Pinz-N-Needlez

I got my nose pierced here about 5 weeks ago and was happy with the experience. I called ahead to ensure the piercer would be around, which seems to be important since I believe they have 2 piercers who have different schedules.
It was quick and very affordable at $ 40 including the hoop, which was cheaper than other shops in the city. They gave me some instructions but with the internet, I knew I could lose that sheet and be fine.
This is not the place to go if you are into frilliness. There’s a sign that says «No whining», friends can’t hold your hand though they can be nearby, and you can’t choose your gauge size or specific jewelry. I detected no ego from anyone working there, which was nice.
They have an open hoop with ball as their default jewelry (not sure if it’s steel or silver). I didn’t like the ball showing as much, so I asked the piercer to hide it. I think I probably could have asked for that beforehand and made it easier, which is why I’m writing. I believe 16g hoop is the default size here.
Removing all the extra choices from the experience meant it was a very quick, direct, and professional job. If you want no BS, come here for your nose piercing.

Came in for a piercing, but ended up with a tattoo. I was in and out in 25 mins, minus the sketching time.
Reasonably priced
Right off subway
Only negative is the open floor plan without the partitions at the very least. Thats how I ended up with a tattoo instead of a piercing — no privacy AT ALL

I had a tattoo done here a while ago and am really happy with it. In that sense it’s a great shop, and I guess that’s what matters most. I was also happy to support it after finding out that one of the artists was among the first black female tattoo artists in the country. But I probably won’t go back because every time I’ve been there, pretty much everyone in the store is unfriendly and even rude. I’ve tried to schedule another appointment with the artist and haven’t been able to make much progress despite visiting the shop twice and expressing my willingness to wait for a walk-​in appointment. Even when I got my tattoo, the process was more unpleasant than it had to be because the artist was dismissive and aloof when discussing the design I wanted. They generally seem uninterested in my business so I will take it elsewhere.

Positives: loved Chris (if you want a great tattoo, definitely go with Chris). He was very patient with me and my friends. He gave my wife toe warmers when she was talking about how cold her feet was. (This was last weekend when it was cold and windy outside.) The price was also great, for the awesome job that he did. They’re not there to over charge you if you just want a small tattoo. However, for bigger pieces, they do charge $ 150/​hour.
Negatives: the shop is super tiny. There aren’t any dividers so if you’re planning on getting any private parts pierced or tattooed, other people will see it all. They also didn’t have much of an option for nose rings. They didn’t have the size gauge that I needed.
I was supposed to get a tattoo but I chickened out for some odd reason. (I never chicken out, and I regret not getting it.) Loved the artist, not so much the shop.
I would go back for Chris, though.

The people were friendly enough, but the place is cramped.
Prices were pretty high for a grimy shop (that’s grimy in the good way: lean and mean and not hoighy-​toighty).
But seriously, you’re a tattoo shop, not a Hell’s Angels hangout or your friend’s basement. You can give a better presentation.

I’d been looking to get my nipples pierced for a few weeks, and was looking at shops when I ran across Pinz-​n-​Needles here on Unilocal.I usually go out to Marlowe Ink but I figured since Pinz is right near my house I would try it out. I called the shop and spoke to a guy who told me that it would be $ 70 for both, including jewelry. That’s cheaper than any other place I’ve been to (Fatty’s wanted $ 140. That’s reasonable because Hannah there is a PHENOMENAL piercer. However, I wasn’t looking to spend that much.) I asked if I should make an appointment, but it’s walk-​ins only. Okay. I walked in on Wednesday and after paying $ 20 for parking was told that Karl, the piercer, wasn’t there even though id called ahead to make sure and they’d told me she would be. I went home disappointed to say the least, because that was the only day my boyfriend/​support system could come with me. I was told she’d be back in on Saturday night.
Tonight (Saturday) I called ahead an hour before to see if she’d be there. The shop itself is right near the metro, so I took it to avoid parking fees. Its a really small shop, smaller than I’ve ever seen. There was a girl ahead of me and two girls waiting to get tattooed. I filled out my paperwork and waited. The guy at the front desk was super nice and talked to me about piercings idly while I waited. I was nervous, this being the first piercing I’ve ever gotten alone, but the staff made me feel at ease a little.
Karl called me back, walked me through the procedure and told me to undress completely from the waist up. Now, if you’re shy, this is not the place for you. There is no designated piercing room and a foot away from me there was the girls getting stencils placed on them for tattoos. Everyone in the shop saw, or couldve seen, if theyd looked, my boobs. Luckily I’m not shy.
Karl marked me and then pierced me. She did it quickly and it hurt a lot less than I thought it would. Afterwards, she gave me aftercare instructions and her personal email should I have any questions «for the rest of my life» regarding piercings. She was super nice and informative, I felt like I was in good hands with her.
The piercings look good, unfortunately my left is a little lower than my right by just a smidge. Maybe my nips are just crooked, idk, but I might have to go get that one redone. Overall I’m very happy with them. I rate this shop ⁴⁄₅ for piercings.

This is my third tattoo with Chris and its the best one yet! I started being tattooed by Chris back in 2004 when he was in another shop (before he owned this one) and I had to work to track him down at his new place so he could do my last two tattoos. I have gotten into reviewing more recently so when I logged on to do this I was sort of shocked that there were some on here that complained about Chris. I can tell you that no one else will tattoo me so long as I can stalk Chris down!
His work is impeccable and he definitely works hard to get you what you want but also that he can feel good, as an artist, about placing permanently on you your body. The first time I came to Chris I had a tattoo I had picked out that he flat out hated. And he was honest with me and created something for me much better that he could feel good about putting on me. Frankly, it was that first experience with him that made me take the time to track him down at his new shop to do my other two tattoos. I work with stage performers and I know from experience they do their best work when they are doing something they love. The same goes for any kind of artist.
As for some of the other comments–
Yes– the shop is small so if you are particularly shy it might not be the place for you.
Yes– if you are expecting a custom designed tattoo you will have to wait for your tattoo artist to create it at the beginning of your appointment. Good art takes time and they do need to to talk to you about it. Frankly I would think my one-​of-​a-​kind tattoo is not so one-​of-​kind if it was ready when I arrived.
Yes– Chris is a little quite but very nice. No, he is not super outgoing and over the top friendly because he is a tattoo artist, not a preschool teacher.
Yes– they will work with you and your budget. If you are looking for a super detailed tattoo then make sure you have the budget to match. They are not afraid of intricate work or tattoos that take multiple appointments (both time I have been in for mine Iman has been working on tattoos that were taking multiple days to complete) but you have to be able to pay for that kind of work. Like the sign on their front desk says– Good tattoos are expensive, Bad tattoos are cheap. You get what pay for.
Anyway his work speaks for itself so take a look and decide for your self. As for me, my next tattoo and my husbands which will be for our future kids will be designed and put on by Chris.

This will be my shop from now on. I had 6 other tattoo’s but needed someone that was an artist first to handle my new design. Imani is amazing, professional and gifted. If you want an amazing tattoo, this shop is where you should go.

HORRIBLE! Went there to just buy a piercing and wasn’t able to buy it. I arrived their early a little before 12 and I was told they weren’t open until 12 so I waited. At 12 someone opens the door and tells me the women won’t be coming in until 1. I don’t understand why the advertise their shop to be open at 12 when it isn’t really true. Don’t waste your time coming here. I won’t be coming back!

Do yourself a favor and come here for your new ink or piercing. This shop is professional but fun, so you won’t be disappointed. It’s got a great, accessible location and is easy to spot on the street.
The shop itself is visually stimulating. Tons of signs, images, etc on the walls. It’s on the small wide, but I think that’s to be expected of a tattoo/​piercing shop (or at least the ones I’ve been to). The only thing I didn’t like is that because of the size, you can’t have a person come back with you. So if you need someone there for moral support, they’ll have to do it from the seating area in front. But the staff was so friendly I was readily put at ease. The area where the artists work is very public, which I wasn’t used to. I believe they have some dividers in case your piercing/​tattoo is in an intimate area, but it’s not like you’ll be in a private room.
I went here for a piercing and worked with Karl. I highly recommend her and would go back. I appreciated that she took the time to explain what she was doing at each step and why. I was new to body piercing so her taking this time really eased my apprehension. Karl gave great instructions on how to care for my piercing and you could tell she really cared about how it came out and that I didn’t have any issues with it later. She also offered to look at my piercing after a few weeks if I was worried about how it was healing.
The prices were very reasonable and you get great work. I’m actually planning to go back here to get a tattoo by Imani K since she did my boyfriend’s tat and it’s AMAZING. She’s really creative, friendly, and takes pride in her work.
I don’t know why you’re still reading this. Go over and check them out!

I went yesterday to have my nipples pierced and it was an amazing experience. The receptionist helped me automatically and within 10 minutes Karl called me to the back. She was very thorough with explaining the procedure and made sure I was comfortable. She did my piercing and I was in and out! Gave me good instructions on how to clean and her email in case I had any other questions. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because the place is really tiny and of course I wanted my girl to come in the back with me but bc it was so small I had to go in on my own. Also there isn’t a private room or anything so I had to get my tits pierced in front of others getting tats which wasn’t a problem for me but some prob wouldn’t like that.

Got a tattoo by Imani K last night and had an awesome experience, she worked with the design I had and kept it very affordable for me. The work is awesome and I’m really pleased with my ink. The atmosphere was very comfortable and I like their policy of appointments, I felt like my time was valued.

Although there are a few good artists at Pinz, I must have stumbled across the worst one for my first tattoo experience!
Looking at Imani’s portfolio, I thought that her style most closely reflected what I had in mind for my tattoo.
Unfortunately, after rescheduling my tattoo last minute TWICE, and complaining about her hand hurting, she gave me a CROOKED and HALF-​ASS tattoo. Very disappointed in her work and even more disappointed in her lack of professionalism.
I emailed her and called the shop to let them know I was unhappy and to see about the possibility of getting it tweaked free of charge. Lets just say their response demonstrated BAD customer service!
My advice: if you must go to Pinz, GO TO ANNA! She is the nicest, most professional artist there. I would not recommend working with Imani.

I went to this place based on some of the reviews I read about their piercing experience. I wanted to get my nose pierced so I decided to give this place a shot. Before going there, I went to their website to read up on the rules of the shop and to see if I needed to make an appointment for piercings. On their website it states that an appointment is not required for piercings, so I decided that I would do a walk-​in for my nose piercing.
When I arrived there, there was a guy sitting at what looked like to be a reception desk. He was pleasant and greeted me right way. I told him I came for a nose piercing. He told me that Karl, the woman that does nose piercing was not in and probably won’t be in at all that day. Then I heard a woman yell from the back of the shop, «Yeah, I think she’s sick, I haven’t heard from her all day.» The woman yelling like that was really unprofessional and tacky. I know it’s a tattoo shop, but it’s still a place of business and you should want to conduct yourself a certain way in front of your customers. Anyway, I found it to be disappointing and frustrating that they didn’t seem to know the whereabouts of their only piercer. However, the guy at the reception desk gave me their shop’s card and told me to try calling to see when the next time Karl would be in.
You would think a shop that adversities piercings with days and times listed on their website would have a reliable piercer that followed that schedule. Unfortunately, it seems that their piercer comes in whenever she feels like it. I suggest that they get a reliable piercer because they loosing money and customers every time she doesn’t show up. I wasn’t the only one that day that wanted a piercing. It seemed to me that they didn’t care, but they should because they have competition down the street. And that is exactly where I took my business and my cash. I went up the street to DC Ink where I was able to get my nose pierced.
I gave this place 2 stars because the guy at the reception desk was pleasant and some of their tattoo work that I saw on their website is pretty decent, but I was there to get my nosed pierced. I suppose I would of had a different experience if I’d gotten a tattoo?
I definitely will NOT be recommending this place to anyone.

I really like this place. Today I went in for a nose piercing and Karl took care of me. She was very thorough (and accurate) in explaining the procedure, the level of pain, and what to expect during and after. The piercing itself was not very painful, but I was SO nervous and she was great at calming me down and having me taking deep breaths. It could have been a lot of worse if done by the wrong piercer, so be very particular in choosing where you go. I’m very glad that I went here and I love love love my nose piercing!

I received a tattoo from there in mid-​December by Roger, which was cool. I wrote the word I wanted, and he copied it where I wanted. Simple. Though I later saw how one letter needed to be thicker, but no biggie.
Two weeks later on January 1^st, after already paying a $ 50 deposit, my husband and I went back to have Imani do a tattoo on my his arm. He initially mentioned to the artists his bad experience with a prior tattoo and how he wanted the reference picture to be interpreted by the artist, not copied. She said it was no problem. At the appointment, she spent a good amount of time tracing the picture. When I questioned one aspect of the drawing, I was told it was «gestural» (We didnt know what that meant from a tattoo perspective). So she proceeded to put the drawing on his arm and before they began the inking aspect, my husband said he wanted to go back to the drawing board because it didn’t look right to him. Imani said her work speaks for itself as based on her portfolio and he should trust. He insisted to start over so he could be more comfortable with something so permanent. Imani then stated she was over it, he should seek another artist, and she wasted a holiday when she could have been off. She also wanted him to pay an extra $ 150 for her time of drawing and taking a cab to work. Needless to say, it was a tense situation. They agreed the payment would be the deposit which was paid 2 weeks prior. And also, to be clear, coming in on the holiday was her idea.
I know other people love the shop, and they probably do good work. In our case, we didnt see that. What we saw was a bad attitude and bad customer service.
I would have given my tattoo 2.5−3 stars. My husbands experience gets zero stars. So 1 star it is. If the math isnt right, too bad. That experience was horrible.

I went here a few weeks ago to get a simple peace sign tattoo… and another piercing in my ear. The piercing didn’t happen.
The shop is easy enough to find. It’s pretty small though, in my opinion and there aren’t any partitions. If one was getting a tattoo or piercing in a «private» area, then everyone in the shop would see their business. (Assuming that there aren’t any removable partitions hidden somewhere in the shop.) But I suppose if one is tattooing or piercing a «private» area, they don’t have much shame. Anyhow…
I’m pretty sure the guy who tatted me was Anthony. Or Roger. He did a good job. I had an appointment for 6, I came in at 5:50 and was out by 7. He was clear with his instructions on how to care for it and he worked quickly. I didn’t have a peace sign picked out so he googled some and I found one that I liked. I couldn’t get my ear pierced because the piercer had the flu but I would go back.

Pinz and Needlez is not what it is cracked up to be. My experience was horrible to say the least. I went in last month and made an appointment for the owner (Chris) for this month. My apointment was almost cancelled because a timing conflict that was the shop’s fault. I ended up going with my design in hand. The artist did not introduce himself or was not freidnly. The rest of the staff seems very lazy in the shop.
Chris was trying to change my design because it wasn’t something he was comfortable (in his own words.) I thought the point of getting a tattoo is something for me to enjoy and not what you want to do. After sitting for almost two hours, I ended up deciding to decline this services. The final verdict was that he did not like doing fine lines and it would be too much work for him. I was beyond pissed.
I would give this shop no stars if I could because of the lack of creativity and bad customer service. Save your money and go to a shop who is interested in the customer’s needs and not his own!

4÷26÷2012
Ok, so I will say this again IMANI IS AMAZING!!! She did a shoulder tat for me a few months ago, but I had an arm tat that look horrible compared to her work. So, I decided to let her cover my old tat. imani created a tat on my arm that blended seemlessly with the one on my shoulder— creative and beautiful!!! Once again, I am getting many compliments. If you want a tat, please go to Imani. She is a sweetheart with amazing talent.

Not everything I do involves alcohol and food, Unilocal!Ok, so forget all the shit about cleanliness and professionalism, because if you see just ONE review saying a tattoo shop isn’t clean or the artists are ballbags, then avoid that place at ALL costs.
I got a really nice chest piece here from Imani; she also did a nice sleeve for my friend. Imani’s really creative and accommodating. Really sweet, too. The shop is small, as shit kinda, but the artist will make you feel comfortable. And it’s cheaper than Tattoo Paradise and Pop’s, which I’ve also been to, but won’t comment on since it’s been 80,000 years. Of course, with any new ink (oh, God, he just said «ink»), check around and find the right fit for you, but Pinz… is a good shop.