Pinto's skill as an artist and craftsmanship as a tattooist speak volumes for itself when viewing his work. I was truly impressed by the amount of time and consideration that Pinto gave my tattoo. He took my design and personalized it for me and added his own unique artist style. Because of his years of experience and understanding of the human anatomy his suggestions regarding the size and placement of my arm piece were spot on, and made all the difference in the world on the finished ink. The "Thick as Thieves" shop is everything you'd want in a tattoo shop, clean, bright, good music, conversation, and interesting characters. You can tell everyone in there is passionate about what they do. I've been to 3 shops in the Denver area, and I would say that Pinto's shop most embodies what I would want in a shop. The experience of getting the ink is nearly as important as the piece itself to me... As to the negative comments made regarding the sub-par health conditions in the shop; nothing could be farther from the truth. I have over 18 years of professional experience in the environmental health and safety industry. In the time that I spent in the shop I saw nothing that would I call unhygienic. Very much the opposite, as you would expect gloves were changed often, I watched Pinto clean and sterilize the entire work area before and after my tattoo. All the tooling that came in contact with my skin was opened just prior to beginning the Work. Because of the nature of Work (tattooing) involves contact with bodily fluids, needles, ink.....etc... It was very important for me to see Pinto, sterilize the working areas, cover EVERYTHING in plastic, then set up all inks and other materials for my tattoo on a clean sterile work area. Pinto runs a great shop and would never hesitate to recommend it to anyone, can't wait to be back read more

This review is long overdue. Thick as Thieves Tattoo is absolutely wonderful. In May 2011, I was thinking about getting my first tattoo and had already done research on how they're done, possible complications, and how to spot good and bad shops. I'd been thinking about my design for a while, but I'm no artist, so while I knew the content of my tattoo, I didn't have an exact design laid out. I visited the shop just to see what it was like and met the owner, Mike Pinto. He gave me absolutely no pressure. He made sure this was something that I wanted and gave me tips on design - like font size, how close the lines should be, etc. He also encouraged me to look at the artists' books to see if there was a style that I preferred. A few days later, my artist ended up being Ray Wallace (who is no longer there, I think) and the experience all-around was excellent. The shop was clean and sterile and the customer service was incredible. They made every effort to make me feel comfortable and confident in their abilities. I love my tattoo to this very day and get compliments on it every time I show it off. I would not hesitate to return for my second (once I know what I want). Even though my experience was almost 2 years ago, I can't imagine it's changed too much. read more

GREAT ART, terrible service. Thick as thieves is far less then up to health codes im sure. the owner (Mike pinto)smokes in shop while customers are not present, hardly ever washes hes apron so who knows how many other peoples gunk is on it, show up for your appointment and you wont start til at least an hour-3hours later. Sets up his machine without gloves and I have even come across pictures of him tattooing and getting tattooed himself without gloves at all(EWW RETARDS) when traveling. He is too big headed to take suggestions for your OWN tattoo and "attitude free" is far from the truth. You are lucky and rare if you can walk out of there without him saying something totally unnecessarily rude to your face. If you want talent and know what a good tattoo is you can go here, but be prepared to bite your tongue and possibly get infected. Probably better off catching him at a convention. If you want something simple any monkey in a " tattoo shop" can do, do your homework and look for a CLEAN shop. you would think a man who have been is the business for 10plus years would take pride is serialization and health of his sh*t. Big heads, bad business. Google it and I am sure you can read on about His work ethics and him period. read more

This shop is dirt. The artists are scummy low lives who create the most overdone unoriginal tattoos. Immediately after I stepped foot in this shop I felt like I needed a shower. The artists are so pretentious it's not even ironically laughable. It's not only their work that is abysmal it's their overall crappy demeanor that make these guys the biggest assholes I have ever met. Oh, and by the way I appreciate not getting tattooed by someone who smells like they jumped in a pool filled with vomit and crap. The fact that I didn't even get close enough to get tattooed at this dump should be a good indicator of how bad they stunk. If you get tattooed at this shop you will sincerely regret that decision. Be smart and get a quality tattoo. I am not even your average disgruntled consumer who gives bad reviews and loves to trash talk any establishment I walk into either. This is the first bad review I have ever given and in my opinion it is a well deserved one. read more

I love this shop. They are super chill and fun. Mike Pinto is currently working on my cover-up piece which looks amazing even though it isn't done yet. His artwork is amazing, you give him an idea of what you want and he transforms it into a piece of living art. I mean, isn't that why you get a tattoo in the first place. The shop is clean and I don't know what the "anonymous" person is talking about. Thick as Thieves is very welcoming and they don't make you feel out of place or like some jackass that is getting a stupid tattoo. If you want to pay some jack ass at a shiny new shop to do mediocre art work on your body you will probably be finding someone to fix it later and end up at Thick As Thieves. So do it right the first time and go where you can find great artists. read more

Amazing shop! Talented dudes! Michael Martinez has done all of my pieces so far and I will absoutly be coming back for more. He is super easy to talk to and has great attention to detail. He helped me turn my good idea into an outstanding one of kind head turning timeless tattoo. Martinez is also very lighthanded and has a sick shoe game. Michael Pinto is a humble dude who wears a ton of different hats. He is brilliant and definatly knows how to deliver. The shop is covered with flash from top to bottom, and is very clean. The shop has a very welcoming laid back classic feel. If your peeping around for your first, second, or sixth tattoo I highly recommend it! read more

Thick As Thieves has some talented artists, but do not go to this guy Michael Martinez or if that's even how you spell his name. Covered in terrible face tattoos, he is a terrible artist. He will ruin your tattoo with bad shading, and curvy lines. He also has one of the worst attitudes you'll find in the tattoo business. You should AVOID going to him, unless you want a terrible tattoo from a really shitty guy. He is not worth any of your money or time. I went in a couple weeks ago to try and set something up but he was completely rude and really useless. He's one of the worst I've seen in Denver and I have gone to many places for my sleeves. read more

Pinto and everybody at that shop have worked hard and have spent countless hours perfecting the craft that is tattooing. I can say myself as another artist from a different shop that he is a master of his craft. He may speak bluntly but thats only because he knows what he is doing and for somebody to slander his name and credentials over something so miniscule just makes them the fool themselves. Pinto and company have and will continue to bring true american, japenese, west coast and realism tattooing into the future. Kick rocks if your sensitive. This is our lifestyle and its not for the timid read more

Michael Martinez is such a badass when it comes to tattoos! He is an amazing artist and it definately shows in his work. He is the only person I've ever let tattoo me because i trust him and his opinion. Plus he can create beautiful pieces of art that i LOVE! He will talk with you to make sure what he is tattooing is exactly what you want and how you want it. He will give you his creative opinion and lots of times his ideas make the tattoo you wanted end up being even BETTER than you ever would have thought. I recommend him to everyone I know and to anyone who would like to get an awesome tat. read more

I originally came to this shop because a friend of mine got her tattoos done by Michael Martinez and i was blown away by the intricate shading and details on his work. Then, when i showed up, I was met by the owner of the shop, Mike Pinto, and after speaking with him for a while and reviewing his work I decided to go with him as my artist. Suffice it to say i am not disappointed. The texture and "pop" he gives to his tattoos is insane. Now my tattoos are the envy of all my friends and at the gym people ask me where i got my work done. These guys are talented! read more

I got a tattoo by the amazingly talented Michael Martinez and absolutely love him and the tattoo. The atmosphere is relaxed and artsy while the staff is friendly and entertaining. Michael was very professional, talented, knew exactly what I wanted on the first try. Since I've gotten my biggest, most beautiful tattoo there, he has tattooed my mom and sisters! MICHAEL MARTINEZ IS MY TATTOO ARTIST AND IS BECOMING EVERYONE'S I KNOW. If you want the perfect tattoo from the perfect tattooer- go to him :) read more

Best tattoo shop in Denver. If you want an authentic old school tattoo shop experience this is the place to go. The artists are talented, the owner is OG, beautiful shop right in the heart of Colfax. While little tattoos are cool, If you want a tattoo that will wow the crowd, save a big piece of real estate on your body, stack your skrilla and then check out the artists portfolios. If you like their work, you'll like what they do for you!! Mike Pinto's back pieces are some of my favorites. :. !! read more

Even though I spent many years in the US Navy, I never got any tattoos. I decided to get one and had Scott Ferguson do it for me. Scott was hands down an excellent artist. The tattoo had a lot of very fine line work and took 3 hours. Very pleasant experience and I will go back to him for the next one. I waited several weeks to do a review in order to see what the tattoo looked like after it was completely healed etc. I am as pleased with it as when I walked out the door. NO buyers' remorse. read more

I've been getting tattooed by Scotty for almost 6 years now and he keeps getting better and better. We've done my entire leg and other areas too. I give a general idea and he pumps out a master piece every time. Guys at the shop are cool, clean, and make the whole experience a lot of fun. I'm coming down from Anchorage Alaska to get more work from Scotty soon, it's worth the trip. I've brought several friends to get tattooed here and if your smart you will too. Enjoy read more

I had cover up work done by Mike a couple months ago and it's the best work I've ever had done... I get compliments from everyone who see's my tattoo. The quality of the work is awesome and the prices are unbeatable. I can say these guys at this shop are on top of their game; they know what their talking about when it comes to their work. They are professional and personable and most importantly clean. I'll never go anywhere else for work... Mike is the best! read more

I have been getting tattooed by the owner Mike Pinto for over 8yrs now, he is one of the few tattoo artist in Denver that I will get tattooed by. He is an incredible artist in all forms! The shop is always very clean, comfortable, always a great time when I'm in there, an I always walkout very happy with the work I've received, I have an always will refer anyone who is looking for awesome custom tattoos to Mike and anyone @ his shop, they all rock!!! read more

I wanted a tattoo on my last trip to Denver and met a man with an amazing elephant on his arm and told me to come here to Thick as Thieves. I called in for a same day tattoo and they were totally great in helping me design the tattoo I wanted. Mike Pinto was my artist and gave me probably one of the most beautiful tattoos I've ever seen. I couldn't have asked for more. He gave me a good price and I would go back there for more work any day. read more

I had an idea for a tattoo for my parents, but I have no artistic ability. I needed an artist to work with me and draw something awesome. I met with Mike he understood what I wanted drew it up right then. Mike got me in his chair later on in the day and the tattoo came out great. Everyone in the shop was nice, fun and welcoming. I love my tattoo and will defiantly be back for more. Mike if you read this, THANKS SO MUCH! I LOVE MY TATTOO! read more

I flew from mass to go on a ski trip to Denver with a few friends. I wanted something to remember my experience so I was told by some locals about this amazing tattoo shop called thick as thieves. I didn't know what I wanted to get for my first tattoo so mr martinez helped me decide something that I was comfortable with. All in all the shop was awesome and the artist did an amazing job and now I have something to remember my vacation. read more