Black & Blue Tattoo

Sai Prateek Narayan

I went for my first tattoo to Black and Blue, and was in awe of Gauge’s work. Given it was my first tattoo, they were so communicative, supportive, and encouraging all the way leading up to the appointment. The inking process was so much better than one expects tattoo shops to be. Gauge really helped create a calm, welcoming and relaxing environment, and explained each part of the process and aftercare each step of the way. On top of that, we had great conversations about a wide variety of topics and got to enjoy some fun music! I would highly recommend Gauge for their passion for their art, communication skills, and creating a safe and enjoyable experience for tattoos, whether it be your first or fiftieth!

Maria S

Androidoh did an amazing job. From the moment we spoke I could tell he was enthusiastic about the project even though the pawprint tattoo was not his usual style. He was really helpful and patient as I was trying to figure out the placement and overall design. I could tell he really enjoyed doing this, which was reassuring, as this was my first tattoo so I was a bit nervous. I absolutely love how it came out and get many compliments on it. Androidoh was also really helpful with my questions regarding aftercare. I would highly recommend working with him and would definitely go back.

Paul Coffey

Just finished a full upper arm sleeve with Michael DeMatty as my tattoo artist. It’s was large cover up of a silly enough tattoo from my younger days, but through Michael’s creativity, guidance and skill he has left me feeling quite chuffed about my new tattoo. I had visited a few studios in the city but was drawn towards this business due to the fact that it is a female and queer run, gender-inclusive tattoo studio. Michael was brilliant from the onset , friendly through out and is a credit to the tattoo community. I highly recommend Michael and the studio in general along with its other staff give a very nice feeling of warmth and friendliness.

Ryan S Thomas

This is a review of Guage's work at Black and Blue Tattoo. I give Guage five+ stars, keep reading to learn why. One of my first tattoos, and I have many now, was a simple three star set. With cursory research, I set up an appointment and had the piece done. It turned out ok, but not brilliant. That was my fault for not doing the research. Fast forward many years later and I've done plenty of research on tattoos and tattooing. So while I was waiting for a fairly large new tattoo to heal, I figured now would be a good time to have my three star set reworked. I dug around and did the research for an artist with a deep expertise in black ink, and precise, straight lines. My research led me to Gauge at Black and Blue Tattoo. Guage is a rare find, an old school tattooist with an encyclopedia of knowledge and experience in their brain. I was a bit hesitant to ask someone of Guage's depth and expertise to do what was in my mind a simple rework of a simple tattoo, but they were enthusiastic about the opportunity, and welcoming when I got to the studio. Speaking of being welcoming, as soon as I walked in Guage wanted to see my new tattoo (completed by another old school artist Guage knew). Guage loved the piece but then immediately noticed I was doing way too much after care on it – putting too much, of the wrong kind of ointment on the tattoo (and I thought I knew what I was doing : ) ). In simple, kind terms, Guage wiped the tattoo off and put the right amount of ointment on it. So within about 15 seconds of meeting Guage, I knew I had the right artist. Any artist who cares about tattoos so much that they'll help with healing process of a another artist's work, is an artist who has my trust from the start. But that was just the start, Guage took a thoughtful look over the ink I wanted reworked, helped me understand how it had aged, and explained what they were going to do. While they were working I noticed two things – first Guage's bedside manners were great, they could talk about any topic with ease and kept me more than comfortable. Second, I've never seen such a precise hand and a better sense of ink application. I know this was just a rework, so maybe didn't require as much needle pressure as the original piece, but when the original tattoo was completed I was in a lot of pain, and bleeding a lot. With Guage it was as if the new ink was magically placed in my skin. All elements of the stars - the lines, the points, the depth and even application of ink – were perfect. There was no bleeding, and in following Guage's aftercare advice, the tattoos healed perfectly. Given this, I clearly had to go back to Guage for a brand new nautical star : ) Same experience. Perfect lines, incredible depth of color, all done with a near perfect touch. This is what one gets when, having learned from one's mistakes, one does the research and finds the right artist for the right piece – a perfect outcome for both the artist and the customer. I have a few tattoos in mind that require heavy black ink and clean, precise lines. I'll definitely be going to Guage for them and, if you're reading this review as part of your pre-tattoo research, recommend you do the same.