Shop Info

While Black Hive Tattoo is open to the public weekly Tuesday through Friday, from 2-7pm for you to check out the shop, our artists all keep their own varied individual schedules from Tuesday through Saturday*, and we do NOT do walk in consultations or tattoos.
*Currently, none of our artists work on Sundays or Mondays.

While you’re welcome to stop by to see the shop during business hours, our artists will generally avoid stopping any work they are doing in the interest of their current client’s comfort, and we do NOT have a shop phone that we answer to avoid taking away time from the clients we are tattooing during the day.

Keep in mind, you’ll get these same considerations when you get tattooed and someone else is trying to walk in during your scheduled appointment.

We know it seems like a lot, but everything below really is important and can keep your email from being discarded without being read.

If you are an existing or previously tattooed Black Hive client, it can’t hurt to touch base directly with your artist if you’re looking for smaller tattoos between your big projects, but NO PROMISES…it just can’t hurt to check to see if they have a cancellation.

That being said, contrary to popular belief, it is NOT impossible to get a tattoo at Black Hive. It just takes a bit of patience. Especially if it’s your first time.
Wait times to get work from an artist vary greatly, from a few weeks to a year depending on each artist’s work load and how they schedule appointments for themselves, but generally speaking each of our artists are putting out a call for new projects anywhere from 3-6 months.

The second myth we’d like to dispel is that we just do large projects. They are just what we seem to get the most of since the wait times seem too long for clients that want smaller pieces.
On the subject of long wait times, keep in mind that we will not throw over an existing client to make room for an impatient new client. So, when it’s YOUR turn in the queue, you can be sure that we won’t push you aside for the next group of clients that can’t seem to wait to get work.

We do consultations before starting any new project to get a better feel of where you want the tattoo, what you are getting tattooed, and why you are getting your tattoo. Some things can be worked out online for out of town clients, but the more personal attention we can give your idea beforehand, the better we can execute the design.

All consultations and tattoos are done by appointment only, but each of our artists has their own life rhythm/schedule, they take new clients in a different way.
Once you’ve decided on the artist you want work from, please check out that individual’s appointment method by clicking the “appointments” tab above and scrolling down to their name to see their individual consultation protocol.

That being said, MOST of our artists put out posts for new projects almost exclusively through our newsletter, so be sure to sign up for it by clicking the “newsletter” tab above.

Please keep in mind that our artists do NOT do call a for project requests at the same time! When each one does, READ THEIR POST CAREFULLY and follow their instructions to get tattooed.
We almost always send out newsletters on Saturday evening, so the best days to check your email inbox so you don’t miss out on a special offer or call for projects is Sundays and Mondays. That way they can go through all the emails when they get back to work on the following Tuesday.

Also remember that putting in a request doesn’t always mean that our artists will be able to do your tattoo. If your selection suggests that you get tattooed by another Black Hive artist, or an artist at another Jacksonville shop, it is not to say they think your tattoo is a bad idea, it just means they either think another artist is a better fit for your project, or it’s just not their cup of tea.

In the end, it’s better to have the artist that is the best fit and is excited to tackle your project, rather than forcing them to do something that they are not comfortable with.

*One last VERY important point:

Because of difficulties we’ve had in the past, our artists will no longer give estimates over email. Once an artist has made contact, you must come to the shop for a consultation to get a rough estimate of a tattoo design’s cost.
Consultations are free of charge, but none of our artists will begin a drawing or set an appointment without a non-refundable deposit.

Our tattoo artists charge an hourly rate for custom work, OR will give you a flat price for smaller pieces. Flat prices are non-negotiable regardless of how much time the tattoo takes.

CURRENT HOURLY RATES:

Colbey $140

Solé $160

Matt $140

Selina $200 (*240 for cover ups or reworks of another artist’s work)

Nick Wagner $200 (*250 for cover ups or reworks of another artist’s work)

To begin any work, most of our artists collect a deposit equal to one hour of their hourly rate*. This deposit is required at your initial consultation before scheduling an appointment to begin your project.
Deposits are subtracted from the total cost of your tattoo if it is only one sitting, or hold your appointments for the duration of any tattoo requiring multiple sittings.
In the case of multiple sitting tattoos, deposits are subtracted from the final sitting.

*Nick and Selina require a 50% deposit for any sitting scheduled for more than 3 hours at a time.

Regardless of size, the minimum sitting fee* will vary from artist to artist, so you can check their artist’s page to see if anything has changed, but as of 11/1/2018

Nick, Colbey, Sole, and Matt: one hour of their current hourly rate

*This is the minimum amount a sitting will cost you. It is NOT in addition to an artist’s hourly rate!
For example:
If you want a small tattoo from Colbey that only takes 30 minutes, the minimum charge will be $140 (one hour of his time).
That’s why we suggest you either get a a few of those small tattoos at the same time, get that banger you want when your in for a larger tattoo, or get a tattoo large enough to take at least what amounts to an artist’s minimum sitting fee.

While tipping is not required, it IS appreciated!

We don’t live off tips, so there is no established rule of thumb like a waiter or bartender. The secret industry standard is anywhere from 10-20%.

*A final note: most artists prefer to get tipped on a sitting by sitting basis.

Obviously, because of the high fees we have to pay to accept cards, cash is ALWAYS preferred, but all Black Hive Tattoo artists accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, and most debit cards.
*We do NOT accept American Express.

Consider not starting a large project like a sleeve or back piece unless you have planned out realistically how you are going to pay for the tattoo like a bill every month so that you don’t fizzle out in the middle of a project.

It’s really hard for an artist to be excited about completing a half-finished back piece or sleeve that they haven’t touched in two years because of your poor planning.

Due to the limitations set by the city of Jacksonville set forth in the zoning of our building, the artists at Black Hive Tattoo do NOT tattoo anyone under the age of 18. At any rate, in our collective experience tattooing minors, even with parental consent, causes more problems than it cures.

If you are underage and want to set up an appointment for your birthday, it IS ok to come into the shop to have a consultation, give a deposit, and set your appointment at any time between your 17th and 18 birthday. In fact, it is better to come in about a few months before to set it up. So get signed up for our newsletter to be notified when our artists are taking new project requests, and please just make sure the artist you are speaking to is aware of when your birth date is to avoid any embarrassing cancellations when you get here.

If you are under 18 and are serious about your work, then you should seriously consider waiting to get the best tattoo you can get. And if not, we will be here when you turn 18 to do your cover up.

Black Hive Tattoo does NOT offer apprenticeship opportunities, and we are strictly a tattoo shop.
We do NOT offer piercing or body modification of any kind, but we DO recommend anyone looking for piercing services to contact Jenny Joe at the Inksmith&Rogers location at 13720 Atlantic Blvd.
Jenny Joe is off Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but she works Thursday-Monday every week as follows:
Thursday noon-9, Friday/Saturday noon-11, Sunday noon-6, and Mondays noon-9
*for more info, contact Jenny directly at 904 221-8282

Can’t think of what to get your favorite tattoo collector? Not sure how much to get them? We have gift certificates available year round, and they can be made out for any amount.

BUT…we only recommend getting gift certificates for someone who either already has an appointment to get started or has a piece in progress. Because of our long wait times to get new clients in, it is unadvisable to get a gift certificate for some one who is “thinking about getting tattooed.”

This website’s galleries are updated weekly to show the newest work from the artists on our homepage thumbnails, but if you want to see a full catalogue of all the artists images available for viewing, including large tattoos, cover ups, reworks, in progress works, and cool stuff from as far back as 2000, click the link below to visit our shop flickr account.

Black Hive Tattoo Flickr Page