentleman who did the piercing couldn't have been nicer. I felt quite comfortable. He knows what he is doing b/c this piercing, unlike the others, was like a small pinch and that was it. Before the piercing, everything, EVERYTHING was sterilized in front of me, gloves worn, whole bit. This is the cleanest and neatest shop if its kind I've been in. highly recommend

Round 2 with Shawn. Such an accommodating dude! This time, I took my gf and was hyping up his…read moreexpertise and patience. He made her feel comfortable and she already has a few but made a point to tell him he is "the best" The shop was currently operating a fundraiser for UPMC but despite the chaos, Shawn fit us in with ease. Both tattoos took him less than two hours. Precision. Patience. Total calming experience. This shop is a gem and it contains a priceless experience with Shawn! ..who knows? Maybe round 3?

My fiancé and I went to their Valentine's Day flash tattoo event and got there early to beat the…read morelines. Check in was easy and they are very upfront and honest about their pricing. The studio itself is so cool. They have winding stairs to their upstairs rooms and they have very comfortable couches you can wait on. Everything was very clean, even the bathroom was spotless. Getting the tattoo was super quick but the line work was very clean. They did an amazing job!

I had my first tattoo in July. I have ideas for 2 more! I will be traveling to The Ink Vault in…read moreButler for them!!

I love ink vault. The vibes are immaculate and as long as you don't mind waiting / have patience…read moreyou will get a good tattoo or piercing. The artists are pretty honest with you which I heavily appreciate considering I'm putting something permanently on my body. The artists can be late sometimes which is where the patience comes in but they are all very talented people.

You decide you need a nose piercing one day...where do you go? To Artistic Dermagtaphics, of…read morecourse! Upon entering, I noticed just how clean this place is and the smiling person sitting at the desk welcoming us. There is an amazing variety of tattoo graphics lining the walls which made me start thinking about my next piece of wearable art. We were escorted to the piercing stand where Lisa came out to show the jewelry and prices. They have a nice selection of studs and other type of jewelry for piercing. Lisa also answered all of my questions and really helped to ease my fear. I felt very comfortable and decided to just do it. Sanitary protocols were adhered to and after a quick little pinch and a watery eye, it was done. It was so easy and I now have a nose piercing! I recommend this spot to anyone looking for tattoos or piercings. Service is friendly, fast and clean. I can't wait to come back for more.

My fiance & I got tattoos here. The place is clean & Roxana at the front desk is great. They listen…read moreto what you want & help fine tune your ideas. Fantastic designs & the end result is awesome. If you want a high quality place to get a tattoo, this is the place to go! When I let them know I needed a touch up because the colors faded too fast, there weren't any issues getting it taken care of. They said they want to make sure I am happy with what I got. Roxana has numerous plants around the shop that look well taken care of & nurtured.

Decided to get my first tattoo and Electric Empire was definitely the right place. My tattoo artist…read morewas Brett and he made me feel extremely comfortable and less nervous. All in all the tattoo was amazing, and EXACTLY what I wanted. A $40 deposit is mandatory for every tattoo. All in all my tattoo was $100 and I tipped $20. The tattoo studio itself is decorated very cool, the staff is funny, and I had a great first tattoo experience. Edit: Just a heads up visit the studio to make an appointment.

Awesome and so professional. I appreciate the time Brett spent and also his creativity. I truly…read morewould not go anywhere else for a tattoo.

I got pierced by Shelby and it was a great experience. I was super nervous about the piercing I was…read moregetting and she helped make me feel more comfortable and was very thorough with aftercare instructions. Very patient and friendly. The studio was very clean and organized. I called this studio multiple times before coming in and they always answered any questions I had and were very helpful. I would recommend this place to anyone. You pay for quality and care which is exactly what I got when I came here.

So a year ago I had to get rid of my Ear Gauges because I was not longer happy with them and I…read morecouldn't wear normal earrings. I had to close them and yesterday (a year later) they healed beautifully leaving no scars and also yesterday I finally got my ears pierced and for the first time ever I'm wearing normal earrings. I'm excited lol now I can wear all those beautiful earrings I've been saving for years once my ears heal again. I couldn't have picked a better person to do this. Thank you Zack For making this process easier than I thought and such a beautiful experience. If you're in the Pittsburgh area and want to get pierced with high quality titanium and gold jewelry check out Genisys Body Arts. Zack is the best! Definitely worth the trip from Maryland!