The difference between our tattoo shop and others...
How to tell a good tattoo shop from a bad one: communication, creativity, skill and cleanliness, plus tips before your first tattoo.
When considering getting a tattoo, it is important to do your research and find a solid tattoo shop with great tattoo artists. A professional tattoo artist will make the experience enjoyable and rewarding, and they will create a tattoo that you will love for years to come. And this is what you can expect when you get a tattoo at Electric Street Tattoo.
What a good tattoo shop looks like
Communication: A good tattoo artist will be very communicative throughout the design process. They will listen to your ideas and feedback, and they will be able to explain their ideas and suggestions clearly. A bad tattoo artist will be more dismissive of your ideas, and they may not be able to explain their work in a way that you understand.
Creativity: A good tattoo artist will be able to take your ideas and turn them into a unique and creative design. They will be able to offer suggestions and modifications to your design, and they will be able to help you create a tattoo that is truly one-of-a-kind. A bad tattoo artist will simply copy and paste a design from their portfolio, or they will try to force you into getting a design that you don't really want.
Skill: A good tattoo artist will have the skill and experience to create a tattoo that is both beautiful and long-lasting. They will use high-quality inks and needles, and they will take the time to do the work properly. A bad tattoo artist may use cheap inks and needles, and they may rush through the tattooing process, which can lead to poor results.
Cleanliness: A good tattoo studio will be clean and sanitary. The tattoo artist will wear gloves and a mask, and they will use sterilized needles and equipment. A bad tattoo studio may be dirty and unsanitary, which can increase the risk of infection.
Tips for a great tattoo experience
Here are some additional tips for getting a good tattoo design experience:
Do your research: Ask your friends and family for recommendations, and look for reviews online. Read our reviews on Google.
Meet with the artist in person: This will give you a chance to see their work and get a feel for their personality. Or just walk in.
Be clear about your expectations: Communicate your ideas and what you are looking for in a tattoo.
Be prepared to pay for quality: A good tattoo is worth the investment.
Be patient: The tattooing process can take several hours.
Take care of your tattoo after it is done: Follow the artist's instructions for aftercare.
Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to having a great tattoo experience. See ya real soon!
- The Crew at EST
Sailor Jerry Tattoos: Who He Was and What the Classic Designs Mean
Classic Sailor Jerry flash designs
Sailor Jerry was Norman Keith Collins (1911–1973), a Navy veteran who tattooed in and around Honolulu's Hotel Street from the 1930s until his death. His bold black lines, tight color palette and clean designs (swallows, anchors, pinups, eagles, ships) helped define the American Traditional tattoo. Decades later his flash is still tattooed every day, including at our shop in Fort Lauderdale.
Want a swallow, an anchor, or another classic off the wall? Walk in daily from 1pm, first come, first served, or request a tattoo.
Who was Sailor Jerry?
Collins was born January 14, 1911, in Reno, Nevada. As a teen he rode freight trains and hand-poked tattoos, then learned the electric machine from Gib "Tatts" Thomas in Chicago. He joined the Navy at 19, and his travels in Asia started a lifelong study of Japanese tattooing.
He settled in Honolulu in the 1930s. In World War II, Hotel Street's bars and tattoo parlors were where thousands of servicemen spent their shore leave. Collins tattooed there, then at 1033 Smith Street in Chinatown, his last shop. He also skippered a tour boat, played saxophone and hosted a radio show as "Old Ironsides." He died in Honolulu on June 12, 1973.
Norman Collins, aka Sailor Jerry, outside his Honolulu shop
The Sailor Jerry style
Sailor Jerry redrew the sailor tattoos of the 1920s and '30s cleaner and bolder. As historian Matt Lodder puts it, his designs are "simple and stripped-down enough that they look great in the skin, are readable from a distance, and age superbly."
Bold black outlines that hold for decades.
A limited palette. Mostly black, red, yellow and green. He mixed his own pigments, including one of the first purples that held up and was safe.
Flash. A huge catalog of ready-to-pick designs: anchors, swallows, eagles, roses, mermaids, pinups.
Japanese influence. He traded letters with Japanese masters, especially Kazuo Oguri (Horihide). He sent American inks and got back ideas on composition and backgrounds.
Craft. He built his own needle setups and machines, and he was an early adopter of single-use needles and autoclave sterilization.
Sailor Jerry style mallard duck tattoo by Josh
Classic Sailor Jerry designs and what they mean
Most of these old sailor tattoos come from navy superstition. Sailor Jerry didn't invent them, but his versions became the standard.
Swallow: safe return home. Tradition says one for every 5,000 nautical miles.
Anchor: stability, often with "Mom" or a sweetheart's name.
Nautical star: finding your way home.
Ship: adventure, and making it back "Homeward Bound."
Pinup: the girl back home.
Hula girl: a souvenir of Hawaii and Hotel Street.
Eagle: patriotism and freedom.
Panther: toughness, usually mid-attack.
Dagger: courage and sacrifice ("Death Before Dishonor").
Pig and rooster: protection from drowning.
Traditional Sailor Jerry style swallow tattoo
Sailor Jerry's legacy
Collins wanted his shop to go to one of his protégés, Ed Hardy, Mike Malone or Zeke Owen, or else be burned. Malone took it over as China Sea Tattoo. Through Collins's contacts, Hardy went to Japan in the early 1970s to work with Horihide. In 1999 Hardy and Malone co-founded Sailor Jerry Ltd., which put his designs on clothing and launched the Sailor Jerry rum. His flash has hung in museums, and the 2008 documentary Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry tells his story.
Why his tattoos are still everywhere:
Timeless: classic Americana that works for every generation.
The traditional revival: his flash is at the center of it.
Craftsmanship: bold will hold, and they still read clearly decades later.
Personal meaning: a loved one, a milestone, military service, the sea.
They tie us to an era when tattoos stood for defiance, camaraderie and individuality.
Electric Street pays respect to Sailor Jerry all around our shop
Getting a Sailor Jerry style tattoo in Fort Lauderdale
Electric Street Tattoo is an artist-owned American Traditional shop at 320 E Oakland Park Blvd, serving Fort Lauderdale, Oakland Park and Broward County since 2015. Owner Josh Cabrera started his apprenticeship in Miami and has more than 25 years in the chair. Our walls are covered in flash, and our artists care about the tradition: Sailor Jerry, Bert Grimm, and the rest of that lineage.
Pick a classic off the wall or bring a custom idea. Walk-ins are welcome, or request a tattoo. Then follow our aftercare guide.
Next in tattoo history: Stoney St. Clair, the circus sword swallower who became a sideshow tattooer.
Sailor Jerry flash I painted several years ago (Josh)
From our reception room
Sailor Jerry tattoo FAQ
What is a Sailor Jerry tattoo?
A tattoo in the style of Norman Collins: bold outlines, a few strong colors, and classic designs like swallows, anchors, pinups and ships, often straight from his flash.
What do swallow tattoos mean?
A safe return home. Sailors traditionally got one for every 5,000 nautical miles.
Is Sailor Jerry the same as American Traditional?
Not exactly. American Traditional is the whole style, built by many tattooers. Sailor Jerry is its best-known name.
What are sailor tattoos?
Designs sailors wore as travel marks and good-luck charms: swallows, anchors, nautical stars, ships, "Hold Fast" knuckles.
Where can I get a Sailor Jerry style tattoo near Fort Lauderdale?
Electric Street Tattoo, 320 E Oakland Park Blvd, (954) 666-1138. Walk in or request a tattoo.
If a swallow, an anchor, or a pinup has been sitting in the back of your mind, we can tattoo it. Walk in daily from 1pm, first come, first served, or request a time with one of our eight artists. A gift card works too, if you’re giving one.
Electric Street Tattoo, 320 E Oakland Park Blvd, Oakland Park. Serving Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. 1,100+ Google reviews. (954) 666-1138.
Classic American Eagle Tattoos
Sure I can get into all the details about why Eagle Tattoos are so cool and so much fun for us as tattoo artists, but I’m not
Screaming Chest Eagle
Instead I’m going to take this opportunity to showcase some of these beautiful freedom birds tattooed at our shop.
We tattoo these at the shop. Walk in daily from 1pm, first come, first served, or request a tattoo.
Dueling Eagle and Snake
Eagles are amongst the most patriotic of tattoo ideas.
They are wildly popular and symbolic in American culture.
Freedom and independence are two traits associated with the eagle.
Photorealistic Eagle screams of Americana
You’ll commonly see the eagle with flags or other nationalistic symbols or in full fledged combat with other animals. The eagle and snake duel is a popular scene in many traditional tattoo studios.
Combative Chest Eagle
Historically a masculine tattoo the eagle is now embraced as a symbol of strength and enduring character by both men and women alike.
Traditional Eagle and Banner
Certainly worthy of any tattoo collectors consideration the eagle is in the top ten most popular tattoo flash designs by traditional tattoo artists across the globe.
‘Whipshaded’ Eagle
Stomach Eagle
Eagle flash is on our walls, from a forearm piece to a full chest eagle. Walk in daily from 1pm, first come, first served, or request a tattoo so we can plan the size. Gift cards are ready if you’d rather give one.
Electric Street Tattoo, 320 E Oakland Park Blvd, Oakland Park. Serving Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. 1,100+ Google reviews. (954) 666-1138.
Why Do We Love Tattooing So Much?
A tattoo artist’s confession: why Josh used to feel guilty about loving his job, and why tattooers are the luckiest misfits around.
I have a confession:
A confession
I used to feel guilty about being a Tattoo Artist. Whenever I was around friends and family I would listen to them sharing stories about their career hardships and in many cases about their financial struggles. Bosses they hate, disrespectful coworkers and the like. I listened closely and with an empathetic ear. Many times I wish I could chime in and tell my story of being stuck in that same rat race for very little nickels and dimes, day in day out just to wash, rinse and repeat.
Our choices in life play out as they should and, hindsight being 20/20, we sometimes wish we could go back and do it all differently. I think to myself, ‘What if I would have chosen a different career path other than being a Tattoo Artist?’
I almost always immediately remind myself that I never had a choice at all. ‘Tattooing’ chose me and not vice versa.
At an early age I was already making the rounds as a tattoo collector. I was a hangaround. I was completely content with the role I was playing in the tattoo world. I looked up to the more seasoned tattooers like a young boy looks up to a father figure. I knew these were people of good fortune, how could they not be? They got to go to their shop every day and bless their fellow man, or woman , with permanent reminders etched into skin that would last a lifetime. These tattoo artists I grew up around seemed to have it all, they had figured it out. They were living life on their own terms, outside the status quo. Keep in mind I’m talking about the 1990’s. Throw away your smart phones and say good bye to your social media, tattoos were still plenty taboo around that time.
Like rockstars without the sold out arena shows is the way I remember it. But to me, these tattoo shops I hung around were even better. Like tattoo temples!
Lol I know, it sounds silly coming from a man who doesn’t attend church on Sundays but I feel like I come to church every day. It’s our church. Where we pray to the Tattoo Gods to grant us a keen eye and a steady hand.
Not to get too far off track I will say that it’s not all roses. This ‘tattoo life’ we speak about does take its toll. I’ve seen even the freest of spirits become bitter and hardened. The grind and uncertainty of not knowing where your next dollar is coming from is not for everyone. Competition anxiety is at an all time high with so many photo and video based platforms showcasing thousands of new tattoos in real time every day, every minute.
Reality show judges pick apart tattoos and tattoo artists till there’s practically nothing left of em lol.
Sure there are difficult clients, difficult tattoo projects, and just plain difficult days just like in any other profession. I liken it to being in a dysfunctional marriage.
As a tattoo artist I feel I am married to ‘tattooing’ as a whole.
For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.
I’ve done my best to give back the only way I know how. I opened up a studio I promised myself would respect the traditions and rules set by those who came before us. The ones that passed on the tattoo torch. We stand on their shoulders.
Let me not take this granted, stay humble.
No matter how many TV shows try to make us seem mainstream stay focused and count your blessings.
We are all outsiders
After all we are all Outsiders.
We are all tattooed Misfits and where would we be if not by the grace of the Tattoo Gods.
Come see the crew at 320 E Oakland Park Blvd. Meet our artists. Want to join them? Read I want to be a tattoo artist, now what?
I Want to Be a Tattoo Artist, Now What?
Want to be a tattoo artist? Honest advice from a shop owner with 20+ years in the industry on why you want it and how the business changed.
Firstly I just want to say that anything I write here is almost 100% based on my own personal experience with over twenty years in the tattoo industry. Take what I say here with a grain of salt, always do your own research especially when making life changing decisions. You might notice that many will try and talk you out of pursuing your dream of being a professional tattoo artist, mostly by already established tattoo artists.This is not uncommon I’ve seen it over and over again throughout the years. My suspicion is that a lot of this comes from a place of insecurity.
The industry has changed
And no I’m not saying tattoo artists are inherently insecure, that would be a ridiculous generalization to make. What I am saying is that the tattoo industry right now as a whole is nothing like what it was twenty, fifteen, or even ten years ago. It’s become almost impossible to imagine the world before the internet, before smart phones and certainly before social media.
From word of mouth to social media
Long ago most tattoo shops operated locally and most of the walk-in traffic was generated through word of mouth and simply by being in a certain location. The world wasn’t yet connected to the extreme that it is now. It was a localized market place, not a global one. We knew what tattoo artists we were competing against and I always felt it was a healthy competition. Healthy competition is good. Not only is it good, it’s almost mandatory if an industry is going to drive growth.
I should also mention here that most of my experience is based in South Florida. Needless to say that every industry will vary geographically and what is true in one place may not be the case in another.
So why would already established tattoo artists try to dissuade you from your dream of becoming a tattoo artist yourself? I think a lot of it is from a perceived scarcity mentality within the industry. Scarcity in any form is like a plague. It is debilitating. It may be that a new tattoo apprentice now can be seen as a perceived future threat.
Why do you want to be a tattoo artist?
Regardless, the question remains, ‘Why do you think you want to be a tattoo artist?’ It’s important to be honest with yourself it is often the case that peoples reasons for wanting to become a tattoo artist don’t actually align with the realities. The notion of life as a tattoo artist, the novelty, isn’t always what we would want it to be.
This is obviously a broad topic.
Next step: read why traditional apprenticeships matter.