Chaz did my tattoo there at Skeleton Key. It was my first tattoo, I was very excited but also very nervous. Chaz was great at calming me down by making me laugh, explaining everything clearly and focus on other things. Not only is he kind and hilarious, he's also a very talented artist. I highly suggest this tattoo spot. Read Less

This studio is amazing! The artists, and owner, are super nice and the place is very clean and comfortable. My artist, Chaz, is very gifted and skilled, he is currently finishing a "Big Bang" (beginning of time, not the tv show) sleeve and it's awesome! Come get tattooed here! Read Less

Wish I could give this place less than 0 stars.. Went here for a tattoo along with my friend and she got filled in letters and I wish I could explain how absolutely awful they were. (Done by Waldo, who by the way didn't go to school for tattooing.) They had white spots in them and every artist who looked at it laughed and asked who the hell did it - said his pressure was nowhere near consistent. I got a simple flower / bee tattoo by Dan and there were so many shaky lines and the leaf in the flower looked ridiculous. I went in for my SECOND touch up by Dan today and he gave away my appointment slot.. emailed me after I had already LEFT to drive to the appointment asking me to come in an hour and a half and had to wait through him giving somebody two tattoos. Unprofessional and the tattoo work is bad too. You shouldn't have to get multiple touch ups, but expect that when you go here for a tattoo. I'd rather pay double somewhere else and get a good tattoo. This place is a fucking joke. Don't waste your time, unless you're aiming for a shitty tattoo. Read Less

I came in with a friend for a simple b&w tattoo of a bubble wand, and left with a lumpy gray design that looks straight up fucked. In addition to being far from what I discussed with Waldo, the line work is undeniably shaky and the entire thing looks misshapen. Pretty sure I am going to have to pay to go to another shop to get a touch up/cover up.If you do decide to get a tattoo here, stay away from:-circles-long straight lines-short straight lines-any length of line that is supposed to look straight-designs that have personal meaning to you-designs from Pinterest (or accept the shade they'll throw at you for it)-designs that are depictions of real world objects or anything that could provide a reference point and highlight how shitty your tattoo really isIf you're looking for something fast and dirty like we were, then this review probably won't deter you-- but maybe it should. Read Less

Spontaneously decided I was ready to get my next tattoo and Skeleton Key was the perfect fit. They had an artist open for a walk in and sketched up want I wanted almost exactly identical to the picture I showed her! Ximena was very helpful and understanding of my desires. Great pricing, most shops in Portland have a $100 shop minimum which sucks when you're getting something small. Overall great experience and I would return. Read Less

The staff is wonderful. But unfortunately my three friends and I are extremely disappointed with our tattoos. About 3 weeks ago we got a tattoo. Obviously it peeled and started to heal. But our tattoos faded. In some parts the ink isn’t even there. Now we have to pay again to get it retouched. It’s so disappointing. And I know retouching should be free but we aren’t from Portland so obviously we can’t come back. Not the quality we expected. Waste of money. :( Read Less

Honestly the easiest and most pain free experience with a tattoo EVER!! This was the biggest piece I've gotten and Levi was just so calming and awesome. Made sure I was comfortable too and honestly it helped so much because it hardly hurt! Would definitely recommend Levi to anyone looking to get a tattoo!! Read Less

I found Levi Greenacres when I was looking for someone to do a specific nerdy tattoo (Gallifreyan, from Doctor Who). We met and discussed my idea and he made some great modifications and did a wonderful job with a *lot* of circles!  Since then, I've come back for a pawprint (solid black) and recently got a tattoo of one of his own designs - a really gorgeous bluebird. Levi is very professional and willing to share his thoughts and experiences so that you have the right tattoo in the right place.The shop is clean, orderly, and pricing is very fair. I'm definitely going back for my next one :-) Read Less

I walked in and had a great experience! Reasonable pricing (shop min is $80) and my artist (I think his name is Levi) did a great job of dealing with my irrational fear of needles/pain and spontaneous location change. He talked through the whole thing and eased my nerves. Read Less

Waldo is such a talented artist who knows his stuff. Affordable but high quality for sure! I had no doubt he would make my tattoo the way I always dreamed. Great shop too very clean and inviting with lots to look at when getting the tattoo.Read Less

My best friend and I were in town and dropped in to get some new ink! Not knowing the shop or artist I was a bit hesitant. Levi was available and within 5 minutes he had me won over! His light hand and amazing artistic skill was top notch! He quickly threw my design together and the outcome was amazing!!!! I would recommend Levi to any and everyone! Read Less

Loved that they take walk-ins, and wait wasn't that bad at all! Super clean! Levi was my artist and he was great! Super nice and made me feel at ease while my tattoo was being done. My boyfriends tattoo artist Daniel and he was super nice, both were great artists! I would definitely come here again! We are very happy with our tattoos! Read Less

My husband and I had our tattoos done by Levi. We couldn't be happier. They're simple word tattoos and Levi was a font genius. We came to him with a font in mind and he made sure the writing would appear clearly and wouldn't run together over time. Our situation was very special and sensitive and he took extreme care during our sessions. Thank you, Levi. Read Less

Was on a trip in Portland with friends and on our last day, we all agreed to get simple tattoos.  We wanted to kind of mark a great trip and and to just go fulfill the need of wanting new tattoos. We skipped around from shop to shop and found Skeleton Key. Levi greeted us and was friendly and listened to what we all wanted and the pricing was fair. Our friends were a little tight on money and since it was our friends birthday he helped find a solution to help get what he wanted for what he could afford. We all appreciated how friendly everyone was there and its a helped make some great memories for us. We followed the directions to how to take care of our new tattoos and they've been healing well. Thank you Levi, for being so helpful and again...Good luck on your adult coloring book! I didn't catch the other tattoo artist that was there...his tattoo work was great as well. :0) I highly recommend this place. Read Less

Levi is amazing! He really takes time to make sure his client knows what they want and how it will look on the body before the commitment. He is the first tattoo artist I have had to actually explain to me in depth how to utilize the space and curves of my body with my tattoo. He is also very funny and a complete sweetheart. I will be going to him soon for my next piece. :) Read Less

Ximena was great! Walked in with friends for some silly matching tattoos and she whipped up the sketch really quickly, and finished all 3 of us in really good time. She was fun to talk to and shared my love for cats :) Read Less

Ximena is awesome! I'm a tattoo newbie and she walked me through the process and made sure I understood everything and was comfortable throughout my appointment. I recommend this shop to everyone! Great artists, amazing service, and incredibly affordable! Thanks guys for a great experience! Read Less

I had read the few bad reviews about Levi before I came in and was a little nervous to have my appointment with him. Despite what others have said he was completely nice and was joking and having fun with me. I feel the people with bad attitude reviews are first timers who think tattoo artists are there to baby you and kiss your ass. Sorry kids, not true.He picked a slightly different placement then I had in mind and I'm so glad I trusted his opinion. The biggest compliment I get on my work is how perfectly aligned the placement is with my body.He was very quick, efficient, and didn't cause anymore discomfort than necessary. I had a great time with him and left very happy. Definitely a positive experience with an amazing outcome. I'd suggest him to anyone :) Read Less

I had my tattoo done here about 2 years ago on a whim when I was visiting Portland. I did a walk-in and didn't have an appointment. Maki helped me with the tattoo font and made sure that I didn't get a tattoo too small or else it would bleed like the one on his hand. Very honest and helpful. I love my tattoo! Great job, no complaints. I would go back for touch-up, but I live too far. :( Read Less

So me and my friend came here for the $31.00 Halloween deal and it worked out pretty good.   Our tattoos look great, but they are not perfect.   The shading is a little off and the fill was not done that great.  Regardless, for $31.00 we got exactly what we wanted and for a price that was reasonable. Not going to lie, I looked through the the artists' books and I was not too impressed.  I only saw one artist that I would maybe consider getting a large serious piece from. I think this is a great place for people looking to get something fast and cheap and that's honestly not a bad thing. Read Less

This is a good shop!  Stopped in today to see if I could do a walk in, and was able to get an appointment with Levi just a bit later in the day. He did a great job with what I wanted, super clean work. Very professional guy, and very thorough. The shop itself is clean and open. I think they have very reasonable prices for a Portland shop, and from what I saw, all of the artists are very talented. Ximena is also super awesome, and was really fun to talk to when I first stopped in. Definitely would go back, and recommend these guys for sure! Read Less

Ximena was incredible. She drew up exactly what we envisioned. Made room to tattoo both my wife and me on short notice for our anniversary. Given the intricate work she tattooed us quickly. Just an overall excellent experience. Can't wait to visit her today for touch-ups and to see what she drew up for us next. Read Less

I went in today, after deciding this morning it was time to get my first tattoo. When I got there Levi helped me. I had my tattoo already drawn up by a friend and he gladly brought it down to size for me. He also informed me about alternative spots to get the tattoo that may work better with my body but when I decided to stick with my decision to get it on my side he didn't try to talk me out of it. Getting the tattoo was a breeze, it didn't hurt at all even in a spot where many find "sensitive".  I was very comfortable the whole time and he informed me of what he was doing the whole time too. He kept a good conversation going that wasn't too mucho or too little. The shop itself seemed a little sketch from the outside but it was very clean on the inside. I definitely recommend Read Less

I have had tattoos done by both Levi and Ximena and I absolutely LOVE both of them! My Chicharones Pig & Crossbones tat by Levi turned out great and brings a smile too my face every single time I see it.The chest piece Ximena did for me is incredible and reminds me that life will always get better. "Ex Malo Bonum" good out of evil or out of bad comes good. Both of my pieces are excellent work done by the utmost professionals. Clean and sterile shop with engaging artists- What the hell more can a ink junkie ask for???As far as the 1 star BULLSHIT review by Andrea C. I call liar, liar, pants on fire!!! Anyone that's ever met Levi would tell you that he's a waaaaaaaay mellow dude that's a total professional! For F#*% sake the dude wrote a children's book on TATTOOING!!! A tattoo artist who wouldn't just throw up a shitty tattoo and actually cares about having his name tied to a permanent piece of body art??? Sounds REAL DOUCHEY?!?!?!Well anyhoo the shop is killer, the artists are super dope, it's cleaner than your Momma's house, and priced riiiiiiight on!!! Yeah, I'm biased because I'm proof they kick ass. Read Less

This review is specifically for my experience thus far with Maki. He is the only person to have ever brought a needle to my flesh and hot damn, I am SO happy I found him to do it. He's overall a pleasure to work with. I remember I first walked in and he was incredibly helpful--he asked plenty of questions to make sure he understood exactly what I wanted. He offered alternatives to my ideas and was VERY friendly about it. There's not a pretentious bone in this man's body (which I would understand if there was because if  you look up at the wall and see he drawings and at his portfolio on the SKT website, WOW!). He's as humble and polite as they come. As for my experience actually getting the tattoo, it hurt like a bitch (but to be fair it was my first and it's also on my rib cage because I go balls to the wall, yo) but that was nothing of Maki's doing. He was a champ dealing with my awkward squirming and groans of pain and repetitively asked if I needed a break to make sure I was as comfortable as possible. He was very clear with the aftercare instructions giving me both a written set of do's/don't's and verbal explanation to make sure I knew how to take care of my new tattoo. Two weeks later, it looks gorgeous and I seriously look forward to my next session with him to finish it!So far, I am more than pleased with this shop! Be sure to bring cash as they are CASH ONLY (there's an ATM in the convenience store next door)! Read Less

I got my first (and second!) tattoo here from Mark. He is an amazing tattoo artist, as well as a really nice guy. He went out of his way to make sure I got the tattoos I wanted, where and exactly how I wanted them, and was patient and kind in the process. I watched him work on strangers while we waited, and three of my friends. Each time he was professional, polite, and conscientious. The shop, overall, is clean and bright. They always play a rockin' eclectic mix of music, and the vibe is just right. I would definitely go back, and I would also highly recommend not only the shop in general, but Mark Ledford as an artist. I am grateful that I get to look at his work every single day. Read Less

I'm not from Oregon, but all my family lives up here. My parents and I come up in the summer to visit the coast and then visit family. This year, a few family members and I got beach tattoos to symbolize our family time together. I got a beautiful tattoo done by Maki, my cousin and boy friend had theirs done by him as well and had amazing results. He went very quickly, but definitely showed a passion and interest in his work on us. My mom however, had a pretty uncomfortable experience with Levi. It must have been the end of a long day or something. My mom felt like he wasn't interested in what she wanted out of the tattoo, basically scoffed at her ideas and then acted irritated that she wouldn't take his ideas. He was short and snippy with her during the session whenever she would try to make conversation and basically told her that if he messed it up when she flinched in pain it wouldn't be a big deal to him because its her body and her tattoo for her to deal with.I give Maki five stars for his flexibility and general appreciation of our business, but can't give the whole shop a five star because my mom was treated so poorly. Read Less