Not the best service. My tattoo artist was more concerned about his conversations with the people I was with than actually my tattoo that I will wear forever. I asked him to put a heart as the nose for my dog tattoo and he said he would add it after. He never did. I mention it twice and he talked right over me. I was annoyed and just wanted to leave. My tattoo just never felt done because I never got my nose heart. So I contacted him less then a week about it and asked him to add what I originally asked for in the first place. he said I have to get another 100 dollars.... Umm NO thank you! I am not going to pay him another 100 for the tiniest little heart nose that he should have done in the first place... So I'm going back to Spider Murphy. Artist- Shannon read more

I have most of my body covered in ink. I've had six, maybe seven people tattoo me...I randomly met Adam 15 years ago give or take. Since I met him I haven't had any work done by anyone else. Guy is an absolute master of his craft in every sense. Throw in Marcelo and Shannon....best tattoo shop north of Bakersfield if not in all of California. Let's put it this way, the last time Adam tattooed me a few weeks ago I told him the day he stops working is the day I stop getting tattoos. read more

I finally made it back to have a tattoo done today. Marcelo came highly recommended, and I scheduled a consult with him for today, surprisingly he sent a text this morning letting me know he had a cancellation and could get me in today for a consult and tattoo. Marcelo allowed my well behaved teenaged granddaughter who drew the art to stay and watch as he gave me the tattoo. He was such a pleasure to work with, very easy to talk with and has an amazing chill vibe. The shop is clean and everyone was friendly and accommodating. read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

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The time, extreme patience, kindness and thoughtfulness, that Shannon exhibited for my first, and possibly only tattoo at my late age, was truly appreciated! I just wanted a simple, silhouette of beautiful Mount Tam from the south, and facing me so I could see it throughout my day, and I was so well taken care of. Again, Shannon, thank you! I am singing your praises every day! read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

I got my first tattoo here and I'll most likely get my last there as well. Adam and Marcelo have done all my tattoos except for one I got after I moved away. The line work has never been short of perfect. They also charge a good price for the quality you are getting. I even made sure to stop by when I was temporarily back in town. I will never be dissatisfied with their work. read more

I had my first ever tattoos inked today by Shannon l...for my 60th Birthday. The shop was clean, bright and welcoming and Shannon was incredible. He took the time to understand what I was looking for (an image of the pyramids of Giza and a hand-written saying of my grandfather), sketched and resized the drawings and then meticulously applied the stencils - several times - until we were both happy. He explained everything and made me feel 100% comfortable. He inked a single letter to acclimate me to the feeling before proceeding and talked to me throughout. The whole experience was fantastic. I've been wanting tattoos for a long time and can't say enough about the quality of this experience. read more

I've gotten two tattoos from Adam. Does great work and all the artists there have great vibes. They all do good work and have created a great environment. So much so that a few people were there just to hang out. Check them out for your next tattoo. read more

Let me start of by saying Adam was nothing but amazing!! My boyfriend and I came on in on a whim for a tattoo we had been discussing for way to long and decided to jump the gun and do it. We were so welcomed and Adam went straight to drawing out our vision for the tattoo. We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome and our experience! I will be back no doubt for more!!! read more

Thank you for our tattoos today! We love them & appreciate you working with us!! I appreciated you responding to my inquiry before we were in town & getting us in so easily! read more

The Forge Tattoo - 3 real, 2 temp tattoos! - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

I got my very first tattoo here from Marcelo and I absolutely love it. The detail of the shading is immaculate and he used such a small needle to make the lines thinner and more feminine just the way I imagined it would be! Extremely happy with my experience here because I was a little scared to get my first tattoo but Marcelo made me very comfortable and walked me through the whole process:) read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

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I was wanting a small simple tattoo and reached out to a few places before deciding on the forge! Shannon was amazing and welcoming. He made me feel comfortable and educated me about caring for my tattoo. The other workers were also welcoming and complimented what I got. Just a heads up they are cash only! Thank you guys read more

Great experience with Adam. Our family of four wanted to do something memorable together. He took the time to help each of create three personal versions of the design and was fun to work with. We were able to do all together on same visit but we did come in with clear ideas of what we wanted. Shop is clean, nice, relaxing. read more

It has been an absolute pleasure collaborating with Nate Gonzalez on my most recent tattoo. He is very talented, professional and very realistic about the creative process and then the actual implementation of the tattoo on the body. His technique is controlled and precise while being gentle and relaxed at the same time. It was able to get my outline done quickly and book my follow up appointment for shading within weeks. I believe that this is the start of many more pieces of art from Nate and The Forge. read more

The Forge Tattoo - Nate completed the outline. The design was an origina rough sketch I made. Nate ceated something more beautiful! - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

They asked me if I was pregnant. im a 25 year old woman, I'm not pregnant and I just finally recovered from debilitating eating disorders. I came to get a tattoo that said "flux" in order to commemorate that you arent the same one day to the next and Marcello had the audacity to ask my friend as I walked away, if I was pregnant. read more

Down to earth skilled people Highly recommend. I've had a couple tattoos done here and I will keep coming back as long as I'm inspired to get ink. read more

Shoutout Shannon for inking me and my friend up with matching Monstera tattoos last weekend. He has the best energy & his work is amazing. Will def be coming back to him for my next tat. read more

The entirety of my interactions with Forge Tattoo have been 100% positive. They were able to fit me in when I called, and Nate helped me get something I've wanted for a while. Hella dope spot and chill ass people. Thanks for helping me have a better day :D read more

About the shop: The Forge! Aside from being new and clean, this place is STUNNING. Unlike most tattoo shops, The Forge has some major character. The design aesthetics feature amazing artwork on the walls, plush tables, industrial details, and wait until you see the bathroom ceiling! Not even joking. Aside from being the most tastefully designed shop I've ever stepped into, The Forge is also well equipped with some seriously talented folks. About "The Man" : Nate is a talented man, beautiful soul, and amazing artist! It's been an honor to work with Nate for the last 8 years, and I cannot imagine my life without him. I have a very large and intricate back-piece, and step by step, Nate has designed every detail. He sketched and re-sketched the artwork until we both agreed on the vision. He's been thoughtful about EVERY aspect, from the tattoo's placement to the color selections. He understands so many different styles of tattooing, and truly knows how to breath life into his work. Nate is passionate about his craft, and it shows! Every time I see him, he's genuinely happy to work on me, and always makes me feel so comfortable. No matter what you envision, Nate will always deliver quality work. Thank you Nate for your dedication! read more

The Forge Tattoo - Courtesy of the man himself, Nate. - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

I am absolutely devastated to leave a bad review for a local business but I got screwed :( I met with Nate twice, once not about a tattoo but just to go in and see what the shop was about and say hi. We talked for about 15 minutes. About 6 months later I went back in to talk about a tattoo I wanted - a mermaid. I left $100 cash deposit. We spent 10 minutes talking as he had someone who showed up and wanted to get a tattoo immediately. I told him what I wanted and sent the photographs (of a friend's tattoo) but I said I wanted it to be "girly" and explained that I wanted the tail to be "flowy". I asked to see the drawing prior to getting the tattoo but was told that wasn't possible. I showed up on the date and time for the tattoo and Nate wasn't there. I texted, called and waited for close to an hour. After I got home he called and said he had the tattoo scheduled for Thursday. I told him that I work from 8am to 9pm on Thursdays and would never have scheduled then. He never apologized, just kept saying "well I don't know what happened". I said, "you wrote it down wrong, that's what happened." But he didn't apologize-ever. I asked for the drawing and he sent me a very quick line drawing that my boyfriend who is a professional artist said he could have drawn in less than five minutes. The drawing also didn't look anything like the photo I provided him (in my opinion) and it looked like a sailor tattoo (not that there's anything wrong with that but it's not what I was looking for). I'm happy to post the drawing here, after all he is now charging me my entire $100 deposit for a photo of it! I figured OK, the fact that he was a no-show for my appointment was a really bad sign but after the drawing, I knew I couldn't go through with the tattoo and asked for $80 of my deposit back. I figured I'd offer $20 for the time it took him to do the drawing. Well, he told me he spent 60 minutes in consultation with me, which is completely untrue and he spent an hour on the drawing and so in his opinion, he lost $200 and will not return my deposit. I'm completely floored! Let me qualify: I have my own business and I charge $200 an hour but I don't charge for the consultations (and I have them for each person I see and not all of them use my services). I've had 4 large tattoos done and I've never been charged for the consultation - not to mention my consult with Nate (about the tattoo) was 10 minutes tops but regardless... I've had other tattoo artists draw the tattoo prior to getting them and they've all been completely drawn, looking exactly like they do now on my body. The drawing Nate provided was incomplete. It's a quick line sketch. For my first tattoo, I asked the artist to change the drawing and he did but he didn't charge for that. He charged for the time it took him to ink it on my body. Anyway, I'm really unhappy, sad and disappointed. I wanted to go local, I want to support local but sometimes that doesn't always work :( This is the worst experience I've had in a very long time and I wanted to warn others. I assume they're all great artists here but that type of behavior is extremely unprofessional and if you give Nate a deposit and don't get the tattoo, make sure you can afford to lose $100. read more

The Forge Tattoo - This is a photo of my friend's tattoo that wanted to emulate with a "flowy/ier" tale. - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

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I got my first tattoo at the forge and it was awesome. Marcelo was kind and patient and I absolutely love the tattoo!

My husband got a new Tattoo today. He really loves it and highly recommends Marcelo. Studio is clean, welcoming and very professional. The entire staff are friendly and cool people. He will have more work there in the future. read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

My Friend recommended Adam and he was amazing. I'm 62 and it was my first tattoo in honor of my friend who died a few years ago and our love of running. I had some ideas but nothing printed out, just ideas in my head. I explain them to Adam and he came up with a beautiful drawing seen below. I couldn't be happier!!! read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

Our volunteer group wanted to celebrate the past year of working together with everyone in the group getting matching tattoos. We called on Saturday and were able to make an appointment for the same evening. We had a basic idea of what we wanted but the image needed a little editing. Nate did a great job re-designing the image. He was personable and his shop was very clean. He did a great job with all six of us, great art work, clean lines and pretty fast as well. Would highly recommend read more

I had a fantastic experience with Shannon. I called on my way home from work and Shannon squeezed me in for a a walk-in appointment. From the minute I stepped in Shannon was super personable, gave helpful advice, and made sure I was happy every step along the way. Even for such a simple job, Shannon was dedicated to making it a great experience and final product, showing real care for the person and the art. I'll definitely be back! read more

I cannot recommend The Forge Tattoo high enough! Everyone does exceptional work with such a positive attitude. Adam genuinely listens and works with me on my tattoo ideas, then brings each of them to life! He's remarkably fast, and his attention to detail is phenomenal. A tattoo that would take any other shop 5 hours to do was completed in less than 3 at The Forge Tattoo! I've received 2 tattoos here, and I already have a 3rd scheduled. I'll be coming back here again and again forever. Thanks guys! read more

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Initially met with the owner who told me he would design the tattoo- I followed up a week later per his instructions and nothing - was asked to follow up the following week, nothing- tried twice more over the next month and finally gave up. Seemed a bit unorthodox that they didn't ask or take a deposit but oh well it wasn't meant to be so I went elsewhere. I can't speak on behalf of the work as I never got that far. read more

This place is awesome! Low key but super professional. Both times I've been here I've been able to walk in and get exactly what I want. Emma did a phenomenal job on a yin yang that's perfectly delicate. Would absolutely recommend, especially if it's your first time. read more

The Forge Tattoo - Yin Yang - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

me and my friend came in for a walkin and had the best experiences with Shannon and Dustin! So kind and fun, fantastic vibe, Fleetwood Mac playing the whole time was an absolute plus. We're both super happy with our tattoos, overall wonderful time! read more

I got my very first tattoo this week and I was worried about a lot of things. This is something I will have for life, but Adam made me very comfortable about it and he did a stellar job. It's absolutely beautiful and I will treasure it forever. I will definitely recommend him if somebody is looking to have tattoos done. I'm extremely happy read more

Loved this place, amazing vibe the minute you walk in. Adam did my tattoo, he was patient, calm, funny, put me at ease, he listened to what I wanted, and he did an amazing job. The tat looks exactly like the original drawing and it's the perfect size for me. He played rad music which both calmed me down and rev'd my energy when I needed it. I'm already thinking of my next tattoo and will absolutely go here again. Why go anywhere else?! These guys rock. read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

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Amazing addition to the Fairfax community! From my first phone call with Josh, my consult with Adam, to my stellar tattoo experience with Nate....Great guys, great space, great work! Got my first two tattoos (ever) yesterday from Nate. We immediately hit it off and helped me feel at ease. He gave me exactly what I wanted, nice detail, clean lines, perfect size & fast. The vibe is easy, 0 pretense, space is clean, bright light, Led Zeppelin playin' it loud, large windows to look out and people watch or be people-watched from outside. Big love for this place! thanks y'all! read more

I loved my experience at the shop and had amazing art done by Adam on my forearm. The piece I had in mind meant so much to me and he brought it to life beautifully! great experience, will definitely be back! read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

This place is an absolute treasure. Located in the adorable downtown Fairfax, The Forge is bright, clean, and carries a stylish, subtle masculinity. You can tell the men who built, opened, and run this place put their love into the place. The waiting area is comfortable with an insanely awesome chess set to pass the time. The guys who run the establishment keep it a friendly, comfortable place with pleasant conversation and jazzy lounge music (a la Tom Waits). The barber is an excellent and unique addition. His chair is beautiful, and he's hilarious and very fun to speak with. Having watched him work, his skill with shaving is wonderful and he clearly enjoys what he does. The tattoo artists are the best I've ever worked with. Charming, funny, extremely talented and dedicated to their craft, I would never go anywhere else. Adam is my main guy, his detail in his work is phenomenal, and he can easily take your difficult-to-describe ideas and turn them into works of art. But I certainly wouldn't turn down Marcelo or Nate, they are very skilled. The front desk woman is friendly and clearly enjoys her work. It's very rare to find an insanely awesome tattoo parlor that isn't filled to the brim with smug assholes, but here it is! These guys couldn't be more opposite from assholes, and I will certainly continue bringing my business to them. You should too! read more

Awesome experience. Nate is a really nice guy with amazing skills. This was not my first tattoo, but this is a first class shop. He's easy to talk to and puts you at ease right away. Highly recommend!! read more

The Forge Tattoo - A Lotus Flower to match my Mom's. - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

Amazing experience, welcoming atmosphere, great vibe. These guys are awesome and professional on so many levels. Love my new piece. Adam is such a talented artist. read more

Got some work done by Marcello, phenomenal artist and very helpful throughout the whole process. Great group of guys, 10/10 would recommend to a friend! read more

I had to start an account just so I could write a review about this place. I came in today to get my first tattoo with Marcelo Diaz and he surpassed my expectations! He was incredibly informative, he did a wonderful job incorporating the things I wanted into a singular piece of art, and he did a beautiful job. It barely hurt and the lines are so precise. The Forge also just has a great vibe to it. Tattoo shops have a stigma of being intimidating places but I felt so comfortable. I also enjoyed reading the books that were provided while Marcelo was working on the design. I'm definitely keeping Marcelo from The Forge in mind for my next tattoo! Thank you! read more

Adam is THE best!! He has done 2 of my tattoos & done some work on my daughters that is absolutely beautiful!! The Marilyn tatt he did on my youngest daughter's shoulder is spot on & beautiful! The half sleeve of Alice In Wonderland characters he did on my girl's BFF is AMAZING! If you're looking for someone to do your ink, The Forge is the place! :) read more

The Forge Tattoo - My latest & greatest by Adam - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

Perfect spot for this shop! Great artists and nice people!

I had a fantastic experience at The Forge with Nate. It was easy to schedule an appointment, I received a call the day before confirming and going what I wanted to have done. This was my first tattoo and Nate took the time to explain to me the process and answer all of my questions. He gave clear aftercare instructions and went over the healing process with me (what to expect etc.). My tattoo was on my ribs and he was very thoughtful to put up screens which I greatly appreciated. Highly recommend to any person wanting to get a tattoo. The shop is really cool with great music and art. Love the result! read more