Pierce-Ink Ltd

Although this place is closed, I am really sad to see that this place has close it’s doors. I have had a couple of piercings here as well as purchased a lot of body jewelery here and the staff was WONDERFUL. A lot of time they went above and beyond and did services normal body piercing places would charge for, for free which was extremely kind of them.
I was planning on coming here for more piercing services and for my next tattoo so I am very sorry that they closed their doors :(

My girlfriends and I decided to visit Pierce Ink to get our noses pierced after our friend recommended them. She’s been pierced and tattooed there in the past and has had wonderful experiences with the owner/​piercer. Another friend was recommended to the shop by a co worker, so after much debate and research, we finally chose the site with the best (most) personal recommendations.
We didn’t make it to the counter before the piercer (Kym) jumped up from the couch, and basically said she was leaving, supposedly for another job elsewhere. Honestly, I would have been willing to believe that the counter was vacant due to someone in the restroom, but I think she just didn’t want to deal with us. We did NOT have an appointment, however I had called ahead to make sure that they would accept walk ins. Our encounter was anything but professional, and I personally wouldn’t waste my time there again unless I had someone else work on me.
We took our money and our bodies elsewhere, and we are all pleased with the results.

Months ago, there was a groupon deal from Pierce Ink — $ 40 for an $ 80 tattoo — so my coworker and I bought it. It took me 6 months, but I finally made an appointment for my ink and decided that I would get it done on my birthday.
Well, my bf and I walked into the place yesterday and we were immediately greeted by the owner and one of the tattoo artists, Rob. We looked around the shop for a bit, perused through the artist’s portfolio and watched one of the tattoo artists tattoo away. Rob said that he would be tattooing me and asked me for my design. Unfortunately, the design that I had printed out did not look right on paper so he spent 30 minutes with me on the computer looking for a better «version» of the design and re-​drew the whole thing for me.
He placed the stencil on me and started tattooing me and let me tell ya, out of the 4 tattoo artists that have tattooed me, Rob was by far the best. He had a light/​steady hand and made sure that I was comfortable at all times. He was SUPER nice and even played a couple of Nirvana albums for me so I would feel more comfortable and not focus on the pain as much. =)
Overall, the experience was wonderful and I am SOOOOOO happy with my tattoo. It turned out much better than I had expected and he even added his own special little touches that really made the tattoo stand out. The tattoo looks so clean and the shading is amazing. I am definitely going to come back to him if I get another tattoo and am now considering getting another piercing. Honestly, my tattoo was one of the best birthday presents I have given myself in a long time. =) Thanks Rob!!!

Very Clean, Very Professional!
It was easy to make an appointment and deal directly with the tattoo artist!
Rob did a very patient and thorough job on my annoyingly intricate tattoo… The price was what i was expecting, no «bay-​area-​tattoo-​price-​gouging»
Just honest tattoo work, for an honest price…
Great staff! also picked up new jewelry for my lip piercing and the piercer bent it perfectly for me.
Tattoos and Piercings are in intimate ordeal, you should like the person working on your body, everyone i’ve ever encountered at Pierce Ink has had nothing short of a stellar attitude! No snobbishness here at all!
much love!

Have been wanting a septum piercing for quite some time, and not only is this shop just down the street, I had been to them before when they were located on 1^st St. in the 90s… obviously different ownership at this point.
Experience was really good! Sharrin, the piercer, is an awesome woman that did a great job and made the experience enjoyable.
The only issue I have is whomever was working the counter… and having known many piercers and tattoo artists and have been to their shops. I have a question… why is it that shops continue to employ counter people who have such bad attitudes or just poor customer service skills?
Regardless. I would go back again, and have to to have jewelry changed in a few weeks.

I went here about 3 years ago the first time was to get my lop pierced which I ended up taking out because it was too close to my lip line and would not heal.
The second time my friend wanted his tongue re-​pierced so we went and while there (since I’m addicted to piercings and tats) I decided to get my eyebrow pierced. Had to take that out because it was too close to the surface and looked like it would pull out anytime plus the fact that it was crooked.
I would not recommend this shop they are over priced, the jewelry is huge compared to other places I have gotten piercings, they sell you after care crap that you don’t need, they are kinda rude and not professional.

FANTASTIC!
I got my first piercing since my belly button 5 years ago here. I got a microdermal implant «tear drop,» sometimes called «anti-​eyebrow.» I went in with three of my friends, one of whom got a vertical labret, and the other got a cartilage piercing (can’t remember the exact name of it!) We met with Sharrin. Before she talked to us about price or technique or anything, she asked us how long we’ve wanted the piercings and how long we’ve been researching them. If I wasn’t certain that I wanted the piercing, this would have weeded me out. It was sort of like the last step in justification to yourself. Perhaps this may be a turn-​off for some people, but as someone with little experience in piercings, it was great to have that last opportunity to confirm that I wanted the piercing. My piercing is permanent and on my face, so I can’t easily go back on this one :)
Once Shannin knew that we weren’t there to waste her time and that we all had dry senses of humor, she really opened up. She has a degree in something along the lines of Fine Arts, and she immediately returned for a masters in Public Health. She was really honest and funny, and I trusted her completely. She spent a very long time placing the piercing, making sure I liked where it would be and that it would have the smallest chance of rejection. The process was very sterile, and she obviously knew exactly what she was doing.
My piercing is nearly a surgery, because the «backing» to the piercing is placed under the skin. As such, it took about 10 minutes. The entire time she was asking me if I was okay, checking in to make sure I was feeling fine. The piercing was more uncomfortable than painful just because of the nature of it, and I think she realized that.
She was very informative on the aftercare and even gave me a free bottle of special soap. I haven’t had a single problem with the piercing, but if I do, I will feel completely comfortable returning to Sharrin.
My piercing was pricey, over $ 100 with jewelry and tax, and then I tipped about $ 10. However, my friends’ piercings weren’t nearly as much, and so I think the rather invasive nature of mine caused the larger price. She had a nice selection of jewelry, and didn’t get annoyed when I kept asking about smaller sizes, and pinkish colorings. Worth every penny.
Sharrin was the best!!!
Update… Forgot to add… Sharrin stayed open about a half an hour late for us even though we didn’t have appointments. How awesome.

Tried to get a piercing here on a Sunday. The place was relatively clean and the gentleman working at the front counter was helpful and friendly (though not an expert in the piercing wares).
We waited for over an hour to even talk to someone about piercing — the interaction was uncomfortable and awkward with terse responses from the piercing professional.
While waiting we heard the tattoo staff badmouth one of the customers that had just left while we were in the waiting room — that made me very uncomfortable as this is one of the most unprofessional things you can do within earshot of other customers.
After paying almost $ 200 for two piercings and jewelery (which seemed more expensive than other place) we were informed we would be unable to be seen because of the physical condition of the piercing professional on staff. This almost deserves another star because I appreciate their honestly — that is the correct and professional thing to do. However after waiting 2 hours in an uncomfortable and unwelcoming environment I would advise other folks to avoid this place– if nothing else on Sundays when their more experienced piercing professionals aren’t on staff. We got our money back and will not be returning.

Well, here is to new experiences for this year.
On a whim, I decided to get a piercing. I live in Sunnyvale, so the first place I went to was Fatty Zone. I walked in and I was completely out of my element. I’m sure the people working there could tell, but hey, I’m trying to reinvent myself this year.
I eventually met up with Mark, but he didn’t have the right jewelery for my requested piercing, so he sent me to Pierced Out. Went there and the person that normally does it wasn’t in, so I got sent to Pierce-​Ink.
As an example of how out of my element I am, I assumed it was Pierce Inc. (thanks business school…) and I couldn’t find it on my GPS.
Anyway, I got here and they were able to handle my piercing. The place was pleasantly clean and almost had a dentist office feel. There is a nice waiting area and the tattoo and piercing offices are blocked off by curtains, if needed.
Sharrin did my piercing and was extremely friendly. She talked me through the whole thing and was even like a counselor as I went on about why I was there. I appreciate her skills and her sincerity. When it was all done, I stood up, but almost fainted, so I got to lay back down. Sharrin gave me a lollipop to keep the blood flowing which made me feel better but also like a little kid.
Anyway, the piercing went well, felt comfortable (as much as I could for my request) and I would highly recommend it!

I got my belly button pierced elsewhere a little over 3 years ago and it was just a constant irritation… always needed babying and didn’t sit totally right… Recently, I snagged (er, ripped) it a bit and that led to a very quick path to piercing rejectionville :-(It was painful, gross and cause for panic. I couldn’t get the bar out myself so I decided to go to what is literally the closest shop to my apartment for professional assistance — Pierce-​Ink!
I talked to Kim both on the phone and in person. She was a total sweetheart, very kind and helpful… took it right out (it was that bad) and let me know that the original piercer had basically done me wrong to start with and I was lucky it lasted so long. It should have been pierced a bit differently and with a totally different bar for my navel type. Doh. I appreciate her candor and assistance, and she didn’t charge me a dime to boot. When this puppy heals up and I’m ready to mutilate another body part, I’ll definitely be giving them some business. It’s a nice, clean shop and the staff (particularly Kim) is top notch.
I’m even giving this shop the honor being my 300^th Unilocal review. Two thumbs (and a failed navel piercing) up!

I love this place.
I’ve had a handful of piercings done here. They’ve all been perfect.
The piercers are extremely professional.
Add to that the environment is clean, comfortable and nice to look at.
When I moved out of the area, I still made the drive to pick up supplies and get piercings with Pierce-​Ink. They’re worth it.

Clean, friendly, reasonably priced for tattooing.
Zack did a beautiful half sleeve of mermaids and seahorses that I constantly receive compliments about.

I’ve gotten piercings at other places before and felt kind of dirty and/​or like I was in the basement of a potential serial killer!
Pierced Ink is a lovely, clean, establishment that I have already gone back to for two more piercings.
Sharrin and her staff do not lie – they are honest when something is possible based on anatomy. It really shows that they take what they do seriously as well as have expertise when they say no to clients and give a valid reason. The last thing you want is to go through with the pain of getting pierced then find out it was the wrong thing for you and your anatomy but the piercer didn’t speak up!
I love Sharrin’s candor and how friendly she is. Her staff is also really easy to talk to and are super helpful.
I give them a ⁴⁄₅ stars because I wish there were more girly choices for the jewelry!!!

Before you read my review, I must have a disclaimer that I am not gay and I had my tongue pierced back in 1995 before it became a fad. Ok, now continue…
When I was 18, I got my first tongue piercing at Pierce-​Ink. Their staff was very friendly, kind and helpful. I told them that I wanted my tongue pierced and they walked me through the steps on what hardware I should buy and what to expect. Pierce-​Ink is extremely clean and sanitary. .. as any piercing/​tattoo shops should be. I felt like I was in a doctor’s office. The aim to keep the shop so clean put me at ease. The piercer was very gentle and she did a great job. The piercing didn’t hurt but I did feel a burning sensation which subsided within 10 seconds. Voila! All done!
During my sister’s graduation at UCSB, my mom saw my tongue piercing and ordered me to take it out. I sadly unscrewed the ball and slid out the bar. In the back of my mind, I decided to just avoid any arguments and get it redone once I get back home in San Jose. Which leads me to my second tongue piercing experience.
As I explained the situation to the employees at Pierce-​Ink, they walked me through the same process. The only difference was, they were very honest and told me that this second piercing would be very painful as the needle would need to penetrate through scar tissue. I decided to be tough and bear through it. During the piercing, I never had felt pain like I did. Thankfully, he was quick as he knew it would be a very painful experience. Whew!
If you need anything pierced, I highly recommend Pierce-​Ink. I personally have not had any ink work done at Pierce-​Ink, so I wouldn’t be able to recommend them. From my two previous experiences of getting my piercings, I would assume their tattoo artists would be superb as well.

I got my belly pierced here and it turned out crooked. :/
the prices are also a bit steep.

I got my last two tattoos here and both times I just kind of woke up on a day off, scratched something out a piece of paper, had lunch and drove on over. They were really cool about doing a walk-​in on me, both times the inking took about 2 – 2.5 hours, I had two different artists who worked on each of the tattoos that I got here and advice is to really get to know and work with your artist to see what kind of style you are going for. This place is clean, professional equipment, their music is not at a volume where you can barely think, not very expensive considering the quality and amount of time spent doing the drawings before. And they have a great policy on touch-​ups, which someplace really have a problem with.

My friend got her tongue pierced here and it scabbed over so she had to go get it fixed. The lady at the counter was super rude and treated my friend like crap. I decided to get my ears stretched while I was there and the piercer ripped my ear! I have been stretching my ears for almost 7 years and they have never ripped. There was a girl getting her ass tattooed and we saw way too much then we wanted to. All in all neither my friend or I will be returning.

So I sat around on my bum for days and days, pondering if I was brave enough to get the piercing I’ve been contemplating. I did all my research beforehand about the different piercings and had finally, FINALLY settled on getting my tragus pierced. And since I am a total baby when it comes to pain AND needles, naturally it took me months to gather up my courage and just get it done. Because when I say I’m a wimp when it comes to pain, I really am.
My friend who just got an industrial took me to Pierce Ink. My first impression was of how clean the place is. I really like how open the area is. I know other places have a slightly more closed off areas to do piercing or tattooing but for me, there was enough walls for privacy but remained open so that I am not staring at the walls when I’m getting pierced.
Kym is my piercer and the one who helped me with deciding what to get. I was totally wishwashy over a stud or a ring and she was super helpful in explaining the differences. Then I was all set to go. Sat in the chair, squeezed my friend’s hand, and braced myself for needle, pain, and piercing.
I love that Kym immediately put on gloves after gathering all the tools (clean and packaged!) she needed to do the piercing. Very professional and friendly, she talked with the both of us as she did my piercing. She answered all my questions and even gave me a lollipop to get my blood sugar up after the piercing. Since silly me didn’t have any protein at all that day.
I loved my piercing so much that I went back and got the other one day 3 months later. I’m so happy I got them.
I also really liked the fact that Kyn and Sharin are very helpful and responsive to my needs since I developed a metal allergy to stainless steel and ended up getting white gold posts. My piercings have now settled down and are looking fabulous.
I would totally recommend this place to all my friends. :D

My friend and I went here because of the decent reviews on Unilocal but when we got there for a tattoo consultation, it seemed like they really rushed us into getting one and when he. i think it was Jeff? drew out what we told him she wanted, it was hideous. He wrote down her name for appt and couldn’t even spell it. I wouldn’t recommend this place for tattoos. I kind of agree with Ben H… Sharron kept trying to push sales on us and kept staring at us when we were looking through the portfolios.
This place smells like urine when you walk in too. Ugh.

I don’t recommend this place for piercings. Sharron (the big lady) did my piercing. She was pushing hard sales on me. A few months after my eye brow piercing still wasn’t healed even though I followed her strict instructions, I went to another piercing/​tattoo shop for advice. I mentioned my story and that I was interested in a new piece of jewelry. You won’t believe what they said.
«I think you need a new piece of jewelry too considering how you’re wearing a nipple ring in your eye brow. It also looks like they grabbed too much skin.»
I can’t speak for their tattoos, but I would give zero starts for piercings. What a horrible experience.