Best shop in Oakland. The original tattoo 13 LOCATION HAS MOVED this year after 25 years. Good news, the same owner and same artists are just down the street. NEW ADDRESS is 4228 Telegraph avenue on the corner of 43rd and Telegraph next to the bar Tall boy. read more

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Nino was very nice. He made the changes we asked for. Made some jokes to make me laugh and not feel so scared. My husband and I got matching tattoos. read more

Tattoo 13 - 2 hearts are better than 1. - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

My husband and I were in town for the weekend and decided to get our wedding date tattooed on our fingers. I can't wear my wedding ring because I've had multiple surgeries and having any jewelry on agitates my skin. We had been wanting to do it for a while so called around to see if anywhere had walk ins available. I called Tattoo 13's sister shop and they directed me there. The person that answered the phone said if I could get there soon they could take me so we went right there and were the first people in. They took us immediately and people started coming in pretty quickly afterwards. Definitely a fast paced shop that gets lots of foot traffic so adjust your expectations if you think you're gonna get right in. We got Nino (@zappyzip on Instagram) and he was really great at being straight with us about what will and won't look good on a finger. We both have tattoos but these were our first finger tattoos so we didn't really know what was realistic. My husband wanted to get the entire date in Roman numerals and Nino very gentle told him that would not be a good idea cause it's just too much writing and that we should keep it simple. He was totally right and we were so happy with how they turned out. Shop was very clean, friendly and professional. I read reviews before coming and could kinda tell the general attitude of the negative reviewers and I'm sure if you come in here and act like a tool or are rude they might get a little spicy with you but honestly everyone here was so nice and talented. Next time we are in the area we are definitely gonna try and book in advance with Nino! read more

Tattoo 13 - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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Nino was my tattoo artist and he was amazing. This was my first Tattoo. He made me feel comfortable and was an expert in his field. I trusted his expertise and was thrilled with outcome. Definitely will be back to book with Nino read more

Tattoo 13 - My First Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I had such a amazing experience. So comfortable,& I was very nervous about the coloring because I knew it was going to be a lip biter. Once I was in a zone it flew by. Chummy is outstanding. His work speaks for itself. His color piece's are very dimensional. Killer depth. And I loved the adhesive waterproof cover at the end. More places should definitely give the option. Thanks again Chummy! read more

Tattoo 13 - This was created by my son for his clothing /brand 1999numbskull.com.Thank you Chummy for placing my sons creature CeeCee on me Forever. - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

Nino is absolutely amazing! We were walk-ins and he saw us immediately and took less than 20 minutes. Definitely coming back here. All other artists are so nice! read more

Tattoo 13 - benzene ring - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

Dope spot for walk-in "shits'n'giggles" or an actual apt. with one of their many talented artists. Their crew is super relaxed, professional, and in my experience quick. I have to personally give a shout out to Chummy and Hector. They were able to put their own spin on concepts I brought to them and I couldn't be happier with the results (see photos) Don't be afraid to stalk the shop's artists in IG and reach out to one that fits your aesthetic and let them run with your idea. Even though I no longer live in California I'll always go back to Tattoo 13 when I visit to get a dope tattoo. read more

Tattoo 13 - Matching tattoos done by Chummy/Hector - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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I walked into this shop with a dilemma. I have my daughter's writing on my arm, but it was crooked. I wanted something else to offset it. After much deliberation and all the artists giving their opinion, what I got was perfect! I love it! Thank you guys. The price was reasonable and everybody was friendly. I apologize for not remembering my artist's name, but he was a cutie. read more

Tattoo 13 - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I've been going to the shop since I was 20 so far over the last eight years. I've had most of my tattoos done here very relaxed shop good people, good staff, and very clean and open environment. read more

Did a great job bringing my old chest tattoo to life and made it look a hell of a lot better! Will be dropping by to get more ink added shortly read more

Tattoo 13 - Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

Hector did a great job with my son's first tattoo. Very personable and professional and as you can see very talented. But all of the others there were also very kind and hospitable. Will be back. Highly recommend. A+++++ read more

Tattoo 13 - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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Wasn't even asked by the artist for proof of ID or to fill paperwork/consent forms... The tattoo also did not ultimately end up looking like the reference photo. Definitely don't recommend this place. read more

Great experiences, super friendly & clean. I went to Sonju, who's been tattooing me for a decade (here and before) and he does a lot of my friends work. He's always super nice and great to work with and I'm never anything less than stoked with the results. read more

Tattoo 13 - Pink elephant by sonju - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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I wanted to do a partial cover up - leave my kids' initials but cover my ex's. I assumed I was stuck with black based on the prior tattoo but Chummy came up with an amazing design and even refreshed the part of the old one I was leaving so it would all age the same. It looks like one piece, looks fantastic - and such a relief! Chummy is an amazing artists and was also great to work with! read more

I got a really bad tattoo from Hector. I saw him across the street at the bar earlier. Stupid me didn't cross my mind that it wasn't a good idea to get a tattoo from him. FYI this was years ago in case he's changed in the meantime. Its just every time I look at it I get a irritated I paid for this so this is my say on it. It was just a word on my shoulder. It came out close to illegible and has only gotten worse. He free-styled it. My hipster friend got all his stupid hot dog pizza tattoos from the guy so I trusted him. Why am I so naive I'm asking myself. Anyway there was no way for him to fix it. The lines were already too thick and squashed together. Anymore ink and it would have just looked like a blob. read more

I got 2 tattoos in one sitting with Chummy. My cousin got a tattoo from him and it turned out well so I didn't think I had to worry. Chummy was a really nice guy so I want to make it clear that I like him as a person. But both tattoos came out badly so now I'm getting them covered up. I was shocked because they were both super simple pieces. I wanted my daughter's bday in Roman numerals and I specifically said I want it to look like a font on a computer. I knew he should be able to achieve that since he did a great job on my cousin's quote tattoo. Yet my Roman numerals came out as a sloppy, crooked mess. I couldn't tell how bad it was until I got home. I still tipped him 20% ‍ read more

Tattoo 13 - Left is what I wanted. Right is what I got. Lines are too thick and there should be a bigger gap between the heart and the plane. - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I really wish I could remember the name of the guy who tattooed me, because he did such an incredible job. I walked in very impulsively with a vague idea of what I wanted and he managed to give amazing suggestions re location, style, etc. I've never had a tattoo done that I love so much. Additionally the place seems sanitary and everyone else is hella nice. + they have free fentanyl testing kits in the bathroom which is just a cool thing to do. read more

Tattoo 13 - Walk-in butterfly - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I originally picked this shop for my girls work because I am a huge fan of Freddy Corbin and his artists. Although Freddy wasn't there to do her work we had a great artist who made her feel comfortable and hooked her up with some awesome flowers on her elbows. His lines were all smooth and crisp with no blowouts and he got it done last minute before the shop closed. I appreciate everything the shop brings to the table. read more

I won't go back. I'm not saying it's their fault, necessarily, that my tattoo got infected. But based on the general disarray of the shop, I wasn't convinced it was all that clean. My artist wasn't very personable either. I wound up needing to see a doctor for a course of antibiotics and now that it's healed, the color is splotchy and my tattoo has significant scarring where the infection was. read more

Tattoo 13 - Healed tattoo is splotchy - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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Sanju turned my old tattoo (http://s3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com/photo/0Vi6jmxok_o2anpg_QU4Ug/l.jpg) into this: http://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com/photo/hy_oIVESbtps0FJui75yRg/l.jpg /end review read more

Tattoo 13 - upstairs - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

After years of putting it off, I finally went in and got my tat done. I've got two others, so I'm no stranger to the feeling of a thousand cats licking me in hell's kitchen, but Stash made the experience relaxing and enjoyable. He took the time to toy around with my idea, make it something unique and simple, yet sophisticated. I didn't want anything too complex and I also wanted to support a local shop. Plus, being right next door to a wine bar and within biking distance to my house, how could I go wrong? I was in and out of there with no problems. The vibe of the shop is great, the guys are friendly and accommodating and definitely know what they are doing. My experience was efficient and timing was great. I enjoyed sitting upstairs listening to music and the whir of two others getting inked. Joe even kept me company with images of puppies and bears to take my mind off the pain, heh. I'm happy, and I'd definitely go back to get my other pieces touched up. read more

Tattoo 13 - New tat, fresh and slimy! - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I visited tattoo 13 on Wednesday to get my first tattoo. I just wanted something small behind the ear and decided I wanted a California outline with a heart over SF bay. I just came in as a walk in and they were busy but they made the effort to squeeze me in later in the day. When I came back later in the day I met my artist Sanju. Even though it is a very small tattoo he was very attentive to what I wanted and drew up my idea but actually changed the shape of the bay to a heart so it still has an inlet from the ocean. What impressed me the most was he treated me like he would have as if I was getting a huge expensive piece when in fact I was getting the smallest simplest piece possible. Sanju was very gentle since it was my first time getting tattooed and did an amazing job. I have a friend coming to visit next week who wants to get something so I'm going to bring her to him too! read more

Tattoo 13 - My beautiful California tattoo! - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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I had a really great experience. I went in to get two stars done. One to match my engagement ring (pink=rose gold and blue=blue sapphire) and one for the 4 runs I did in 2013. I get stars tattooed when I accomplish a goal I had for myself or for big life events. I am so glad that I came here. Everybody that helped me was super amazing and sweet. I have 12 other stars which I got at different shops in different states over the past 14 years. Tattoo 13 was by far the best shop I have ever gone to. I had a really bad experience getting a quote at a shop in Berkeley a few weeks ago. I am glad I did, because it led me to this place. read more

Tattoo 13 - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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I won't go anywhere else. I had Stash do my sleeve (and more) and he's rad. He's super friendly, super sweet, even stops to make sure I'm OK even though I've spent over 30 hours being tattooed by him. If you want to have him work on you I suggest calling to make sure he's there (he works two shops) and stopping by with an idea. He does amazing old-school "sailor style' (if you will) tattoos. You'll need to make an appointment since he's always booked up. I will definitely be back. read more

Tattoo 13 - All work done by Stash - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm here for the umpteenth time. My artist? Hector Fong. So, Yelp hates Hector? Not everyone on Yelp! I started getting inked by Hector about three years ago. I started with a sacred heart on my foot. I followed up with a huge Virgin de Guadalupe on my leg. After my mom passed away, I wanted to get a memorial for her. The man? Hector. What did he do? He nailed it. Fast forward to today.... Hector has started a memorial sleeve on my arm, and I'm here to add to it. When all is said and done, I'll have a sleeve of Hector's art. I'm proud to wear them. I've had nothing but positive comments from folks about my ink. Thank you Hector. You are an awesome artist, and a down to earth, nice person to deal with. read more

Tattoo 13 - It's time for some more work. - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

My friends recommended Tattoo 13 to my wife and myself. They have several tattoos, so I trusted their judgement. I went in last October to get my first tattoo. I walked in on a Tuesday evening with the printout of what I wanted not knowing which artist would be available. It was a slow evening, so Stash was available to tattoo me. I showed him my printout, and he took a few minutes to sketch out it out. Soon afterwards, he had me sit in a chair at his station. He estimated that the tattoo would take about an hour to complete, which was fine with me. As this was my first tattoo, I was a little nervous about how painful it would be. But he assured me that the upper arm was one of the least painful places to get tattooed, so that helped. And as he started to ink me, I started talking to him to distract myself. Stash must be used to that, as he talked me the entire time we was tattooing me. And before I knew it, my tattoo was done, in only 30 minutes. My tattoo looks awesome, and Stash was very gracious with my questions. When I wanted a 2nd tattoo, I had to schedule a session with Stash 3 weeks ahead of time. Since he's the best, he's a busy guy, so plan accordingly. My 2nd tattoo looks great, too. The next time I want to get ink, I'll come here. read more

Everyone here is super welcoming!! I was pretty nervous when i came in since it was my first detailed tattoo but stash took such good care of me !! He made sure i liked everything that was going into my tattoo. In a few words he's awesome!! Will definitely be back for more ! read more

Tattoo 13 - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm extremely satisfied with the service I've received at Tattoo 13. I went in to the shop with a few photos of what I was hoping to get as well as photos of placement. My artist was Chummy and he did a great job of drawing out a unique design for me. At first it wasn't exactly what I had described, but I put my faith in the artist since I figured he'd know better about what would translate well from sketch to skin. The first outline didn't feel right and Chummy was understanding and receptive to my opinions. Second sketch looked like perfection. Once the outline was on my skin it felt right! He did a great job of scaling the tattoo with proportions as well as placement and position. I feel like every curve compliments my figure. It was my first tattoo and I had my anxieties but he did a great job of calming me by keeping things casual. His calm energy was easy to embody. The process took about 3 hours and by the end I was in such a fog of raw pain that I wasn't able to thank Chummy as properly as I should have. It came out much better than I could have envisioned and I'm happy to see his art on me everyday. Highly recommended! I initially came to Tattoo 13 through a friend's recommendation. She's gotten 2 amazing tattoos from Dustin. Overall, great talent is to be found at this shop. read more

Tattoo 13 - Hip/thigh rose and vine tattoo by Chummy - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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Saturday I called 13 shortly after they opened to make an appointment with Chummy Alexanian. I wanted some work on my feet. We set a time and he also fit my friend in right after me. Everything was great- professional, friendly, reasonable, and relaxed. Chummy made sure that everything was exactly as I wanted it before he started. The feet were pretty painful (especially the right one) but he kept checking in with me at all the right moments. I would send anyone there. He did a great job on the two stars my friend got, and I'm totally pleased with my new feet. read more

Tattoo 13 - chummy works on my feet. - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

Whoooooo hoooooo another great session with Chummy!!! A little over 2 hours of good conversation, laughs, fun and a very professional job. I had an idea and he nailed it... I love this place. Good prices, good people, good work. Clean, professional and welcoming... I will continue to get all of my ink done right here...unless he moves...and then I'll follow him Thank Chummy...I love your work! read more

Tattoo 13 - Swirls, stars & butterflies - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

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Went in for my 1st ever tattoo, had the artwork I wanted (cartoon), met with Stash, he talked to me for a few minutes to make sure about size, placement, colors and fonts, then he went to work with the copying, tracing and adjusting to make sure it was perfect, after about 2 1/2 hours I walked out of there with an incredible tattoo that will honor my deceased grandson for as long as I have left here, I couldn't be happier with his artwork, style and, dare I say..professionalism. On the way home I'm trying to think about what else I am going to get to honor the grand kids that are still with us, Stash will be the one to add more ink to this old mans arm. Good Job Stash read more

Tattoo 13 - Awesome Job Stash No Discription needed - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

Got my first tattoo from Chummy last week. He was terrific. Happy to take the graphic I brought in, explained what I should expect each step of the way, did an excellent job with the black line art. He was friendly and humorous. He prepared me for more discomfort than I experienced so the actuality was easy. (In fact, I experienced almost none, much less than I expected, nothing rising to the level of pain.) he clearly explained the importance and details of aftercare to me. I'd prepared myself with a fair bit of reading in advance, so I knew he was giving me good and complete info. I was really delighted with his work, every step of the way! read more

Tattoo 13 - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

Hector is my favorite tattoo artist here. He's done a lot of my work. He's really cool and always has a smile on his face. He loves what he does. I get tons of compliments on the work he's done. His work is clean and the color is always on point. I recommend checking him out, you won't be disappointed I also got a Morrissey tattoo by Stash and he does an awesome clean job as well. All the guys here are way cool and great artists. Stop by the shop and check out their work read more

Tattoo 13 - Hector with a smile on his face as usual - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I was a walk in on a December day, and it just so happened Chummy had a cancellation. I would recommend making an appointment though as they seem pretty busy. Chummy did flower and some text on my shoulder. The color in the tattoo is impeccable. He picked the colors with both the flower and my complexion in mind. I have had several people say that it looks so bright it could be a sticker. He pays very good attention to detail and I would recommend him to anyone. I plan on getting more work by him! Also, the atmosphere of the shop is very chill and welcoming. The other employee's and tattooers were cool and funny. read more

Tattoo 13 - Amaranthus caudatus or Love Lies Bleeding - Chummy. - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

Rude and not personable at all - Getting a tattoo is a big commitment and the standoffish cooler than everyone shouldn't be the default. Try to make a small effort to be nice. read more

The was the very first tattoo shop I got work done at, and it will probably stay that way. Everyone is so nice and very professional. The artists are all extremely talented and patient no matter what you're getting done! Everything is also really clean. I absolutely love it here, if I ever decide to get another tattoo, I will definitely come back. read more

Chummy is a class act! Great shop. Thanks for the tattoo. Looking forward to coming back. read more

Tattoo 13 - Tattoo Near Me - Oakland, California

I don't usually post to Yelp, but I had to for this shop. Highly recommend coming here. I got a sleeve done by Hector and he killed it. I gave him a pretty basic outline of what I wanted for the sleeve (told him the style, colors, and elements that I wanted incorporated) and put the rest in his hands. I was not disappointed. I spent a good amount of time here over the last 4 months (14 sessions I think) and although I have not personally had any work done by Chummy I've seen a lot of his work because he's stationed by Hector. Both guys are as professional as it gets and do outstanding work. read more

Matt Shaner is hands down the best portrait artist ever. My one and only portrait of my precious bogey is by far my favorite tattoo of all. Bogey may have left his physical shell but he lives on through Matt's work on my thigh. The shop itself is pretty huge and I loved all the other artists that I met while I was there. Just plan ahead because parking can be kind of a B. :) read more

I just got my very first tattoo at Tattoo 13 today and I have to say, it was great. I went there on Wednesday, based on Yelp reviews, and luckily, when I chose an artist based on his work, it was Hector and he just walked in. I was able to talk to him, discussed my design idea and showed him a design that my friend drew for me that I want in the tattoo. He made a quick sketch and was able to interpret on paper what I was trying to explain. I told him it's my first tattoo and he listened to me, and incorporate my idea. After a few minutes, we made an appointment for Sunday. Fast forward to Sunday - I was feeling very nervous being my first tattoo and not knowing how intense of a pain I should expect. To me, it felt like the way I felt on my first airplane ride. Really nervous but really excited. I arrived a few minutes early and he was in the back working on a client. I liked that he acknowledged my presence right away. After a few minutes, he said he's going out for a smoke for couple minutes. I did not mind this since they needed to clean his work area anyway. Then he showed me the design and when I asked him to modify it a little bit, he did it right away. There was no air of arrogance about him at all. I really liked his energy. He acknowledged that I might be feeling nervous and explained to me the process. When the needle touched my skin, it did not hurt as much as I anticipated. In fact, the noise of the gadget was the most annoying part. Hector kept checking if I was ok and made sure I was comfortable. At one point he asked if I was in the zone. Hahaha. I was really getting into it by then. I really appreciate that he explained to me what he was doing, like when he was doing the outline, then the shading. It's my first tattoo so I do not have anyone to compare it too but I feel that he was really gentle. My deep cleaning for my gums were so much more uncomfortable than my first tattoo!!! The guy who was at the front desk was also kind enough to give me a cup of water midway through. Hector also made sure he explained to me about tattoo aftercare. Thanks to Hector and Tattoo 13 for giving me an awesome first tattoo experience. I definitely recommend Hector for first timers. You won't regret it! read more