Lost Edge Tattoo | Best Tattoo Shop in Austin, TX

I wanted a Filipino design with specific Filipino design elements, from my shoulder to my wrist. I wanted to give homage to my heritage while including water elements and a feminine design. Leonardo custom designed something I couldn’t have even imagined! This is my second tattoo - my first was a small piece - and I was nervous about the 8 hour session. Leo set me at ease, most of the staff checked in thru the day, and it was an amazing experience. I love this piece, and the care Leo took in designing it. I can’t say enough good things about the entire experience, and the final piece :)

I really wanted this review to take a different tone. When I met with Henry for the consultation, he was excited to execute on my idea. He said he wanted it to be a portfolio piece. I arrived the morning of my full day session and Henry put the idea together from a couple of images off the Internet. He had 2 sizes. He said the larger one would be 1 1/2 sessions, and the smaller would be 1 day. I opted for the 1 day, as the $2500 for a full day session was a Christmas present from my wife. To make a long story short, after about 5 1/2 hours under the needle, Henry called an end to the session, explaining that my skin was too irritated to continue. He said I would have to return for 2 more hours to finish it. I contacted Lost Edge, today and was informed that I would have to pay another $1200 for a half day session, as Henry doesn’t do hourly work. So, in total, my half sleeve, black and gray tattoo would cost $3700. Holy smokes! Henry does great work. Don’t get me wrong. But the experience is now ruined. I don’t mind having another artist finish it. There are plenty of good ones out there. I just wanted this to be a good experience. And it was not. I won’t say, “Avoid this place”, or any BS like that. They are really good and the shop is cool. But, get the quote on your tattoo in writing and don’t expect to be feel like the customers are important.

When I started planning my half-sleeve, I wanted a black and gray realism piece that would honor the most important people in my life. My original artist had retired, so I found Lost Edge Tattoo and instantly loved Cory’s work. I met with him and shared my “heart sleeve” idea — with symbols for my children, my late brother, my husband, and my own journey of growth. Because I had several existing tattoos on that arm, Cory recommended Leo, who’s known for amazing cover-ups, since his own tattoo style would have made it difficult to cover up. That spoke volumes about the shop — they truly care about matching clients with the artist who can best bring each vision to life. Working with Leo was an incredible experience. He reimagined parts of my design for better flow and explained his idea to add soft blues to the water and subtle color in the celestial background, making the grayscale focal points pop beautifully. His attention to detail and creativity completely blew me away. The studio manager, Sol, was also wonderful — helping relay ideas to Leo so we were always on the same page throughout the process. The tattoo took two sessions, and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I can’t wait to share healed photos soon, and I already have plans to come back and extend the flow onto my forearm with another idea that I'm sure will get arranged beautifully for one cohesive piece. Lost Edge Tattoo has earned a lifelong client in me!