Fluid Ink Tattoos & Piercing

Had a great experience here today. I have had one tattoo previously (done almost 15 years ago), and am fairly petrified of needles. Shipwreck was great! So patient, took plenty of time reassuring me and it went really well. I’ll definitely go back… you know, when I can work up the nerve again!

I got my first tattoo ever done by Shipwreck. he was awesome and did an amazing job. I got a cross on my right shoulder blade and it turned out just like I wanted it too! The staff was cool and the shop was clean. I recommend Shipwreck to anybody who asks me about my tattoo.

Chad is amazing at what he does! I have gotten 3 tattoos done by him and will not be going anywhere else! Friendly staff, clean place, professional.

Having been a very loyal customer of another local shop for the past seven years, thanks to the amazing service of #Shipwreck and the other staff at Fluid Ink, I am a new convert!
I arrived about ten minutes before they opened yesterday and had a chance meeting and great conversation out front with who I thought was just another customer waiting to get in.
We talked about our tats and expectations and when I told the guy my sob story about wanting an 8^th anniversary eternity symbol on my ring finger — and how my anniversary was THAT DAY (nothing like procrastinating) — and how another shop had turned me down, and my usual place didn’t return my email — the guy says, «Let’s go in.»
Whoa. That was unexpected! He explained how Fluid Ink doesn’t do finger tattoos due to the high rate of «buyer’s remorse» and future implications for their owners — but as I am neither a) 18 (or even remotely close) and understand fully the employment implications, and b) was not requesting profanity-​laced rants across my knuckles, he kindly made an exception for my tiny, bronze eternity symbol.
Twenty minutes later, I was on my way after viewing Shipwreck’s incredible portfolio of work (the guy is insanely talented!!!), and ready to surprise my hubby. Outstanding. Crazy clean, fun, nice, and super reasonably priced! A++++

My first experience at Fluid Ink, I got my septum pierced. The staff was friendly and knowledgable. The only problem was, they pierced my septum with a retainer instead of a horseshoe. I had my septum pierced on a Friday, by Monday morning the retainer had fallen out. If anything, request a septum with a horseshoe instead of a retainer to prevent from accidents like mine. I almost would have had to take it out, let it heal and get it pierced again. The second time I went, I bought a lip ring. The piercer was booked at the time and couldn’t help me get it in, so I went elsewhere and everything went off without a hitch. Within a few hours though I bit down on something very hard eating dinner and realized it was the ball to my new lip ring. A piece of metal had broken off into the hole where you would screw the ring back in and I was unable to fix it. Cheap jewelry, expensive prices, I advise you to find somewhere else with even better prices and much more quality jewelry.

I was a loyal customer to this shop for about 6 years. Why? Because I was loyal to the artist that worked there. I bought all my jewelry there, all my piercings even bought shop swag.
At this point it is my recommendation that you run like hell from this shop. Unless you like drama, mediocre tattoos and high prices.
The owner is a lier and a cheat. Even when caught in a blatant lie he tries to lie himself out of the situation. In my situation I started ordering custom jewelry, the first one the owner was like hey you spend a lot of money here I will give ya a deal. No biggy paid in full. Took three months to get the jewelry. He kept blaming it on the other company. I believed him. Second time around same deal because I am loyal. Jewelry came in three weeks, wrong fucking jewelry. The third time took 6 months! I prepaid. Non refundable. The owner kept saying it was the company he was ordering from. I finally got sick of the same answer and called the company. No record of any orders since my last one.
The owner has basically pushed every good artist out the door over the years. I think he can’t stand not being the best in «his shop» yet refuses to better his «art».
If your looking for NIk who use to tattoo there message me I will tell ya where he went.
In the end there are so many more good shops in the two cities stay away from this one.

I would never go anywhere else.
I went here based on the recommendation of my best friend and her sister, who get all their work done here. I was beyond happy with the result. I got a small swan (a custom drawn design) on the back of my neck– a very simple design, but I would absolutely go here for my future, more complicated ink work. My tattooist, Nick, was very professional and friendly, and made me feel very comfortable (as it was my first tattoo). Their new location, a block up Snelling, is very nice– clean and bright, but not without character.
The shop minimum is $ 65, which is what I was charged for my design. It’s been a year and I’ve had no issues or fading. They do free touch ups if you do have any problems, though.
It is cash only, but there’s a Holiday across the street.

There are better places. They botched my custom design by not paying close enough attention to detail. Otherwise they were professional.

Totally honest here: Out of the 5 tattoos I have, the 2 I received from Fluid Ink are the worst. (I even have a better basement tattoo.)
The tattoos are 2 film strips, one mid-​forearm, the second around my upper arm, with small images inside the frames. Flags circle my forearm, Multiple symbols circle my upper arm.
The «flags» are a poor excuse for an outline. You can barely recognize the Norwegian flag since all the stripes are different sizes. That goes for 2 others as well.
The symbols include the aquarius symbol, gender symbols, an unfinished rainbow, an uneven Masonic square and compass, an unfortunately upside-​down star (that I need to turn back around) and a terrible excuse for a celtic knot. The lines are un even, the thickness is all over the place, to say the least.
You know what a 35 mm film strip looks like right? The little black box with little white boxes on the top and bottom. My little white boxes are ALL Different Sizes! Eek!
Scheduling the time was the worst. I worked two jobs and had a very small window of time. I explained this, thoroughly, to the artist who was as accommodating as possible, which meant telling me to come in early on a walk in day. Great.
So, I wake up early and get to the shop as quick as possible. I get there and after more than a week of communicating about the tattoo, including giving him images to base the tattoo off of, and asking him to draw it up before I got there, since I didn’t really have that much time.
When I walked in that day I waited for over an hour while he drew it before me. I should have just left. «Best» part: the artist was TEXTING while tattooing me. Pretty lame.
Thankfully, the tattoo healed correctly. It’ll always be my overpriced mistake.

Being that this was my first tattoo I was completely freaking out. Got script on both of my wrists. Went in and gave the words to Benny with the explanation of I want them cursive but not to girly. When I came back the next day he had multiple choices that he had drawn up for me and I loved one right away. He was great with walking me through everything and I will for sure be going back.

When planning my first tattoo, I was advised to call around and schedule a consult to see if I feel comfortable in the shop with the artist. I’ve been driving past Fluid Ink as long as it’s been at it’s location, so it was my first call. I walked into the shop. It was clean and neat. I don’t frequent shops with piercing displays and black walls, yet I felt comfortable. I met with Nic with nothing more than the phrase I wanted and a whole lot of ‘don’t wants’. After a lot of vague statements by me, Nic made a perfect rough draft with the lettering I wanted and the perfect size. I was sold. When I returned in a week, it was ready. As a newbie, I was a little nervous due to all the unknowns. Nic warned me I picked a sensitive spot. Showed me all the tools, and had my lay down on the table. Super fast work. I was out in an hour. He told me all about the healing process. I’ve been getting compliments ever since definitely going back to him for my next one.
Update 5÷2012− I now have a side tattoo of a Phoenix and plans for more work by Nic. Did I mention he’s pretty great? Well, this BIG side/​back tattoo was something I wanted for a long time. I had a nice consult with Nic where he once again listened to what I wanted, added his opinions, and ended up with an amazing sketch before I even left the consult. Three appointments later, and a touch up, i still spend a few minutes in the mirror looking at my amazing tattoo. Nic’s shading and color schemes are amazing. I recommend him and Fluid Ink to everyone I come across who is looking for a tattoo. Clean shop, friendly staff. I’m sure I’ll be back!