I love visiting different cities and finding the coolest tattoo shops in those cities and then bringing them to you because if I only restricted myself to Jersey tattoo parlors, I would be writing about the same ones over and over again. This month, I’m writing about an amazing shop that my wife and I stumbled upon accidentally while we were in Norfolk, Virginia, over the Fourth of July weekend. We got into town early the night before Fourth of July and like always, we sought a place to have a quick dinner when it started pouring rain. The tattoo gods must have been watching me because the closest shop for us to dip into to stay dry was, in fact, this place called Fuzion Ink Tattoo And Piercing Studio.
The minute we ran in, I felt like I walked into this large waiting room that reminded me of a coffee shop at first. We seriously didn’t even look at the sign because the rain was coming down that hard, but the buzzing from the tattoo needles made us realize we ran into a tattoo shop to stay dry. Score! As we took a look around, I tried take a few mental snapshots so I can describe it to you, the reader. So, as I said we walked into this extremely spacious waiting room with chairs and tables and straight ahead was this reception desk with the name of the shop on the wall behind it. There were giant flat screen TVs hung on the walls for clients to watch. On both sides of the reception desk were entrances to where the magic happens. There were six tattoo stations behind this wall that reminded me of office cubicles. It reminded me of office spaces that you got tattooed at. It was a pretty amazing site to see. Each artist working on this night was with clients so it was tough to really get much info about this shop other than speaking to the receptionist.
I did find out a pretty interesting story regarding the background of Fuzion Ink. First of all, their doors were opened in 2007 by a father and son team from New York City, Tommy Glaser, Sr., a retired NYC firefighter and contractor, and his son, Tommy Glaser, Jr., a Norfolk police officer, which explains the 10 percent off discount for all military, EMS, Law Enforcement, college students and firefighters. Secondly, Fuzion Ink Tattoo And Piercing Studio is one of the top award-winning studios in the Hampton Roads area and they’re also the first studio to operate legally in the City of Norfolk in over 55 years! That blew my mind considering Norfolk is a big Navy town and when I think of sailors, I typically think of tattoos. Regardless, that’s still an amazing backstory for this 4,000-square-foot creative spot.
Fuzion Ink houses seven tattoo artists in Tony Scambony, Glo Smith, Lon Bennett, Tom Dutton, Pete Ski, Brian Stringer and Travis Harris and a piercer named PU Nastee. Yes, PU Nastee! All of whom are extremely knowledgeable about their craft and can assist prospective clientele in finding the perfect tattoo and matching them with the right artist, as each artist has their own style. As I said earlier, there are six spacious tattooing booths that reminded me of office cubicles. Each booth is able to accommodate two artists and come equipped with a large flat-screen TV with Digital Surround Sound, so their clients can just sit back, relax and enjoy their experience at Fuzion Ink. The receptionist assured us that their artists use the latest in industry tools and technology to help ensure that their clients’ tattoos will look amazing and stand the test of time. There is some flash hanging on the walls, but Fuzion Ink is a fully custom tattoo studio with artists who are always ready to help clients design their custom design. The flash art is basically there for ideas only.
Fuzion Ink’s piercing room is extremely private, so that all of body modification needs can be met. Yes, that’s ALL body modification needs. The piercing room is a private area that contains all of the necessary equipment that is kept to the highest possible hygiene standards. All of their jewelry is surgical-grade stainless steel and implant-grade titanium. I will admit; still not a fan of piercing, but that’s just me. I’m strictly a tattoo guy!
The Glasers are said to have taken inspiration from the glitzy Hart And Huntington Tattoo Company at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Las Vegas to create their vision for Fuzion Ink. They say that they don’t want to be known as a tattoo parlor. They want to be known as a “tattoo salon,” with stylish decor and an upscale clientele dominated by stroller moms instead of bikers. The receptionist also told me that the “salon” is extremely strict when it comes to age restriction. Both parent or guardian and minor have to come equipped with a legal ID. I mean one of the owners is a Norfolk officer. I’m sure he’s keeping a close eye on his investment.
I never got to talk prices with the receptionist, but I’m sure it’s based on the size of the tattoo piece. That’s the way it’s been across the board with every shop I’ve visited. Fuzion also never give you a price quote over the phone or online, which means you have to visit the shop if you’re in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. They’re located at 729 Granby Street in Norfolk. They’re open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for tattooing and Monday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. for piercing. If you’d like to make an appointment, you can call (757) 226-9840 or visit them online at FuzionInk.com. This is a beautiful shop! So, if you get down to Norfolk, I highly suggest you at least stop in here.
Well, I’m off to check out my next tattoo spot! Who knows what state it will be in! If you have a tattoo shop that you want to suggest, please e-mail me the name of the place and whom I should ask for at tim@theaquarian.com.
