What can you say about Eights and Aces... Flip and Ethan are the best in the business. Their skill and artwork are second to none, and honestly, you'll appreciate their sense of humor and ability to carrying on a solid conversation for time you sit with them. Do yourself a huge favor, go meet with the team, see the work they've done, ask them to create something special or go with any of the flash they've already put together. The results are better than you can imagine. Worth every penny, and I'm going on my 7th. read more

My girl and I walked in wanting a small matching tattoo with a low budget and Adrian hooked us up ! Thank you so much for a great experience, would definitely recommend. read more

Eights and Aces - dragons - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Cute shop! I got an appointment to get tattoos with my friend for her birthday. It was easy to book an appointment through instagram. Ethan was really patient and professional and a great listener. The experience was really good and the tattoos came out great! Will definitely be visiting again :-) read more

Eights and Aces - Poppy Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Ethan is the best-my husband and I got the pleasure of spending our last day in Santa Cruz with this amazing dude. Our tattoos are healed and we both get TONS of compliments! He completely listened to what we wanted and delivered! read more

Eights and Aces - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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I've been getting tattooed by Ethan for a few years now, always a great time and he indulges my weird ideas. Shop is small but during Covid they had very strict mask and occupancy protocols. For a good time call! read more

Hands down BEST shop I've been tatted at! Very clean and professional. Ethan is amazing and really takes the time to produce the best, and most detailed tattoos and delivers exactly what I had envisioned every single time! Very reasonable pricing and all around a great experience. I would HIGHLY recommend this shop- go to Eights and Aces, you won't be disappointed!! read more

Flip did a great job. Took my drawing and made it amazing. He's done all my tats so far and couldn't recommend him enough. Positive all around. read more

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Took my friend to Flip for her first tattoo, as Flip had done my first tattoo 25+ years ago. She had a not so great photo of her deceased mother's tattoo that she wanted to try and match. Flip did such an awesome job replicating the tattoo, talked her through the process, made her feel very comfortable, and did a beautiful job for her. She was thrilled. Highly recommended!!! read more

Several friends recommended this place and I could not be happier :) Ethan is very professional and the shop is very clean. We are currently working on a cover up and it's better than I expected it to be. He is extremely talented. I'm really excited to keep coming back and get newer pieces done. Ethan and Flip are super friendly/personable. I really enjoy chatting with them and they make me feel comfortable. This place is 100% worth it read more

Flip finished his latest work on my skin a few weeks ago 6 months 14 sessions and just under 40 hours worth of work I am incredibly pleased with my newly completed back piece. A huge leap from some conversations and reference pictures. Truly custom artwork. Amazing !!! read more

Eights and Aces - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Since my last review I have had the pleasure of getting more work done with Ethan and he's gotten better over time, like a fine wine. He has a calming and can do attitude that helps put any client at ease and makes sure you're comfortable throughout the entire process. His crisp lines and beautiful colors help make my tattoos pop and stay vibrant. He truly loves what he does and takes pride in his craft. read more

I love the way my Thunderbird turned out. I had an idea of what I wanted and Flip drew his rendition of it, which was even better. He was professional, creative and had a gentle hand. I had an idea of where I wanted this tattoo and he encouraged me to put it in a more fitting area for the size I wanted, which I am grateful for. He added unique details which made it more unique and not a cookie cutter Pinterest BS tattoo. He is an artist and his work is unique. Love it and highly recommend the shop!! read more

Eights and Aces - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I had made an appt with Ethan with a design in mind. When I got there I told him I changed my mind and I wanted to run some other ideas by him. He immediately seemed annoyed and unwilling to work with me farther, he denied my request for 2-3 other options. He suggested I come back another time but I told him since I drove 45 minutes I prefer to get a tattoo that day and decided to look through his flash. I picked one and it looked good except he did not ask me what color I wanted and now I have a mostly brown tattoo that does not fit in with the rest of my sleeve. He also definitely overcharged me.. the total ended up being $320 for just over an hour. It's been over 6 months and I'm still not over what a terrible experience I had with him. I'm probably going to try to get it covered just to erase the negative association. I suggest staying away from this place. read more

Ethan was awesome. It was my first tattoo and he drew my design in about 20 minutes and had me off the table and out the door in under an hour with a beautiful tattoo. I live in VA so I can't promise I'll be back anytime soon, but when I do come back, Ethan is my man. Thanks, buddy! read more

Eights and Aces - Excuse the dirty foot - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I LOVE this shop. Flip and Ethan are so kind, welcoming and true professionals. The shop is super clean and tidy always, and their work is so clean I never go anywhere else! Ethan is my go-to dude and always will be! Thanks for being awesome my guys. read more

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Ethan is so awesome!!!!! Ethan was so patient with us! My close friend, boyfriend, and I all wanted tattoos since our friend is moving out of town. This was our friends first tattoo so we wanted to go to the right spot. We came in for walk ins and Ethan was super knowledgeable. The tattoos came out flawless and it was such a nice experience overall. I highly recommend getting your next tattoo from Ethan at Eights and Aces he will most definitely do an amazing job his line work was so clean I can't wait to get a tattoo with color from him! read more

I'm surprised by the amount of 5 star reviews this place has because going here, for a price quote, was one of the WORST experiences I've ever had at a tattoo parlor. I have never met anyone as rude as (who I assume was) Flip. I knew that getting a quote might be difficult because I didn't not have my design printed out on paper, only a phone picture, but I did not expect to be dismissed and treated so poorly. Flip practically ripped me and my friends a new one and declared that even trying to price our tattoo from a picture would "f*ck us both over". He was so rude, I didn't even know how to respond. A simple "I'm sorry, but I can't really price this unless you give me a print out of actual size." would have sufficed but I guess making us feel extremely unwelcome was his goal today. Aside from that, he told us our piece wouldn't look good unless we made it into a FULL back piece which was definitely not what I was looking for while other shops were much more friendly and accommodating, and encouraged us that it was doable with a diameter of 4". If anything, I think it just shows that if a tattoo isn't his "style", he's going to treat you like sh*t and try to cheat you. From a business standpoint, it seems highly unprofessional to treat your customer as such when they are willing to give you $100s to create art on their body that will last a lifetime. Especially if it's their first time your shop. I definitely will never be coming back here again, nor will I suggest this place to my friends. read more

The shop hours show Tue through Saturday but we peered in anyway hoping to get an anniversary tatt while in town at the last minute. When we walked up is when we noticed that they were supposed to be closed today. Ethan, one of the awesome tattoo artists opened the door and called us back, asked us what we wanted to get and made it happen! Our experience exceeded our expectations. I am so glad we stopped by here! Ethan is a true artist. read more

Clean, friendly and great artist! I have been tattooed by both Flip and Ethan and have no complaints at all.

ADRIAN!!! He is absolutely amazing. He turned my somewhat satisfactory tattoo to an amazing piece! I really appreciate him taking the time to explain his techniques as well as educate me in so many says about tattooing and the healing process that I never knew. He was also very personable. I've never felt so comfortable. I'm recommending him to all my peeps that come out here for training, thanks bro! read more

Eights and Aces - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Admittedly, I am a bit wordy and unconcise; however, that didn't stop flip from patiently answering my questions on the phone when I called about the location of the shop, walk-in availability. (I know that sounds pretty basic, but if you know me you know it was more than just a few seconds of conversation!) Anyway, I walked in about half an hour later. I was cheerfully greeted by Flip who was open, entertaining, and funny with his conversation the entire time. And I was accommodated. Adrian was awesome! He advised on the tattoo location and explained his thoughts- and he was absolutely spot-on. He was fast, the process was painless despite the location (side rib cage), and he showed care and concern for my comfort in all regards. The only reason for deducting a star is the minimum charge amount. The tattoo I got was fairly small and was very basic artwork but I had to pay the minimum, which is higher than I'm used to at other tattoo shops and more than this particular tattoo should cost. However, I was told the charge upfront and chose to continue with the service anyway, so I'm okay with it. I'll be back for my next tattoo, and I can't wait! read more

My friend and I went in for tattoos yesterday. I thought they would be annoyed with 2 girls coming in asking to get a random tattoo, but everyone was super nice and accommodating. Ethan did our tattoos and helped give us suggestions on how to make them look nicer. It was quick and the pricing is great. Definitely recommend read more

LITTLE !! I adore this woman. I asked my friends a good place to get a tatt. i just wanted a simple little lady bug and they suggest staircase...ok i find it. ew i left ASAP. I dont care how great of an artist you are, i dont want your bad attitude to be a memory as to when i got my little lady. So not worth my money. ANYWAYS!!! i check out yelp. OH hey theyre the first to come up and right around the corner. I go in and find out min is only 60$ not $100. extra awesome i know a 50 cent lady but is not worth 100 even if it is on for the rest my life. Expensive does not make it quality. I walk in and theres this cute little tattooed girl and i ask her if i can get a tattoo...like right now. and she was stoked and i told her i didnt have picture and i gave her a really vague description and she did exactly what i wanted. Super Chill, Super Nice, Great Artist and Great Atmosphere. Exactly what i was looking for. Thanks Little read more

I have been looking for an artist who I'm comfortable with and like the work of for a very long time. I went in just to talk to Flip (he is the artist of 4 people I know) and ended up booking an appointment for the following week. Being this was my first tattoo, I was very very nervous. He made me feel very comfortable, checked in with me through the whole thing, and it came out more beautiful then I could have imagined. He took my design idea and fit it beautifully to my body and personality. What is more, he patiently explained the aspects in the design I wanted that he thought I would not like and why. I put my trust in him about it, and I'm glad I did! Not only do I LOVE my tattoos, but I'm so grateful I found an artist who cares more about the art then the prestige. He's a cool guy and he does great work! read more

Eights and Aces - Love it!! - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Came back for my third tattoo from Ethan! I had sent him a drawing of what I had in mind which wasn't that good and he managed to totally capture what I wanted in the tattoo. I wanted an anatomical heart that kind of turned into the ocean and had waves spilling out. It's better than I ever could have imagined. He is the absolute best with color I mean damn. Wherever I go everyone always comments that my tattoos are super bright and have great color. You can't go wrong with Ethan! Every experience at the shop has been a great one. Ethan, I know you're reading this, thank you so much for fun times and great quality work. So glad I stumbled into your shop that fateful day lol read more

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Flip helped me with a cover-up/re-working project on my ribs, and was so wonderful! He was patient and excited to work with me - definitely a wonderful experience! He's a really talented artist and a great person to talk to while you're getting ink done! read more

Flip is the man. I've never liked tattoos or even wanted one, but some events and stuff made me change my mind, but I was still extra nervous and cared a lot about what would be on me forever. Flip was great, he took my drawing and made it into a viable tattoo, it was very impressive. He came highly recommended by a friend I trusted, and after the first session I knew I was in good hands. Still need to go back and get mine finished, but after a few sessions of a large back piece, I had to take some time off! He makes it as painless as it can be, but it was a very tender spot. I'll eventually be back to get it finished and filled! 5 stars. I will never go anywhere else and the experience has made me already consider getting something additional in the future. Give them a chat, see what they can do. read more

Hi All, Recently had my second tat with Ethan Jones and I could not be more satisfied. I came in both times with a rough idea, outline, and several sketches of what I wanted, and not only did he give me what I wanted, but seemed to know what I wanted better than I did. I gave him some leeway and he blew my mind at a perfectly reasonable, if not cheap, cost. By far one of the best tattoo artists I have interacted with, and he gave me the best result of my four tats, HANDS DOWN. Highly recommend, Tyler Schwalenberg read more

Eights and Aces - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Eights & Aces is a great shop. Tiny, but super clean and friendly! I haven't been tattooed by Flip, but his work looks great. Little Jenny (aka "Little") does AMAZING work and I will come back to her for all my future tattoos. I've even referred all my friends and family members. My mom is a huge fan too! You can't find more skilled or friendlier artists than the ones at Eights & Aces!!! read more

Eights and Aces - Little Jenny = AWESOME - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Little has done my work for a few years now, and we've been working on my sleeve over the last year and I'm extremely happy with how great it's come out, pricing is great and they are always awesome. Haven't gotten work done by Flip, yet, but would! Mucho recommended! read more

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Super rad shop with great artists. I've been getting tattooed from little jenny for eight years now. Never been disappointed with her work. She's very good at conceptualizing ideas with the art you have in mind, placement of the piece, and she has a great sense of humor! Highly recommended! read more

Eights and Aces - Outline done! Super stoked...coming back for shading and color! - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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This is the 2nd time me and my best friend have been here to see Ethan. He created a beautiful flower tattoo for my best friend last year and we came back short after (today) to add another flower piece to continue working on her half sleeve. we messaged him on Instagram to show him what she wanted and he got back to us that day, and then we called to schedule the appointment. He's always very polite and friendly. He told us what the pricing would probably be and what we ended up paying is what he said on the phone. the accuracy was appreciated. we headed down to Santa Cruz (2 hour drive, that's how good he is) on our appointment day and he called to let us know someone cancelled so we had a choice of coming in earlier which was convenient and he gave us the choice and it was nice that he let us know. we headed over and when we came in he was friendly as always and greeted us with a hug. and he already had drawn up the tattoo so he started suggesting placement since she didn't quite know where she wanted it. He was so helpful with this part because he kept in mind her sleeve she was working towards and with great knowledge and artistic eye found the perfect place to place them with still leaving room for future tattoos to fit beautifully. Ethan's got vision. and the execution is killer to compliment his professional opinion. then he got to work and he was always making sure she was comfortable and letting her know how much longer it would be. plus he's always great company. he remembered our conversations from last year and asked us how those things were. nice lad. 100 percent recommend. artistic genius and also bonus points for showing us the "YAS cat". (YouTube it) :) read more

Eights and Aces - beautiful roses with the prettiest leaves. leave it to Ethan to create the best garden on skin. - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Flip is the man! I found what I wanted for a chest piece, and printed it up for him. What I didn't plan on, was all the various details and nuances. Had I just gone with what I found, it wouldn't be as bad ass as what I have now. Flip asked all the right questions about what it meant to me, placement, size, color, a or b, etc etc. When it came time to get it done, Flip straight killed it! He got the outline done in an hour and a half. Instead of doing everything in one day, which I was figuring it would be, he broke it up into different sessions for each spot, which in my opinion, made it A LOT more bearable!!! I can't wait to go back and get more ink!! Flip and Ethan are true professionals read more

This is the best tattoo shop in town, hands down. Amazing artists and great vibes! Ethan and Flip are amazing artists! This shop is totally clean too and they know what they're doing, they won't let you down! Flash is all over the walls so if you don't have an idea already, you'll find one there! read more

So I wanted to do walk in since I'm from another city other than Santa Cruz and I was able to get mine down within the next hour! Ethan was only there while Flip was on Vacation and Ethan was cool. My only concern was Ethan made it seem like it was a huge deal when I wanted the design my way for my tattoo which will be on my body forever! I love the design and I could've just gotten in my hometown from a different artist but I really wanted it from Santa in that moment. So I made sure he drew it up twice before I absolutely knew I wanted it that way and finally agreed to get it his design but with my twists on it. Turned out amazing and I love it and I thought he'd take card as well but he only wanted cash which luckily there's a ATM machine right next door cause no one really carries cash anymore. It was a better experience from my first tattoo guy though I probably won't come back. read more

I had a wonderful experience working with Flip. I came to him with a design for my first tattoo and he transformed it into exactly what I wanted. During the actual appointment he made me feel totally comfortable and relaxed. We took breaks every 15 minutes or so and before I knew it (2 sessions, 1 hour each) I had a beautiful and unique tattoo that is pretty much flawless. The shop is small (literally, very small) so you feel like you're getting a very personalized experience. Super friendly, super clean! I highly recommend Eights and Aces! read more

Ethan tatted me earlier today and it was a great experience. I walked into the shop right when they opened with a simple idea and within a few hours Ethan drew something up that was way better then I had originally envisioned. He and Flip were both incredibly friendly and had me laughing throughout the entire process. I love my new tattoo I would highly recommend them both. read more

Eights and Aces - Tattoo Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Last summer I got a tattoo here and the artist did not give me what I wanted. He refused to make it smaller and place it where I wanted. My sister who got the same tattoo is now getting hers covered up. This is the only tattoo I regret getting. read more

For all your tattoo needs, go see Adrian Aguayo ASAP! Followed him from another studio in SC simply because I haven't gotten such great service and care from any other tattooers in the santa cruz area. Adrian has done 8 or 9 of my tattoos, from big pieces to smaller filler ones. He always patient and understanding even when I have trouble explaining what I want (or don't know what I want) and makes it into a beautiful piece that is tied together perfectly and fits my personality. Adrian is very professional and really respects and cares for his clients. I have always felt comfortable getting tattooed by him. I've had to cancel on him last minute before and he was super understanding and scheduled me the next week. Overall clean lines, bright and bold colors and unique designs. Highly recommend him, he is an overall great guy who makes amazing tattoos. Thank you Adrian! read more

I am in love with my piece, drawn and inked by Ethan over at Eights and Aces. He took my loose ideas, and came up with something above and beyond what I could have expected. He made the actual process super simple and comfortable, and all the employees were friendly, knowledgeable, and chill to be around. Could not have been a better experience, and I know which shop I'll be back at for my next one! read more