I had my first three inktastic experiences at Iron Age. Granted, these were not huge, complex pieces. However, we all have to start somewhere right? The artist that did two out of the three pieces was very nice and did great work. He also charged an arm & and a leg. The second artist that did my third piece was unfriendly and had an attitude the minute he saw the piece I asked for. Either way - I had them price out a much more extensive piece I had done a few years ago, and they wanted $200-300 per session. I went to Cheap Trx and talked to a cute girl who unfortunately transferred to Chicago. She priced it much lower and did a great job. Never goin' back to Iron Age - mainly because of their snobbery and high ink prices. Word to the wise...people of Iron Age....drop the attitude. read more

Jason James was AWESOME. Super personable and such wonderful work I will definitely be coming back!!

i got 2 tattoos here, and i think i'm done with iron age. it was a clean place, and the guys at the front desk were pretty nice. the people who did my tattoos, though, were kind of a-holes. the first time i went there, they were pretty busy. the guy who did my tattoo barely talked to me and if i tried talking to him, he would answer me with as few words as possible. maybe he was exhausted from having a busy day, but mostly i just thought he was kind of a tool. same thing the next time i went. i felt really intimidated by the lady who did my tattoo, and she wasn't very pleasant either. well, at least not until she was almost finished. then she got pretty friendly and talkative. my theory is that since she was almost done, she wanted a good tip. also they are reeeeeally overpriced. i guess you pay for reputation and toolbag tattoo artists. basically, if you want a good tattoo and cost isn't an issue, definitely hit up iron age. but if you're looking for a pleasant experience, i'd do your research and go somewhere else. there are plenty of great tattoo shops in the area that are way cheaper with nicer artists. read more

I came here with a friend for a nose piercing. Not for me (at least not yet), but for her. Sid Liberty did her piercing. Really bad technique. About a month later or so, her nose was bleeding (the side where the piercing was located). It was hitting her septum, which is deviated. And the post was coming out of her nose. It looked like a metal booger. It was a straight post & not the curly kind. So, she went to another place & found out that Sid put it in crooked (if I can recall correctly). If it was put in correctly, the piercing wouldn't have hit her septum causing her major problems. So, she has to wait 2 weeks or so to let the hole close up well in order to get done right. :( $70 for all this trouble is totally not worth it. read more

Honestly the experience was terrible. My friend and I came in to get piercings. We were not new to this. The guy was not nice at all. He didn't even tell us after care procedures. His sterile technique left much to be desired. And he used cheap nickel jewelry on my friends cartilage. My nose ring is constantly jabbing inside my nose because of the way he bent it. I had a scar from where my old nose ring was and he put the dot where he was going to piercing much lower. I told him it was lower than my old one and he said "I know. I like mine better". Yes sir but it's my face and I'm PAYING YOU. Put it where I want it. Ugh. I will never go back. Save your time and go somewhere else. read more

I'm giving them 2 stars because the lady was super nice and it was done with nice jewelry. I got my cartilage pierced a couple months ago for over $100 (including tip). I decided no one can really tell it's there. I went to a different tattoo shop in a different state and the guy said it was done completely crooked... and had to have it redone. Don't know about tattoos, but don't go here for piercings. read more

I went to this piercing studio roughly a month ago looking to replace my piercing jewelry. I have multiple piercings and have never had an issue with any, but I made the mistake of coming to Iron Age Studios and regret it completely. The service of replacing my piercing jewelry was $10, a low price but one that was indicative of the service I would be receiving. The woman working at the front was kind and took my new jewelry to be sterilized. I waited a bit and then was taken to the back where another woman greeted me. She did not waste time to sit me in the chair and roughly jam the new piercing in. This was an eyebrow piercing, one that requires some delicacy with replacing the piercing as the bar is curved. This woman took no time, she jammed it in which immediately caused pain. I have replaced my own piercings before on the eyebrow and have NEVER experienced that pain with switching them out. Because of that aggressive manner of shoving the new piece in, I developed a bruise on my eyebrow. That bruise worsened into a bump, and I now have a keloid on my face. Keloids are scar tissue, and I have never had a keloid before with any of my other piercings. I have to go to a dermatologist to get steroid injections. If the person who replaced my piercing at Iron Age Studios had taken a bit more time to be careful with putting in the piece, I do not believe I would have a keloid now. I cannot take any other actions towards this piercing place, so all I can do is warn others against coming here. I have never had such a rough, careless, and hurried experience with a professional piercer before. read more

I'm loving what they've done with the place. Now that they have moved the more serious artists upstairs Iron Age seems more spacious and allows for the tattoo junkie to get away from the hubbub, as well allowing the little teeny boppers a place to be seen without being as annoying to everyone else. I've had numerous piercing done here at all hours of the day. The piercers are super efficient and friendly. As far as tattooers go, I've gotten two here. One experience was terrible and the next two were wonderful. My recommendation is, if your looking for someone to be loyal to make sure you meet with the person a few times to see if y'all mesh. Tattooing requires patience and if you can't sit comfortably in a room with your person then your work is gonna look shoddy at best. read more

I went here to get my front double helix piercings and Caleb was super nice. Very professional and friendly. He took the time to really figure out how best to do the piercing so that the earing sits correctly on the lobe...no wonky lobes, please! And the pain of the piercing was not bad. I would definitely recommend him. read more

I just got my second tattoo here (fourth ever), and loved this shop all over again. The two largest of my tattoos were done here, and having had two much smaller ones done on the East Coast, I am going to say I don't really understand the complaining about pricing here. The guys at the desk can be a bit short, but you have to understand the idiots they have to deal with on a consistent basis. The first time I went a guy passed out... maybe from pain? I don't know. The artist I was with then, Jeff, told me a bunch of stories of people passing out, people vomiting, and people who have literally jerked away when the needle touched them. This time there were two early forties couples in, with both the women pondering tattoos. One kept saying she was just worried because it would be permanent and what if she changed her mind next week... ? Also at one point two college girls came in saying all kinds of dumb things. One asked to get a tattoo, and wondered how much it would cost. The artist asked her if she had a design she could point to or if it would have to be designed for her. She said it didn't have to be designed, but she didn't have a drawing, she just wanted a heart with initials and a date. "So it has to be designed?" the guy responded. I wanted to laugh out loud. I realize maybe not everyone can draw, but not once have I ever gone into a shop without a fairly precise sketch of what I want. Then I trust the artist to make whatever changes necessary to make it work. They are the professionals, you are just a person with an idea unless you are also a tattoo artist. Like this most recent time, I wanted basically a large addition to an existing tattoo, so I drew something out, but was fairly sure that there would be some alterations when I walked in. Which, I always do just walk in... I should probably move on to being a more serious tattoo junky and start to make appointments, but maybe next time. I got matched up with Kyle, who took my drawing and made some edits, brought it back out to ok with me. He was great. The work was quick and professional, and like everyone else says, you get what you pay for. Don't think it isn't going to hurt. I always forget how much it hurts. But Kyle this time and Jeff the previous time both did a good job asking if I was doing ok, and letting me shift if I asked/told them I needed to. There is no comfortable position to be tattooed in I have found, so just sit still. I like it here, I tell everyone to come here, and I enjoy what everyone else is calling snooty or pretentious. These people are much more talented and smarter than I am when it comes to this. If they were to come to me seeking my expertise on something I would think they would want someone who didn't put up with too much immature crap as well. read more

I did not go to Iron Age because of the name above the door. I went to Iron Age because I got several recommendations from people I trust about a particular artist there named Trevor. HE. WAS. AWESOME. I called for a quick consultation with Trevor back in November, and we had a talk about what I wanted. It was a very elaborate design covering my whole shoulder. It was going to be a 4 hour session to do the actual work, and he was booked until March. A little frustrating, but I took it as a great sign as to the quality of the artist I was working with. And I was right! I got my tattoo last week, and I couldn't be happier with it! read more

I went here several weeks ago for a naval piercing. From the moment I walked through the door to the moment I left, the service was all-around professional and friendly. Caleb did my piercing and for someone who is generally nervous with needles and have had several piercings from several different shops, I felt totally at ease the entire time because he was so professional and personable and made me feel as comfortable as possible. The environment was also really clean and I was generally pleased with the price I paid for the piercing versus the prices I've paid at other places. High recommend Iron Age, and Caleb especially for piercings. read more

i have gotten two of my tattoos done at iron age and they are phenomenal! if you're wanting to set up an appointment for a bigger price, i always recommend my friends to josh chapman and for walk ins, i tell miss. morgan is the one to go to! i've looked at all the artists portfolios and there's talent written across that whole shop. they are by far my favorite tattoo shop. worth the drive from southern illinois. read more

I'm a big fan of Iron Age. I've gotten both of my tattoos here, and my girlfriend got hers done here as well. All were walk-in appointments, and the experience was fantastic. I had a different artist for each of my tattoos, and they were both great. My girlfriend had Joe, and he was even better! Making small talk with the staff wasn't too difficult, and the time flew by while we were there. We liked it so much, we even took our friend to get her belly button pierced there as well! It's always clean, and everyone is always friendly. They understand that a tattoo is a big deal to most people, and are very patient with even the most difficult customers. Be prepared to spend a bit, but it's worth it. read more

This place is bit busy means great crowd it must be pretty popular place. Getting my first ink ever!! Ask for Jason James he did a great job and very patience guy. This gal at front desk is vey nice and keeping us in the loop by communicating with me to let us know what's happening while we're waiting. I get that respect from her I appreciated that since we r deaf :) y'all are awesome keep it up dude and dudette!!! read more

This place will knock your socks off tattoos every tattoo I've gotten there has been awesome never messed with piercings but I bet they do good. read more

Love this place, go here for all my piercing and tattoo needs. I've been treated with respect and they always explain the subtle changes that are needed to make my ideas into tattooable designs. They're always accommodating with ordering the jewelry I want and have suggestions for what will look best in all my piercings. Can't recommend them enough. read more

I walked in with a few minors, and I would have stayed to swap stories about my motorcycle or consider another tribal tattoo, but "Me So Horny" came on and that made me feel awkward because I'm nearly 40 and because of those minors who are my children. I thought that if they were to resort to rap they could have least played something that was edgier or subtle. I would have forgiven them if they at least had Full Metal Jacket playing on a TV somewhere. I can't speak for the tattoos, only the ambience. read more

Anne is the one to see for all your piercing needs. Had a jewelry issue that she provided expertise and professionalism. Will definitely return. read more

I've actually never gotten anything done here, but I have seen many friends get tattoos or piercings on a whim while we're in The Loop (I guess it's a right of passage?). Everytime they seem very clean. However, I have only found a couple of the staff to be very helpful to my friends, who usually are first-timers and need a bit of guidance on their experience. The man who did one of my friends' tattoos seemed cocky and was a dick about having us comfort her for a second. I wouldn't get anything here, but I wouldn't care if a friend does... read more

First tattoo at age 60. I saw Josh's work many times over the years so I knew he was my choice when I finally decided to get my crab! I found a design and he used his artistic talent to make it exactly what I wanted. It was a good first experience because of Josh and his eye for detail. read more

My boyfriend and I got matching tats for my birthday. Neither of us had gotten one before so the artists told us in advance what to expect. I was able to get mine $50 cheaper than the rate my boyfriend was quoted because I paid the artist in cash, but then again, I had a different artist than he did. Overall, it was a good experience. read more

I will never go back to Iron Age. My self and two friends decided to try this location because they have a lot of artists and good hours. I had read the reviews and wanted to form my own opinion. When we arrived the hostess/ greeter was very bland and seemed to be bothered by the fact that we had come in and actually had questions about what we wanted done. There was a tattoo artist to help with questions and she was even more bland and rude than the hostess. When we asked her a question about a certain design and showed her something similar on one of my friends she scoffed at the work and even put it down (my friend was happy with the piece by the way). They took our name and a glimpse of what we wanted done and we sat and waited. My friend was called up to go first and got paired with the rude artist who first spoke with us when we came in. She was getting stars on her foot and when done she came out and seemed pleased with the work. As we waited for the next of us to be called her foot started to bleed quite bad (she has had several tattoos and never had problems like this before). We got the hostesses attention and asked if this amount of blood was normal. She was even more rude and told us that she could use the rest room if she needed and handed her one paper towel. I was becoming more uneasy since my last tattoo did not bleed one bit and I felt bad for my friend. I was called up next and the same artist asked what I wanted. I showed her a pic and she said that my idea would not work and would not look like wings (which is what I wanted). I set her a few pictures via email and that was it. In the mean time my friend is still bleeding and I just don't feel right about getting one done. I decide not to do it and since the hostess is busy I find the artist ( which was right around the corner). I let her know that I had changed my mind and we had to go. She huffed and told me I wasted her time. (This was about a five minute time frame). I told her I could have just left but wanted to let her know. She didn't seem to care. She walked out and called the next customer. The customer service was non existent and they did not seem to care about what the customer really wanted. They put down other artists work and were not friendly . I work in a customer service based job and if I would have acted like that I would of had serious issues with my employer. Considering they are doing permeant changes to your body I feel they should at least seem to care about there attitude when working with people. read more

I am starting my review for Iron Age Studios with a whopping one star because honestly, I could care less how talented you are with your work , if you are not patient and respectful you don't need to be drawing something permanent on my skin. My girlfriend and I paid a visit yesterday to this business and figured we would get tattoos for fun. Considering this was our first, we were excited and had our ideas. The receptionists were kind and nice however, the tattoo artist assigned to my girlfriend turned out to be completely rude. Not only did he make inappropriate comments about my outfit, but he also seemed like he did not want to hear my girlfriends ideas about HER tattoo. Honestly, he seemed like he was just trying to get the process of giving this tattoo done and over with. The woman tattoo artist I was given was nothing but kind and patient and she took my considerations into thought. The tattoo artist my girlfriend received again was a real trip. Again some real talent there, but the one dude by the name of Jason...terrible. Some advice: The customers coming in to pay you for your work should be getting 100% respect and 100% patience for something as serious as a tattoo. The lack of thereof caused me to lose the vibe and leave with my girlfriend, so they lost our service. And again here I am reading comments from the owner to people's complaints and what bullshit. Like what answers are these. This JASON seems to have a few complaints you think something would be done. The fact that the manager is making excuses and taking these reviews as jokes is already an example of how management can truly bring down a business. I will definitely never come back to this place and will only speak the truth about my experiences there to others. read more

My favorite place to get tattooed. Caleb is a very talented artist and his work speaks for itsel

I would not recommend this place to anyone Iron Age completely disregarded my safety and gave me a piercing to small for my lip twice and now it has swollen over they do not deserve anyone's time or money. I'm in pain my lip is swollen and now I have to waste more time and money to go back to their shop for removal. I expect a refund for this and if I don't get one I will be sure to sue. I have recorded proof that the piercer said he didn't wanna give me a longer bar because it would "stick out" disgusting and inconsiderate thing to say. I will make sure everyone knows of their ignorance completely uneducated practices! They don't deserve a star from me or anyone for that matter this isn't new news that their service is sub par I have them a chance and now I pay the consequences of not listening to my peers, don't be me, don't disregard this warning. read more

I love Iron Age! It's always my husband and I's go to place for a tattoo. They have never done bad work. Sometimes certain people can be rude or act like they really don't care about you, but If you have an awesome and well done tattoo, I have no problem looking past that. Thanks Iron Age! Can't wait to start my half sleeve! read more

My brother and I have both been inked at Iron Age. Between the two of us, we've had three tattoos done there, and we've had great experiences each time. Everyone is extremely friendly and the artists really work with you to be sure the tats reflect your vision. Overall, great people and great art. read more

Iron Age Studios - Tattoo by Cam. cost $100 (plus tip) - Tattoo Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

I had an awesome experience here! My tattoo artist was Cammeron Donnelly and he really worked with me to make sure I was getting exactly what I wanted! I got a pine tree on my ankle and he was super understanding and patient when my foot kept twitching during the session. It had a mind of it's own! All of the staff was very kind, and it was pretty fast and easy for a walk-in! I'm so glad I went to Iron Age for my tattoo, it's a very clean and respectable parlor. read more

Had a tattoo done here the other day and just for the amount of work and time they really over priced it. My friend got a way more intricate tattoo that was highly stippled and shaded for not much more. Very expensive place for amount of ink. read more

Worst customer service ever, honestly. My best friend and I went in to get tattoos done that really meant a lot to us. From the moment we walked into the place, you could tell we weren't exactly "welcome" because we weren't covered in tattoos. (One of the most annoying things about going into a tattoo parlor). When explaining our idea, the girl at the front desk immediately shot us down, telling us that it was stupid. We were shocked. Seeing that these were our first tattoos, we were looking to present our idea and get feedback from a professional. Instead we were immediately accosted, and told our idea was dumb. If I'm paying you to put something on MY body, it will be whatever I damn well please. On another occasion, I went to get my nose pierced here and was treated with the same coldness by the guy at the front desk and the piercer himself. They still did it, but for some reason I almost hear them scoff at my request. Must be because I wasn't covered in piercings either? Having awful customer service clearly annoys the crap out of me... anyways, for the tattoos we went to Trader Bob's and were very pleased with the experience there! We got exactly what we wanted! read more

Do not go here! Sure the work is very good quality and the tattoo artists are truly masters of their crafts, but the negatives far outweigh the positives. EVERY person, and I repeat, EVERY person who works here is extremely rude and walks around with an attitude. This is the most unfriendly tattoo shop I have ever been in and I have over 15 tattoos. Much of my work has been done here and they continue to treat me like crap when I go here. They will charge you an arm and a leg for everything, and they will take advantage of you if you are an inexperienced tattoo seeker. They also do not care about what the customer wants. They are more concerned with tattooing what they want and getting customers in and out like an assembly line. Save yourself the trouble and skip this place. Try one of the other studios in STL like Trader Bob's, All Star, Cheap TRX, or Self Inflicted....at least there you won't be treated like garbage. read more

I've been getting tattooed here for over 10 years by numerous artists that have come and gone... Still the best shop in the city.

I would not recommend this place for tattoos, more specifically a tattoo from Caleb Quales. He was not friendly at all during the process and when it was done he just said you have other tattoos so I don't need to explain aftercare. Also, no thank you after giving a generous tip. 2 weeks later my finger tattoo is completely gone. I just got back from there to get it touched up and he didn't even come to look at it, just told the receptionist to tell me it will be full price because finger tats are not guaranteed. I asked about touch ups several times when I got it done and was told it was case by case if they would charge for it. Paying $80 for something that didn't last two weeks is absolutely ridiculous. I will never return and now I'm stuck going somewhere else to fix the crappy job he did. read more

Huge regret going here... I was impatient and went there because of availability--everywhere else was booked. The tattoo looks great, but it's really hard to screw up a simply 13-word script. The girl at the front desk was very nice and helpful, but the girl who did my tattoo was remarkably rude. She asked me where exactly I wanted it on my chest, so I turned to face the mirror in order to decide... she made a comment insinuating that I was "checking myself out." I kept waiting to hear the price, but then she said, "ready?" and started. As soon as the needle was off of my chest for a moment, I asked about the price. This girl charged more for a simple 13 word Bible verse that took her 15 minutes (if even) than my other tattoo, which is about 3 times as long and took 1.5 hours that I got elsewhere. I'm guessing she thought she could get away with it since most people prefer not to have a random letter "A" on their chest. Needless to say, I will NEVER be visiting this tattoo parlor again, and I will certainly never lose dignity and give in to a price like that again. read more

We went to Iron Age to get tattooed the first weekend in August. There are a few things to say, some good - and some very bad: 1) My tattoo looks great. Jason Stubblefield did it and I'm happy with it. 2) They're one of the few legit shops in StL that will tattoo minors with the correct documentation. My sister got her first tattoo that weekend as well and Jason did great with her, and I really respected his discretion on where he would allow placement However... 3) It was a VERY uncomfortable experience. We were there at opening and we were told 30-45 minutes. 2 hours later we were first worked with. We had no issue with waiting, but it was almost 6pm before any of the 4 of us ate as we arrived at noon and were not done until 6pm. We would have gone to eat had they just told us it would be 2 hours. Jason took my sister and Jeff Durham was the artist who grabbed my chart. I've been being tattooed for 5 years and I have never met someone so rude and uncomfortable. The only reason I was being tattooed by someone other than my artist was simply due to age restriction in our state. We were recommended to Iron Age and I am so disappointed. He refused to do what I wanted, and would only do it if it was something he liked. I tried to suck it up and work with it, but with a forearm piece I wanted to like what was being placed there. I asked him to draw what he was thinking and we would work with it. He drew it. I wanted a few changes and he declined to make the changes and was incredibly rude to me. I showed him some references of shape and style. He pushed my references to the side and said "This is what you can get". I ended up requesting another artist, advising ALL patrons in the waiting room (around 15) of the negative experience I had with Jeff, and ultimately waited on Jason to finish with my sister to be tattooed myself. I understand artistic discretion, point of view, and that typically your artist knows what will look good and what will not, but making your clients feel comfortable is extremely important. I've never been treated so badly in a shop. Despite ending up with a quality tattoo (after waiting for 5 hours) I will never return or recommend anyone to Iron Age Tattoo due to their lack of customer care, rushing their clients, and extreme lack of professionalism. read more

Very unprofessional. Do not even have the courtesy to return your calls. Not writing this review after one experience but several different times over the last couple of years. There are a lot of other tattoo shops in St. Louis that do work that is as good and in some cases better work that are happy to see you or have time to return calls and talk to you. read more

Rude staff, couldn't find their merchandise, not helpful and very argumentative. Horrible atmosphere

I have always had really good experiences here I've gotten 3 tattoos here now and I love all of them. It's always clean and welcoming and they are reasonably priced, they always give you advice and are honest about your tattoo and how it will age. I highly recommend them. read more

I've been going to Iron Age for years, for piercings and tattoos, and it hasn't been until recently that I have had a problem. I agree with other reviewers, They have always been a little rude at the front desk, since I'm not covered in visible tattoos, but that doesn't really bother me. Here is my problem: I had gotten my industrial piercing elsewhere (complaints on that for a different review -_-), where they pierced it with the wrong size jewelry which I cannot find ANYWHERE. So I went to Iron Age to get new jewelry that would actually fit the piercing. They measured my ear and told me they didn't have the size that I needed, so they would order it. The piercer, whose name I can't remember, got all my information and said he would call me when the piece came in, so I paid ahead of time with a $30 deposit. Two weeks went by and I never heard anything. I called the store and they said that they had no idea what I was talking about and they couldn't help me. I gave them the name of the piercer, who they said didn't actually work there, he was just filling in. So basically this guy took my $30 and left. They wouldn't tell me how to contact him either. Clearly they don't care about their customers, and I will not be going back. I ended up going to TRX. They are much more professional and friendly, not to mention cheaper on most things. read more