Staircase Tattoo & Body Piercing
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- By Appointment Only: No
33 Reviews for Staircase Tattoo & Body Piercing
Never been here, but a buddy got a sweet tattoo here so what can i say? If someone permanently marks your body in a way that is pleasing to you and others, what other criteria is there to fulfill?
After yelping tat places I went here last year to get my first tattoo. Initial impression was very nice place, well kept and friendly staff. While I flipped through the font books the dude(name to come) started sketching my friend's design. In no time he was done and she headed back for her ink, while my other friend and myself made a brief visit to the Jury Room. We only got to our 2nd cosmo before my bandaged friend came running through the door. Speedy service indeed! So off I went...I didn't get anything intricate or difficult by any means, just initials but the dude helped me decide on which shading/colors would look best and it didn't hurt one bit. You will definitely shell out some extra cash if you choose Staircase but in this case you get what you pay for, a sterile environment and quality work. I am very pleased with my tattoo.
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This is the place where I got my very first tattoo.
Theyre clean, seemed knowledgeable in the time period I was there.
I guess my only issue was the bed side manner and the price. My tattoo artist wasn't very nice. I had some difficulty being as it was my first experience. i guess i was hoping for some words of encouragement. She remained quiet, stoned face and at some points seemed annoyed. I paid $70 for seriously a 1.5 inch tattoo that wasn't detailed whatsoever.
I don't know if she's still there because i had my tattoo done around 5 years ago.
One good thing was no appointment needed for you spur of the moment tatters.
I'm giving 3 stars for benefit of the doubt since it has been a long while since i've shown face there.
Are you kidding me? This place sucks! Not only are the folks at Staircase rude, snobby and unprofessional, but they really are money-suckers. They DO NOT make one feel comfortable nor do they really even try to offer one any help/suggestions. Newbies - stay away!
When I walked into the shop, two of the artists were looking at a Playboy magazine, right there at the front counter! Uh, hello? That's stupid! The artist was rude and didn't make me feel comfortable but I stayed and wow, what a mistake. He did a crappy job - my tattoo looks really bad AND he charged me waaay too much. It was my first time, I didn't know any better.
Man, those folks need to get over themselves, grow up, and create an establishment that's actually inviting & professional. And Ladies, the guys their are pigs - stay clear!!
Needle Nazis...pretty much sums it up
I hate paying for things at places where people try and make me feel like shit or that I don't belong there...
This place is so overhyped, mainly I'd assume because it is the only place close to downtown, where UCSC students can go get their belly buttons pierced or their tramp stamps on their lower backs.
I will say, although I forget his name, (and I dont know if he works there anymore), but the large guy with tattooed eyebrows gave me my first labret piercings. He was so sweet and hysterical. Made me feel totally comfortable.
They also have an AMAZING body jewelry selection, although very
pricy.
Branch out and check out some of the other places. Just because they have prime real estate, doesnt mean it is the best tattoo/piercing shop in Santa Cruz.
-this place is clean and sanitary. If you're going to get piercings, makes sure the place you go to looks like the dentist office
-I got my lip ring here and it was painless. Biting my lips were a lot more painful
-the piercings and piercing fee is kind of expensive.
-people (students) usually go here to get piercings are tattoos when they are in a college...because it makes them feel cool.
Staircase owns a chunk of my body-quite literally because I've gotten 3 of my 5 tattoos there. The artists never cease to amaze me with their drawing talent. My first tattoo there, was an improvised tribal drawing on my left shoulder. He did such a great job with the drawing, shading, coloring and everything else. The next couple of times, I went to the same tattoo artist, who helped me redraw an original tattoo that I wanted.
They're friendly, very knowledgeable about their craft, and will give you sound advice about any question you can possibly have about tattoos and piercings. Kudos goes out to them too for not charging people on every little thing they can- my friend went there to get her nose ring fixed and the guy did it for free =)
Only kind of bad part is that they're a little on the expensive side, but I think it's totally worth what you pay them. I'd rather pay a higher price for something that's going to stay with me for the rest of my life!
These people are fantastic. Knowledgeable, safe, clean, and really nice. I've had my tongue pierced here. Twice. (I took it out when I moved to Japan to teach elementary school, seemed like a good career choice. Of course then I got back and decided that I wanted it again.) Both times, the piercers were totally cool and a great blend of professionalism and personality.
I've been through the door of my fair share of skeevy tat parlors (and have turned on my heel and left just as many), and it is wonderful to know that places like Staircase are out there.
Oh, Staircase.
You put up with my mentally unhinged desire to get surface bars stuck in my back. You lovingly shoved giant needles through my tongue and nostril. But most of all (oh, best of all!) you did sweet, inky justice to the designs I brought to your door.
Doug, your command of that gun could bring a tattoo convention to its trembling, nautical-star marked knees. I don't know how you managed to blend the greens on my bicep, but four years later they are still as striking as ever. If there's one compliment I get more than any other, it's "Normally I hate tattoos on girls, but I *really* like yours." Thanks for making people not hate me.
I'll be back some day so you can dig that needle into my back. We've got some unfinished business that I'm *definitely* looking forward to.
Staircase-- you all rock.
Even if you wasted my time warning me about the inevitability of my nipple ring rejecting. It's been 6 years and that shiny CBR is still holding strong.
Although you *did* have to remove those angry-looking surface bars you put in. I guess you were right when you called me crazy. ; )
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I got my tongue pierced here in 1995 when I was 18. Over the years I lived in SC, I was back many a time. John did all my piercings and stretchings in that time. He was amazing and so knew his shit. My latest visit was 2 years ago for 2 tattoos, done by Aaron. He was great about placement and color and shading - we went in on a whim that day. They have a great selection of jewelry and they run an awesome shop.
I had my first piercing back in 1998 right here at staircase. I was a college student freshly out of the clutches of her right wing parents. All the kids at Bible College were getting pierced. I got my tongue done and then my nipples. (Piercing I could "hide" from bible college officials and my parents) HA! Little did I know....?
Anyways..I'm not a bible college student anymore. In fact I'm a happily married graphic design student now. That means that I have free reign over modifying my body however I please.
Two weeks ago my sister in-law was in town for a visit. We opted to pay a visit to my husband (her brother) in Santa Cruz where he works. We had to kill time. So off to Staircase we went. I started with a nose piercing. I had my nose done many years ago and had to remove it. I remembered pain and LOTS of it (not at staircase, in Vegas). I was so surprised at literally zero pain that I experienced. I felt comfortable and my piercer (Tom, I believe) was funny and interesting to talk to. My nose looks FABULOUS!
Later that evening when my husband got off work, he got SUPER jealous that I got pierced and decided he wanted a tattoo. Then I got jealous and decided I wanted a tattoo too. (Can you just feel the maturity in our relationship?) I got two stars on my forearms. For the life of me I can't remember my tattoo artist's name. He was awesome. He suggested some color to go along with my lonely black stars and gosh they look GREAT!
Thanks, you guys are AWESOME!
FYI: Be sure to bring cash for tip if you are paying with your CC. I felt so bad when i went in with just a CC. You can't add tip to the CC balances.
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Walking into Staircase I felt slightly intimidated, but felt immediately better once I talked to someone. I had been set on getting my tragi pierced forever so I told the girl behind the counter what I wanted. Paul came out and took a look at my ears. He told me my tragi were very small and he could pierce them, but they would look weird and the jewelry would be poking in my ear canal. He also showed me a picture of a girl who had her very small tragi pierced so I knew what he meant. I was very disappointed but understood where he was coming from. I just couldn't leave without a piercing! So I asked for a suggestion and Paul told me I should pierce my rook and showed me a picture. I instantly fell in love and went for it.
I like that the piercing room was back out of the way and completely closed off. It felt a little sterile but it was comfortable nonetheless. I got my rook pierced in a very safe, hygienic environment. It was a little pricey, but if you want good jewelry and healthy piercings it's worth it.
I'm planning on going back for my next piercing.
This last summer I wanted to have a tattoo of a horse put on my arm. I was searching everywhere on the web asking friends and was just not satisifed.. Then I came across Staircase and browsed through the different artists.. There was the type of horse I was looking for. So I called and actually went in and spoke with Aaron and he was so nice and easy to talk to. I made the appt sent him a bunch of pics of my horse came in and it is PERFECT!!!!! He talked about color or not and we opted to go with the shading/black and no color and like I said it is Perfect.. The process was a little over an hour and really painless. The healing took about 3 weeks and really it did not peel or get irritated at all.. So a definate GREAT place to go........ I am planning on getting another very soon.....
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Piercings here are fairly expensive, but you get what you pay for in this area more than most. The default surgical steel jewelry is good quality, autoclaved and internally threaded.
(The entire shop is non-latex, too, which i love. It's like going to an all vegetarian restaurant; i never have to worry about accidental exposure.)
I've had two piercings done here, one was so unusual that the piercer had never even heard of having it done. The other was uncommon and delicate. Both were handled wonderfully and professionally.
These weren't my first piercings, so they didn't lead me step by step through the process, just the standard, 'deep breath in' which tells you you're about to get stabbed. (Also, try wiggling your toes. It really does help.)
I don't have any tattoos, so i can't really give a valid opinion about the quality of the art they do here, but it's my go-to place for body piercing on the west coast.
I finally did it. I went into Staircase on a Wednesday afternoon and they had some time to squeeze me in w/out an appointment. Five stars for Gio, total sweetheart and good tattoo artist. It was my first tat, so naturally I was a little nervous. He set me at ease w/ his mellow and humorous demeanor. I'm really happy with my tattoo. I've been to this shop a few times for my piercings and to sit w/ friends while they got their tattoos. I knew this was the place I would go when it came time for my own ink; the shop is very clean and that says a lot, being that I'm a total germaphobe... I highly recommend Staircase.
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I got my ears pierced here today. They were staffed by wonderful nice people and provided clean and professional service. It was great!
I kept bugging the employees with questions about piercing and guages and tattoos and inks and procedures and prices and they answered all my dumb questions with smiles and genuine (or really well acted) interest in helping me learn about the arts (which I had zero knowledge of). They didn't rush me, everything was laid back, and they had great faith in the product and service they offered and matter-of-fact explanations for why they didn't carry other types, brands, etc. Good people.
Plus the redheaded guy with the blue eyes was really nice to look at. I wonder if he has a girlfriend...
Got a tattoo a few years ago in Mexico (OK, maybe not the best decision of my life), and have been talking about fixing it up for awhile. My fiance got a tattoo 2 years ago with Teresa, and it looks so amazing with bright, vibrant colors, that he's wanted to get another.
So for my birthday in August, my fiance made an appointment for us to meet with Teresa, and as a present was going to pay for my update. Teresa was booked for tattoos until November, but we made an appointment because we knew it would be worth the wait.
Our appointment finally got here, and it was not a disappointment! My tattoo looks GREAT, I'm so happy with how it turned out that now I won't have to explain to people what it is! My fiance got a much more intricate design, and Teresa incorporated it into the tattoos that he already has, making it blend in very well. She wasn't able to finish (and he wasn't able to handle anymore after 3 hours), so we are now going to be waiting until January to get it finished. But we really can't rave enough about how great it is to get a quality tattoo.
Don't expect to go into any reputable tattoo parlor with good artists and get in on a "walk in". If you can walk into a tattoo parlor and get tattood that day, you'd better think twice. I have had my fair share of BAD tattoo's and thank god have found great artists likeTeresa. I cannot stress more for first timer's that they do their research on tattoo artists and what they will enjoy for the rest of their lives! Teresa is a great artist with years of experience. She is well worth the wait! I can't say enough about how pleased I am with her work. I can't wait for my 3rd sitting with her in January!
Update:
So Teresa just finshed me up on my 3rd sitting and has pretty much completed my upper arm. I am still as impressed as the first time I visited her. I can't wait for the healing to finish so I can see the true colors! She has some of the best lines I have experienced. Again, I highly recommend her if you are serious about getting a great tattoo. Remember good artists are "money" but you must look at it as an investment. You will be with your ink for the rest of your life and loving it , if it is from Teresa of course!
Thanks again Teresa! See you soon...
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this review is for DOUG LOVE.
doug did my first 3 tattoos: 2 chinese and 1 siddham characters.
the 1st two characters were in block print, two basic characters (nu and nan) about 2"x2" each. i got these two years ago and they were my gateway into the Ink Obsession.
being my first time, doug was very calming and settled my nerves. his aesthetic sense helped me with the tattoo placement to fit my body type, and talked me through the process. i didn't feel judged or belittled in any way.
one year later, i was back.
for my 3rd piece, doug did a BEAUTIFUL job on the siddham character (om).
it was done in brush ink style, mostly with gray ink and highlighted here and there with black where the character was darkest.
it looks absolutely effortless, like someone painted my skin.
considering its size (about 6"x4"? doug was fast (1.5 hours) and made time fly. when he'd finished and asked me to try to slowly sit up, i kept asking "you're already done?"
doug love will always be my first and only recommendation for a santa cruz artist.
i love this place for all and any piercing needs. i took my friend here. she had her belly button pierced. they are so sweet about it all. they let you know when they are going to actually pierce you, when they're cleaning your piercing area, how to treat your piercing, etc. it's awesome!! they are super clean and very friendly. their prices can be a lil UP THERE but it's so worth it. iono about you but i've never experieinced any bad piercings or tattoos. that's probably all because i never take any chances. i go to reputable places and have 'em do the great work that they're known for. sometimes, it's worth it to pay the price for good stuff.
I didn't quite feel comfortable here. The staff at the counter made me feel stupid for not knowing exactly what to do (sorry, I don't get tattoos everyday guys, in fact, this was my first).
The guy who did my tattoo was really nice and did a good job of drawing up what I wanted. The shop was extremely clean and I had no fears about any kind of contamination.
I really like the tattoo I got, but if I get another I probably won't go back here because of the service.
What would a tattoo parlor be without pretentious know-it-all stuck up artists and staff? Well, at least more enjoyable.
I would suggest this place over any other in the south bay for piercings (never gotten a tatt). Great selection of jewelry, and they keep a database of all their clients, which is helpful for upgrades and makes it easier in terms of paperwork upon return.
Despite their noses so high in the air they can smell god's ass, this is a really clean, safe, legitimate, trustworthy and time-honored establishment. Its great because their attitude is what sets them apart from the scummy headshop-cum-parlors on telegraph avenue and Pacific avenue that are just crawling with scheming under-agers and body modification groupies. This place is more grown-up, and serious (in a good way).
I've gotten 2 piercings there, and all my jewelry from there. They only buy "Anatometal" products, (this is where their snobbishness comes in handy)-- they are serious about quality, dependability, and consistency. Their front door is hilarious, stop by just to read it.
Their website reads:
"WHAT WE DON'T DO:
1) Drawings for tattoos not done in our studio.
2) Answer the phone before noon/ after 8pm.
3) Quote a tattoo over the phone. If you live out of the area please send us a picture via email, and be sure to include a phone number. See our contact page.
4) Allow anyone under the age of 16 in our studio. -Period- Staircase Tattoo is a place for adults (his includes infants of any size). If you are 16 years of age and want to get a piercing done, you must have a parent with you, proper identification including a birth certificate. No one under the age of 18 can get a tattoo in the state of California, so please don't ask.
5) We ask that anyone wanting a piercing be in our studio by 7pm.
(If you have read this far, we at Staircase thank you.)" They are serious.
*SHOP HOURS: Noon -l 8pm, everyday, Phone: 831.425-7644*
http://www.staircaseta...
Just to give you an idea...
5 STARS for AARON ... who did my *stars*.
The place was clean ... my artist was VERY nice and with little directions (although it's BASIC enough to say "stars with pointy edges") was able to create EXACTLY what i wanted (stars with VERY pointy edges). didn't hurt ONE bit ... (was it suppose to?) . his constant chatter (and star wars references) kept my mind off of the fact that a needle was jabbing through my lower belly . *yay Aaron*
NO STARS FOR THE JACKASS THAT BOTCHED MY 2ND EAR PIERCINGS. *sad face*
Based on local recommendations, Staircase was my choice when it was time to get my nose pierced a few years back. I was a bit nervous going in - being that I'm not a "bad ass". They were really cool and GENTLE which is important when piercing that delicate appendage.
I had my PA stretched here a few times. I found them very knowledgeable about jewelry and, more importantly, honest enough to not sell me something they didn't think was right for my needs. To me, that's the hallmark of a good business. The jewelry I bought from them was high quality, and their selection of large-gauge jewelry is very good. My only regret is that they don't have tools on-hand to deal with very large-gauge CBR; I've had to start going to ColdSteel in SF to take care of that.
I also brought my boyfriend in to get his nipples pierced here. The guy who did it, Todd Almighty, was great....he put my man at ease and dispensed with the double deed in an efficient but reassuring manner. And the work turned out nicely. I don't know whether Todd is still piercing there however.
I went in for a couple of ear piercings. Their stock was mediocre at best, even though they claim to have the largest variety on the west coast. They charged me double what other piercing places have charged me, as well.
Also, the balls for my captive rings fell out within the week, so I had to go back after futilely trying to put the beads back in myself for 2 hours.
Another thing, they messed up the spacing on my piercings (they were my 2nd holes in each lobe), which I should have checked, but it was their most experienced guy doing it, so I hardly even looked in the mirror when he showed me.
I really liked some notched pinchers they had on stock, but they only had 1 for the gauge I wanted, and I needed 2. I told them I was interested, and they said they couldn't order them because they were hand-made. They told me a new shipment would come within the next month. I continued to call... They continued to tell me the shipment hadn't come yet.
3 months later, they FINALLY had them.
So much for service.
Quality work with just enough "I'm a bad ass because I tattoo/pierce/suspend/etc" to make for a bona fide experience.
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I had a piercer named Tom and he was really nice and informative about the process. It was my first time getting pierced and I got the typical navel piercing. They pierce with internally threaded jewelry and surgical steel for better healing.
To calm myself down, I talked to Tom about how long he's been piercing to where he lived etc. So I got to know him enough to trust that this guy knows what he's doing. They do sterilize their equiptment. For those wanting to buy body jewelry, they also carry a variety of interesting specimens.
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I don't know much about piercings and tattoos, but this is coming from my experience re-piercing my ear. When I first walked it, I thought the establishment was very nice, open and clean looking. I went in there and the receptionist stared at me blankly. I asked him if I could stretch my ears and he told me that I should just re-pierce it. I kept asking questions like "how do you re-pierce it, with a needle?" and he wasn't very helpful at all. He just kept replying "yes, its very easy". He sped through the registration to smoke with his buddies. I was disappointed, I wasn't given much information. After waiting for a bit, the piercer finally put me in a room and started piercing. He was very amiable and friendly. The piercing part also went by very quickly. I was literally in the room for about 5 mins. After that, I had to pay and was shocked at the price. Because I had read on the website that stretching was for free, I thought I'd only be paying for the gauges. I was wrong, I did not know that I had to pay for the re-piercing. I give it 4 stars from the lack of customer service, other than that they're very professional and clean.
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I've been here with a few friends. No personal ink.... yet, but their work has been nothing short of awesome!!
Staircase is already known as one of the premier tattoo shops in the Bay, so I may be preaching to the choir. I had work done there 2 years ago, and it required some custom drawing. The artist was extremely friendly and professional, and I couldn't have been happier with the result. This place is so much better than the hole-in-the-wall joints that populate Santa Clara, run by meth-heads. If you're thinking of haveing any color or intricate body art, it's definitely worth the trip over the hill.
Teresa ROCKS!
I've been getting tattooed here since I was 20 or so. As long as I live on the West Coast I will always be faithful to this shop.
Great, KNOWLEDGEABLE, courteous, attitude-free staff + wonderful decor. Great location it's easy to get to from HWY 17 or HWY1.
Repeat customer. Got each nipple pierced but on two separate occassions:) I have scoped out several parlours across the Bay and Staircase has THE most professional piercing facilities far and away. The room is fully private (no curtain or half-wall) and (with the exception of the suspension pics that were there at the time) looks like you walked into a doctor's examination room. The piercer was amazing--explained the procedure in detail before and during. He was very calm and did not give me (I was about 20 at the time) the impression that he was looking at my breast in anything but a professional manner--he had a doctor's demeanor. Highly recommend.
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