San Diego Police Department Bans Visible Ink

In the past few months, HPD’s chief banned visible tattoos on police officers in the City and County of Honolulu. Just the other week, the US Army announced it will be changing tattoo policies to be more tolerant of servicemen and servicewomen with tattoos.

The San Diego Police Department is taking a stance more similar to that of HPD in the coming week…

Check the story out at the link.

Recently, the BBC published an article talking about anti-tattoo discrimination laws in the UK because a growing number of people there, who are qualified for work, are finding themselves without work or call-backs because of visible tattoos. The percentage of people who are tattooed in the work-force is even higher in the US.

What this all means is that people, who can do great work, are being blacklisted because of their personal preference and choice to express themselves with tattoos.

As one of Hawaii’s best tattoo shops, we obviously support getting custom tattoos here at 434 Tattoo, our tattoo studio in Waikiki.

We are open 7 days a week, from 10a to 10p plying the trade we love and have served a great many of HPD’s finest, as well as military and law enforcement personnel from around the world.

Our Hawaii tattoo shop is going to continue to give great service to anyone and hopefully, some day, the choice to wear visible artwork on one’s skin will be accepted by organization’s around the world.

When considering that tattoos have had cultural significance since before businesses were businesses, it certainly is confusing why people are so opposed and afraid of tattooed individuals.

If one of the largest revenue generating forces in the world, the NFL, is okay with it, then maybe there’s hope and tattoos will have a shot at wide-stream acceptance.

 

 

Madden NFL Premieres Real Tattoos

For the first time ever entertainment giant, EA Sports, will feature real tattoos on football players in its massively popular video game, Madden NFL Football.

49ers QB Colin Kaepnernick has some of the more well-known tattoos in the league as one of the first visibly tattooed quarterbacks.

Catch a look at the digital comparison of Kaepernick’s ink here:

 

It’s good to see that large organizations and the consciousness of popular culture embrace tattoos more and more.  If only we could say that about every business, venture, and organization.

With the For the full story from NPR, click the link.

Army Tattoo Protocol in Retreat

The USA Today reported that the Army might change its policies on tattoos to be more accommodating and allow enlisted men and women to become officers after recently implementing stricter policies.  Who would thought the military would be at the leading edge of anti-tattoo discrimination?

The issue which made headlines on the Internet and in the United Kingdom may some day be non-existent, but as evident here in Hawaii, that’s not quite the case.

On the one hand, it’s an Executive’s decision on how to run her/his business.  It is understandable that many businesses want to convey certain looks and feels to consumers with how their employees appear.  But the fact remains that the number of tattooed individuals is growing by the day.  It’s important to create policies in businesses, states, and countries that reflect the will of the people.

If your will is down with a custom tattoo, then come on down because we got ya!

434 Tattoo, 0ur Hawaii tattoo shop, is located at 434 Ena Road and our team of talented artists have decades in the business.  Consultations are free and we’re open every day.

Forget the hype and get inked!

434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

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

Just Say No to Anti-Tattoo Discrimination

In a recent article, the BBC discussed in detail the idea of implementing laws prohibiting anti-tattoo discrimination in the workplace.  Your friends and fam here at 434 Tattoo, your favorite Hawaii tattoo studio, oppose all forms of inequality and discrimination, especially tattoo discrimination!

Check out this article we posted awhile back about the ban on tattoos in the Honolulu Police Department.

One of the fundamental issues that this article by the BBC raises is whether or not a tattoo impacts an employee’s professionalism and ability to do the job.

“You’re perfect for the job. You have all the skills and experience the company is looking for, and you’ve turned up for the interview in your smartest attire. But there’s a problem. If you have a tattoo that incurs the displeasure of the boss, you might find any offer of employment is swiftly rescinded.”

It’s no surprise questions arise regarding the ability of an employee based on appearances.  It hasn’t even been a century since the civil rights leaders argued for the equality of African-Americans.  To this day, you have people who have their feelings about people who are of a different color.  Let’s not even discuss the inequality in pay scales between genders either…

But just because discrimination is a slow process to overcome in all its forms, doesn’t make any of it right.  There are many talented men and women of all races, creeds, and orientations, that get passed by because of race, creed, and orientation.  Add in the mix of a tattoo in a place where tolerance is non-existent and where does that leave you?

Let’s take a thought experiment and ponder this issue further.  What if you and your significant other decide that the cost of ostentatious wedding rings, that you can take off and lose, would not be as meaningful as tattooing a ring or a word to symbolize that connection?  Where does that leave you?

As mentioned throughout this post, discrimination doesn’t cut it!  Let’s rally against tattoo discrimination in the same way we fight all types of oppression!

The Custom Tattoo Experience

Greetings Tattoo Earthlings!

Shoot, what’s up Tattoo Aliens, if you’re out there in Andromeda reading this!

When last we left off, we shared what the word tattoo means, in more ways than one.  Now we want to take it a step further and give your some more context on the custom tattooing experience.

The first step in a custom tattoo is getting a consultation.  At our Honolulu tattoo studio, 434 Tattoo, a tattoo shop located in Waikiki, we offer free consultations on tattoos!

The consultation is very important because it allows you to discuss your ideas for a tattoo with a tattoo professional. You will find everyone under the sun with opinions about tattoo ideas or tattoos in general, but the people best prepared to answer questions, guide you, and help you decide what to get and how it will flow on your body, is a tattooist.

Think about it…

As cool as it was for Grandma to pull out your baby teeth, you’d probably want to go to a dentist as an adult for any questions involving your teeth!

With over 22 years of experience in the tattoo industry, President and Owner of 434 Tattoo, Horiyume Tattoo Adam Siehr, knows a thing or two or many about the different types of tattoos out there.  The whole team here in our Waikiki tattoo studio is well-trained, licensed and prepared to give you proper guidance in getting a tattoo!

Once the consultation is completed and a design is chosen upon, give the artist an opportunity to prepare the art for you.  While you might be able to get a drawing completed and inked in the same day, your tattooer has valuable time and other appointments so it’s something to keep in mind.

Remember, that full-sleeve on your friend or that backpiece on your favorite model is a lot like Rome, not built in a day, and most times, the bigger it is, won’t be completed in a day.  Though it is possible to do a large amount of work in a sitting, there are many variables to factor in, so you might have to be patient.

You can schedule your appointments as close together as you like though it is recommended to let the skin heal for at least 1 to 2 weeks, 2 weeks being a bit more ideal.  Sometimes that isn’t the case.  Just ask Horiyume, who goes to Japan for his work from Japanese tattoo legend Horiyoshi III. 

Horiyume will have appointments as close together as every other day in order to maximize the amount of time he has to get worked on while visiting Japan.  Crazy!

As you get your custom piece, just like in Life, enjoy the Journey.  While you can always add different aspects to a tattoo or connect a chest tattoo to your arm sleeve, with each step in the tattoo Journey, you are left with a visual reminder of your Life.

As beautiful as the finished product is, remember to find the beauty in the process because that’s another element that makes your custom tattoo unique.

Once the custom tattoo is completed, you’ll have something that no one else can walk into a shop and say, I want exactly that because no two artists are the same and no stencils will exist.  The Japanese tradition is to give the stencil to the client and while this might not be the practice to give the stencil everywhere, no one else will ever have that stencil on a custom piece because the unique factor is what makes it custom.  While there might be certain universal artistic similarities but you will have unique art for life because repeat, no two artists are the same.

Once again, consultations on tattoos are free here at our Hawaii tattoo shop.  Our shop is open 7 days a week from 10a to 10p.

So come on down and get your ink on!  You will not regret it as its our mission to make this the happiest place around and to leave you satisfied!

434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

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

What is a Custom Tattoo?

A quick search of the internet and you will find the definition of tattoo as follows:

Wait!  Say what?!?!  That’s your random fact of the day as to what the word tattoo can mean.  Here is another definition, which you’re probably a bit more familiar with:

Tattoos are a form of body modification that have been practiced for a variety of reasons for years. From cultural significance to marks of imprisonment, today’s have occupied a place on our bodies and been a part of all walks of Life.

At our tattoo shop in Waikiki, 434 Tattoo, our team is skilled in all sorts of tattoo designs ranging from traditional tattoos, old school styles, new school tattoos, Polynesian tattoos, and specifically popular here in Hawaii, Hawaiian tattoos.

Take the traditional a step back and Horiyume, also known as shop owner Tattoo Adam Siehr, practices Japanese tebori tattoos, which involves the tap of the needles with and no tattoo machine.

Ultimately what our team strives to create for you are custom tattoos!

Custom tattoos are original creations of artwork, that are then applied to the body.  While Tattoo Flash is something you’ll find on the walls in a tattoo shop, and are quite popular, custom tattoos allow the Tattoo Artist to flex her/his creative muscle and design something that is unique to you.

Custom tattooing is something we take pride in and are well-prepared to do!  For a free consultation on any tattoo, come on by and we’ll happy to discuss the custom tattoo process and answer any tattoo questions you have in general!

434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

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

Horiyume – Curving Dream

Editorial for 434 Tattoo

Introducing Horiyume…

Many years ago, when Tattoo Adam Siehr was still a child, he found a tattoo magazine with a spread on Japanese Tattoos. Adam would start his Tattoo apprenticeship at the young age of 17, in an old school shop located in Milwaukee, run by bikers.

Experiencing a traditional apprenticeship, he learned the true way to tattoo from the ground up, something the internet how-to guides don’t give you, furthermore illustrating the value of a practice with proper training.

Adam also saw some things that the average person would not see everyday in our Society.  You could say it was a bit explosive because on one occasion, a bomb went off just after he shut the shop down!

After some time in Milwaukee crafting his trade, Adam left home for the bright lights and big city of Las Vegas.  Adam would spend his time in the desert honing his skills and developing further along the way.  Over the years, he tattooed people from all over, including former Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson!

Adam also began his travels, which have taken him all over the world for both site-seeing and tattooing.  Never forgetting what first inspired him, Adam eventually went to the Far East and sought out Japanese tattoo icon Horiyoshi III in Yokohama, Japan…

Over many trips, Adam would learn from and get tattooed by the revered tattoo master, whose name spans outside of just the tattoo community and is known throughout the multiple industries.  People from all walks of life simply know him as ‘Sensei,’ the Japanese word for ‘teacher.’

Recently, Tattoo Adam made another trip to Japan to visit Horiyoshi that would be monumental.

It’s been a wild ride for Adam in the last two years, having experienced some great adversity personally along with changes professionally.  Nonetheless, he kept riding the waving through the high and low tides.  With that last trip, Horiyoshi started Adam’s sleeve, the final step towards the bodysuit that the last 20 plus years have been leading him towards.

This past week, Adam received an awesome surprise in the mail…

It is believed that the rough estimate of time needed to attain a level of mastery is 10 years of work and practice.  Now in his 22nd year in the industry, Tattoo Adam received the gift of a lifetime and the validation of mastery when he was given those kanji in the photos.

The kanji reads as Horiyume, which translate as “Curving Dream.”

Horiyume is a name that Horiyoshi himself has given Tattoo Artist Adam Siehr who is now also known as the Tattoo Artist Horiyume.

This is a true story, of someone who had a dream and followed it all the way from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Honolulu, Hawaii, and wherever else his Journey leads .

Congratulations Horiyume!  Aloha!

Always Remember – Chris Danley

It’s been a week since the death of tattoo artist Chris Danley and as the Hawaii tattoo community comes together for the Pacific Ink & Art Expo, it’s hard not to miss one of our own who was taken to soon.

Here’s his photo from the Event website.

Though you’re not physically here, we know you’re out there Bro, and your absence is surely felt. On a personal note, Tattoo Adam just wanted to share another Aloha to the Brother and wish his family and loved ones well.

Take care Chris and ink some Souls in the afterlife!

434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

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

 

Hawaii’s Pacific Ink & Art Expo 2014 – This Weekend!

Amidst the opening of the Marvel Comics film Guardians of the Galaxy and North Shore native Jack Johnson’s concerts this weekend, is the third annual Hawaii Tattoo Convention, otherwise known as the Pacific Ink & Art Expo!  Tattoo Artists, collectors, and enthusiasts from around the world come together for the three day event, which features food eating, calendar models, and best tattoo contests alongside dozens of booths of tattooists plying their trade and epic after-party events around town.

Tattoo Adam representing at last year’s Expo.

434 Tattoo, our Hawaii tattoo studio led by Tattoo Adam, return this year as one of the participating shops with a booth. Go on down and take advantage of the opportunity to catch the team in action while also checking out the festivities!

Hope to see you there!

434 Tattoo
Custom Tattooing LLC.

Directions:
434 Ena Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
96815

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