Reviews of Universal Tattoo (Tattoo Shop)

Cameron Neal

The guy I got my tattoos from did an amazing job and was very uplifting about the entire experience! I would definitely recommend Kyle to anyone looking for a job well done!

Tina Thompson

Had the oddest encounter here. Today I wanted to get a small tat on my hand between my thumb and forefinger. I've seen lots of people with them and it's just my initial. Anyways, I was immediately told by the gentleman behind the counter that it's a volatile location and he can't guarantee it won't 'fall off'. I had to ask him 3 times what he meant by 'fall off'. That term seemed extremely ambiguous to me and even though I wasn't understanding him, he didn't seem to be able to make a clear explanation of what he meant either. He said things like, it could fall off, pieces and chunks of skin fall off the hand! Now I've got the image of Necrotizing Fasciitis in my head and I'm still very confused because everyone else I've seen with these tats seems to have their entire hand in tact, so he clearly has no idea how to convey what he's trying to convey in a good fashion. Then he said I must take care of it well as it's on my hand. TBH I take care of myself very much. I'm super hygienic and I told him I wear gloves to bed. This threw him and he laughed. He said you wear gloves to bed? I explained I use a natural detoxifying lotion at night and then wear the gloves to bed. He then said, 'OH you can't wear gloves to bed with a tattoo there!' EVER? I said.... I knew this was not true so I asked him again to clarify. He said the tat needed time to heal for a few days or possibly more. Well duh. It was at that point I knew that he and I are two different animals. He is without common sense, and I use it daily. Of course I can go a few days without wearing the gloves, for the sake of a tat needing the fresh air. The gloves are not a deal breaker and common sense would tell anyone that. but I didn't need to end our conversation because he was def done with our odd interaction. He did not want my business and made that clear by looking around me at the person behind me and said "if you're done, I'll take care of her now". Super rude, unable to communicate clearly, and makes you feel like your the least important customer in the shop, and also can easily talk you out of getting a tat which I'd say is bad for business. But who am i? no one, except for the girl who wants a hand tat that might fall off so there's no guarantee.... LMFAO Whatever blows your hair back mate.

Tina Thompson

Had the oddest encounter here. Today I wanted to get a small tat on my hand between my thumb and forefinger. I've seen lots of people with them and it's just my initial. Anyways, I was immediately told by the gentleman behind the counter that it's a volatile location and he can't guarantee it won't 'fall off'. I had to ask him 3 times what he meant by 'fall off'. That term seemed extremely ambiguous to me and even though I wasn't understanding him, he didn't seem to be able to make a clear explanation of what he meant either. He said things like, it could fall off, pieces and chunks of skin fall off the hand! Now I've got the image of Necrotizing Fasciitis in my head and I'm still very confused because everyone else I've seen with these tats seems to have their entire hand in tact, so he clearly has no idea how to convey what he's trying to convey in a good fashion. Then he said I must take care of it well as it's on my hand. TBH I take care of myself very much. I'm super hygienic and I told him I wear gloves to bed. This threw him and he laughed. He said you wear gloves to bed? I explained I use a natural detoxifying lotion at night and then wear the gloves to bed. He then said, 'OH you can't wear gloves to bed with a tattoo there!' EVER? I said.... I knew this was not true so I asked him again to clarify. He said the tat needed time to heal for a few days or possibly more. Well duh. It was at that point I knew that he and I are two different animals. He is without common sense, and I use it daily. Of course I can go a few days without wearing the gloves, for the sake of a tat needing the fresh air. The gloves are not a deal breaker and common sense would tell anyone that. but I didn't need to end our conversation because he was def done with our odd interaction. He did not want my business and made that clear by looking around me at the person behind me and said "if you're done, I'll take care of her now". Super rude, unable to communicate clearly, and makes you feel like your the least important customer in the shop, and also can easily talk you out of getting a tat which I'd say is bad for business. But who am i? no one, except for the girl who wants a hand tat that might fall off so there's no guarantee.... LMFAO Whatever blows your hair back mate.

Riley van der Linden

three small line tattoos done by the owner, bob. super professional and incredibly clean. amazing result for a birthday walk in! would recommend.

Nathan Xal Rice

Friendly service. Excellent work. Always go there for piercing or tattoo

D F

Had a tattoo done of script like 2 years ago and buddy would only do size 16 font with a word document script as a base and now its almost completely illegible. I've had all my other tattos for 4/5+ years and they don't even need a touch up. If you want writing steer clear of this place.

Alyssa Roth (Liss)

Great experience! Highly recommend for walk ins. The guys were super accommodating and did a killer job. Thanks! Will be back.

compuPUnk

Good customer service and some great artists. We came here for Randy, who has done great work on us. Wish Victoria had more real late night scene but that is Victoria. ACCESSIBILITY: The entrance is street level and a standard 36" exterior door and wide access to the rear. The bathroom is accessible but no gantry or rails.

william walker

It has been six months since I got my tattoo from Bob and I cannot stop talking about how awesome he and his shop is. If you go to Victoria, BC and want to get a tattoo go to Universal. They will take care of you. Will be going back in June next year for another to match the one I got this last time. Thanks guys.

Jade Wergeland

Bob was amazing!! Will definitely go back! Super quick, professional and amazing work! The whole staff were so kind! I hope to be covered in their work

Negin

My friend and I were walk-ons for some ear piercings. I wanted 3 specifically spaced out on my cartilage, and she wanted her third lobe piercings done. Kelly our piercer was very friendly, professional and made us feel comfortable! He re-positioned the dots on my ears a few times gladly!! :) we are both super happy with our experience

Taylor H

I had my industrial done, and while the piercer was wonderfully friendly and made sure everything was sanitary, he didn't double check the placement with my glasses, and even seemed to brag about how efficient he was with this piercing. It seemed as though I was an inconvience to him and I now have to deal with extra pain, and problems with healing. I will not be returning to this shop.

Clint Hoebee

Experience was ok. Upon entering the shop most of the staff was friendly and greeted us. Owner Bob never acknowledged us or said hi once. Owners son Dennis did my tattoo. Quality of tattoo was mostly good, although there were a few spots the color did not go all the way to the outside lines. Mty wife's tattoo needed to be fixed (crooked color line),the owner (Bob) looked at it and grunted "wait for it to heal" and walked away. but Dennis touched it up to her liking. Overall a decent experience. We would have like to have felt more welcome at this shop.

Rooster23

Bob is amazing! Quality work and such a nice guy!

Nicolas Lopez

Nice and profesional but poor customer service... got 3 piercings done. 2 earlobes and one nostril. One of the earlobes was like 1mm apart from the one I already had (so I can't wear 2 pieces of jewelry). I went 6 times and the closed between 1 to 2 hours early of what the website says... so finally when I went first thing In the morning. They said I needed to pay again to get the one earlobe fixed.... like what!? You made a mistake... you were the one who didn't see where the old piercing was... and yet he wanted me to pay. Never coming back what a joke

J.P. Muldoe

Decent tattooing, but terrible customer service.

R Wheeler

Being from Manitoba I only wish I lived closer to Universal Tattoo, I would be covered with tattoos by now from the owner Bob. Fantastic work and great shop. I now consider myself a tattoo snob and won't get any more tattoo work unless it's done by Universal Tattoo.

Cory Benzo

Only place I'll go in Victoria. Bob is probably the most talented artist I've seen. And has a lot of patience. Highly recommend

William Lacombe

Bob is THE GOAT of tattoo in Victoria. What els to say ? Quick and safe.

Torin Morrison

Got my knuckles done a couple days ago by the owner Bob. He’s fast and professional. I was happy with the work and had a consult the next day for a hand tattoo. Bob was very accommodating and managed to get it done the same day. Love the vibes in the shop. I would definitely recommend this place if you’re serious about quality work from experienced artists.

LunarHalo69

Terrible customer service! 4 different people in my family have had tattoos done by Bob over the years, and I myself have had 3 -they are great! Still vibrant colour and holding up very well. The last time my sister and I went into the shop, both looking to get fairly simple tattoos, the guys were complete jerks. I first told them what I wanted to get done and they proceeded talk to each other (in front of us) about how they thought it would look stupid placed where I wanted it. They then printed out a rough copy so they could stencil it on me to SHOW ME that it would look dumb. We were both so disgusted with their behavior that my sister didn't even tell them that she wanted a tattoo because there was no way in hell we would let any of them touch us with a needle. We left and went to another studio down the street where the artist was more than happy to give us what were looking for. I can say that I am VERY pleased with the work I got done just how I wanted it. I understand that it is your art walking around the city, but its walking around on your customers body. Try giving them what they want for a change boys. No member of my family will ever go back to Universal Tattoo which is a shame because Bob does such amazing detail.

Kat Pirie

The piercer decided to gauge up my vertical labret without even so much as a mention. If he didn't have a rod the right size all he had to do was tell me, but he clearly just wanted to get an easy $30 out of me. Also pierced a friends vertical labret crooked

Natalia Veronika

Would not recommend this place for small tattoos. Came in and requested a small, thin line star tattoo and received something with much thicker lines than anticipated. I have several other tattoos with much thinner lines so I know my request was not unreasonable. I even showed the artist a reference picture and if he was not able to replicate it, I wish I had been informed. Felt as if they wanted to get us in and out as soon as possible and it really sucks having to look for a coverup so soon after getting a new tattoo I was very excited for.

Hi There

That big round piercer mismatched my ear piercings and didn't even ready to accept . I'll never suggest to go at this place , especially to him

Ken Hall

Recently had Bob do a portion of a commemorative tattoo. Excellent work, welcoming environment and no BS. I will be back for the rest of my sleeve.

Marcel Martell

Randy is amazing and look forward to my next trip to Victoria for some more work.

kaitlyn parker

Best for tattoos and piercings have 16 tattoos bone by bob the owner and love them all and Kelly is one of the best for piercings in town

tre07boy

Very friendly. An outstanding work piece, differently going back for more work ????

Justin Wayne

This place rocks I have been coming here for 20 years and honestly the staff are amazing. If you have an idea these guys are great artists and they will take care of you.

Katelyn Brinkman

Don’t go here. Both employees at this establishment were extremely cold and unfriendly. We arrived at one, then designed our tattoos. The guy told us to come back by five, but wouldn’t make an exact appointment for us. We arrived at 4:30 with plenty of time, but the employees didn’t even look at us and refused to give us the tattoo. We were travelling and very excited and in a happy mood and decided to go to Black Cat Tattoo instead. This place was exceptional! Please go to them instead :)

Fiona Wade

My 3 tattoos were done here. I have a rare genetic condition that makes my skin hyperelastic and very thin. Many tattoo artists have no interest in tattooing me because of the difficulty, so I am grateful for these guys. My first tattoo was done here without them knowing anything about my issue, and it went perfectly (I'm sorry, I forget the artist's name, this was 11 years ago). My 2nd and 3rd tattoos (both forearms, about 7 and 8 years ago) were by the owner. My inner arms are a particularly stretchy area, and despite the area being very challenging to tattoo, they are perfect. Both artists had no trouble despite me being very unusual to work on. Highly recommended.

Dennis Huang

I want to thank Bob, Randy, Douglas and Dennis for having done all my twenty three small and big tattoos. They are talented, passionate, friendly and kind. I would like to have a super big tattoo on my back next month, I hope everything goes smoothly that I have enough funds. Thank you so much Bob, you are an amazing tattoist, love you so much!Most of my tattoos are done by Bob, I'm so happy. Bob always did a good job and great tattoos on me, I'm looking forward to see you guys again! --------Dennis

Brandon

Got an owl done here just over 3 weeks ago, had a great time with Dennis giving me my first tattoo. I will definitely be back in the future. Thanks guys!

Polly Denro

They were very nice over the phone, got me and my boyfriend in for a walk-in very easily. However once we arrived they were very rude, judgmental and downright unprofessional. The final product was nice, but I would not go there ever again, we left feeling insulted and belittled. Also just go and read their responses to negative reviews... they seem to dislike the criticism

Shane Sauer

Walked in of the street, met with Bob, he got me in right away. The atmosphere was great, he made me feel very comfortable and welcome. I’m from Saskatchewan and will be making future trips out!!

Kyrel Silva

The place was perfect, very clean and my tattoo looks great

Tammy rust

I walked into universal on my birthday unsure what to expect after checking out a few other places. I found the guys extremely friendly and professional. I discussed a tattoo with Shawn. It was a quick and painless process. 4 days later I was in the chair. We had a quick talk about how I wanted it to look. Shawn was able to capture exactly what I was looking for. He's professional, easy to talk to. Overall really happy and amazed by the work. I'll be booking in the future for my sleeve. Also taking my daughter in for her 1st tattoo. GREAT WORK SHAWN! Thankyou.. ;)

Charlotte Arber

My friend went to get some small script and the tattoo its self turned out perfectly fine for an undetailed piece. However the customer relations we received while there was absolutely dreadful. The guy was unfriendly and rude and seemed as if he did not want to be there. On a last note I will point out we tried to get a walk in to government street tattoo where as they were full, and universal was completely empty for walk ins... This is not a coincidence

Josh Davison

Fantastic shop, very professional and friendly staff. Highly recommend this shop.

Miranda Walker

I have had a bunch of work done at universal and am always so happy! Bob is amazing I will never go to any other shop, I’ve seen what Dennis and Micheal do and they are all amazing, great artists and also great guys all of them.

Douglas Chen

I have a few scars on my right shin left from a river rafting. I wanted to cover them with a tattoo, and was in a big hurry before going on my vacation to have some beach days in the south. I came up with a design and phoned several shops for an arrangement. I got an appointment from Universal Tattoo the second day. And the tattoo was beautifully done by Bob, the shop owner in the next day. After one week's care, I was able to show off my tattoo on the lovely beach????.

Juliette Belanger

Great customer service Very honest and friendly. Thank you for taking me and my boyfriend in to tat with no appointment. We were on a tight schedule to make the ferry back to Vancouver and the tattoo artist (I forgot his name) totally pulled it off, we even had enough time to grab a bite before loading. We are happy with our results and they are heading very nicely, barely any scabbing. We will be back again soon to do some more couples tats when we visit Victoria. Thanks guys! ????

Carol Mcharg

I got my first tattoo yesterday with Michael. It was to honour my mother. He was very kind and compassionate. If I ever get another tattoo it will be woth him. Thank you Michael for making this a great experience.

Marcie Seltzer

Bob was great! Will go back for sure ????

Erin Jensen

Got two small tattoos done by the owner. He messed up on one that I got in memory of my Grandma, I'm quite disapointed. The other small one is all raised on my skin. I wouldn't recommend seeing the owner at this place!

Chace Joseph

Randomly decided to get a tattoo today and after checking out a few shops I landed in Universal. Randy did an excellent job and even looked up the symbol I wanted to make sure it meant what I thought it did. The shop and artists have a bit of an edge to them but that just made the experience better in my opinion.

Bella B

I got the cutest pinup doll tattoo ever done by Bob today!!! I walked in, they had me in the chair ready to roll within 20 minutes. Bob is light handed and super fast, also very friendly and personable. Also a big thank you to the beautiful lady who did the stencil! I’m obsessed with my new piece thank you so much guys!!! I will recommend you to EVERYONE !!! ????????????

Amber Langevin

Efficient. Clean. Professional as tattoo shops go. Our guy was fun! His 40 years experience, evident. Two thumbs up!

GEORGE MCLAUGHLAN

I came here on holiday from Scotland and had decided to get a tattoo, I came across this place while out walking so I enquired about having a tattoo done, the guys were very helpful and decided on tribal wolf design, Dennis helped me through this process with ease.I can only say that my experience was enjoyable and it was quite good listening to the banter of both customers and tattoo artists, the owner Bob came over a few times I feel he was genuinely interested in the work being done by his son, I am more than happy with my tattoo and can't thank everyone enough, I would recommend these guys all day long, big thanks Dennis, you may see me again next year.

Jesse Cromwell

All the staff at Universal are extremely helpful and professional. Bob and Dennis put great effort into creating an important custom piece for me. Drew it better than I could've imagined and Dennis did an absolutely professional and quality tattoo! I strongly recommend this business! I'll most definitely be going back!

Ryan Michaud

terrible customer service. felt like the guy I was talking to wanted me to leave and not come back when I went in to ask some tattoo related questions

ROBERT EARLE

I just got my first tattoo and it is far better than I expected the level of detail was miles better than the art I brought in. A great experience. Thank you Bob and co.

Tenille Rak

I walked in on my birthday and wanted my daughters names tattooed on my wrists! I absolutely love them. Dennis did an Awesome job!

M N

Walked in for a tattoo and Bob was great !!! Got me in quick and did exactly what I wanted. Highly recommend!! Thanks Bob see you soon for the butterfly !!

Ike Duran

Randy did great work on me, very flexible with his schedule and has an easy going vibe. . His portfolio is very impressive, great detail, color and shading work. Highly recommend if you’re looking to get some work done on your holiday.

Andrea Stephenson

Quick and skilled????

Kazim Sherazee

Ask for bob

Krys Hunter

This place was awesome! Bob and his crew were great; they bent over backwards to accommodate us and we are so pleased with our mother-daughter tattoos. Anyone who's been in business, in the same location, for 34 years has got something special going on. This is my third tattoo in Victoria (we're California girls), and it was definitely the best experience. We'll be back!

Mike

My wife and I and our daughter have had a number of tattoos done at Universal. Only place I we will go. Bob and the guys are top notch at what they do. There is also a multi talented artist there that does some sweet airbrush art work as well. Mike, Deb, and Liz

Brian Mott

Great friendly, clean environment. Bob's the Man!