Fineline Tattoo

I’m giving this place a 5-​star rating for the way they handled today’s crazy $ 13 special. The line was exceptionally long. I waited 2.5 hours for my turn. And it was worth it. Dale was my tattoo artist and he is awesome. Before we went into the tattooing part, he suggested that I change my tattoo a little bit. I was relieved. I chose what they called a dust ball, but turned out to be a soot sprite from one of my favorite films. He gave me the back story of how he came up with the stencil and explained that he wanted to make it look exactly how it does in the film, since the stencil was inaccurate. And for that, I am coming back to him in the future. I can see that even with all the madness happening around, he took his time and talked me through it. This isn’t my first rodeo, folks. I have many tattoos. However, this place knows what they’re doing since they’ve been around the longest and I’m glad to have come here for my Friday the 13^th tattoo. I can’t wait to come back to Dale for a real one! You guys are awesome. Thank you so much.

I went here a while ago for a walk-​in tattoo. I waited for almost an hour when the store was completely empty. The atmosphere is nice and I respect that its been here forever but my tattoo quality wasn’t the best. They didn’t offer a free touch up either, and the tattoo definitely needed one. Also super over priced. I got a small tattoo that’s just lining on my forearm for 200 $. I have a full portrait on my calf for 200 $. Same quality. I wouldn’t go here for a walk-​in, that’s just my opinion.

In an area saturated with tattoo shops and studios, Fineline stands out above the rest. I don’t have many tattoos, but I strolled in here for a consultation for my first bigger piece; which happened to be a cover up. Several shops in the area told me to beat it, or quoted me huge prices, trying to dazzle me with the the complexity of their art and in some case the science of tattooing and how what I wanted was impossible. I was discouraged until I met Angelo and Dale at Fineline. These guys are up for anything, but do so with integrity, style, and a sense of humor.
Dale drew up a sick Celtic armband that would cover a small text piece that I had been regretting for a while. Applying the stencil for these types of tattoos is tricky and he showed no hesitation about consulting some of the senior artist to help him apply it correctly and even get ideas on some design elements. Once it was on, his application was flawless and his «bed side manner» was comforting as I sat for my first larger tattoo. I could tell he was invested, and took his time. The price was more than fair considering the amount of time he spent with me.
The walls of the shop are adorned with traditional tattoos. These guys seem to specialize in bold and colorful designs from the past, with fascinating modern takes. The shop is clean and comfortable, but has the feel of a classic tattoo parlor, rather than a pretentious modern «studio». I think your money will go further here than other places that I checked out, and at no cost to quality and craftsmanship. Check these guys out.

Awesome people, very cool place with lots of history. Went with a friend and we are both super happy with our tattoos. We walked in on a Friday and got everything finished in a reasonable amount of time for a decent price. Not the cheapest place but worth it for the quality. Angelo finished mine efficiently, he was funny and suggested small changes where he thought something would look better (and it did!). Dale did my friends and did a fantastic job. Would definitely recommend Fineline to those who have already had tattoos and know what they want.

As soon as you see the place you see a bench in the front that welcomes all guest to relax and feel comfortable. This shop is all about good vibes. The artist are very friendly. I got my foot tattooed on my bday and Angelo was amazing throughout my whole experience. The end results are great now and I am happy to say that I would be back for my next if that ever happens.

Got my first tattoo here. Came in without an appointment pretty late and was seen right away. Danny did a great job helping me think through tattoo placement, and was very patient when I moved it around a little bit. Staff was helpful and did not rush through the process. Would definitely recommend.

I enjoyed my Halloween deal and would most likely come back.
My tattoo was done with a gently hand and looks good for sure.

If I could give ZERO stars– I would. When one asks for a WHITE tattoo— you’d expect it to be WHITE right? WELL, these clowns think it’s OKAY to let pen ink sink into a «WHITE» tattoo. They also don’t know how to abbreviate words… Such a «established»… Which, to my understanding, is abbreviated as est. Not est … Notice the difference? Yes. A period to show abbreviation. Furthermore, linear tattoos are appreciated. No horizontal shit. Scroll through the BS and see what these a-​Holes are capable of. YOULL THANK ME LATER!

I started a large back tattoo here with Mehai. He was very patient, professional and helpful with my newest piece. I have 2 friends that had gotten large Japanese pieces done by him and I found one I fell in love with and he was the guy I felt was best to do it. The tattoo came out better than I could have imagined especially being that my first session was nearly 4 hours for the outline alone. I’m already pleased and can’t wait to finish the rest.

I went back here for another script tattoo today. I guess when I have to have a tattoo, I have to have it NOW. It’s nice to have a walk in shop for small pieces when so many of the big ones in New York reserve months out.
Mehai worked with me this time — I had the design mostly drawn out and he didn’t mind that I had done it myself. I used to dabble in calligraphy so I’m really particular about getting the thick and thin lines just right, as if they were done with a calligraphy pen, and I was happy with his attention to detail.
One note: If you plan on getting both wrists tattooed, wear long sleeves, or prepare for strangers on the streets of NYC asking you if you are «OK» since the gauze they wrap you up with makes you look like an escapee from a suicide attempt. :)

Mehai got me in on the only night I had available in NYC while traveling from Seattle. The shop is great and I really appreciate the work he did. If you are considering it check it out.

Made a visit to Fineline in August and Mehai was there to tattoo a self-​designed symbol on my left shoulder. A few weeks after the tattooed healed, I’ve noticed that it needs to be retouched.
Went back to Fineline in mid-​September and Mehai retouched the tattoo (at no charge).

This was my fifth tattoo and my husband’s first (he’s the reviewer below me!) I got another small tattoo done at FineLine about three years back. Not only did I have a great experience, but it’s held up extremely well. This time around, we checked out one other place before coming to FineLine and I was completely shocked at the price I got quoted. Thought I would head over to FineLine again and was very pleased by the cost and the experience.
Mehai is super professional, nice and honest. Both of our tattoos came out perfectly. Mehai even advised me on a more traditional color scheme for mine, and I was glad I went with that instead of something «trendy.»
This place is definitely old school… don’t expect one of the lounge-​y salon-​type places from the reality shows. But it’s clean and comfortable, and I’ll definitely be back! They accept walk-​ins and appointments.

I got my first tattoo here this summer and I wish I’d gone somewhere else, especially for my first. Mike did it and, yeah, he was friendly enough, but he really messed it up.
My design was simple and very minimalistic. It consisted of only seven straight lines, each about one inch long, if that. The very first line he tattooed was just a straight up and down one inch line. Simple. But the bottom of the line has a little finer line split off bent towards the right — looks like the split end of a string or something. Also, I thought the lines in general could’ve been a little cleaner. The aesthetic point of my tattoo was to be simple and clean cut. Now, eh, well, I’ve convinced myself to be happy about it ’cause obviously I’m stuck with it, but still pretty pissed Mike messed up that line. I mean, you’ve been tattooing for 40-​something years or whatever you said — how do you mess up a straight line?!
I noticed the mistake after I’d left the shop after I had my friend take a picture of my tattoo from a straight on angle (it was on my back/​nape of my neck). I came back a few hours later to show Mike the mistake and he seemed a little uneasy about it, and suggested I come back in a week if it was still there. He said it might just be something on the surface that’ll disappear when it heals. I knew it wasn’t just going to «disappear» and it didn’t. And I wasn’t about to waste my time coming back in to show him and have him possible attempt to fix it. I definitely wouldn’t trust him to fix it.
The place is clean and the guys there are friendly and stuff, but I woudln’t feel comfortable recommending this place (or Mike, at least) to anyone. This was my first tattoo and I’m a perfectionist — I can’t look at my tattoo anymore without seeing that frayed end. It sucks. Even if I weren’t a perfectionist — c’mon, Mike, a straight line’s shouldn’t be so hard for a «professional» such as yourself, right?

I have been coming here for 8 years ande have really never been disappointed. Mehai is really an amazing artist. Kind, patient and focused! Price is resonable and the whole atmosphere of the shop is fun. GO!

My wife and I went to FineLine yesterday afternoon to get my first and her fifth tattoo. While I was confident with the design, I was uneasy about the getting a tattoo. Mehai was extremely professional and guided me through the process. The custom design came out great and I am so happy to with outcome. I look forward to getting more work done on my arm by Mehai.

Got a simple text and date tat from Angelo who was very professional and efficient… he stay a little later which was awesome. I told him the text and numbers where the initials /​DOB of my late friend JSL… and he happy to help meout.
although it was my first tattoo I was very happy with my results, price, and Angelo was the truth… cool gentleman and a scholar! … check it out and you will know…

My boyfriend and I have wanted to get second tattoos for a very long time. We walked around the village all day searching for the best and cheapest shop. We were so happy to have come across FineLine Tattoo Shop. Danny and Mehai were friendly, professional and efficient tattoo artist. I wanted a dainty, pretty butterfly tattoo and Mehai did a great job and I was super happy with my tat. Danny worked on my boyfriends ohio state tattoo that he’s wanted forever to cover a scar. My boyfriend was super pumped with his results. We got exactly what we wanted for a great price. I will definitely be getting my next tattoo from FineLine :)

For Father’s day, my dad and I got tattoos together (highly recommended as a bonding activity). These were both our 1^st tattoos and I was quite nervous but Mehai worked with both of us to get the right design for both of our tattoos. I wanted a bracelet tattooed on my arm that I had been wearing for several years. I thought it would be relatively simple but it wasn’t quite and Mehai helped me to figure out exactly how it would look best. I ended up with the lettering tattooed around my wrist instead of the lettering plus black bracelet and I love it. It’s absolutely perfect.
My dad got a symbol of the Consumptive Poets League which is a combination of the TB symbol and a fountain pen. My stepmom and some friends started the Consumptive Poets League and had a poetry magazine called Koff in the late 1970s. The tattoo is a tribute to that and it looks fantastic.

Fineline Tattoo is the only place I will EVER go for a tattoo.
I want to be tattooed by someone who loves the art of tattooing and does it for only that reason. That is what Fineline is about — no frills, just beautiful tattoos. It’s a small shop on First Ave, but its legacy is larger than life. The walls are covered with stencils, sketches, and photos of their many tattoo-​covered patrons. The talented artists who work there are friendly and down to earth, and I can’t imagine a shop more laid back and comfortable than this one. Mehai’s artistry is mindblowing, and I would recommend him to anyone. I’ve had three done at Fineline and I’m looking forward to more.
In an age when the world [NYC in particular] is full of snotty, upscale tattoo parlors decorated with chandeliers and marble, Fineline is a breath of fresh air.