Not your typical tattoo parlor
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October 26, 2013 |
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Tattoo artist Tom Keating (right) and
company president Jake Keating, inside
Northwest Custom Tattoos and Treasures,
LLC. |
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If your picture of a tattoo parlor is of a
dingy, dark, smoke filled dive tucked away in
the seedier part of town, populated by nefarious
characters, you won't be prepared for Northwest
Custom Tattoos and Treasures LLC, a family
project in Bonners Ferry five years in the
making.
This place is bright, artful and spotlessly
clean, and staffed by the Keating family ...
three of the nicest people you'd ever hope to
meet.
Now located in a small, gray building at 6445
Main Street between Conoco and the Chic n'Chop
Restaurant on the South Hill, this the third and
by far best location the Keating family have
found since moving to Bonners Ferry in 2006,
offering more space, higher visibility and
parking.
Their two previous locations had been downtown.
And in addition to artful tattoos, Northwest
Custom Tattoos and Treasures LLC, as the
business name implies, offers more. artful,
high-quality jewelry, hand made incense,
one-of-a-kind graphic t-shirts you won't find
anywhere else, E-cigarettes that are cheaper
than the real things and better for you, too,
which come in an assortment of flavors that
reads more like a treat shop menu, all custom
blended to perfection.
Tom Keating is the tattoo artist, and in his
case, the term "artist" is apt; born and raised
in Las Vegas, he was a commercial and graphic
artist long before taking up tattooing.
"It was a natural progression," he said. "I've
been involved in art some way my whole life."
To prepare for the switch from paper and canvas
to skin, he completed a one-year apprenticeship
at Savage Tattoo in Sandpoint, but his approach
to tattooing is a far cry from what you'd expect
in a typical shop, where you choose a stencil,
sit down and have it inked ... especially if
it's your first tattoo.
He well knows the stigma attached to body art,
and the fact that once inked, it's part of a
person's life forever. He offers a free
consultation to find out exactly what his client
has in mind, then comes up with a custom design
to exactly match the vision the client
sees. Once approved, he draws the design on
temporarily, matching the art to the musculature
and contours of his "canvas," allowing a preview
to make sure it's exactly right.
Only then does he apply ink and color, using
only the highest quality pigment available.
"A great tattoo done with low quality ink will
turn out poor," he said.
A great tattoo done with great ink, he said,
will be a unique masterpiece that reflects the
wearer and their personality, and have a
lifelong impact. It's important to him that the
impact be positive, and not a cause of regret.
Except on rare occasions, he will refuse to do
facial, neck or hand tattoos, knowing that they
have a tendency to be frowned upon, especially
as a client ages and new vistas and
opportunities open which might be thwarted by
the presence of a tattoo.
One of those rare occasions comes for "covering
up" existing tattoos, of transforming ink that's
come to be regretted into something beautiful.
In fact, Tom is likely the only tattoo artist in
the world who, like an emergency room doctor, is
available 24/7, and he treats "tattoo
emergencies," instances where a tattoo might
interfere with an opportunity, just like a
doctor. Just call (208)
627-8215.
"It's nice to be able to do something that not a
lot of people can do, and have a lifelong impact
on someone's life," he said. "I maintain the
same standard of cleanliness, and surpass every
established standard. My work is as confidential
as a doctor's."
When you walk in to Northwest Custom Tattoos and
Treasures LLC, the smiling face greeting you is
apt to be Tom's wife, Natasha, who tends the
store, crafts the incense and custom blends the
myriad flavors available in the e-cigarettes
they offer.
Much like her husband, customer service and
satisfaction is job one, personal service
essential. For every e-cigarette or incense
customer, she maintains a personal recipe card,
finding just the right blend, promising a
consistency unmatched anywhere.
If you're turning to e-cigarettes to help kick
your addiction to the real thing, she can ease
you off the nicotine at just the right pace so
that you barely notice you're being weaned, and
she can also create flavors to match any
occasion.
With the holidays ahead, how about pumpkin pie,
apple cinnamon, maybe the delightful taste of
s'mores?
Whatever taste you enjoy most, it's possible.
While their attention to cleanliness, quality
and highly personalized service might sound
expensive, customers are likely to be shocked.
"I don't believe people should have to forgo
food or mortgage to pay for a piece of their
art, or heart," Tom said.
The third person you're likely to meet at
Northwest Custom Tattoos and Treasures LLC is
Tom and Natasha's son, Jake, the 19 year old
president of the family company, who, his mom
said, is gaining hands-on experience and a
real-life education he'll carry with him
wherever his future takes him.
"He is in charge, and he makes the tough
decisions essential to running any business,"
Natasha said. "This is an experience he can get
nowhere else, and he's doing well. No matter
where he goes in the future, what he learns here
will help him."
You'll not find that kind of dedication or
devotion, either to customers or family, in any
stereotypical tattoo parlor.
Northwest Custom Tattoos and Treasures LLC is
open from 11 a.m. to six p.m. Monday through
Saturday. To find out more, call (208) 267-0198. |
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