I love this place. I've had 3 tattoos done here by Kris and he is amazing! They are very…read moreprofessional and patient. The artwork is phenomenal. Excellent work!

Me and my good friend were in Asheville and decided to get matching tattoos. We called around and…read morethis place was recommended to us so we said why not. We wanted to get the word hope with a watercolor background. The people were fantastic. Everyone was really nice and welcoming. The place was beyond clean. It was a little weird that they had someone dying hair right next to us but I'm not going to judge. I believe our tattoo artist name was Dan but I'm not 100% sure. He didn't give us a business card. But he had recently come back from not working there for awhile so his name was not on the website. He said he specializes in watercolor so I was on board. No this isn't my first watercolor tattoo so I know the process. He decided to use only two colors. When I got my other watercolor tattoo my artist used a wide range of colors to get the idea that the colors were mixed together. He decided instead of using a stencil for the water color piece he would draw it with watery ink and then tattoo a gray outline as to were the color should be. And that's done if you could cover it with colors but that didn't happen. When I got it I loved it! Now looking at it I'm seeing little imperfections that shouldn't be there. There are small dots that aren't filled in. The outline is showing which in my opinion ruins the effect. And the colors do not look blended they just look like one was placed over the other. Overall, the place was amazing and the people where nice but the tattoo falls short. I don't recommend this place for your tattoo.

I'm originally from AVL but live in New Orleans these days. After contacting Chris about an…read moreupcoming trip back home and a tattoo that I wanted to get while in town, he quickly got me scheduled and got started on the artwork with short notice. Then the snowstorm hit! We both got snowed in and couldn't make it in to the shop for the appointment. He reworked his schedule to make sure I could get in before my visit was over. On top of his flexibility, the man is a master of his craft and a damn fine artist. He had an amazing design that captured exactly what I wanted. He is fast and efficient with your time and has Netflix, if you're so inclined, to watch while he works (I suggest a nature documentary if you're into it. Leads to fun dialogue.) This tattoo is beautiful and one of my favorites. I highly recommend this shop. Couldn't be happier and I will definitely go to him again when I get back up to my mountains!

BEWARE: Permanent scarring and severe infections…read more I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience permanently altered my body and warrants warning others. Background: This was my first time in a tattoo shop in nearly ten years. I came in seeking blast-overs to cover older work. Evan Evol assured me he was capable of doing extensive blast-overs, and believing I might not find another artist willing to take on the project, I agreed. I paid approximately $1,200 for the first two blast-overs on either arm and another 1,200 for the third. Medical complications: Both tattoos became severely infected, requiring treatment at urgent care and a course of antibiotics. At the time, I assumed the infections were my fault. Evan instructed me to keep the tattoos wrapped in plastic for 48 hours, changing the wrap periodically. I have since been informed by another licensed tattoo shop that this practice can create a breeding ground for bacteria. Further damage: About a month ago, I returned for a small blast-over, again believing Evan was my only option. Instead of addressing the specific area discussed, he tattooed over existing professional work in a way that was stylistically incoherent and destructive. The result is chaotic and permanently damaging. For a second session on the same tattoo, Evan tattooed over skin that had not fully healed. He was extremely heavy-handed and used what appeared to be a liner needle for solid black work, resulting in extensive scarring from shoulder to elbow. This tattoo also became infected--despite my following his aftercare instructions exactly. I am now out an additional $1,200 and left with significant scar tissue. Professional assessment: An experienced tattoo professional has informed me that: * I am irreparably scarred as a result of this work * Even a full corrective blackout on my upper arm will not fully conceal the scarring Shop response: I contacted the shop privately requesting a refund so I could pursue corrective work elsewhere. Instead, the owner, Danny Reed, accused me of extortion simply for requesting my money back. Danny offered to "fix" the work himself, despite specializing in traditional color tattoos rather than heavy blackwork. I declined. He insisted that I come into the shop to resolve the issue, which I refused because: 1. His emails became increasingly accusatory 2. I was uncomfortable meeting in person and losing the paper trail of written communication I have since reported the shop to the state regarding the infections and scarring and am continuing medical follow-up. Impact: This experience has been physically, financially, and psychologically traumatic. I spent over $2,400, will need to spend thousands more on corrective work, and will live with the consequences for months--if not permanently. It has significantly impacted my ability to feel safe and comfortable in my own skin. Additionally, the shop environment was deeply uncomfortable. I heard staff use the word "mongoloid." I was blamed for poor healing, despite medical evidence to the contrary. As a woman with PTSD, I struggled to verbalize my discomfort, and my concerns were minimized rather than respected. Final note: I did not want to make this public. However, Hot Stuff Tattoo has refused to take accountability or offer a reasonable resolution. If you are looking for a reputable tattoo shop in Asheville, I strongly recommend going elsewhere.

I met with Evan and described what I wanted. He provided several drawings, all of which were…read moreexcellent, for me to choose from. The colors are vivid, exactly what i wanted. I would definitely return for additional tattoos!

Jeff was absolutely incredible. Best tattoo experience I've ever had as someone who has 20+…read moretattoos. Kind, quick, professional, and truly experienced. My tattoo barely had any ink deposits under the Saran Wrap with minimal bleeding which is rare for me. Yet after it's healed, it still looks just as bold. The scabbing was so thin- couldn't believe how perfectly he did it. Deep enough to catch ink but not so deep that it created thick scabs. Truly am blown away. Will be coming back again and again. Thanks again man!

I had a really great experience here recently. As I was visiting Asheville, I wanted to get a…read moretattoo and started google-researching local shops that take walk-ins. I came across Seven Swords and when I went to their website, I was really impressed with artwork by several artists. I called the night ahead to see if 'Z' had any openings the next day, and he did. I was thrilled to walk in the next day and look through his huge portfolio of decorative designs. I picked one out that I loved, and then he worked with me to make some alterations as well. He had a great attitude and was fun to work with. I'll admit that I was cynical about going to a tattoo shop that only employs men, but the vibes were super good and inviting, and funny, and I had a great time. I absolutely love my tattoo and the price was good.

Amanda is amazing! I…read morerecently had my eyebrows microbladed by Amanda and the entire experience with her and Rising Sparrow Tattoo Studio have been great. I found Amanda on Instagram somehow, started following her and very quickly made an appointment to get my eyebrows done. For those of you who don't know what microblading is, it is basically having thing lines cut into your skin under/around your eyebrows and ink is rubbed into them. It is basically a sort of tattoo of extra hairs to make your eyebrows look more shaped or darker. My whole life my eyebrows have been so blonde that they're basically see-through and ever since I learned of microblading I wanted to get it done. Amanda was the perfect person to go to for this! Microblading tends to take two sessions to get the right color and texture. During our first session, Amanda took her time to draw on the right size/shape eyebrows for my face before beginning the microblading process. This took a few tries, but I was in no hurry as this is my face we're talking about. Once she found/created a shape she liked and I agreed, she got started. In many of the videos I'd watched to prepare myself for the process, the canvas (person getting tattooed) has their eyebrows numbed first, whereas Amanda did not do this. I was a bit shocked at first but she told me that the numbing cream has to sit on the skin for about 20-30 minutes before we can get started and she'd be happy to do that if I wanted. That's awesome but I chose to just get the process started without being numbed. I'll admit, the microblading does hurt a bit but not nearly as bad as a tattoo. It's just off because of the place. It actually made me sneeze a lot. The healing process is pretty much the same as a tattoo and is pretty quick and easy to take care of. During my second session, we were able to get started really quickly without a template or drawing on the design. We opted for a darker color the second time to bring the color out even more. This second session went by pretty quickly and my eyebrows look awesome. On top of all of this, Amanda is a really cool person. Really professional, clean, etc but also fun to chat with. I will definitely go back to her if I need a touch up and I suggest everyone else to go to her too!

Let preface this by saying great work and experience for the most part. I initiated my sleeve with…read morePatrick and knocked the first appt out of the park. Very talented artist. However when coming back for second appt he canceled 45 minutes before appt. Understand life happens let it slide decided being frustrated. Mind you, I drove 4.5 hours from Greenville, NC. Rescheduled came in few months later finished my sleeve. One year later scheduled my free touch up, says "I just put you down" cancels again this time 3 hours before. Stating he "forgot" I was scheduled despite texting him the day before saying I was looking forward to the appt reminding him after "scheduling" 2.5 months prior. Maybe if you're local to Asheville better luck to you. Just my experience.

This is an amazing place to get a tattoo or piercing from matt the owner is absolutely wonderful…read more Tattoo takes very good care of all of his clients and there's also JD and Molly and Jacob up there. Who all do amazing work highly recommend this tattoo studio for anyone looking to get some work done.

A GREAT TATTOO EXPERIENCE!…read more I came in with a friend for a walk-in. We both were able to get tattoos on an early Friday afternoon without waiting. We were assigned tattoo artists based on how their style fit what we wanted. I was tattooed by "Pickle" and it was great. He did a great job and I felt comfortable here. Staff was all very friendly, we had some conversations about Star Wars with the staff and another gal that was being tattooed at the same time as us. I'll definitely be back to get more tattoos from Pickle, I liked this shop a lot.

My husband and I got matching tattoos for our anniversary with Brooke. He was awesome and they…read morecame out great! Everyone else in the shop seemed kind and knowledgeable as well. Already planning to return.

I love my tattoo. Elle is awesome. Such a great artist. I texted her a few ideas of what I was…read morelooking for and she came up with great design. She was super accommodating getting me in last minute and making herself available. She was patient and very pleasant / fun to talk too. Her attention to detail is impeccable. I would not hesitate getting another tattoo with her when I'm back in Asheville.

I've gotten two piercing jobs performed by Krystal and I couldn't be more happy. She gives simple…read moreaftercare instructions that anyone can follow. I had my belly button pierced for the third time in Sept 2017 and this time it finally healed correctly because she gave me proper aftercare instructions. I got my nipples pierced in Feb 2020 and I love them. They're healing well and there's no pain at all. I highly recommend her for anyone who is getting their first piercing or their fifth.