Ever done something you wish you hadn't? It seemed like a good idea at the time but later you realized it might not have been the best decision? Yeah, us too. That's life. But it doesn't have to be that way with tattoos. At Cardinal Tattoo we pride ourselves on a service we call 'pumping the brakes'. You've been in a relationship for three months and want your significant other's name tattooed? Pump the brakes. You don't think he did it so you really want a portrait of Bill Cosby? Pump the Brakes. You want a tattoo because it'll be funny? Pump the brakes. Tattoos are permanent and while they're great fun, without a little foresight you could end up with something that you really hate down the road and we don't want that.

Tattoo regret is the single most damaging thing to the tattoo industry as a whole. At Cardinal Tattoo we'll tell you if we think what you're getting is a bad idea and sometimes we'll simply refuse to do it. No Swastikas, ever. No gang tattoos. Don't ask us to tattoo your boyfriend or girlfriend's name on you, we won't do it. If you want your hands, neck, or face tattooed and you don't already have one of those areas done or are otherwise covered in tattoos, forget it. We're not the kind of people who will take your money and do whatever you ask.

At Cardinal Tattoo we answer two questions before we start any tattoo: Does this person know what they're asking for? An example of this would be the old guy who doesn't know that the rainbow tattoo he just asked for is a gay pride symbol. Or the black guy who wants the Thor tattoo that's actually a white supremacist icon. We have to make sure people know what they're asking for before they get it. Question #2: Will getting this tattoo cause the person undue harm? Some people hate tattoos and they give tattooed people as much flak as they can get away with. It's harder to get certain jobs with tattoos that can't be easily covered with clothing. These are widely understood concepts and it's accepted that these things come with the 'being tattooed' territory. What some people don't know is that getting that rebel flag tattoo will brand you as a racist, even it you're not. That getting you're lover's name tattooed on you is a big no-no, especially if you're not married (if you have to go through a divorce, a tattoo is the least of your worries), or that Creed is a terrible band and no one should ever get their logo tattooed on themselves, ever. We're not being snobby, we're just looking out for our people. We want all of the work that comes out of Cardinal Tattoo to be loved, for life.