Any shop that can ink a customer and properly remove the same tattoo themselves scores an edge — like Rorschach Gallery in Edison
NJ.com is visiting each of the five finalists and spending a day at their shops, in search for New Jersey's best tattoo shop. South Vineland's Firehouse tattoo was visited Monday and Pure Ink Tattoo was visited Tuesday. 12 oz Studios in Brooklawn was visited Thursday. A winner will be named later this week.
EDISON -- On a Friday afternoon, the bustle of Route 1 is magnified, with the volume extending just off the highway, to Menlo Park Mall. Across the plaza's sprawling parking lots, a tattoo shop is busy as well.
But while Rorschach Gallery has plenty of ink and piercings on its plate, many of the patrons in attendance are not there for a service. They are former clients, and just want to pop in and say hello.
"We know we are doing something right, because people are coming back happy," says co-owner "Sunday" Brian Mahovetz. "A lot of our clients end up becoming some of our best friends."
Rorschach Gallery in Edison, which is one of the five finalists in the search for N.J.'s best tattoo shop. (Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) In just two years, the two-story parlor in Edison has built a loyal following, steeped in what co-owner Danny "Doodles" Ward describes as simple "customer service."
"We want to take the nervousness off of them," says Ward. "Each person that comes in, we make sure they are taken care of."
Mahovetz adds: "That person is putting food on the table for my kids."
The capable shop, which offers a rarity -- in-house, certified tattoo removal -- will become more well-rounded this week when a permanent cosmetics artist begins to work there.
But while the staff's primary objective is its artwork, they are also happy to discredit any of the industry's stereotypes.
"We're like normal people, well, sort of normal people," laughs artist Dennis Von Blarcom, who sports long hair, a thick beard and a worn, Harley Davidson cap.
THE ATMOSPHERE
Entrance to Rorschach is met with some confusion -- where are the tattoo artists? A beautiful, blue and silver lobby is covered with art from both local artists and the shop owners themselves (hence the "gallery" label), but there are no machines, no chairs.
A small, spiral staircase leads down to a lower floor, where the shop-in-earnest resides. Several stations are housed in an open setting, with televisions airing DVDs or playing music. The staff was laughing along to Will Ferrell's comedy "The Other Guys" during the visit.
Over the course of two hours, several clients came through for piercings, consultations or just to shoot the breeze. But most of the action surrounded Mahovetz, who was tatting a skull on his cousin's arm.
The staff was welcoming, respectful and quick with a joke. For dog-lovers, there is a bonus here -- Von Blarcom's 9-year-old pug Mugsy lounges upstairs.
The lobby at Rorschach Gallery in Edison, which is one of the five finalists in the search for N.J.'s best tattoo shop. (Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) THE ARTISTS
Rorschach Gallery employs four full-time artists: Mahovetz, Ward, Von Blarcom and Carol Jacky; a part-time artist: Shawn Hannon; a full-time body piercer and tattoo removal specialist Alex Santos; and several apprentices. Both owners have been inking for about a decade, and Von Blarcom is the group's senior member, with 24 years under his belt. The shop is well-staffed and can easily accommodate walk-ins in between scheduled appointments.
The staff at Rorschach Gallery in Edison, which is one of the five finalists in the search for N.J.'s best tattoo shop. (Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) THE STYLES
The shop owners' specialties compliment each other well -- Mahovetz prefers black and gray realism while Ward often tackles bright, new-school works and color realism. Each artist is booked for the next three months (Ward just started his 2016 calendar). Van Blarcom does plenty of fine-line work and Carol doles out lots of neo-traditional, illustrative pieces.
A piece from Danny Ward's portfolio at Rorschach Gallery in Edison, which is one of the five finalists in the search for N.J.'s best tattoo shop. (Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)CLEANLINESS
"We are cleaner than your dentist," Mahovetz says, as he explains that unlike many other shops, Rorschach's needles are 100 percent disposable. There's no cleaning involved -- the apparatus is brand new each time. The upstairs waiting area was very neat, as were the stations, although the snake tank near Mahovetz's chair may be off-putting to some.
Owner Brian Mahovetz tattoos at Rorschach Gallery in Edison, which is one of the five finalists in the search for N.J.'s best tattoo shop. (Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) THE X FACTOR
While the personnel are some of the friendliest folks this side of Route 287, the determining factor for Rorschach has to be their ability to perform tattoo removal. They were the first in the state to employ such a technician -- Santos works six days a week between piercing and non-laser removal treatments -- and the shop is still just one of two in New Jersey to offer the service in-house. The procedure is less painful and more effective than doctor-performed laser removal, Santos assures.
Any shop that can ink a customer and properly remove the same tattoo themselves scores an edge.
A tattoo removal in progress at Rorschach Gallery in Edison, which is one of the five finalists in the search for N.J.'s best tattoo shop. (Bobby Olivier | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Next up is Eternal Ink, in Williamstown. A story on the shop will be posted Tuesday.
Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.