Calaberas Tattoos

Why pay $ 60+ for piercings when you could get them here at International Tattoos (renamed) for $ 25 and under? I’m seriously so impressed after two visits at this hole-​in-​the-​wall tattoo and piercing shop. I got my tragus pierced in August 2015 by Gabe. With no appointment, I was able to walk in and right out in 15 minutes. I watched him handle all of the equipment sanitarily, from replacing the needle to getting out freshly packaged, new jewelry. The coolest thing about this place is that the jewelry comes free with the price of the piercing itself, unlike other places like Zebra which makes you pay a service fee in addition to the expensive jewelry or Claire’s which does «free» ear piercings as long as you buy one of their overpriced earrings. I didn’t get to pick the jewelry, although I’m sure I could have, but it’s simple anyways which is exactly what I wanted. He explained simple instructions for caring for it without guilting me into splurging on a bunch of soaps they sell like a lot of other piercing spots. I ended up paying only $ 15, while my friend who got hers done at Zebra payed $ 60. I recently went back in February 2016 to get my industrial pierced by Gabe, once again. I had the exact same experience and only payed $ 25! You can’t go wrong with the good customer service, cleanliness, and overall professionalism here at International Tattoos. As everyone else has stated, it may look rough from the outside but in this case, DO NOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!

The shop has been renamed International Tattoo. My first time coming here and Gabe was awesome. I needed help with my gauges as well as a new piercing. Gabe was quick knowledgeable and friendly. Great prices from a great guy. I will definitely be back

I actually recommend this place. He does a great job plus he be hella koo nd he raw at doing tatts. Even doe i havent got one he be doing some dope tatts.

ABOUT THE BEST IN OAKLAND!!!
there pricing on piercing are very reasonable, can’t complain. Both piercers are very cool and professional dose and great job in a fast timely matter. I would recommend coming here and only here if your in Oakland and want to job done on getting something because the rest of these shops smoking weed taking there time and not even there to do the job but the shop open smh. i have had a lot don’t from this shop there the best

I love coming here for piercings. I came here 2 years ago, and forgot about it. I needed another piercing and went to Zebra in Berkeley, which was a horrid and traumatic experience to all of the senses. I wanted another one, and remembered this place.
Gabriel is calm, low key, genuinely friendly and nice, professional, and really good at what he does, with the added bonus of being really quick. My piercings heal lightening fast, with little to no soreness. I highly recommend him. Like the others say, the outside might not be much, but expertise, trust, cleanliness, and value are much more important, yes?

I’ve been coming here for 5 years. Gabe is the absolute best. Very professional, clean, helpful, and most of all affordable. I have been coming for so long when I’m in the area I just stop and say Hi! I had a tattoo from him he did pretty good but I really am all for piercings. He’s done everything from my tongue, nose, lips (medusa, Monroe, & bottom lip) eye brow, dermals, navel, nape, triple helix, smiley, dimple piercings etc. He works with me. Very calm cool relaxed. I just wouldn’t go to anybody else for a piercing. I’m only comfortable with him. One time my dermal was crooked and he re did it for free. He’s awesome. Love him

I went here to get my septum done yesterday. When the guy got the needle ready and all that stuff, I noticed there were no tongs. I asked him if he was going to use tongs, he said no. And of course that made me more nervous than I already was. When he finally put the needle in, he did it super slow (probably because no tongs, not sure!!!). Anyway, Im really disappointed because I’ve been wanting to get my septum done for a pretty long time and now that i got it, it’s wrong. Long story short, the guy pierced it crooked because he didn’t use tongs. Don’t go to a place that don’t use tongs. Also, the guy didn’t even explain aftercare for the piercing or nothing. I noticed the reviews seem great, but i personally thought it was very unprofessional.

Great spot to get a piercing. I recently got my nose pieced here a month ago. Though the outside may seem kind of sketchy don’t be fooled. The guys were very professional. I explained I wanted to potentially wear a looped nose ring later on and he shared that he would pierce it a little lower then usual so it would still look nice with a loop nose ring. I definitely like that he explained it. After the piercing he told me how to take care of the piercing (antibacterial soap only, clean inside and outside) and told me after 1 month I could change the nose ring. He used a gauge needle and in less then 5 mins it was done!
Cost: $ 25 for the piercing and diamond stud nose ring was included.

I love this place! You walk in and the little piercing parlor is to your right. There’s a bunch of cool pictures and paintings you can purchase and beyond that its like a little flea market.
The day I got my tongue done, there was this big white guy that wore a hat that pierced me. He’s badass. He didn’t need to use those tongs. I swear, I hardly felt it. He was so quick! He told me his favorite thing to pierce are tongues.
My second time I went to get my septum. This time it was done by a Mexican man with a bunch of piercings on his face, pretty bad ass too. He disnt use tongs either. I let him know I had my septum done before and it closed. He spent like 15 minutes dotting the spots on my nose just so its straight when he pierced it and made sure it was in the same place as before. Just how I liked it.
Now, this isn’t a place for privacy. If you don’t want to share your experience of getting a piercing, don’t go here. You will most likely have an audience. Both occations I had people watching me, which I didn’t mind because I love seeing people cringe at the site of a needle, haha.

First off let me start by saying, over all my experience was great. I came in and had never been there before but I went to a couple of other places and they weren’t available. So I went there and asked if the person working there was avail and he said it would be about a 15 minute wait, which ended up being only like 6 minutes. I took my sister to get her septum pierced by the way, he opened everything new, was very calm and the piercing came out great, he was clean and professional, only charged $ 25 by the way which I think it was worth it.
I really recommend it although it might not look like the best place from the outside

$ 25 for a navel when it’s $ 40 and up everywhere else. Professional, clean and friendly. It’s easy to be be put off by the location but it’s not dangerous or scary. Walked in on a Saturday afternoon. No wait time.

I got my tounge pierced here a year ago and I actually am going in today to get my septum done. I was surprised that there were no reviews of this place up. when I went there, there were 2 or 3 guys working, the tattoo guy/​advanced piercer, the guy at the front, and the guy who pierced me. dont let the location fool you. they were really professional and really nice as opposed to other places (cough cough zebra) where they can be pretty pretentious. I did a lot of research on tongue piercings before I got mine done, so I knew like everything. the guy was very clean and opened up new everything, the only thing was he didnt use tongs which freaked me out, he was like «real piercers dont use tongs» but he did it perfectly! I mean like it was placed exactly where it was supposed to be and it was completely straight… I’m taking my 2 friends along today (: