I went into Lampblack a few weeks ago with my friend to get small tattoos for our birthdays. This was my very first tattoo and I was really hoping to have a female tattooer complete it. My friend felt the same way, always in the hopes of supporting women in the tattoo industry (its rough out here!). After following bay-area artists on instagram, I found Tonya and Lampblack tattoo and was impressed. We both got tattoos from Tonya. We got into the shop around 6:45, and after draws, edits, and tattoos, we were out by 8:20 (even though their shop closes at 8, Tonya accommodated us!) Tonya was really great! Really attentive to our preferences, and made the experience a blast. I was so nervous, but it all faded away once the tattoo rush kicked in. My friend got a 2 inch tattoo of a bee on her arm (about 15 mins of tattooing), and I got a simple symbol behind my ear (about 5 mins of tattooing). We each paid $100 for our tattoos not including tip. I think the shop minimum is 80$ for items under 30mins, but we didn't really mind, we got some cool new art! Plus they had some really cool tunes playing during our visit. Check out Lampblack!!! read more

The people at Rosen foreign are wonderful they're polite clean honest and hard-working this is tattoo Tim

Clayton has done it again. I went in yesterday, and this only took about an hour to get the details in. Like most tattoos I've gotten, I was able to zone out and not even think about the pain. The color and shading is great, I'm just so happy with the outcome. Clayton always makes me feel comfortable and at ease. Definitely coming back to them again. read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - First session of my Beetlejuice tombstone - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Fabulous work by James. We had good conversation while he worked as well. The shop is on the cozy side but they have it set up to feel much more spacious; It's very comfortable. Every single person I interacted with was extremely nice. Solid customer service is obviously important. Overall I had a great experience. I would highly recommend James and this shop as a whole. read more

What a great place. Everyone is super friendly. Everything is so clean! My artist was James who did an amazing job on both my best friend and I. We will be back. Thank you to everyone for making it such a great experience. read more

I definitely recommend coming to this tattoo shop! The aesthetic is so nice and the artists are really cool and care about you. Tj was the best and very helpful. read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Cross - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

So my Aunt and I wanted to get tattoos today...we made an appointment somewhere else and halfway through mine this artist states he can't do my aunts because he is pressed for time....this was my aunts first tat and I knew she was pretty bummed out by him telling her that. So We left....I promised her that she would have a tattoo before We left San Francisco. So I got on yelp,and landed here at lampblack. The people here were hella cool, and very welcoming. Patrick was so nice and helpful and really helped my Aunt with understanding her vision for a very special tat she will get next week. And Tanya!! She is super awesome! Or as she would say...Awesome sauce!!!! The owner is hell coo too (I forgot His name). Tanya did my aunt's hand tattoo and it's Beautiful. Small But makes a huge statement. She put heart into it. I will be coming back here all the time!!! Thanks guys! read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Tanya did this. She is freakin awsome sauce!!!!! - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was searching high & low for a shop that could take walk-ins and competitive pricing. I walked into another shop (prior to visiting Tonya & Alex at Lampblack) and they quoted me MORE THAN TWICE what I was expecting to spend. OUT I WENT. ONTO THE NEXT. I found Lampblack via yelp and saw this was a new shop. Not going to bullshit, a little weary just because of the newness. I walked in and was welcomed by Alex & Tonya. IMMEDIATELY, it felt like home and not some pretentious shop wanting to charge an arm, leg and first born. I talked to Tonya about what I was looking for and she was really patient with me while we fine tuned the work we were going to participate in, together. IT WAS PERFECT. The tattoo means a lot to me as it is a marker for the chapter I'm taking on at this moment...riding my bike 545 miles from SF to LA as part of AIDS Lifecycle. Again, IT WAS PERFECT. Thanks for the amazing work and awesome time, Tonya & Alex! This piece means A LOT and I really appreciate you putting the love and detail into it. Already recommended! THANKS AGAIN! read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - peddling with my bike, "Cinco." it came out PERFECT. thanks, Tanya! - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Day after Christmas I visited SF for the very first time and a friend suggested browsing on Mission St between 16th and 24th. I arrived in an Uber at 16th & Mission St and Lampblack immediately caught my eye. I hadn't planned on getting a tattoo that day, but I've had several designs in my mind for some time and decided a tattoo would be a nice souvenir. I went for one of the smaller and simpler ideas - my sister's middle name, "JOY" in a serif style. My friend and I had a delicious burrito lunch at Taqueria Cancun down the street and then walked back over to Lampblack. The vibe inside the shop is very nice in my opinion. The place was very clean, and the other artists were hard at work drawing with an old dinosaur movie playing in the background. Later on, I really enjoyed listening to the soundtrack while getting tatted. So I got a quote, which was very reasonable, and worked with Tonya to perfect the design. I wasn't completely sure about the placement for the tattoo, but Tonya had a GREAT suggestion that I definitely wouldn't have thought of myself. She got to work, and in no time the tattoo was complete. Tonya even offered some wonderful tips for places to explore in SF. I would definitely return to Tonya/Lampblack for a more intricate design when I'm back in the Bay Area read more

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GREAT LOCATION. Easy Muni #49 or BART, cheap eats in the neighborhood and lots of produce. And BOTH a Dollar Store and a .99 Store! Very cool Tattoo site. Nice layout, friendly and open. Good first impression: this outfit was very clean and sterile; all of the artists were working on somebody and the atmosphere was professional. I had made an appointment for an artist, Mr. Iggy Vans, to color in a tattoo that I've just been wearing with a black outline for the last year. His suggestions were all right on. I am so stoked! Had a great time, good vibes, good tunes, and Iggy is not only a great San Francisco historian, he's a raconteur. If you're going to wear something for life, it has to be perfect. Had such a great experience, such great art, I'm looking for an excuse to get another tattoo. GO HERE FIRST! read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Colored by Lampblack Tattoo on MARCH 29, 2014 - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got exactly what what I wanted from Ace . Been thinking about this tattoo for years. Let them know what i was thinking and ended up with more then I could have hoped for . A great tattoo by a great artist and person. Know what you want ...let them knock it out of the park read more

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Not to down an artist, but my first professional tattoo from ACE, is actually the worst tattoo I ever got. After 2 weeks it looks like crap. I have 18 tattoos and I treated this one like any other. I'm sticking with my friends who work out of their basement, or garage. VERY DISAPPOINTED read more

Let me tell you about the worst tattoo I've ever gotten. I showed up for a walk-in and spike (or ace maybe?), a young hispanic dude with both nostrils pierced quoted me at $250 for the word 'stochastic' in old english letters with a pair of dice underneath where all the numbers were sixes on the back of my head. Nothing too complicated, but a great deal. Awesome. He told me to come back in an hour after I dropped a $100 cash deposit. Me and my two buddies went and got a drink and came back an hour later. We proceeded to wait more than 45 more minutes past the appointment time until dude came back and got started. He asked how to spell the word. I wrote it down for him, and he even closed the 'a' so that it wouldn't look like a 'u'. Cool. He came back with a stencil that had normal dice, not sixes on each face. I pointed this out. He said it wasn't possible, even though there was a piece of flash with even smaller dice where one of the receding 3D faces was a six on the wall next to me. I said okay, if you can't do that then just make them squares with sixes. He took about fifteen minutes to come back with a set of cubes that had sixes on only the front face, the rest were blank. Okay.... getting somewhat concerned... 'Can you just draw them as squares?' He came back quicker this time and the squares looked less cool than I had originally planned for. It was actually significantly less cool than I had planned for, because the text was freehanded in the stencil, not at all old english or any kind of stylistic font. At this point, though, we were over 2 hours into the experience and I just wanted to get in and get out, and planned on trying to talk the price down on account of the tattoo being at this point something anyone could do in their living room in half an hour. He shaved up the back of my head, put the stencil on, and showed me in the mirror. Looks fine, let's do it. He knocked it out pretty much immediately and asked if I wanted him to take a picture. My stomach dropped out. STOCHTASTIC with an extra T in the middle?! It's not like you forgot or switched a letter, you added one?! He tried to defend himself, saying he didn't know what that weird-ass word was. So why didn't you copy it carefully from the way I wrote it down? I should've caught it on the stencil, but I was so preoccupied by the fact that he couldn't draw some simple dice that I didn't even think to check that he couldn't copy a single word correctly. The shop seemed fine, but never go to that guy. He shouldn't be able to call himself a professional artist. Remember the double nose piercing and beware. The only saving grace is that I didn't have to pay more than my deposit for the worst, most embarrassing tattoo I have on my body... on my head. read more

Quality service, quality shop, quality tattoos! Was visiting SF for a few days from NY and after seeing Tonya on Instagram, I shot them an email and they were super accommodating. The sketch was exactly what I had in mind and the tattoo came out phenomenal! I could not be happier with it, the service, and I could not recommend this shop more. The shop is cash only, so just be prepared with some going in. (But many are so don't let that deter you!) read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

The most professional and talented artists I have ever encountered. They were very quick and straight forward with my design and very helpful. They made sure to make me feel comfortable and want to come back for more ink. The guy who did my tattoo was a bit heavy handed but completely worth it for how good it looks over a year later. I still to this day get asked if I got my tattoo done recently and it is over a year old. It was a cover up and was done very quickly. Less than two hours and only was charged $200 for full cover up, shading, and the offer to come back if I wanted color. Amazing team they have and will definitely be back for more in the near future. read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Rose Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had a great experience here. My friends and I were just walking in the mission and I decided I wanted to get a tattoo done before my 21st so I asked if they had room to squeeze me in so I got my tattoo done from Karl. I designed my own tattoo and Karl just cleaned it up so it would fit on my calf and the roses would show better and last longer. I got my tattoo done back in July and it's healed up really nicely. I've never had a tattoo on my legs before so it took longer than I expected for it to completely peel (about 2.5 weeks) but it healed up. I do have really dry skin and some light scars from when I was a child where the tattoo was done but it still healed up with no raised areas and the color is still as dark as the day I got it. read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - The day I got my tattoo 7/9/16. - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

As a first timer for a tattoo, I was super excited and nervous at the same time to finally have a piece done! Originally, I was going to have my design of black five stars that resemble the Cancer constellation under my wrist, but figured that with skin conditions I have that the best placement for it would be my back. I've come here twice before my tattoo was done to see how much it would be. Right off the bat they told me that it was possible the five-pointed stars in my design would turn into dots if too small, as well as it fading over time and not looking good. I appreciated their honest opinion, as i knew nothing about tattoos and I got to look at Iggy's hands and other examples of faded tattoos that lose form over time. They quoted me about $80-$100 which was what I was expecting. So I came back Christmas eve, talked to Iggy about my design and he made recommendations on how to personalize this piece for myself, as well as his opinion on choosing six-pointed stars instead. I considered it after he drew it out for me, and then I decided to go for it. He did remind me that if I wanted my original design, he was willing to do it minus the consequences but I went with my gut to go with what he suggested. As for my tattoo session, Iggy (and Carl ? I think that was his name) made the pain bearable as they would tell stories and talk about random things while I chimed in. About 45-hour in, I was finished! Iggy gave me very simple cleaning instructions and said it should heal very fast. I followed all the advice I could have got from him, and three weeks later I'm in love with my tattoo. I would definitely recommend people to come here especially for a first time. read more

Went in on a Sunday afternoon after stopping by a bunch of other tattoo shops that were either way too expensive or did not have any walk-ins available. My sister and I were looking to get small tattoos done, quickly and professionally, and I'm so glad we found this place! Our tattoo artist, Lucas, did an awesome job on both of our tattoos. He was super accommodating and our ink came out exactly how we wanted it to. Their shop minimum is only $80 as well, while many other shops in the area were upwards of $200. We came in for a walk-in around 12:45PM and left around 2:00PM, which is the time it took for him to do both of ours. read more

Very friendly shop vibe and Iggy is one sick dude. Will definitely be back! (Once the rent check clears) read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Iggy's work on my arm. - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friends and I had decided to walk in since we hadn't been able to make an appointment beforehand. We had called a bit in advance to make sure there was space and just so happened there was! TJ greeted us and we were able to get seated in less than 15min. He made sure to clean and disinfect everything before starting. It was our first tattoos and were so happy with the results! TJ was super nice and patient with us and our indecisiveness. Price was great too! We each had one tattoo on the smaller side on our inner arm one being $100 and the other $120. Overall a great experience with TJ and the Rose and Thorne tattoo studio! read more

I was a walk in and talked to Ace about a tattoo that I have been wanting for a long time. Ace was the best! He was very laid back and was realistic with what I wanted. I made an appointment to come back after he drew up the tattoo I wanted. I was so amazed by his art work! And when he helped me pick a better spot on my body, I couldn't be more thankful to him for his outstanding job that he did on the tattoo and advice. I will never EVER go anywhere else but to ACE for my future tattoos. Thanks again guys! read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Thanks again Ace for an outstanding job on my new tattoo! - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Walked in with my girl. Just wanted small tattoos with moons as friendship tattoos. I got Iggy and she got Tonya. They were both so sweet and their line work is so on point. We were in and out and with such reasonable prices you just can't go wrong. We will be back! read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Obviously too fresh to capture the true beauty, but love them! - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

My artist was Tonya Vyeda and I'm so glad she did my tattoo. She was very thorough when preparing all the tools so the tattooing only took around 20 min to complete. The design looks great, exactly how I wanted it! She also helped me place it and let me check in the mirror and make corrections to get it where I wanted it. Everyone there was really nice and I would come back if I am thinking of getting another tattoo. read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Male and Female Equality Symbol on my rib cage - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was going in for a second tatt so I had no reason to be nervous but I was. Newish shop, first time I'd been there and I was going in without any sort of entourage--also didn't help that the artists I had was a freaking fox. Regardless, the gents working there had me feeling super comfortable in no time. Iggy worked with me to find the right size and placement for what I was getting done (even though he didn't have to bother--thank you, sir!). Soon we got started on my arm all while listening to these funny dudes jam to 80's tunes (including some Eddie Murphy+Rick James). Great location (across from a pawn shop if you need one of those). Chill people. Great price. Def. a place to check out! read more

Worked with me to get exactly what I wanted. I had found an owl in the middle of the street a few years ago and wanted a feather to represent the little cutie pie. I am very happy with the outcome. Being from the East Coast I am glad to also bring a little of the West Coast back with me. read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Tonya Vyeda - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Jon V is AMAZING!!! This guy is very professional with a very cool and laid back aura. First time I get a tattoo and he nailed it!!! Exactly what I wanted. I recommend this cat to anyone who wants to get one done. No matter how small or big, he is a perfectionist. read more

Big fan of this place! Got my first tattoo done there, and just went back yesterday. The process was very quick, from getting checked in, stencil work, and getting tattooed. The artist was very professional and very precise with tattoo, especially because it was an outline of a country. Those borders have to perfect and correct. I was very excited when the artist drew my tattoo correctly, given the boarders of the country have been changing within the previous years. He was thoughtful of the history of my country. Once again s great experience, thank you guys! read more

TONYA!! Where do I even begin!! From the beauty of her art to the 5 hours of great conversation, down to the shop's awesome soundtrack- it was the best tattooing experience I've ever had. I had reached out to her a few weeks prior with a veryyyy unrealized concept, and within days she was inspired/inspiring me/ making my tiny, vague idea into a masterpiece. Not only did the piece turn out BEAUTIFUL, she worked on me for 5 hrs, working past closing, on a Sunday, with unwavering pride in her craft. SO HAPPY. It was just such a rewarding and collaborative experience, I could not have entrusted a better person to have my back (lol). Definitely coming back for my next one! read more

Got a tattoo done by Karl he was awesome. Great tattoo artist really cared about how I wanted my tattoo. From out of town and I was a walk in. They got my tattoo done fast. The atmosphere was great too. Will be a returning customer for sure. read more

Great people & great art! I always really enjoy myself when I'm there, and Tonya's got the touch of an angel.

I came in to see Campbell for my second tattoo from him, and he did an outstanding traditional dragonfly on my arm. Campbell is a real good guy and brings a truly professional demeanor and skilled artistic touch to his work. My tattoo healed excellently and I will certainly be back for more. Thanks Campbell! read more

To start off with this is my first yelp review EVER and this one is definitely worth my time! Lol. Well, I got my first tattoo the taurus symbol on the side of my breasts and thank god for PATRICK being so supportive and inking my body just the way I wanted it. I recommend going to Patrick I'm sure he is even more amazing at artistic tattoos. The place is super chill and all the guys greeted me respectful and all were very welcoming. Great vibes. Definitely coming again! Thank you guys. read more

If no stars were an option, that's what would come from me. Went in for a super simple tattoo around 5mins after 7. They advised they were super swamped and done for the night. Suggested another shop down the way. That's cool, push away money. I'll go where my hard earned cold cash is wanted. read more

I LOVE this place! Tea did two of my tattoos and it went so well! Dude will really have your back! It was my 1st time getting tatted and i went to get it done alone :(, but Tea eased me into it! He even got one of the guys to hold my hand while getting inked! Even the waiting process, the consultation process was smooth! $80 minimum, ended up paying 150 and I included a 25 dollar tip, he totally deserved it! And the entire environment is chill and friendly, and SUPER funny as well! Definitely coming back this place is fergalicious af read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Done by Tea for $150 - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great, friendly, talented artists!! Very happy to see them open in the neighborhood. The shop is clean and professional with a great vibe. Iggy, Jon and Tonya treat you with respect and deliver beautiful tattoos you can't wait to show off. LAMPBLACK rules!! read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

Patrick was great! I came in without an appointment, but I did have a picture of what I wanted. I asked him if he could do it and he said he could without any hesitation. (Which is funny because I visited another shop on the same street and the artist wanted to modify it a lot and make it bigger and it would take at least 3 hours blah blah blah) Anyway, I handed over a downpayment and came back a couple hours later when he said he could fit me in and we got right to it. This was my first tattoo so I was pretty nervous, but he did a good job at calming me down even though he probably wanted to tell me shut up when I made outrageously overdrawn groans in pain he was very calm and told me just to breathe and that I could handle it. He took just over an hour and maybe it was just his gentle hand, but honestly it was not as painful as so many have told me tattoos were. Overall I am extremely pleased with my first tattoo and the experience I had with Patrick! read more

Rose & Thorn Tattoo - Tattoo done by Patrick. This is the next day, less then 24 hours after. - Tattoo Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came to them for a cover up tattoo and sent the artist, Lucas, a few different pictures of a buffalo I wanted to get done. Lucas chose the picture he felt comfortable with doing and said it would be close to that. After getting the tattoo it looked nothing like any of the pictures I emailed him. I came back the next day to tell them I was displeased with the work that was done and was hoping to get some money back for the trouble, but they didn't give me any money back and told me they do not give refunds. After telling them I was not happy with their work I was expecting them to show some professionalism by at least refunding or come up with a solution to this problem. Nothing was suggested and I left frustrated with a tattoo I didn't ask for. read more

Iggy Vans is one of the most legendary tattoo artists around period. You can trust his work is going to be amazingly creative and executed perfectly. Love this guy like a brother after all the work he's done! read more

Such a great experience here! My fiancé and I walked in and Iggy did such an AMAZING job on both of our tattoos. He is detailed, careful, and incredible talented. We couldn't have asked for a better tattoo artist or shop! Definitely coming back :) read more

I am new to the Bay area, and did my research before settling on Lampblack. I was looking for authenticity, style, and reasonable rates. Lampblack certainly delivered. I had a great experience. I have several tattoos and know how they should and should not be done. Tanya did mine effortlessly, quickly, and perfectly. Furthermore, they host such a comfortable atmosphere. They are so friendly, comforting, and talented. I am incredibly pleased, and will definitely come back for my next! read more