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

Good guys! They walk the fine line of cool, but not too cool for school. I have had Adam add to an on going project on my arm a couple times now. I like his work, but more importantly I like him as a person. I would definitely recommend the shop! read more

I could not be more pleased with my tattoo, and the experience. The shop was clean, and comfortable. I plan to get each of my next tattoos from The Forge! read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo done by Nate Gonzalez at The Forge. - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

I had a wonderful experience with Marcelo at The Forge. He was warm and down to earth and spent time getting my design exactly right. He did beautiful work and the price was reasonable. I will definitely be coming back to the shop for further work. read more

Adam Roach is one of the most talented artists I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. The most beautiful piece on my body is the shoulder tattoo that Adam created. I still get comments all the time about how gorgeous it is and how vibrant the colors are, and it's been well over a year since it's been finished! Adam is a blast to be around! He made the process a breeze and I felt super comfortable with him. The new shop is conveniently located in downtown Fairfax right across the street from a large parking lot and it's beautiful, welcoming, and super clean. I can't say enough great things about Adam and The Forge Tattoo shop. Definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a quality tattoo. read more

If I could leave these guys 10 stars I would. Both times I've been in have been the best experiences I've had at a tattoo shop. Everyone at Forge is super nice and chill, crazy talented, and totally willing to work with you to make sure you have the best experience possible. The shop owners have a ton of experience, you'll realize right away you're in good hands. I couldn't be happier with the work Adam did for me and will definitely be back. Thanks Forge! read more

I called ahead and was able to get in the same day for a small tattoo. This was my first ever tattoo so I was really nervous but Nate made lots of conversation to keep my mind off it. He resized my design and helped me decide the perfect size and placement. Overall great experience! Very happy with the result. read more

I am so angry. There are so many issues I have with this shop. Let me start with the positives and then explain why you should proceed with caution if you decide to get a tattoo from The Forge. I got my first tattoo by Marcelo he was wonderful and funny. I felt comfortable telling him to re size and re stencil my tattoo till it was perfect and he reassured me he wanted me to be happy. If you are going to be tattooed by anyone I would ask for him. I got my second tattoo by the owner. I have to admit that the work is good, lines clean and color bright but he had horrible tattoo etiquette. I am a younger woman and I wonder if part of the way he treated me was due to sexism. First of all I came on my scheduled appointment and he took about 30 minutes to even start. I understand that art takes time but I felt that he could have predicated the timing better. I had previously scheduled three tattoos. One for my mom, and two for me. The man on the phone assured me I would have three hours and that would be plenty of time to finish all of them (as two of them were somewhat small). Adam (the owner) was rude and talked down to me about the sizing and logistics of my tattoos. I am no expert but I'm not an idiot either. I asked if I could see a size reference or stencil and he informed me i had to "commit to the tattoo" before he printed it out. He seemed like the kind of artist who would ignore what his customer wanted in order to create his own vision. This appointment was scheduled three weeks in advance as I was informed that was the earliest he could do. I saw multiple people walking in and making appointments that same day. I was informed I would likely only have time for one tattoo (and my mom's tattoo) because the owner "had a life and kids" and had to leave at 4pm. This is so unprofessional. He called me endearing names like "sweetie" or "sweetheart" which made me uncomfortable. I felt this was belittling to me as a younger woman. While he was finishing my tattoo he scheduled an appointment that same day at 3 pm right in front of me. He scheduled random walk ins and tattoo them THAT SAME DAY instead of finishing the second tattoo I had scheduled weeks in advance(this tattoo was also much smaller and would've taken 20-30 min at max). I asked him to schedule me ASAP to finish my second tattoo. He told me to come at 11 on a Thursday. He never showed up. The shop was closed. Chairs still stacked on the tables and no lights on. I waited for 20 minutes and no one ever came. The worst part is I predicted this might happen due to the flakiness I observed prior. I wanted to get a simple black tattoo that represented women empowerment. I now realize that getting this tattoo at The Forge would be completely ironic since during my time there all I felt was aggression and sexism. The owner is unprofessional and rude. I will never go to this place again! read more

Nate was great - casual and professional. I provided some guidance and some artistic liberty. Nate delivered better than anything I saw on the Internet. 5 Stars for Nate, 4 Stars due to location and logistics. Make the trip. read more

Can't say enough good things about these guys! Friendly vibe, clean and professional approach, hugely talented artists, great location in the middle of town. I went on opening day and got a tattoo from Marcelo, who was the fastest, most sure-handed artist I've had the pleasure of working with, which made the whole experience as pain-free as possible. Adam, Nate, Marcelo and I are already designing my next piece, and they have been very helpful in guiding me toward a design that will remain clear and vibrant over the coming years. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! They also have a proper, old-school, straight razor slingin' barber giving out hair cuts and shaves. I just got the full treatment this morning and I was very impressed. TL;DR - everyone here kicks ass at everything they do. Six stars. read more

Marcelo is amazing! I went to him for my first tattoo and have gone back to him nearly every time. He makes you feel comfortable and is an amazing artist who takes my basic ideas and turns them into beautiful pieces. Everyone in the shop is interesting and nice, highly recommend this place. read more

one would think if they had an appointment that they could arrive and get the ink. However, that was not the case here. Could be good people, but very unreliable. read more

Wonderful experience at The Forge, from the first call, to the consultation, to the tattoo. I don't tattoo lightly! I've been imagining this one for four years and wanted a place that would really listen. Nate was my artist. Healing has been easy and pain-free. I'm almost fifty and felt totally comfortable with the guys. Get yourself and your design to The Forge! read more

The Forge Tattoo - Tattoo Near Me - Fairfax, California

adam did an amazing job on my first ever tattoo! super sweet and funny, and exactly what i wanted. highly recommend this place!

I got my first tattoo today with Nate at The Forge. Right from setting up the appointment to meeting for the first consult to finally getting the tattoo done...Nate was professional, approachable, friendly, and set my mind at ease. The parlor was clean and airy. The experience was easy and I left with a tattoo that was exactly how I had wanted it. I couldn't recommend him and The Forge enough. Thank you, Nate, for making my first experience such a positive and pleasant one. :) read more

I've been to a number of tattoo shops all over the world. When I first found Adam at a shop in San Rafael, he did an amazing memorial, very personal tattoo on my calf. That was about 4 years ago and the tattoo still looks better then ever. Now he and his business partner have moved to the forge tattoo shop and this place is remarkable. Very clean, organized and well put together. Great environment with good tunes and art and the walls. I still get work done by Adam, as well as my wife. I don't think I will ever go anywhere else now. He's that good. You will not regret your trip to forge tattoo, whether it's your first tat or 50th. Great work guys read more

Every one at The Forge is a great artist and willing to work with any customer. Nate spent a lot of time on my piece and is a great guy, as are all of the people who work there. From their barber Phill to the girl behinds the desk, they're all A1 material and what Marin County needs from a tattoo parlor. read more

I was a call-in/walk-in, needed some touch-up work on my Pokemon 1/2 sleeve. I got paired with Marcelo and he is just friggin great. He knew the style and suggested to thicken the outlines and holy hell it looks a billion times better! Just from outlining! Crazy cool. His linework is super steady and smooth, his tattooing is gentle, and he's a great guy to hang out and talk with while he's working on you. I've been around the block in Marin tattoo shops and I've found my new favorite artist here. The shop itself is great, too. The apprentice guy is super sweet and welcoming, the shop is open and airy, chill AF music (no heavy metal here!!!), clean and sterile, and the big windows make you feel like you're in a big ol' fish bowl which is super fun (especially when the shocked older residents walk by unassumingly ;) read more

In the process of getting a lower leg sleeve done in black and grey. Couldn't be happier with the work. Top notch artistry by good hearted, genuine people. Love the vibe and lack of pretentiousness at the shop. Definitely NOT your stereotypical tattoo shop. Much more of a zen, chilled out vibe happenening. The entire staff is courteous and attentive. Check em out! read more

Before I got my first tattoo I checked Yelp and called around, Glad I did because I found Adam at Forge! Adam was great to work with -- explained what to expect, developed a great design and then created a beautiful tattoo. Adam has since added to my collection and I couldn't be happier. read more

Great experience at The Forge Tattoo. I was a bit nervous about getting my first tattoo, but Nate was friendly and made me feel at ease. He's also a talented artist. I am really, really happy with the result. read more

Got my first tattoo with Adam before he opened up the Forge. Years later I ran into him and he remembered me! Great guy that does a great job. Can't recommend him enough. read more

I couldn't be happier with my experience at The Forge! I've had a number of tattoos done over the years, at a variety of shops - and am so glad there is finally a shop in Marin that feels welcoming, down to earth, and accommodating. Nate listened thoroughly to my idea, and gave helpful suggestions to modify the design I had chosen. He was also incredibly honest about what was, and was not, realistic. I will absolutely be back to get more work done here, and strongly recommend The Forge to anyone looking to get a tattoo! read more

I live in San Anselmo and when my nieces from the mid-west came for a visit they said they wanted to get matching tattoos, so we checked out The Forge in Fairfax. Great place, Nate and Adam the owners were hilarious and professional with a clean organized shop. They even put up with my nieces singing camp songs to cool their nerves! (first tattoo for one of them). Nate did both tattoos and they turned out beautifully. Both young ladies were thrilled to "take a piece" of CA with them back to IL. read more