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Church of Steel
Categories: Beauty and Spas Tattoo Beauty and Spas Piercing Tattoo, Piercing [Edit]
750 Broadway(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 232-5752
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 12 pm - 9 pm
Sun 1 pm - 8 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- By Appointment Only:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
32 reviews for Church of Steel
32 reviews in English
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Review from Chase S.
9/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm super non-spontaneous. I live and die by my calendar but San Diego brought out another side of me and without warning I found myself in Church of Steel adding a few more decorations to my ear.
Evan was awesome. Super nice, accommodating, and very intelligent about piercing without being condescending - which isn't always the case in many studios. I ended up getting a tragus and rook piercing which I'm very happy with and is healing nicely although the pain is worse than I thought it would be.
There are actually several more piercings I want and I'm thinking of waiting until my next trip so I can have them done by Evan. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone.
peace, love, and good booze ~ chaseListed in: San Diego'ish
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Review from Joey A.
Cerritos, CA
1/6/2012
By far the best piercing experience of my life. I've been to a few places before this one, who were reputable. Sure they did my piercings well, but I always felt extremely uncomfortable at those places. Never felt welcome, and I always felt the piercer looked annoyed or had an ego. This place not only was reputable, the facilities looked impeccable, inviting, and best of all, Evan was amazing! I went with my friend for a spontaneous piercing on New Year's Eve, and Evan was extremely patient, knowledgeable, and put us at ease. He explained the procedure and aftercare very well, and told us that we could contact him if we needed to at all. It ended up that I needed to call him twice because I had some questions about bleeding or infection, but he was extremely helpful, and genuinely cared to let me know what I should do. I have no issues now with my piercing, and I would drive all the way to San Diego the next one I get. This is the BEST place to go. Evan knows what he is doing, and gives super service!
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Review from Roseanne P.
Orlando, FL
7/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
My friend and I came here a week ago to get our nipples pierced, we chose this location solely on yelp reviews, and I'm really glad we did. For both nipples it was $100, but we received 10% for mentioning an add on Yelp. They use internal threading, which is easier, and safer to remove.
Evan was great. He knew exactly what he was doing, and made both of us feel very comfortable, He answered all our questions with ease, and talked us through the piercing process. My friend even called him a day later to ask him about what salt to buy for cleaning our piercings, since we forgot our papers at the hotel, and he was super nice, and didn't seem bothered at all. Its been a week, and i haven't had any problems with my piercings so far, and very minimal pain or discomfort. I highly recommend Church Of Steel and Evan. -
Review from Jae C.
San Diego, CA
1/15/2011
I got my mid-helix pierced at an unprofessional jewelry store and it quickly got infected. Thus I walked into church of steel to get it taken out.
my ear was SO red and swollen, you couldn't even see the piercing in my ear.. so at the time, i was a bit irritated and nervous.
I was helped by an intimidating-looking, but VERY kind man. He handed me over to another employee who explained to me all the dangers of getting pierced by an unprofessional. He took out the hidden piercing and disinfected the surrounding area and told me to come by in about a month for a new piercing.
He was very professional with how he handled everything. however he was a little insensitive about my slight fear of needles..
but overall, he was very professional and now my ear is back to normal.
I am planning on going back to get my mid-helix re-pierced. -
Review from Shradha A.
Chicago, IL
4/18/2011
I'll probably end up updating this review in a few days as my new piercing settles in but my experience getting a nose piercing done with Evan was absolutely something to Yelp home about!
Having wanted a nose piercing for a while, I was just not ready for the pain or the needle, but Evan really put me to ease and his careful approach made me comfortable with the idea that he'll do the best he could to minimize the pain and as well as any chances of anything going wrong.
Everything he used/ did was clean/ patient/ comfortable. Whether it was me choosing the nose stud I wanted and not deciding on color for 10 minutes or cleaning up the non-stop blood flow after the piercing was done. -
Review from Phoenix R.
San Diego, CA
2/13/2011
When I was 17 I had a tattoo done by a family friend. I am a musician so naturally, I wanted to get a treble clef. I asked if I should pull up some pictures for him but he assured me that he knew exactly what a treble clef looked like so I went ahead and let him tattoo me.
As I'm sure you all can figure out how that turned out...
A few years later I was with a friend and I stopped into the shop so she could talk to Evan about the piercing she just got. It was irritating her so she thought she may be allergic to the metal she was pierced with. That's a different story but she left extremely happy as well...
I ended up talking to Cully about how much I hated my tattoo. 20 minutes later I was in a chair and he was tattooing a beautiful phoenix right over the shitty treble clef. About 3 hours later and a little negotiating, we worked out an excellent price and I left with a gorgeous piece of art that I absolutly love.
I recommend this place to every person who ever even mentions the word tattoo. Their shop is clean and inviting and the artists are amazing.
I definitely plan to go back for any future tattoos!! -
Review from Vikki C.
Murrieta, CA
7/27/2011 1 photo
This place is clean as a whistle! The staff are informed and experienced with lots of real real talent. I accompanied my husband to get a new tattoo and was very tempted to loose my skin-ginity! My husband got a cover-up tattoo and it turned out great! Our daughter had a cartilage piercing that wouldn't come out so while we were there Evan offered to straighten it out and she said it didn't even hurt! We had been trying for a week to gingerly remove the backing and she'd scream every time. Praises to Evan for a pain free removal. We love this place and WILL be back.... even though we do live an hour and a half away!
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Review from Jan M.
San Diego, CA
7/23/2010
I am writing a rating for Evan, the piercing expert. The shop is OK, most of the other employees were friendly enough but i didn't get any tattoos at the shop therefore i will hold off on reviewing that portion of the business.
First of all Evan is very good at putting you at ease. (My wife was very nervous about getting two micro-dermal implants, but Evan was very calm and took the extra time to explain everything and answer any questions before he started. Also the piercing room was very clean, impressively clean and it provides kind of a sanctuary that is very calming.
*** I give them extra props because through no fault of ours one of the implants popped out, so we went back to see Evan. He charged us nothing to take the implant out, and after the area heals he will also put it back in free of charge. ***
I wont go any other place to get pierced, -
Review from Madison B.
San Diego, CA
9/6/2009 ROTD 8/12/2010
I came in a few weeks ago, scouting new tattoo artists. Looked through a few books, and was pretty impressed for the type of work I was looking to get done.
It was early afternoon, and with no one in the shop, I asked Lance about a possible tattoo, and pricing, and half an hour later I was seated and ready to go.
I hadn't planned on getting anything done that day, so I was super stoked on my semi-spur of the moment tattoo.
The shop is extremely clean, and the other artists are equally great with their work. Lance did a great job with my piece, it was priced extremely well and the experience wasn't as nerve wracking as many can be.
Overall a great place if you're looking for a tattoo or piercing.Listed in: Downtown Livin
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Review from Adrienne S.
Seattle, WA
2/10/2007
Wow. Art, the owner, has been piercing in San Diego for over twenty years, which shows in his complete professionalism and nature. The shop was extremely clean, well lit, and the piercing room was full of photos of interesting tribal piercings that make a simple jewelry change, in my case, minimal.
I would HIGHLY suggest Church of Steel for beginners who are very nervous with piercings and need assurance. Art was extremely detailed in the aftercare of the piercing, answered questions well, and explained what he was doing and why the whole time. Amazing. Just amazing service.
No way in hell am I considering piercing any other part of my body, but if I wanted to get it done somewhere clean and professional, I'd go here. -
Review from J Maury H.
Portland, OR
6/14/2007
I chauffeured my lady here last weekend for a nose piercing after hearing a great recommendation from a moderately pierced friend. She said the guys are heavily versed in piercing and will usually be able to tell you the healing times for the piercing as well as their personal opinions on look and feel.
We waited until about a half hour before the shop closed to get in there, but the guys were more than happy to fit her in. It took all of about 10 minutes to pick out the stud and have the room prepped. While the drop ceiling and halogen lights set off an office space vibe, the staff is completely comforting and knows their shit. Although when you're talking to someone who has cheek piercings, I don't think there's much left to question.
To keep it short the piercing lasted all of about 15 minutes, of which most was nervous chatter from my girl, and went off smoothly. There are definitely pictures of tribal piercings that really help put a nose piercing into perspective; if you know what I mena. The lady said she didn't feel a thing compared to other piercings she's had and we left with time to spare. But it's not like they were ushering us out. We chilled and got the run down on care techniques, and even purchased a bottle of soap strictly for body jewelry.
A great note: They display ancient jewelry and sell it occasionally. Our guide had a 3,000 year old necklace on. Pretty creepy/cool stuff. They also dabble in ink, but that didn't strike my fancy. And don't expect an edit to delve into that realm either. -
Review from Alfa S.
San Diego, CA
5/4/2010
My sister got her helix and I got my nose pierced here February 2009 for my birthday. Can't exactly remember how we heard of Church of Steel.. I can only remember that I was NOT about to go to Super Fly for any more piercings.
Since Feb '09, my sister has turned her helix into an industrial and started stretching her lobes out at Church of Steel
Evan and everyone else is very professional and super nice; they're a bunch of sweethearts, really.
The shop itself is very clean and the equipment (needles and stuff) are all one time use so you know you're not going to walk out with like Hep C or something.
The piercings are a little on the expensive side because Church of Steel uses internally threaded, high grade titanium. Also, from what my sister says, they also only use titanium and glass for the plugs. So you pay a little more for a much better quality experience.
Evan is also very through when it comes to piercing after care. He makes sure you're not going to pass out afterward and makes sure you understand what it is you have to do in order for your pierced body part to not fall off.
I'm planning on getting four more piercings (and see if I can have some redone..) at Church of Steel, and once I decided what and where I want to get inked, I'm definitely coming here. -
Review from David R.
San Diego, CA
12/24/2008
My wife has always wanted her nose pierced...however, she would never go through with it...
So I surprised her...
We walked over...Evan made her feel at ease....was super professional...Place is cleaner then my doctors office.
Price was good...and she did well thanks to Evan made her supper comfortable and calm...
We are both are stoked with the results. -
Review from Amy A.
Rohnert Park, CA
6/7/2010
My friend and I recently went to Church of Steel to get our noses pierced. I am only giving it 3 Stars and really wish I could give it less based on one thing only.
First off, there are many great things about this shop. The atmosphere is different than most places. Its pretty mellow, no head banging music here. It was definitely clean and the crew made you feel comfortable! The job that Evan did was perfect! I couldn't have asked for someone to be more fun and comfortable and knowledgeable. He definitely made the experience fun for my friend and I.
However, my issue with Church of Steel is still a big deal to me. I'm really disappointed about this. Even was very good with walking us through the process. We told him we heard about this shop in YELP and he gave us 10% the cost of $50. So planning on spending $45 plus tip we picked out our jewelry and got our noses pierced! We each picked the exact same thing and loved it!
When we went to check out at the register Evan looked at us and said "that will be $140". WHAT!!! wait a minute I thought it would be $45 plus the sea salt spray which equals $57 plus tip. What Happened!!!!! At first I thought he meant $140 for both of us. But he definitely meant each of us.
Apparently he "forgot" to tell us the studs we picked out were diamond and 14K gold. Don't get me wrong....they are really nice and I'm happy with them BUT I really would have preferred that he let us know that in the beginning. That is something you definitely talk about to your customers!! Please don't assume I know there is a price difference of $83.00!!!! Sorry, I'm getting upset again, because I had other plans for my $83. And I'm sorry Evan but your tip had to be cut in half because of this.
Please remember, the piercing itself, the shop and the atmosphere were amazing!! Unfortunately, not being informed of a huge price gap left a salty taste in my mouth that I'm not very happy with.
If you plan on going there, you will be very happy.......just MAKE SURE YOU TALK ABOUT PRICE! -
Review from Jess P.
Poway, CA
6/10/2011
Recently had my rook piercied by Evan. He did an excellent job, he was very sterile with all the equipment And made sure I was comfortable throughout process. I would recommend to friends And others.
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Review from Paige E.
San Diego, CA
7/21/2008
I didnt actually get any piercing or tattoo work done there but I work downtown and wanted to find a place to help me change the stud for my monroe piercing. I liked the website so I decided to walk a few blocks on my lunch break and was glad I did. Not super duper friendly when you first get in there but answered my questions and got the job done. I had to buy a new piece of jewelry and it was kind of expensive ($35 or $40 I think) but I got over it considering they seem to know what they are doing, have a clean shop and the guy who I assume is the owner (he is all over the web site) stopped and asked me how it went which was nice considering he wasnt even involved in the situation. I forget the name of the guy that helped me, but I wouldnt mind seeing him again if I ever need anything again.
*side note: I went there one other day to get another different piece of jewelry but they were closed (all mondays, I guess) so I went a few doors down to another shop and the guy was a DICK. Said if I want a new stud its 'very expensive' and almost refused to sell me any jewelry or help me, answered seemingly irritated when I asked how much the jewelry was. I wanted to ask what the fuck the point of that shop was. I forget the name since I was just passing by, but its right next the Church of Steel.Listed in: MISC.
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Review from Megan K.
Princeton, NJ
3/1/2008
I went to Church of Steel on a Saturday afternoon around 3:00 p.m. with two friends to get some ear piercings done. I and one other got tragus piercings, and my second friend had a double cartilage rim piercing done. I called ahead to ask what the business situation was like at the shop that day, and if we would have to wait long when we arrived, and the employee who answered the phone was very friendly and assured us that we would be taken care of immediately when we showed up. I was hoping to catch the owner, Art, in the store but was told that he was off during weekends and so we would be pierced by Evan instead.
When we arrived, we noticed the store was easily the cleanest and most well-kept business in the area. It stood out from its neighboring storefronts with a very large, professional sign and big, clean brightly lit windows. It was very easy to find. Metered street parking was also easy to find.
When we walked in, it only took a few minutes for one of the artists to approach us and everyone we talked to was polite and professional while we waited for Evan to work through the queue. We waited for about twenty minutes to get started with the piercing process, but were more than entertained looking through the many tattoo books they had available.
The lobby was loud and fairly crowded with Navy boys all either waiting for tattoos or waiting for their friends to get tattoos. I thought they were pretty annoying, but I wasn't as off-put by them as I was by the fifteen year old girl sitting next to us (with Mom) who was waiting to get her tongue pierced (...while her seven year old sister looked through the tattoo books). There were also at least two toddlers in strollers in the store while we were there. I am a very open-minded person but I did not feel that the parlor was an appropriate place for young children to be, and I don't like the idea of minors being pierced or tattooed, even with their parents' permission (I had to wait until I was 18, so should they!).
When we were taken to be pierced, Evan was considerably friendlier than when we first met him in the lobby. He was extremely fast and efficient and had all of us pierced in less than 30 minutes. The actual piercings was quick and not painful or messy. Evan was very comforting and easy to work with. I was a little surprised that we didn't talk at all about jewelry (size, style, gauge etc.) so I ended up with an 18G stainless ring. Every other time I've been pierced, choosing the jewelry was a major part of the process, but not here. Evan concluded the session with a quick payment session and we were on our way.
I hesitate to give more than 3 stars here for a few reasons:
-I thought the piercing was a little more than I would have liked to have paid. My total was $60 (including jewelry), I was expecting around $50.
-No aftercare kit. My tried and true parlor that I have been to for three different piercings always sent me home with Provon, a packet of sea salt and an aftercare instruction BOOKLET. I got one sheet of paper from COS and no products whatsoever and a few pointers from Evan ("don't touch it, don't play with it"). I wouldn't say it's a requirement to give away aftercare products but when a review is relative, I'd say they came up short here. I might anticipate that he took for granted that I knew how to take care of piercings since I have some visible body piercings already but that was not the case with my friends...
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the place and I would consider going back for another piercing but my heart truly belongs to Lucky Devil Body Piercing in Seattle. -
Review from Michael M.
San Diego, CA
5/18/2011
For my first tattoo I didn't really know what to expect. Church of Steel was great. Culleton was very cool - didn't rush me and explained the whole process before, during, and after the tattoo. I would definitely go here again (and ask for Culleton). The only reason I am not giving 5 stars, is because I made an appointment for my tattoo and paid $40 down, but they didn't get around to actually helping me until almost 90 minutes after my appointment time. Good thing I brought a book with me.
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Review from Mike M.
San Diego, CA
2/15/2009
What better time to go to a tattoo shop than after a Christmas party and a few drinks?
My girlfriend and I wandered into Church of Steel around 8:30pm on a Friday night on a whim, after leaving her company Christmas party.
My first impressions were of an anally clean (is that an oxymoron?) shop with guys that might not be welcoming...I was 50% right.
The shop is CLEAN. They are strict about where customers go within the shop and I wasn't even comfortable enough to ask to go pee until I had actually committed to a tattoo.
The guys working were rough lookin' dudes from the start, but they ended up being very friendly guys. If you ever go in there, bring up the artist Alex Grey and its sure to spark them into a wildfire of conversation...needless to say, they loved my idea for my NEXT tattoo.
My girlfriend got her tat first...a small one on her wrist. She really liked the final product and was in and out in about 30 minutes.
My tat ended up taking about an hour and 15 minutes, which was a bit longer than I had thought. It was also much more painful than I thought thanks to the boniest part on my body that I could find (forearm). The artist was not terribly friendly and spoke with a German accent. It feels sacrilegious not to remember the name of the artist, but it really didn't stick out to me that night. What I will remember about him is his grossly obese stomach and his labored breathing...I guess I'll take what I can get.
Though this place wouldn't be my first choice to have my next ink done, I wouldn't hesitate to go back on a whim. -
Review from Rigoberto V.
El Centro, CA
9/16/2011
I didnt think much of this place to be honest. The only reason I was there to begin with was to stretch my ears. The people working there were courteous and friendly.
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Review from Jessica J.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2009
Like many before me....I picked Church of Steel based on fellow Yelpers' reviews. Good job team!!
It has something not a whole lot of tattoo shops (in my experience) can say: Its freakishly clean/sterile...but still has style. Another quality that pushed it above the rest was its lack of douchebaggery in its employ. I hadn't made an appointment because, like everything else in my life, it was a rash decision to get some new ink of this fateful Sunday morning. No one there was a $#@^ about it...they just sat me down and let me look through some portfolios.
I settled on Lance. Lance was very thorough in researching exactly what I wanted ( peacock feather on my left wrist) and extremely personable. We laughed, I cried (inside of the wrist felt like I was skinning my soul) and after about an hour, I left with a stunning piece of artwork permanently etched into my skin.
It has since healed beautifully and I get compliments on it all the GD time. Best money I've spent in a LONG time
And Lance?
I'll be seeing you real soon for my I Heart Yelp tatListed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from drew c.
San Diego, CA
2/20/2011
Ive gotten 2 tattoos here, and I wouldnt go anywhere else. Both times the staff here were really helpful and friendly, they wont bs you into something you dont want and they take their time to make sure your tat is perfect. Its a little pricey but you get what you pay for.
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Review from Chanel F.
Albuquerque, NM
3/6/2008
I had my ears pierced at one of those piercing places found at a mall when I was a teenager and had let the holes close over time. I went to Church of Steel with a friend. My friend was the one who wanted the piercing, but while I was there I found that I wanted a piercing too! I already had 2 holes in my ears that had "closed up" some. I asked if it would be possible to reopen said piercings and enjoy a second life with them, and indeed! It was possible. No problems at all. If it weren't for Church of Steel I wouldn't be wearing something as simple as earrings today.
Later I went back and got a new piercing in the cartilage of my left ear. Art was the one who did the piercing. It was surprisingly painless and I attribute this lack of pain to Art's skillfulness as a piercer.
Church of Steel is easily one of the most sterile and clean piercing parlors out there. I've seen quite a few places that seem grungy, unwelcoming, and generally unclean. Those same places seemed to be run by ex cons on drugs that got all their tattoos and piercings while in prison. Church of Steel is the exact opposite. I remember being markedly impressed both by its cleanliness and the fact that the atmosphere seemed genuinely inviting. Interior layout shows good organization, and the overall feel is pretty tranquil and harmonious which you don't always expect with a place that is synonymous with pain. The staff are also very friendly and helpful and do NOT appear to be ex cons on drugs and they definitely did NOT get all their tattoos and piercings in jail. At least I hope not! Hahah.
I don't live in the San Diego area anymore, but whenever I think about getting a piercing I think about Church of Steel. I felt safe, welcomed, and appreciated for choosing them to do my piercing. They seemed genuinely interested in doing a piercing that fit well with my personality and desire, and not overly interested in making a quick dollar.
The only reason I'm shying away from the five star mark is that they don't do more piercings by appointment. The few times myself (or my friends) did have an appointment it wasn't really kept. We would show up on time or a few minutes before and end up waiting a half hour or so because the piercer was busy. Apart from this minor detail, I absolutely love Church of Steel and wish many more years of business for them. -
Review from Veronica H.
Vista, CA
12/22/2008
I came here on a whim back in May when I decided to get my tongue pierced. I only had to wait for one person to go in front of me, so in the meantime, I filled out the typical paperwork and soon enough, I was in the room with the piercer about to mutilate my tongue. I admit, I have a huge fear of needles (so why am I getting pierced?), but he told me that biting my tongue hurts way worse than getting it pierced- and he was right! It was done in about 20 seconds and he gave me all the cleaning info I needed.
So I'm giving this place 5 stars because they were quick, without compromising cleanliness and friendliness. Prices are normal for piercings, nothing you shouldn't expect anywhere else. And its pretty close to the mall so if you get your tongue pierced, you can easily get crushed ice to keep in your mouth (like I did). -
Review from a c.
San Diego, CA
6/1/2011
One drunken night after work at the bar it became apparent between my 3 coworkers and I that we had all been having a hankering to get pierced. Judi wanted plugs, Amanda wanted a conch, Brie and I wanted the nose. We decided to go within the week to get them done, thus our trip yesterday to Church of Steel. We did our research, all having had bad/interesting experiences with self piercing and or friends doing the piercing. After reading all the great reviews for Church of Steel we decided it was a good fit for our needs. We walked in and were greeted by Evan (who would later do all the piercings). He was super nice and made us all feel comfortable right off the bat. After getting all the paperwork squared away we, all four, went to the piercing room to get started. The piercing room was decorated with beautiful tribal photos and artifacts and was walled off from the rest of the shop so it was more intimate and relaxing. Everything also looked very clean and all the equipment was clean and packaged. Evan handled each of us as if no one else was in the room and explained every time what he was going to be doing and how it would feel. He also explained individually the care necessary to keep our new goods looking good! I would definitely recommend this place for piercing and especially Evan. Side note- I left my beloved water bottle there (I need to keep hydrated or shit gets crazy) and got a call later from Evan who had found it, remembered I was carrying it, looked up my paper work and called to let me know I had left it. I just love people who look out for others. Thanks for a great experience!
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Review from Cathleen E.
Bonita, CA
3/28/2009
I had one of the most comfortable, informative and welcoming experiences here. I am the type of person to be a control freak. So before I got a VCH I did tons of research about it. This lead me to the Church of Steel. I checked out the website, and eventually that lead me to Yelp to discover the great reviews. I have to say, the piercing and tattoo studio really lived up to the reviews and the website.
Now coming in to get a VCH is a piercing of one of the most intimate of areas. I was completely impressed with the facility. It was clean, friendly and busy. I had an appointment with the owner Art. He was very warm and totally professional. I entered the facility with pure trust. The experience itself was amazing. I was excited to get the piercing and Art was great at calming me through the process. He was great by creating conversation, talking me the whole procedure, and taking the time to tell me about my care.
I am ecstatic over my VCH and I would definitely go back for any of their services. I recommend going there if it is your first time getting anything whether it be a tattoo or piercing because it was the ideal experience. -
Review from karyn m.
San Diego, CA
3/1/2010 1 Check-in Here
Here I am again reviewing a tattoo shop. Another day of being pissed off and choosing ink over alcohol or food. Ink is more expensive however, I already had an idea of what I wanted so I went with it. I had seen Church of Steel many times on my drives through downtown San Diego, but had never ventured in. Of course, I did my review on Yelp and this place seemed to have the most and best reviews. I called to see if they took appointments. I was told they take appointments in person with a $40 deposit. I could understand that. Maybe they'd booked people who never showed. So I drove down around 5pm. I parked across the street from the shop, choosing to spend way too much on parking but wanted to be close to my destination.
*** On a side note, after I retrieved my ticket to park and was placing it on my dash, a man yelled over at me. He didn't know how to use the parking ticket machine. As we ventured over, he admitted he hadn't even walked over to it yet. But, I am too nice. So we walked over and I showed him how to push a button, seriously, and he began edging closer. He then said, "you smell good". I had just gotten a massage and almost told him (why? I have no fkn idea), but i remained silent. Then he said, "was that inappropriate?" I just looked at him like, you are a perverted idiot and I will be looking you up on the Megan's Law website and on the America's Most Wanted site. He then thanked me and walked back over to his car.
Okay back to my intended review. As I crossed the street towards the shop I saw about 5 or 6 people sitting down. As I entered the shop I saw four artists with their patrons. Unlike most of the tattoo shops I had been in, this one did not have loud rap music or loud music of anykind. It was more along the lines of old school rock intertwined with mellow soft rock. I waited a few minutes at the desk, and an artist came over. I showed him what I wanted to do and he gave me some very good ideas of how to best alter the design. He then told me it was a 30 minute wait. I could wait in the store or leave a $40 deposit and come back. I decided to wait and look through the design books and of course, make friends and talk the entire time. After around 30 minutes I was greeted by Marcel. He went over my design and a few minutes came back with a beautiful copy of what I wanted, with even more detail and very nice font. Marcel was very nice. He explained and showed me that all of the instruments were new and packaged and had not been used previously. After the tattoo was finished he showed me how he safely disposed of the instruments. I love LOVE my new tat.
Yes 4 stars. I don't know how to do 4 1/2. I took off a star because, for me, I would rather have either separate rooms or divided spaces so the patrons who were getting tattoos were not so close to one another. That is my only gripe. I could live with it and may return at some point to get another tattoo from Marcel -
Review from Cheryl N.
San Diego, CA
10/13/2010
I saw Evan to have him look at a piercing I was having problems with. He put in a new piece of jewelry and explained in great and patient detail what was happening. He is clearly knowledgeable and easy to talk to. I will definitely go back to him. It's obvious he loves his work and really knows his stuff. I highly recommend Evan for any piercing in the SD area. The shop was clean and orderly also.
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Review from Sumrall R.
San Diego, CA
12/26/2008
I am a wuss. That said, I have often thought of getting my nose pierced...just a little thing, nothing too pirate-y or bizarre. I have a long history of passing out when needles are involved (I have been banned from the blood bank after keeling over from the preliminary iron test...seriously), so I figured I would probably be keeping my nose fully intact for the foreseeable future.
So Dave likes to get me jewelry, and when he told me we were going for a walk to "get " my Christmas present I went along gamely...and wondered where on earth we could be going.
When we arrived at Church of Steel, my first impulse was to bolt down the street, but I decided to hear Dave out. Before I could protest, Evan was there with some paperwork and a very professional demeanor. As I sat down to fill out the forms (and control my hyperventilation) I noticed how clean and very professional the whole operation is...sort of like a very chill Eastern Inspired doctor's office.
I went into the room and Evan explained what he would be doing. I laid back and about thirty seconds later I had a nice little "implant-grade surgical steel" stud gleaming in my nostril. I felt a little woozy, so Evan let me lie down for a moment and wait for the room to stop spinning while he got me some water and a candy. He then gave me a very detailed after care instruction sheet and I was on my way. I felt like I'd really accomplished something, given my terror of needles, but really I think it had more to do with the incredible professionalism of the staff at Church of Steel and the great environment.
I would definitely recommend this place for those of you who might need a little extra encouragement or reassurance as well as for the most seasoned piercee. I never thought having a hole poked in my face could be such a pleasant experience! Thanks!Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from melissa e.
San Diego, CA
11/18/2010
I was 'the friend' that joined Amy... my experience the first time around, save the price shock was just as good. Make no mistake about it, Evan is outstanding, and the place is clean, and seemed all around to be a good business. I do think my less than great feelings towards this business can be avoided.
The second time around, i felt a little duped. I went back to church of steel a few months later to get a new nose ring - they did tout the quality and distributor so i could justify paying a little extra (i saved up this time!!) knowing the ring was going to cost me 90$, and knowing i should tip Evan for switching mine out, i took out enough cash for the ring and Evan. When i got to the register... IT HAPPENED AGAIN! I really REALLY felt taken advantage of. I had to go across the street and take out more cash to pay for the ring AFTER IT WAS ALREADY IN. So, the price was raised from when i had been in only TWO months before (where i specifically asked how much a certain ring was) and yet again, register shock! I was told "the distributor raised our prices" - pause - are we really charging people $110.00 for a TINY gold nose ring? After i politely disputed the fact they had told me it was $90 last time i was in they did honor the price, and i appreciate that. It just seemed like the price was changed on-the-fly, and only after showing marked disappointment was there flexibility on their end... I do not like giving attitude, so i felt uncomfortable in the end. i will not return to this establishment based my experience. The intent of my review is more to adjust your expectations price wise - as Amy said - Ask First :) -
Review from sophie a.
San Diego, CA
12/18/2007
okay, so i don't know anything about tattoos except that thankfully i'm not an idiot like some of my friends (sorry friends) who got chinese characters, or, worse, tramp stamps in their lower backs during college...shudder....ladies there are two lovely little dimples in the small of your back, why ruin it with the image of a dolphin splashing into the ocean or a rose? i'm not totally opposed, i do think on some people tattoos can be quite intriguing, its just that if you're printing an image on your body for life you should probably think it through a little
while I don't know anything about tattoos, I suspect that interesting tattoos are not selected on a Friday afternoon from a book in the waiting area of this establishment . every friday after work i walk by and there is inevitably a couple or two poring over the church of steel's sample book...really? have you not thought it through and brought your own image?
the church of steel itself looks fine, it looks clean from the exterior and the people who work there certainly seem to know their art judging from their own tattoos - my comment is with regard to those friday afternoon folks looking through the sample book - yikes! -
Review from Jennifer C.
San Diego, CA
1/16/2009
I had been wanting to get my ears pierced or "gauged" and I was't sure where to go. So I actually looked up piercing studios here on YELP and read many great reviews about Church of Steel (plus it's two blocks from my work), so I decided to go on and check it out.
I have been pierced at other shops in SD and sometimes it has been a little intimidating when you don't upfront look like someone they would expect to be into body modification. Well, as soon as I walked into Church of Steel I felt totally comfortable. Right away Evan stepped up and answered all my questions. I was able to decide what I wanted without being if-ey in any way.
The piercing room was exceptionally clean and organized, as it should be. As we were prepping for the piercing and as the piercing was taking place, Evan explained everything he was doing and made me feel totally comfortable with the whole process.
I will def be a return customer and will recommend him to anyone looking for a piercer.
