1. Can you live with it?

A tattoo isn’t like a t-shirt.  Once you get it, you have it for Life.  Make sure that you can live with your new piece.  While it is possible to get it removed (laser tattoo removal in Honolulu picture above), the procedure can be painful and is expensive.  Might as well take the time to get something tattooed that will be lasting, and quite possibly equally or more so painful once and stick with it!

2. Flow

Tattoo Adam, Owner and President of 434 Tattoo, along with the other talented artists at our Honolulu Custom Tattoo studio, will take your idea and run with it, but something you might want to consider and be open to is how the tattoo Flows on your body.

(Tattoo legend Horiyoshi III, looking like a boss with his arms crossed and his tattoos flowing nicely!)

Tattoo placement is important because the skin is a living, moving canvas.  You don’t want to get something that only looks great if your body is bent and twisted (a smiley face on the knee that looks like a blur when straight).  You want it to look good all the time! So heed the advice of your professional and licensed Hawaii Tattooist!

3. Go Custom or Go Flash

Tattoo Flash are the pieces you will see featured in shops hanging on the wall.  There is nothing wrong with Flash if you’re okay with having the same thing as someone else.  Custom tattooing is our specialty and involves a little more from the artist.  The beauty of a custom piece is that no one else will ever have the same thing as you.

(Some guy, think his name was Mike Tyson, posing with Tattoo Adam and showing off his custom tattoo)

You can always bring in pictures, ideas, and more to work with your tattoo artist on what you want and either way, whether it’s custom or flash or something you found on the Internet, you can be sure to go home with something that you are stoked about!

4. Cost

Your tattoo artist is an artist, a professional, and does this for a living.  Please consider the cost.  We are not in the business to rob you and are certainly fair, but we have to do what we have to do.  Our team is willing to work with you on price, please be willing to work with us.  A backpiece isn’t going to be $5…

With that, we are open 7 days a week, from 10a-10p, so please come on down for your free consultation at our award winning Waikiki Tattoo studio and get started on your new tattoo!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

Recently our Hawaii Custom Tattoos studio was visited by a very special guest… a Monk from the Thai Buddhist Temple in Pearl City!

One of Tattoo Adam‘s Customers brought her friend in to get a prayer, that this monk had written out and designed for her, tattooed on her upper back.  In an related story, the first person that she brought to get a similar type of prayer tattooed by Adam went back to Thailand and…

WON THE THAI LOTTERY!

She didn’t just win the lottery, she has won it 6 or 7 times!  The prayer was one for prosperity and with each win worth about $10,000 USD and the low cost of living in Thailand, she sure is prospering!

After the custom tattoo in our waikiki Tattoo studio, the Monk sat down, said a blessing over Adam, his son, Andrew, and the shop.  The blessing include making some water into holy water and a look at Adam’s palm.  Stay tuned as this story may have a sequel as this Monk is interested in coming back to see Adam for a ‘blessing’ of his own, a new tattoo!

Speaking of new tattoos! Come on down and see us for your free consultation!  We can’t wait to ink ya and see you at 434 Tattoo!!!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

“The sun is your the enemy of your skin and your new tattoo.” Tattoo Adam, Owner and Tattooist, has shared with many customers over the years.

A few tips for protecting your skin and ink from the Sun:

If you just got inked, stay out the sun, the ocean, and pools for at least 2 weeks.  3 weeks is even better!  The ocean harbors countless numbers of microorganisms waiting to take up residence in your body and your fresh flesh!  You’re going to want to keep a light layer of lotion, ointment, etc. over your new tattoo to keep it moisturized and the sun will surely dry that up so again, at least 2, if not 3 weeks no sunning or swimming!  So you might want to go in the ocean as much as you can before getting that new custom piece…

Use the highest amount of SPF that you can.  If you’re going in the water, get a waterproof sunscreen and don’t be afraid to apply more.

Keep your tattoos covered up.  The better you take care of your skin, so less exposure to the harmful UVs, the better off your new tattoos will be.

Now that you have the information on how to care for your skin and your tattoo, you’re ready to go, or come in!  All consultations are free, appointments preferred, walk-ins always welcome!

We hope to see you soon in our Honolulu Tattoo parlor located near the famous Waikiki Strip and Ala Moana Beach Park.

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

The word tattoo itself, finds origins in the the word ‘tatau.’  This is not a Hawaiian word since the the Letter ‘T’ is not found in the Hawaiian Alphabet and finds its origins in Tahiti, Tonga, and Samoa. When the Hawaiian culture began to form, the Polynesians who populated the islands and shared heritage and customs with the other Polynesian islands, dubbed the word as ‘Kakau.’

Authentic Hawaiian tattoos were a rich part of the culture and embodied deeper spiritual and cultural meaning.  When the Europeans arrived in the 1800′s, along with them came new customs and new cultural practices.  As a result, the deep history and meaning of tattoos were lost to the masses and went underground, like many other indigenous practices all over the world when the Euro-influences took hold.

Today Hawaiian cultural practitioners of all things Hawaiian, including traditional Hawaiian tattooing, forms of healing (la’au lapa’au), chanting (oli), hula, and more are enjoying a period of revitalization from their hard work to develop and share cultural based learning models and movements.

Check out this video of the Polynesian tattoo tradition to see what it looks like:

As the World continues its march towards globalization, it is important to continue to honor where we have come from and not forget all of the customs and traditions that got us here.  For meaningful tattoos in Hawaii, come on down to our Waikiki Tattoo parlor, led by Tattoo Adam and his over two decades of experience in custom tattooing.  He has been in Hawaii for almost 2/3 of that time and has a great appreciation and understanding for Hawaiian tattooing, its meaning, and the history.

We are open daily from 10a – 10p.  Consultations are free and scheduling an appointment is recommended.  Walk-ins are also welcome, we just don’t want to keep you waiting because it can get busy!

Hope to see you soon!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

Originally posted here.

At 434 Tattoo, Tattoo Adam has often expressed to me the idea of circles and Life, and  I have heard oftentimes that it is important to close circles before entering into new endeavors.  When I watch how the patterns in Life unfold, I have many times seen repeats, though in new experiences with new people, the same lessons seem to apply.

I’m told that I am still young, at the cusp of 33, and I can look back and see how I was hardly present in my Life.  I was either wishing to be ahead or past something or had an opportunity to revisit another ‘past something,’ that had occurred.  When a Mentor expressed that I should expect the unexpected, the words did not quite register until a jarring change after jarring change occurred.

As each shake to my Life hit, I started to adopt a mantra of: ”This is where I am…”

It is usually when I can honestly say those words without shuddering, that I finally accept whatever has occurred, if only to feel aligned within, whether it makes sense outside of me or not.  To get to the place where I can say those words, I often have to check-in with the different characters of my Inner Family.  The one who seems to have taken the brunt of it all, my Inner Child, is usually the last who I remember to check-in with.  I am striving to be more attentive to that part of me because each jab of Life, which sparks the incessant non-sense of “I am not Loved” by Life, God, whoever, whatever really has to do with the wound to my Inner Child, who I have spent a Lifetime learning how to Love and who I will continue to do the same, if only to Love within more Fully.

I have long believed it possible to not have to run away or escape the “this is where I am…” that is going on in Life around me.  Just because I felt that way does not mean that I have necessarily applied it.  There may always be a part of me that wants to go for a run, a run away from my Life, but if I can be okay with that, perhaps then, I can move back to a sense of peace… permanently.

If we find Inner Peace, it allows us to find the Love in All of Life, even when chaos may be unfolding around us.  Storms have calms and there has to be a way that we can be there for if Nature does not judge itself, why should we?

If all else fails, get a tattoo to remind yourself that this pain too shall pass.  We are your best tattoo shop in Hawaii open 7 days a week from 10a-10p.  Come on down for a free consultation and to let the healing begin!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

It’s actually this guy (who is not the Biebs):

Karl Juthans, a member of our Hawaii Custom Tattoo family here at our Waikiki Tattoo studio.  Karl, who apprenticed with Tattoo Adam, went about learning how to tattoo and doing tattoo work the right and legal way!  He studied, put in the time, and took the test to get his license to be able to do work on people, all while an apprentice at 434 Tattoo, a well-respected Hawaii Custom Tattoos parlor.

It’s understandable in this day and age that people would let celebrities do what they want, when they want.  It might even be considered good advertising but Justin Bieber tattooing doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.  Apparently, the law agrees and Bieber will be fined for tattooing illegally.

You can read more about this article and see a picture of the kid caught doing the crime here.

If you’re ready to apprentice Justin Bieber and want to learn from the best Tattoo shop in Hawaii, then maybe that’d be a different story but until then, we aren’t ‘beliebin’ the hype!

Come on down to our Award wining Honolulu custom tattooing studio, located at 434 End Rd.  Your consultation is free and though we encourage scheduling a session, walk-ins are welcome.

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

It was recently announced that the 2013 Pacific Ink and Art Expo was sold out!!!  Say what?

The event, which is yet to happen, is not sold out to the public but tattoo artists hoping to set up temporary shop for the public and fellow folks in the industry.  The promoters of the event are hoping to rework the floor plan to accommodate more businesses interested in taking part at this second annual Hawaii tattoo convention.  

There is also the opportunity for an additional 10-20 business vendors interested in setting up shop.  Last years event featured a host of well-known artists from around the world, exhibits, and demonstrations of live traditional Polynesian tattooing.  Stay tuned here for all your Hawaii tattoo news and check out the official Pacific ink & Art Expo homepage for more details.

And if you just can’t wait for some Hawaii Custom Tattoos, come on down to 434 Tattoo, our tattoo studio in Waikiki for your free consultation and the best custom tattooing on Oahu!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

This is the fourth year in the row that our Hawaii Custom Tattoos studio has won such an award and we are very grateful for the title but most of all, we are grateful for you!  If not for our customers, our team of talented Hawaii Tattoo Artists would not be able to do what we love to do as much as we get to do it!

Tattoo Adam, Owner and President of our Honolulu Tattoo parlor was also recognized for his years of dedicated and great service in the field of custom tattooing!  Adam has been in the game for over 20 years, having tattooed clientele from around the world and worked across the the United States before settling on Oahu and plying his trade.

2013 has been an interesting year thus far for our business and has seen its share of challenges and goodbyes.  But with challenges comes successes like this and blessings like the new additions of Lions, Kazan, and our two apprentices, Linda and Julia.  From our crew to you, much thanks and chee huu!!!

Come on down today for your free consultation and the best Hawaiian tattoos!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287

The tattoos were put on in the event that something happened to them.  Ernesto insists that he loves his dogs and shared that he put numbing cream on the sleeping Duchess, who was asleep after getting her ears clipped from the vet.  Some people are questioning what really happened as Facebook posts would seem to indicate some other ideas…

LOL, the World with Facebook.

As you can guess, animal rights activists, and a host of other cried out loudly, keyboards being hammered away at, over the atrocity that this man committed.  While we donʻt tattoo animals here at our custom tattooing studio in Hawaii, we are wondering what, if anything, do you readers think?  Should someone be publicly condemned for an action such as this?

A question that this Editor would like to ask as well, what separates this from branding cattle or tagging animals in the wild?  In those cases, the animals are awake for the pain that is being given to them for identification purposes.  In this case, he even put numbing cream.  Why do we love our dogs and domestic pets so much that we look blindly at what other things occur to animals?

Funny thing about being human and American, so much to not focus on that is positive and so much else that is not considered.  Just some weird thoughts that had to do with something that got the tattoo world some headlines in recent days.  If youʻre ready for you very own custom tattoo, come on down to our tattoo studio in Waikiki, 434 Tattoo, and get worked on by the tattoo artists in our award winning shop!

Henna tattoos are popular amongst Spring Break revelers and with the Beach climate here in Hawaii, many people get these types of pieces year round.  Traditional henna is made from a plant of the same name and have been used for temporary tattoos in weddings and other ceremonies before becoming popular impersonating the custom tattoo designs.

To learn about the safety of tattoo inks, check out this post we did previously on the subject.

If you are in Hawaii and want to commemorate your stay in a more permanent fashion, why not consider getting a tattoo at our Waikiki Tattoo studio, 434 Tattoo.  Our highly trained team of Hawaii Tattoo Artists will create a piece, that if you care for it, will heal nicely and without the burn like scarring as picture in the link above.

Shop Owner and President, Tattoo Adam, has been in the business for over 20 years and we have won Honoluluʻs Best Custom Tattooing Studio for four years in a row and counting!  So come on down to our Hawaii Custom Tattoos oasis for your tattoo today!

The 411 about 434:

Adam Siehr, President and Proud Owner
434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

Contact:
mailto: adamsiehr@gmail.com
1-808-391-8287