Craig is the only person I trust to ink my body. He has done 5 now for me and nothing less than perfection. read more

Hold Fast Studio - Sea turtle and hydrangeas - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Todd was awesome. Highly recommend. I hadn't had any ink in 6 years due to liver disease, he took the time to listen and make sure that my tat was going to hold properly and heal, which it did. He's a pretty good musician too read more

Hold Fast Studio - Evil eye - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

Craig was awesome. It was my first one and he took the time and it came out beautiful. He was so considerate and caring. I definitely will be back to see him for more. read more

Really nice work by Nick on my tatt. Exactly as I asked for it, ie, packed with color. Although it's a bit tucked away on my inner arm, I do receive compliments when people notice it. In hindsight, I wish I'd asked Nick to get creative with the color fills and use some gradation...but that is on me, NOT on him. It was my first tatt, and I wanted what I wanted. The studio is super cool with lots of flash and interesting visual elements to keep your eye busy while your skin is being needled. Will definitely return for tatt #2. read more

Hold Fast Studio - Triple yin-yang. Buddha Dharma Sangha - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

I just got my second tattoo at Hold Fast and I couldn't be happier. Todd Tauscher is an amazing artist who is also a perfectionist. He takes time to understand what you want and provides great feedback - and will tell you if your idea isn't a good one. These forearm bands are tight! read more

Hold Fast Studio - Forearm bands - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

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I'm honestly not sure where all these good reviews are coming from because my experience was awful. I went in for a walk in appointment and Rick ended up doing my tattoo. It was supposed to be a simple outline of a crescent moon on my ring finger so I wasn't too worried about who exactly would be doing the tattoo since it was a simple concept. He said that he thought it should be shaded in, and I said that I wanted to see the outline first before deciding. He held my finger away from me while tattooing, so I didn't realize he was filling it in until he was halfway done. I tried to go with the flow at that point since there was nothing I could do but the moon came out extremely crooked and uneven. Currently waiting for it to heal so I can see another artist to get it fixed. Super disappointed that I spent a paycheck on this. read more

Hold Fast Studio - tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

Wonderful experience! I did not have an appointment and I apologize for that. It was a spur of the moment decision for me. I had just finished harvesting lavender with some friends. I was alone and had some time and was thinking about my friend who was so sick. I decided to get the tattoo for my friend (memorial tattoo). I found her signature and brought it with me to the shop. That is what I had tattooed on my inner arm to keep her close to my heart and under my wing. She has just recently passed away and I'm so glad she got to see my tattoo before she left. This was so important to me and it was so nice of Ray to stay and do my tattoo. It came out perfectly! It's exactly her signature! I'm so happy I had it done and I'm so glad I found this studio and Ray. I promise next time I will make an appointment. I would suggest this studio to anyone looking for a tattoo. It's a very clean and fun environment. Go for it! read more

Hold Fast Studio - Here it is! Fresh from the needle! I LOVE IT. Now that it's healed, it looks like my friend used a felt tip marker to sign my arm. - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

Craig is an amazing artist, but the best part was how he made my vision for my sleeve come to life. He really listened and created something truly epic. The vibe at the shop kicks ass, rock on and get inked! read more

Ray was the coolest. I was a walk-in & got exactly what I wanted same day. Was very welcoming and had a great experience. Would go there a million times over. Thank you! :) read more

Hold Fast Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

Three sessions and two more to go! I'm writing this review for Tony. He's been doing a great great job on my 3/4 sleeve (first tattoo btw) At first I had no idea what to expect or how to feel since it's a pretty big piece to start with. The first two sessions was a pain but since he kept a conversation going the time passed by super fast and was not that painful-- 6 hour first session and 7 hour 2nd session straight. I love that his number is always available if I have any questions. Can't wait to finish this one up and get more from him. Definitely going to recommend other people to him! read more

Hold Fast Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

Perfect tattoo and friendly guys. So happy that I'd found you in Redwood City. Happy about my tattoo. Great job! Thanks! read more

Hold Fast Studio - My tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

Todd has provided me with three amazing tattoos, each for a member of my family that has passed. Todd listens to your input, and provides beautiful solutions. After many years one of the tattoos had faded due to sunlight and he gladly re-inked the piece. Todd is a classic illustrator and has a keen eye for color and balance. Go no further, he is worth the wait. read more

Hold fast studio has totally chill vibes and a very clean, open, and collaborative environment. Everyone I met in the studio was very nice and upbeat, overall great space!! Kim was my artist for my first large tattoo and I found her because she did a friend's floral piece. She of course does amazing, intricate and detailed work but what I loved more than her work is herself as an artist and as a person! The 3 hours flew by and she made me feel extremely connected, and comfortable. We were laughing about Adventuretime, Rick and Morty, Archer, and Bob's Burgers the whole time. Kim has a super positive vibe and it was a very cool experience to watch her work on my thigh piece. She was also very professional, answering all her emails promptly, letting me see sketches of my piece before our session, and having everything prepped and ready to go when I walked in. Because her work is digital, you can go bigger or smaller on the artwork. And her pricing is extremely reasonable for how many years she's been doing tattoos. Worth every penny - I'm in love! read more

Hold Fast Studio - I love this woman. - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Hands down, some of the best work I've ever gotten. I worked with Todd to get some work done today, and he was all over it. My daughter draws these goofy little cartoon things that are small but sorta detailed in their craziness, and Todd did an absolutely amazing job. Fully detailed, true to what my daughter drew. I could not have been happier with the work. The shop is also, without a doubt, the nicest tattoo shop I've been in, and I've been getting work done for 26 years now. The people are cool, totally chill vibe, clean, awesome. read more

craig is amazing. all the artists there are super friendly. i love the vibe and my arm looks killer i have had so many compliments . don't go anywhere else if you want to get a tattoo read more

Hold Fast Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

Fantastic experience here. I had a hand piece done and boy although it hurt the tattoo artist I deal with was very professional, fast and completed a phenomenal piece. It's healed over well and has been my favorite one done to date. Highly recommend this location. read more

Beautifully building, friendly and profesional staff. Kip did excellent job in only one hour. Very satisfied! They were open even on Sunday. Highly recomended!!! I moved to RWC not to long ago from East coast. I visited lot of Tattoo places in the neighborhood and this one stand out big time! read more

Hold Fast Studio - My new tattoo..... - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

This was my first time getting a tattoo, and Nick was excellent. He patiently answered my questions, was thoughtful in helping me decide what to do, and was kind and encouraging at each step. I'm really grateful it was such a positive experience. read more

Todd did a fantastic job on my one and only tattoo. It took me years to find what I wanted and I love it! read more

Hold Fast Studio - Leo tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Kim is fantastic! After a year of thinking about getting a tattoo, I was referred to Hold Fast Studio by a friend. The shop is clean, light, a pleasure to be in. Kim is talented, funny and puts you right at ease. I would recommend this studio to anyone. read more

Hold Fast Studio - Kim did a great job on this! - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

I came into see Todd and have him touch up my 45+ years old tattoo. He made me feel very comfortable about the process and did an absolutely fantastic job!!! I had been thinking about getting a second tattoo and made an appointment with him while I was there to get it done. Don't hesitate to see Todd for a tattoo you won't be sorry!! read more

My daughter and I went in today for a tattoo for each of us. FABULOUS experience. Ray is excellent! Shop is very clean and friendly. We'll be back. read more

Craig Toth gave me a really cool Nordic sword that my wife sketched. He enhanced the drawing a little and gave me a great tattoo. Probably the least painful tattoo I've ever had. I'll be going back to Craig at Hold Fast Studio soon for my next tattoo. read more

Hold Fast Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

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I love this place. I have 7 tats and am scheduling my 8th next month. I come from Oregon to get them done here. Love Craig and Todd. Such talented artists!! read more

I had a fantastic experience at Hold Fast, totally delighted with both the process and the results. Kim did a beautiful forearm tattoo for me, and she was lovely to work with both on the design and on the day. I had some pretty specific ideas about what I was wanting, and she did an amazing job of creating something vibrant and unique. The whole process was fun and relaxed, and she also touched up a pretty ugly tattoo on my wrist that now looks a lot better! I've had tattoos done in a few different studios both here and in the UK, and Hold Fast was by far the best experience I've had. The other artist who was there also seemed really friendly, the place was light and airy, very clean, and it's easy to travel to / park at. Totally recommend for both newbies and experienced folks. read more

I'm so happy I ended up getting my first tattoo here. Everyone was extremely chill and really nice. But I've got to give the majority of the credit to Tony. Extremely talented guy with an eye for detail. Made my time here more than worth it! read more

Hold Fast Studio - Done by Tony, My first tattoo. - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

AMAZING STUDIO! ALWAYS CLEAN & WELCOMING Tony Doung: HE IS WHERE ITS AT! I have a few tattoos, and I have been worked on by many artists. Tony is by far the best all around. He is flexible with his hours, easy going, and beyond talented! I have two nice size pieces from him and a couple smaller words. His line work is impeccable, his color saturation is amazing. He has quickly become the only person I will let near me with a tat gun! As far as the studio is concerned: Always clean, always welcoming, and always with good music in the background. The other artists I have talked to have been kind and greeted me with warm smiles(even when I walked in with my son for an appointment, not recommended!) I look forward to continuing to work with Tony and visiting Hold Fast in the years to come! read more

My husband just had his first tattoo done by Craig! He went above and beyond! Incredibly clean and highly recommended. read more

Hold Fast Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

Just had my final session with Kim and before I could leave I scheduled an appointment for the next one. Her work is remarkable! read more

Hold Fast Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

I went to this tattoo place with my daughters and we all got matching tattoos. My daughters tattoos were done by Tony, who did a great job, and mine was done by another 'artist' Mark. My tattooist swiped at my skin 2 times with something on a paper towel and then did the stencil. He did not shave the area where the tattoo was going as I have always had done in the past, and he did not have contact with the disinfectant on my skin for more than 1 second. Another thing he did was water down the black ink to make it lighter, and who knows if the water was even sterile. The entire process took him 10 minutes. Easy $120.00 for him, no effort, that ended up costing me time, money, and pain. About a week after, I I ended up in the ER with cellulites, a severe skin infection, which can be life threatening, I had to take 2 strong antibiotics for 10 days. I called the owner to tell him my concerns and the first words out of his mouth "its not my fault you got an infection - once you leave its your fault." And when I explained what the tattoo guy did to prep me he said "that's enough preparation", and I asked him specifically "2 single swipes of the area is enough to sterilize it?" He refused to answer the question, so I'm going to say, probably not. Then he proceeded to tell me It's probably because I am a 'very dirty person', and that it is not his or the shops fault that I got an infection. I have had many tattoos, and have NEVER had a problem, until this time, and the only difference here was the prep for the tattoo. The owner behaved so unprofessionally, quite frankly, I'm surprised he's still in business. What started out as a call just to let him know his guy probably needs retraining or something degraded into a childish 5 year old temper tantrum. Even if some of the artists are good at this shop, it's scary to know this "man" is the owner and that he has oversight and responsibility over the shop and it's compliance with the laws - I would not go back and would not recommend anyone else going there. read more

Well I've been a bit quiet lately ... Actually for most of 2012, ugh, sorry y'all! Well, here I come, I'm back in 2013 and what's more fitting for my 1st review of the year ... The studio for my 1st tattoo! Absolutely amazing spot for ink! Historical building in downtown Redwood City. Seriously an awesome building - large, airy inside ... This use to be an old dealership showroom. Cool vibe. I was recommended to Hold Fast & Todd (the owner) by a very good girlfriend, so they had an instant few stars in my head. I was nervous walking in for my consultant - as nervous as I can be really - I had no idea what to expect. Like I said, this is my FIRST tattoo. In some peoples minds, I don't fit the stereotype, so will this be awkward? Will I feel out of place? The answer ... HELL NO. Such a great experience! Todd walked up to me immediately when I walked in and greeted me - not knowing who I was. I introduced myself and he was super friendly. He was quite gracious with my particular'ness in regards to fonts, what I'm looking for, and my random questions. Believe me, I'm kinda high maintenance ... ;) Turns out he had time for me later in the day - the deed would be done. He drew up a couple versions, we tweaked it a bit and then ... BAM. He put the stencil on my arm and I absolutely loved it. As Todd put it "kinda like he knew what he was doing" ... ;) The whole tattoo'ing part took maybe 15 minutes, not painful and now I'm all dressed up in Love ... Hold Fast will definitely be my go-to spot for my next tattoo. And Todd will without a doubt be my artist. Wait, what? Next one?... We shall see ... :) read more

I have frequented many tattoo shops over the past 20 years but have yet to find one as bold, unique and professional as Hold Fast Studio. First off, the environment at this shop is second to none. The staff is friendly and professional but not stuffy-expect to laugh a lot while getting worked on. However, they take their job very seriously, and spare no expense to ensure the sterility and cleanliness of their equipment, their work stations and the shop in general. Their highest priority is the health and safety of their customers. Second, the artists are true wizards at their craft. Craig Toth has been my tattooist for many years and he never fails to impress me with his creativity and skill. Give him a verbal description or a stick figure drawing of your dream tattoo and he will turn it into a gorgeous piece that is exactly as you had imagined it. Todd Tauscher is another phenomenal artist at Hold Fast, touting an extensive portfolio filled with an array of well crafted, beautifully executed pieces. I highly recommend either of them if you're looking for a new artist. You can also take a peek at Katie, Lu or Kip's portfolios to see if they are more your style-the cool thing about Hold Fast is that you have many great artists to choose from. Third, their facility is breathtaking-the high ceilings, polished tile floors, spacious work areas, earth tone decor and floor to ceiling windows give you an immediate sense of richness and tranquility as you walk through the front door. That sense of well being continues as you are being tattooed, which can help calm both the nervous tattoo virgin or the fully inked veteran. If you are thinking about getting your first tattoo or your fiftieth tattoo, stop here first and check out the artists at Hold Fast. I guarantee you won't want to go anywhere else. read more

Started my ink with Mark in October, he did a fricken fab job. Finished it yesterday. Scheduled my appt, saw Mark within the week. Showed him the pic and he delivered!! beyond what I thought was possible. Proud ink'd person here!! Look for yourself ;) OH and he participated in my joy with charades, cribbage and more jokes read more

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Today my daughter and I got our seventh tattoo from Todd ( 4 for me, 3 for Katie). Each tattoo we have had, represents a story. Today, it was in memory of my Mom, and Kate's, Grandmother. We are simply the canvas to Todd's artwork. He captured in ink, what we could only imagine. We walked in with heavy hearts... we left, uplifted. Todd you simply are the best. read more

Hold Fast Studio - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

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Emailed an artist there a few times, called there once, called the artists phone number... Never got a callback. Gave up & found a place in Burlingame that cares... Check out royalty tattoo read more

I have been wanting my second tattoo for a while now, and once I decided on what I wanted I took my husbands suggestion and came to Hold Fast Studio. He had some things done by Todd and Craig years ago when they were at Homeward Bound and highly recommended them. Todd ended up doing the tattoo for me. I wanted a really colorful, detailed peacock on my side/lower back so I brought in some pictures that I liked. I came back a few weeks later for my scheduled appointment and Todd had drawn exactly what I was hoping for. Tip: Stop by any day at noon if you want to make an appointment and discuss what you want to get. Since this was only my second tattoo and the first one was pretty small, I was really nervous but Todd was understanding and helped me stay calm. He kept checking to make sure I was alright, and 5 hours later I had something better than I was even hoping for. Todd said that we could stop at any time and I could get it done in a couple of sessions because it was pretty big, but by the time I was ready to quit I had already come too far and didn't have much left so we just pushed through. Todd was great about taking breaks though when I needed to and left it completely up to me. He also was unfazed when I flinched a few times - toward the end it was in a more painful location. In the end it was completely worth it - the peacock surpassed my expectations. Anyway, overall the place is really clean and nice. It is much less intimidating for someone who is still pretty new to the world of tattoos. I was also very pleasantly surprised at the end when Todd told me how much it would cost (much less than I was expecting), so I left a tip on top of that. The tattoo was very detailed and colorful and took a lot of work. Haha, Todd joked that it was the last peacock tattoo he would ever do (no more feathers!). Todd also asked me to come back once it is healed to be sure that there aren't any light spots or anything that needs a quick touch up since we did so much in one session, and I plan to. I also want to come back for some flowers or something for the background once it is healed. On a side note, another girl was getting a tattoo by Craig at the same time that was also very detailed (we started and finished at almost the same time) of a lion, and his work looked great as well. The end result was very impressive. My husband has been wanting a lion tattoo for years and will likely come back to see Craig about that soon. I highly recommend Hold Fast Studio, especially Todd. read more

I got a my tattoo here on Tuesday and I absolutely love it. A friend of mine had suggested going here so I came from San Jose and was pleased with the work. I went in on Saturday to make my appointment and I had an issue with my pin on my ATM card to get the deposit out and I was already in Redwood city and thought I drove all the way over there for a bunk mission. The guy was hella cool and still put me in the books. I was so grateful for that. This tattoo shop is exceptionally clean and just gorgeous. The nicest tattoo shop i have ever been to. I got to my appointment late because of traffic and of coarse I called to let them know. They were nice about it. My tattoo artist was Mark. Very nice and professional guy. He was super hot too which is always a bonus. I will definately go back to him to get my next tattoo. I love my tattoo!! read more

Hold Fast Studio - Serenity prayer done by Mark - Tattoo Near Me - Redwood City, California

I came in for my first ever tattoo with a design from my favorite band. The studio is really clean, comfortable, and nice looking. Tony answered all my questions, was super professional, and did an amazing job. I was recommended to check out this place from a friend, and I absolutely would recommend it to other people. read more

I've been to tat places where I've had a very specific imagine in mind, with very specific lettering and have been let down, and needed repairs. Mark took my design with very specific and thin lined text, and nailed it. He even recolored some of my old splotchy shit for free. 5/5 10/10 100/100 read more

I have the tattoos that you see in magazines. I have the tattoos that without a doubt, always invoke a stranger to stop what he/she is doing and come tell me how awesome my tattoos are. These people don't just look, they grab my arms, spin them around, and try to take in all of what they see. The person that made this happen, and hand down, one of the BEST tattoo artists on this small blue planet we call earth, is Matthew Tillman aka Matt aka MTflesh. I searched a very long time for a tattoo artist and when I found Matt, he had only been tattooing for 6 years. The level of his work was what initially intrigued me to go in and get a "consultation" from him. Yes, that's right, a consultation. That in itself was already new to me. The tattoo industry unfortunately comes with an unprofessional side that is just part of the business, sadly. I myself had dealt with tattoo artists that were unreliable, couldn't keep appointments, wouldn't return calls, etc., etc. NOT MATT. Not only is he the epitome of professionalism, he has never cancelled on me, never not returned a call, never not taken on a challenge. He's creative, he's smart, he's a true ARTIST, and he loves what he does. I've always wanted a tattoo artist that made every session feel like a memory was getting etched in stone, rather than a business arrangement that needed to hurry up and end. If this is what you're looking for, call this place up and ask for Matt Tillman. TRUST ME when I say, it will be the best decision you have ever made, in your entire life, ever. read more