I came in with a loose idea that I wanted some paw prints and names or initials to celebrate two of my cats that passed in the last year. KC and Kaytlen suggested I use the actual clay paw prints, which was a great idea I hadn't considered. KC took careful rubbings of the prints and created an exact stencil, trying also to convey their depth. (One of my cats had fairly small paws with a deep imprint.) He incorporated the first letters of their names in a scratchy font.Right before I came in for the appointment, I asked we do it on my shoulder instead of my leg, which he was able to accommodate. I explained that I love the watercolor look--the more color the better. At first I think they were thinking a few colors, but I insisted I wanted them all! ALL THE COLORS! The end result is a beautiful, celebratory rainbow, with my kitties climbing onto my shoulder like they used to. Their paw prints are just like the clay.I suggest having a pretty solid idea when you come in (including lettering), but listen to their ideas too! They're professionals. :) Read Less

My experience with the Vale tattoo was awesome! I went with the intention to get this back tattoo touched up because it had faded. I get there and K.C. told me that the person who did this before had done so terrible that the faded parts is actually the scar tissue forming! He managed to get under the scar tissue without it hurting to much and he only charged me for half of what I got my tattoo for originally. (The first time I got this tattoo it wasn't at the vale) K.C. even touched up another tattoo I had ,that was done by him, for free. In all, a great experience! Read Less

I will not be returning to The Vale in the future for any further services. I do not trust KC or The Vale to fix the tattoo I received and will be having it removed, covered, or re-worked in some way.When I arrived at The Vale on July 14, 2018 at 1pm I met with KC and began discussing what tattoo I wanted. I explained that I wanted a sun/moon combination symbol with an incorporated red dot. I showed KC several pictures on Pinterest as points of reference. He went into the back and came back with a design that I liked. He created a stencil in two different sizes and we placed them in a few different spots on my left arm to see what I liked. I decided on my left wrist. I have attached a picture of what the stencil looked like on my inner left arm (this would have been at the slightly larger size). As KC began tattooing me I noticed that his lines were very messy and his dots seemed haphazard and were not following the pattern in the stencil. There's a random dot at the top that is not consistent with the overall design and it seems that he nicked me a couple of times around that area as there were some small cuts. One of these cuts has ink that was left behind (hence the random out of place dot). When I noticed him drawing a larger dot along the line of the moon shape, I verbally indicated my concern by politely and calmly asking why he was drawing dots. He immediately seemed angry with me and explained that "one of the pictures you showed me had this" and I said "but it was not on the stencil." He then began trying to even out the line, which since he had drawn dots on it ended up being very thick (the opposite of the fine lines I asked for and that he verbally indicated he could provide). He also made a random line in the middle of the moon which was meant to not be filled in, and began haphazardly filling the moon in with white ink (he did so quickly and inconsistency as it is very patchy). When I asked why he was doing this he replied that he was trying to "get rid of all the shit you didn't want." I don't feel that throwing white ink into the mix was a solution to this problem, and in fact it made a bigger mess. It felt a bit like he was panicking and trying to save face, but fixing nothing. His attitude made me feel very unsafe and afraid.I truly do not comprehend how this misunderstanding occurred. I expected the stencil to be exactly the tattoo I was getting and was very shocked to have KC begin to deviate from the plan that we agreed on. As soon as I expressed concern, he should have stopped and had a conversation with me but he wouldn't even make eye contact with me. Nothing about this tattoo is what I wanted; it is very poorly executed, messy, and heavy-handed. It is not that I got the tattoo I wanted and ended up not liking it, or even that some areas were not what I had envisioned, but that the artist did not honor the stencil we agreed on and started adding details that I did not ask for and that we did not discuss.KC took a simple design and decided to add his own additions to it that I did not ask for. When I questioned him he formed an attitude with me, avoiding eye contact, and appearing angry and frustrated. The lines are not straight or even. I assume that given the shop had a late night on Friday 13th the night before (wherein the artist's apparently did 30 or more tattoo's as the owner mentioned to me when I arrived) that he was tired or something and should not have been tattooing at all that day. I assume since KC did not charge me for the tattoo that he realized the extent of his error.When I inquired with the owner for a copy of the release I signed she said she'd "meant to reach out to me." She totally knew something had gone very wrong and didn't "reach out" until I contacted her. That's not a caliber of customer service to be proud of. The real kicker is that this was my first tattoo and the design incorporates elements that symbolize my grandmother who passed and her unconditional love for me which was meant to be a constant reminder of the self-love and balance I'm seeking in my own personal mental health journey. This tattoo is so hard to look at and it's just so unfortunate and sad. I'd suggest that especially if this is your first tattoo maybe don't go to The Vale or at least not KC? What a terrible experience. Read Less

Came here for an appointment with Nia and she was AMAZING! Such a nice person and a very talented artist! Everything from making my appointment to getting my actual tattoos was quick and easy, and the prices were very fair and actually less than I anticipated. The whole staff and vibe at Vale is super relaxed and welcoming. I'll definitely be coming back here for my next tattoo! Read Less

I came in for Friday the 13th tattoos with my mom and my aunt and had a GOOD experience! Literally the only trouble we experienced was not being able to find the shop quickly but that's no big deal at all. Just keep in mind that the shop is on the second floor of the building. Everyone we spoke to was friendly and helpful. The tattoo sheets were reasonably priced and I ended up getting three tattoos from KC (which are currently still healing). I was told he was the fastest tattoo artist in the shop and it was true. I got all three tattoos in around 15 minutes or even less. KC was great as well, he was very friendly and seemed to have a happy vibe to him. I will definitely be coming back for more work in the future and would recommend anyone I know to come here!Side note: my pictures were taken right after and the night of getting the tattoos. Read Less

I had the perfect tattoo experience here at the Vale.  The lobby section is complete with coffee, candy, water, and popcorn with a movie playing!! The paperwork was quick and easy and I didn't wait long to get to the booth. By the way this shop is clean, organized, GORGEOUS. Lots of cool art displayed everywhere, mostly by the artists there. My tattoo artist was NIA!!! She is an incredibly gifted artist with wonderful people skills. I communicated what i envisioned for the piece and she exceeded my expectations in every way. I ended up with a perfect and original tattoo that my friends are crazy about! Now they all want to come check out Nia and Vale Tattoo!!! Excellent work, guys!!! 5 stars!! Read Less

Have done my tattoo by Nia. I really liked the way we did my tattoo and she is really nice. She asked me when If i wanted to take breaks, if it was okay to restart and everything, I liked that she offered and took it in consideration. Since I came as a drop in, so I waited until someone was available to take care of me, until then I spoked a little with 2 of the workers there, really nice! Read Less

I went to Nia for a new tattoo a couple weeks ago and she did such an amazing job! The lines are super clean and the colors are perfect. She matched the design I brought in perfectly. She is definitely my go-to artist from now on. And aside from how talented she is, she's super cool too. Read Less

Just want to start by saying KC and Katlyn are awesome! KC is a brilliant artist and was so friendly and cool. Katlyn was fantastic as well, really friendly and super nice. I went in for a tattoo on my wrist and I could not be happier. KC did a fantastic job. I have two other tattoos from 20 years ago, and now I'm thinking I'll go back and get KC to update those as well. Great experience, everyone should go here to get their tattoos. Read Less

I went in to get a tattoo for Friday the 13th, as they had several sheets to choose from at very reasonable prices. I was pretty nervous but as soon as I walked in the atmosphere was great, I felt comfortable right away. Nia did my tattoo and it's beautiful. She was also a great conversationalist and that definitely made the experience excellent will definitely be returning for more work done! Read Less

I made an appointment a week before and I had brought an example of what I wanted to get and I had told the artist that and it did not go according to plan I had wanted a tattoo on my finger and my risk, but they had said it could not be done at the time I wanted it to get done. I had left an $80 dollar deposit and the day I was supposed to get the tattoo done, and I have showed up a bit early which I was well aware of did not mean waiting at all once the artist was free he took even longer to sketch out the piece I wanted, and still did not do the piece right. There was no communication between the artist and I and it felt really uncomfortable the tattoo was discolored and un leveled after my tattoo was done my wife went in and instantly he was chatty with her I had noticed in the back that there was several beer bottles. He was very unprofessional. I am not happy with my tattoo and my wife's tattoo came out a bit better but still I can point out some errors. My experience here was terrible and I do not recommend anyone to get a tattoo here I am very displeased with what happen here. Oh and last but not least when I had reminded him that he had to do the other part of the tattoo on my finger he had burst and started to curse which made me uncomfortable so I had cancelled it Read Less

The owners are great, very Friendly vibe, relaxed I felt welcomed. I went on Fri the 13 with my partner for the traditional tattoos. They were helpful answered questions and when it came to tattooing they added little tweaks here and there and made it really feel personal. I will definitely be visiting again. Not heavy handed, this was great. Read Less

Thank you!!! I called and was able make an appoinment that day with KC. He was awesome. I came in with a print oit of my design. I was nervous (this is not my first tat) but felt welcomed and listened too. The shop was clean and pretty darn cool. Made it easy on my nerves. My tattoo took about 2 hours with a break in between. The price was great - very reasonable. I will definitely promote this shop and come back for more!! Thanks guys!!! I truly love my tattoo - so does my family and friends. Read Less

I got my first tattoo with KC and it was a breeze. My tattoo was on my foot but i barely felt it. Plus i gave him the handwriting i wanted and he got that exact one tattooed on my foot. I am thinking of getting more tats from him. Read Less

KC and Kaytlen were awesome! The atmosphere was very relaxing and KC is a killer artist. Spent the day designing then receiving the perfect tattoo. His vision of my tattoo and how he he brought it to life on my skin was nothing short of amazing. I cannot say enough about these two and how well I was treated at The Vale Tattoo. If you want a fantastic custom piece of art on your body and be treated like family then this is you place! Thanks KC! Read Less

i came in on Tuesday for a consultation. i told KC what i wanted, he had me come back for my appointment on Thursday. i could not have been happier with his rendering of the tattoo i had in mind. Down to the lettering for the font he chose. i have had nothing but compliments on it. This was my first tattoo and i was a bit apprehensive but the experience was more than i ever expected. i will definitely be back. Read Less

The "First Tattoo" experience. A couple weeks before I settled on this shop, I had visited a couple others in the area. The Vale was the first to show enthusiasm and transparency, which were important since this was my first tattoo.Katlyn greeted me as soon as I walked in. When I mentioned this was my first tattoo, she responded with encouragement. She mentioned that the artist, KC, was finishing up another client and that he might have time for me before his next appointment. While I waited to speak to KC, Katlyn switched on some Netflix in the waiting room TV.Lucky for me, KC was able to fit me in later in the day. I came back after a couple hours and had my design inked on in a matter of minutes. Seeing the design tattooed on me was surreal, and KC was nothing short of accommodating and positive throughout the procedure. It's been a few weeks since then, and now the tattoo looks and feels awesome.Thank you to you both. In the span of a few hours, you made me feel comfortable and confident despite being a walk-in between appointments. Couldn't ask for a better First Tattoo experience, and I will probably be back for more! Read Less

I stopped into their shop last week! HOW CUTE is Sunnyvale!? Their shop is located on the corner of Murphy Avenue. The shop is clean, big, and filled with candy. If you are looking for a good tattoo place, with artistic, genuine people? This is the place! I love Casey and Kaytlen. They were so nice and helpful. They really put you first and listen to you! Read Less

Made an appointment, payed $20 bucks and discussed ideas with an artist who'd have drawings ready for me the following week. When I got there on my scheduled time the artist (Oscar) was out of town and nobody in the studio knew about my appointment. The so called owner apologized (think his name was KC or CJ or something like that) and said he'd have drawings for me in an hour. He did. But was offended when I asked to change things around. We eventually settled on a design which was a lotus compass with light turquoise and purple watercolor splashings/light clouds. As he started working on my arm his next appointment showed up and he was getting stressed but wanted to honor my appointment. I felt him getting annoyed with me/the situation so I tried to make jokes, to keep him happy, he was after all putting something on my skin that I was going to have forever... But he kept being sarcastic and rude, he was very rough on my skin and working really fast. I got really sad and tried very hard not to cry in the chair, he noticed that and said that this wasn't working and that we should stop. I couldn't have agreed more. He charged me another $60 (adding to the $20 I already payed) but compensated me with a $100 giftcard (like I would ever go back there..) and didn't give me any after care advice. I went back two weeks later, in hopes to get my money back in exchange for the gift card. I felt terrible. When I got there and asked to speak to the owner, the girl at the front desk said she was the owner? I asked for the man and she called him out. He saw me and without even looking at the tattoo he dismissed me, said he would absolutely not return my money. It's now been two months since my experience and my tattoo is looking horrible. My skin is so scarred and swollen and the lines are a mess. I've had proffessional tattoo artists look at it as The Vale Tattoo didn't care to help me, and I was told my skin is too scarred and infected and that I should see a dermatologist for immediate attention and then consider laser removal and cover up. I was going to attempt to sell the giftcard on Craigslist but I can't because I wouldn't recommend anyone going there. Do not go there. Read Less

The atmosphere in this historic building is absolutly incredible! The best experience I've had in a shop period! I got 2 Tats from Merk in the past that came out excellent, and my most recent one came from Nick D. Fairly priced and great work, thanks guys! Read Less