FAQs
RATES
Dre: $180 per hour | $1000 per day
Ludo: $200 per hour | $1200 per day
Niko: $180 per hour | $1000 per day
Stephens prices are individual to the piece - see more below*
Jo: $160 per hour | $800 per day
Sage: $200 per hour | $1000 per day
Day rates are only for long term projects consisting of at least 3, or more sessions.
We also have ‘flash’ designs for customers to choose from for a set price, they can be viewed in-store.
Our shop minimum is $150 no matter how small.
There are a lot of things to consider while pricing a tattoo such as size, placement, amount of detail, colour or black and grey etc. so the price can change depending on the design. So some pieces/designs have a set price which will vary, while others will be the hourly rate. Because of all these factors it’s not easy to give an accurate quote for a tattoo and will often be an estimated amount which can change on the day.
*STEPHEN’S HOURS & RATES:
Please note - these prices are approximate, feel free to contact Stephen for a more accurate quote.
Stephen works 11am - 6pm Monday to Friday.
Small hand/Wrist/Ear piece: $400-$500 | Wrist band: $400-$500
Anklet: $400-$500
Small to big Chest: $500-$1000
Upper back / Lower Back: $500-$1000 | Throat: $600-$1000
Full forearm wrap $1000
Full day: $1400
WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
For all tattoos, but especially larger works that will take more than an hour or two:
DO NOT get drunk or take drugs 24-48 hours before your appointment.
Your body will be going under a lot of stress so you need to be well rested. Alcohol will thin your blood making the tattoo and healing process more difficult.
Eat a good breakfast the morning of, avoid caffeine and energy drink as this can decrease your pain tolerance.
Bring snacks and a water bottle. We provide sugary snacks and drinks as well, keeping your sugars up helps provide energy for your body to get through the stress.
Leading up to the appointment day, it is very helpful to drink lots of water, regularly exfoliate the area you’re getting tattooed, and keeping it well moisturised. Preparing your skin this way makes tattooing the skin easier and can help to cause less trauma while also increasing your chances of a better heal as well.
Please shower the morning of your appointment.
Wear comfortable clothing with appropriate access to the tattoo area, tattooing can stain your clothes so be sure to not wear light colours or special items.
Tattoos hurt, but being well prepared and staying calm is your best bet for getting through it.
Enjoy!
HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR TATTOO
Please read the Aftercare page
NUMBING CREAM INFO
We do NOT provide numbing cream.
Over the counter numbing creams such as Emla, Tattoo Numbing Cream, TKTX, Dr.Numb etc, are mostly safe to use as they only have a concentration of 5% or less of active numbing ingredients - but there are many other ingredients specific to those brands that you should consider and read labels thoroughly to make sure they are safe for you.
Use of numbing cream is entirely up to you however if you’d like to use it, you must provide it and discuss this with your tattoo artist first. Usually you leave it on for at least 30 mins to a maximum of 1 hour prior to tattooing. It must not be kept on for longer as that could cause severe issues to the skin. We do not recommend use over a large area of the body (such as full legs, arms, chest, etc.) as this can become a health issue if the product is overused.
When it comes to stencilling, the numbing cream needs to be completely removed and the skin dried and free of any residue in order to apply a stencil, which means that the effectiveness of the numbing cream will be reduced from the moment the area is cleaned.
Numbing creams usually have a working time frame of about 2 hours, more or less, depending on the type that you use and your body’s specific metabolism of the product. You would get about 1.5 hours after stencil application which is only going to be effective for a small portion of the tattoo session. For larger projects it’s sometimes not worth it.
Professionally, we do not entirely recommend their use as they change the skin consistency, vascular constriction and texture which can hugely affect linework and healing. In addition, there are other more serious complications that need to be considered including reactions to the product such as chemical burns which is when the product applied has been left on for too long, has too much concentration of the active ingredient, or the consumer has a sensitivity. This can result in what looks like an infection during the healing process and will require antibiotics and or/topical treatments to heal. The healing process from this side-effect will often leave larger imperfections in the tattoo and scarring that will later need to be corrected and touched up when fully healed at the expense of the customer.
The biggest danger however, is for those with heart conditions who may be affected by the ingredients entering the bloodstream. So please be aware of these potential issues and if you have any doubts, we recommend you do not use them, or seek medical advice from your GP first.
DOES MY DEPOSIT EXPIRE?
Yes. You will require a new deposit if you leave it pending for over 3 months, or cancel/postpone with less than ONE WEEK’s notice.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I CAN’T MAKE IT?
You can postpone with more than ONE WEEK’s notice. Unless there are special, or urgent circumstances, we only allow you to postpone your appointment ONCE. Otherwise risk losing your deposit, and requiring a new one to book again.
CAN I BRING FRIENDS OR FAMILY TO MY APPOINTMENT?
Please, don’t. Each artist has their own preference, our studio is quite small so it can impact our work.
CAN I PAY FOR MY TATTOO IN INSTALMENTS?
No. A tattoo is a luxury item, and it should be a well earned treat for yourself. We would not want any of our clients, or ourselves to experience any financial trouble because of a tattoo.
DO YOU ACCEPT EFTPOS PAYMENTS?
For aftercare, gift vouchers and studio merchandise yes, we accept all Eftpos payments. Preferably only for smaller payments as there is a 2.5% surcharge.
The artists cannot take eftpos payments as you will need to pay them directly. They accept bank transfer and cash.
DO YOU SELL GIFT VOUCHERS?
Yes! Email us for details, or come in store to purchase.
HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE?
We can tattoo you at the age of 16, ONLY with your parent(s) or legal guardians permission and presence to sign a consent form. We require photo I.D from all parties, and may require a birth certificate or proof of guardianship.
You can come in by yourself from the age of 18 with I.D.
AFTERCARE PRODUCTS?
We recommend our aftercare products to everyone, why?
During your appointment your artist will rinse your tattoo with soap often, and apply a Vaseline-like balm. That helps the tattoo needle glide through while also moisturising your skin, to prevent as much trauma to the area as possible,
These products are Revive (balm) and Liquid Gold (soap). Originally formulated by tattooers for tattooers. Because they are so key to looking after your skin during the tattoo, why not after as well? They are handmade from all natural and organic ingredients, with no unnecessary extras. They are effective AND gentle on your tattoo, so they will minimise the chance of infection, itching and flaking when used as directed.
We hope you enjoy our products as much as we do!
CAN I STILL GET TATTOOED IF I’M PREGNANT OR IF I HAVE AN ILLNESS OR MEDICAL CONDITION?
We will not tattoo you if you are pregnant, currently nursing, have an illness, disability or medical condition which may affect the tattoo process such as blood diseases or heart conditions.
If you do have an illness, please discuss getting a tattoo with your doctor before coming to see us.
We reserve the right to refuse your tattoo if you are under the influence or behaving in a disrespectful or rude manner in the studio.
DO YOU TATTOO FACES / HANDS / NECKS?
Only under very specific circumstances.
We do NOT tattoo any faces.
The only exception here is Ta Moko, please speak to Stephen about that directly.
We do not tattoo front of necks, or hands unless you already have very exposed tattoos or it is a continuation of work.
We will not tattoo anyone in these areas under a certain age. We will take your career under consideration before agreeing as well.
Though times have changed, face, neck and hand tattoos are still attached to negative stigma, we take tattooing very seriously and do not want to cause anyone any strife in their future due to a tattoo. Work opportunities can decrease, and people will treat you differently throughout life once you have extremely visible tattoos. Always think about that thoroughly before committing to these placements.
You should have a large percentage of your body tattooed before considering your extremities, so that you’re experienced with the pain, healing and living as a tattooed person and can better understand the commitment.