Ink parlors for the discriminating enthusiast

Sara Cook, reno.com
December 3, 2008

If you’re like me, and can’t help but get a tattoo every time you have an extra dime or two, then you start to learn about what tattoo shops are good to visit, and which ones…well, aren’t so good. Reno is a pretty decent place to get body artwork done, but it’s important to know if you’re choosing the right place before you take the needle-based plunge into forever. Here are, in my opinion, the top five tattoo shops in Reno.


No. 5 Nightmare Studios (888 S. Virginia St.)

I had a quarter sleeve tattooed on my arm at Nightmare Studios, and although it needed a few touch-ups over time, it was very well done, the lettering and shading being the part that still continues to stand out the most. I’ve noticed that Nightmare is great with detail and color, as most of the colors their artists put into your skin actually hold, and don’t disintegrate into an unrecognizable mess over time. If you want skull tattoos, this is your place, as these are by far the specialty.

No. 4 Battleborn Tattoo (1717 S. Wells Ave.)

Battleborn Tattoo is amazing when it comes to shadowing and facial detail. This is the shop I visited when I got a tattoo of the twins from The Shining tattooed on the front of my leg, and although the blood lining technique tends to fade over time, my tattoo has maintained a pretty distinct appearance, the facial features still looking exact, and the entire thing looking as though it’s been touched up more than once, even though it hasn’t been…at all.

No. 3 Stingray Productions (902 S. Wells Ave.)

Stingray Productions is where I got my first tattoo, and ever since, I’ve yet to hear anything bad about the work they’ve done. The artists at this shop are just flat-out talented and they aren’t going to put something on your body that they don’t truly believe will look right. It’s always reassuring to go to a shop where the artists will shake their heads and tell you no if they think your idea is going to look ridiculous. After all, it’s their artwork too, and this place is always a good reality check.

No. 2 Dixie Rose Tattoo (820 S. Virginia St.)

Dixie Rose is a great place to go if you want to get some sort of flower design tattooed on you. Everything I’ve seen from this shop is great, but their roses show the artists’ expertise - top-notch, considering “rose” is in the name of the shop. I recently got a wrist piece done at Dixie Rose and was really impressed with the colors, as they didn’t fade, didn’t need a touch-up, and weren’t at all hard to take care of, as some tattoos tend to be when they’re put into your skin roughly, in order to make the color stay.

No. 1 Aces Tattoo (681 S. Virginia St.)

Aces Tattoo is just one of those places that everybody knows is the best. If you’ve been in Reno for a significant amount of time, you know that Aces is your first stop. There isn’t a tattoo artist you can go wrong with at this shop, so feel free to walk on in and take your first pick at whoever’s free. Aces also presents really fair prices, and the artists are incredibly talented and fun to shoot the breeze with while you get work done. Whether you want a rose, a face, or a mural tattooed on your body, this is definitely the location you want to browse right off the bat. Lettering is also one of Aces’ specialties, so if you want your mother’s name tattooed across your leg, well then there you go.