Adding an extra gold star in my review. I went to Hardwire after my appointment at another location was canceled last minute. I’d had my heart set on getting one for so long. So, I figured I’d try to do a walk-in, even though it was a Friday night. They said they might be able to get me in since there were five artists working, but there were no guarantees. No problem. I had this entire night dedicated to getting some ink and having some dinner. My husband and I went to dinner first and came back. There was a bit of a wait, but not unexpected and not too long. Sid was my artist and he is just AMAZING. He puts you at ease from the get go. He gave me a chance to take a look at his work before agreeing to get it done, which I appreciate as a new customer. He had my husband and I laughing throughout the entire session. The BEST tattooing experience I’ve ever had. Can’t recommend him enough!!! Will definitely go back for any and all future work.
Thank you Jordan! It was great meeting you and getting my 2nd tattoo here. You inspire me because you are passionate about your work. This is something Ill have forever, so I can wake up every day and always be reminded of your attention to detail. In addition to your talent you were a great conversationalist and made me laugh.
My boyfriend and I decided on a whim while we were downtown to get tattoos we had each been thinking about. (Non matching, just his idea for his and I my own). We walked in to see if taking walk-ins and couldn’t get a clear answer. But we decided to walk downtown for a few and enjoyed a beer while we waited. Shortly we were called they could definitely get us in and to walk back over. (We were literally across the street) I’m so thankful we decided on a whim to come! I’m still lying in the tattoo chair getting a thigh tattoo by Will - and I could not be more pleased! He’s extremely talented, kind, funny and professional. I can’t speak for my boyfriends tattoo artist as I haven’t had much interaction with him but from what I can tell - the same goes for him, (Zach). Will immediately was eager to start on what I wanted and has been extremely pleasant to work with. I will definitely be back and will book ahead next time (I’m not a on the whim person normally 👀) to see my good friend Will. If anyone is looking for a tattoo, I 10/10 recommend Will.
Had my first experience today at hardwire and enjoyed every minute of it. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Jordan gave me two awesome tattoos of exactly what I asked for. I would highly recommend this place and her for your next tattoo! I know I will be going back!
I always ask for Sid. He’s the best guy I know that I’ve asked for for almost 5 years now. Really great guy. Really great people. I have loved every piece that I’ve gotten here, and the atmosphere is always great. I’ve had great times here. Would fully recommend Sid and every one else here. They’ve been around a long time. And I hope they stick around for even longer.
Pretty awesome place! Clean,open and the staff was nice. It is a tattoo place so people with piercings, tattoos and occasional cussing from customers. Also don’t talk about politics here. I was waiting for a tattoo having to listen to a workers opinion and it can be frustrating! You either end up lying to avoid a fight or disagree and cause a problem. All in all got a tattoo and walked out with an overall good experience!
Got a tattoo from sid last night, not only did he do amazing work he didnt question anything about the design and placement that i wanted. he went above and beyond to make me fell comfortable and appreciated as a customer. i will definitely be going back to him for my next piece for graduation. 10/10 would recommend going here because all the staff was wonderful and does great work.
This was my first time visiting Hardwire. Sid was kind enough to fit me in really quick due to a cancellation which was awesome. This is my third tattoo and honestly the only one I truly like. Sid was super nice and had a sense of humor which made my nerves fade. He took the time to discuss and draw everything out the way I wanted it! His work is gorgeous and I cant be any more thankful. All in all, would definitely go again if I decide to get another one.
My wife and I got our first tattoos with Sean. He did an INCREDIBLE job!!!! He was so patient with us and got us the perfect tattoos. Highly highly recommend Sean and Hardwire! We had a great experience and we will be back.
I went to hardwire on Front st. for a new tattoo with a New artist & was kind of skeptical. When I tell you they blew me out the water! My tattoo turned out over a thousand times better than anticipated. I will not be going anywhere else! The shop was clean, everyone was nice & made sure I was comfortable! If I could give higher than 5 stars I would! They are amazing!
Jordan did my moth tattoo and I love it!! She was very patient, and polite. She took my little sketch and made it into an adorable piece! Highly recommend!
Paul is THE man. I’ve spent years waiting to find an artist that made me feel comfortable and listened to.. finally found that at hardwire. Paul knew exactly what I wanted and got to work sketching up a few different styles of triostar stromanthe leaves. After picking my favorite, he sized the sketch up and down and helped me with plotting placement.Paul is Seriously such a great, kind and talented guy and I’ll definitely be going back to see him.
I worked with the apprentice named Jordan! She gave me some AWESOME hand tattoos, was professional, friendly, accommodating, and went out of her way to make it as good as it could be. I’m SO happy she was the one to give me my tattoo. She also let me play music to calm any nerves I may have had! BEST tattoo visit anywhere I’ve had.
We sat for over an hour while someone was drawing my wifes lavender tattoo. The guy didnt even know what lavender was. Came to us with an attitude and said either get it my way or go, so we left. How are you going to charge 200 for a tattoo that I cant even choose. DO NOT RECOMMEND
Got my first tattoo here and I couldnt be happier. It was a pleasure to be worked on by Sean. He was a joy to talk to and worked closely with me to get the best possible outcome. Highly recommended!
Matt Donnelly did my tattoo this afternoon and it was amazing. He was able to take my ideas and create an amazing piece. Hes very knowledgeable and helpful and quite the artist.The atmosphere in the building is awesome and the rest of the staff are very friendly and helpful.HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ARTIST AND SHOP.
What an amazing experience, the staff are so friendly and patient. Profeesional, clean, upbeat, and light hearted environment. We were so indecisive and they made our visions come together. Definitely reccomend for a fantastic tattooing experience.
Sid is my go to guy at Hardwire! Sid is extremely talented and great with fine lines. He pays great attention to detail and took a few images I showed him to turn it into exactly what I wanted. I’m so happy with his work and I’ll continue to use Sid for continuing my sleeve. Hardwire is super clean and Chloe at the front was very nice/professional.
Very friendly staff the artist were very professional and did awesome work I will return
Sid’s the best! He has done 8 tattoos on me and all of them look FANTASTIC. I plan on having him do many more. His care for detail and design (plus his music taste) are definitely worth scheduling an appointment with.
Always my go to place for every tattoo! Sid is the man and always takes great care of me and always giving helpful advice that leads to the perfect tattoo. shop is always clean and professional. Any work Ive seen come out of here has been amazing!
Sid is an amazing artist! Everyone in there is super friendly!
If I could give this tattoo shop more stars, I would. Beginning with our first interaction when we called them, they were patient and polite, did their best to accommodate us, and answered all of our questions. We got tattooed on one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year, by a professional skilled artist (shout out to Will... Follow him on Instagram @wilbanga) who was meticulous enough that I am definitely going back to for larger pieces of work in the future. Bravo.
Sid Is AMAZING!! He is super sweet and personally my favorite artist. Everyone has great personalities as well. I love this shop and plan on coming back! Thank you sid for being phenomenal at what you do :)
Lee is definitely the best I love his work and his energy
I have had several tattoos done at Hardwire by Sid. He is absolutely an amazing tattoo artist. His line work is clean, shading spot on. My most recent tattoo has color and even the blending and the detail in it is phenomenal. Clean, professional and really captures your vision. I highly recommend getting a tattoo by Sid. I will most definitely be going back for some more ink from him.
Amazing tattoo artists * great service
Jason on front street was awesome! We were about to walk away from looking but he seen us on the street and asked exactly what I wanted. He showed us his work and I quickly agreed for shading and extra writing added to existing tattoo. He made it look perfect and completed it a short time. He was very clean, professional and very very nice and respectful. I will definitely be back again for future work!
Went in for very simple tattoos. Put on waitlist, wasn’t called for 3 hours. When we finally were called we were left sitting there for over an hour without being spoken to about our tattoos. When someone finally did come over he was very rude and confrontational, then told me I couldn’t have my tattoo any smaller than what he had already drawn and was going to charge me way more than it was worth. He left for another 45 minutes to smoke and talk to his friend before coming in and just beckoning me to follow him like a puppy. They never once even acknowledged my husband or asked what he wanted. We left very upset. Will never visit ANY hardwire shop ever again. I’d give zero stars if I could.
My artist was Sidney and it was the best tattoo experience I’ve had! He was very thorough in his tattoo design to ensure i got what i had envisioned. He is very light handed and always made sure I was comfortable throughout the entire process. He was very friendly, personable, and professional. He even stayed after closing to finish my tattoo! Highly recommend!!!!!
Ive been going to Hardwire for 8 years now & I love it. The art that Sid does for me is always exactly what I want & spends time with me to make sure, working over details with me beside him. I have five pieces done by him & they all healed quickly & still look so amazing. I get complimented often & I always recommend people to talk to Sid.
I have been getting tattooed by Sidney (Sid) Baggett for 10yrs now and he has never disappointed me. He is very clean, very easy to talk to, funny, energetic, and truthful. Not only myself, but numerous family members and friends see him as well. I have, and always will recommend him to anyone who asks. I get nothing but compliments on all of my tattoos.
I got my nose pierced on Sunday and David the piercer was so nice. I thought the piercing was gonna hurt but didn’t at all. I love my piercing and I recommend going to get pierced here!!!
I’ve been to this place multiple times.My first experience was okMy second, wasn’t quite good, they told my mom, my daughter, my son, and myself to wait in the back and that we were next. We did just that, for them to turn around and say no one can do you guys’ tattoo now.Wanting to give the benefit of my doubts and thoughts (maybe because we are black), decided to go again only for the receptionist to say to me we are closed but allow a male (white) to walk in and have a seat! 🤔🤔 now my daughter and I are confused 🤷🏾♀️.Very long story shorter no tattoo and the disrespect high levels.Btw I never became indignant towards anyone either times!!!
I’ve been to hardwire before and was excited to get a tattoo with a friend who was in town. When I called about appointments I was told that walk ins are available and that If we came earlier in the day it would be fine. We arrived just after opening to be put on the wait list and told it could be an hour or longer. We got lunch, went and got a coffee and after 2+ hours with no call decided to go back and wait. We waited for about another 45 mins in the salon and finally getting bored asked how long we still possibly had. We were told probably like another 2 to 3 hours so we left and went to get pedicures. Only to be called not even an hour later. We decided to skip out on the tattoos there because her only option for is was sorry I have to move on. If we had been told proper timing to begin with we could have not wasted so much time sitting around. I think they need to do some more communication between artists, clients and front desk in order to properly inform walk ins on the wait time.
I love getting my tattoos from Sid at hardwire Downtown. He isn’t just great at it he makes you feel comfortable and always has banging music playing. He’s the only person I want tattooing me! Go check him out! ❤️
David Porter pierced my nose and I absolutely love it! I’m so obsessed!! I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a piercing! 10/10 would go again👏🏼 Thank you David!
First time getting a tattoo the staff was great and wonderful. Conrad my tattoo artist was amazing and great, he asked if i was 100 percent on the picture I wanted and I told him no and he drew the most beautiful tattoo combination of what I wanted and it turned out 100 times better than I could imagine. I will definitely be going back to see Conrad whenever I get any another tattoos. If you are an individual looking for a great place to get a tattoo done I would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone i meet.
DO NOT RECOMMEND !!!!!! If I could rate 0 stars I would have . Poor customer service with staff . Not to mention, we came all the way from West Ga to have Brandon run a tattoo and once we arrived, he called in sick all 3 days, then staff was rude and were ZERO help ! Save your money 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻
Matt did an EXCELLENT job!! Highly recommended
Awesome artist with great knowledge and experience.
I went here as a walk in with a handful of my in-laws and a vague idea of what I wanted for my first tattoo — not exactly a recipe for success- and I had the BEST experience. Matt Allegretto is possibly the nicest artist on earth. He took all my requests in stride and was so incredibly helpful and patient. Matt went above and beyond to be sure I was happy with the design despite the fact that it wasn’t based on his artwork. Then he proceeded to create a gorgeous tattoo that I am so thrilled to have! 10/10 I can’t recommend him enough as both an artist and a delightful person.
Yeah ive been getting inked last few weeks from will. over all a real strong artist and the others are too. Only critiques for will be to go heavy handed on the line work sometime it dont hold as bold as it should, but no problem for me to get it gone over very quickly haha. excellent tattoo quality and good attention to detail from artist will. Btw ill be there like next week again i need some long hours soon.
I had a rook pierced in one ear and a 3rd lobe piercing in the other done by Dave. I was a little indecisive about what I wanted and he was very patient and kind. He had a calming demeanor and made small talk to distract you (thanks!) and did the piercings quickly and correctly. Does a cartilage piercing hurt - yup - but that has nothing to do with Dave or the shop. I have little to no soreness today and they look great. Thanks Dave!
This was my 5th time going to Hardwire Tattoo downtown. Sid Baggett has done all my tattoos. I would highly recommend Hardwire and Sid to everyone. Sid was very professional and takes great pride in his work and that his clients are happy.
Great service and excellent tattoos. Sid is always very professional and takes pride in his work. I wouldnt trust anyone else with my sleeve.
I didn’t personally come here for ink but I came along with a friend yesterday. Clean shop and was the only shop around that was able to take a walk-in on a Sunday. Unfortunately the artist was veryyy slow and seemed to “not be all there” not sure if he was just tired or what but ultimately my friend is happy with her work so that’s all that matters!
This is a great place. My boyfriend and I both got tattoos done by Marc and he did a fantastic job, very nice, personable and knows exactly what he’s doing.
Waited 6 hours to be told several times I’d be in shortly. Great artists but the wait wasn’t worth it. Left without a tattoo, I would’ve been there 8 hours had I waited for the actual tattoo process.
I have been to this location twice. Once with out an appointment and once with an appointment. Make sure you call ahead and leave a deposit with the artist, kinda a respected thing to do. My artist was Sid, both times, he did a fantastic job and i get complimented on them all the time. Super chill artist who knows what looks good and will advise you to make sure you get exactly what you want! The best experience i have had with an artist and service. Sid is very talented, and has the customer service to go with it. Appreciate the ink Sid! I will be back!
Great spot.
Will did an amazing job on my tattoo. Most artists wouldn’t touch it but he tackled a complex tattoo with no issue. It looks great. He took my ideas and freehanded the work to combine the tattoos that I wanted into one. Thank you!! I’ll definitely be coming back.Please change the music. The metal screaming is painful to listen to.
If you go here make sure you know who you’re getting and trust them! My friend and I had the plan to get tattoos when we went to Wilmington for her birthday, we researched places in the area and was set up to make an appointment elsewhere, that day came and the place we were going to had an emergency and were unable to do it, this was our last day there so we couldn’t wait for them to be available . That’s when I looked up other places that take walk-ins and hardwire seemed good, we called ahead and she said it’d be a 30 min- hour wait which was fine with us, we get there and no one else was in the waiting area, the lady took our info and said it would be 30 mins max until someone came to help us, we said okay cool and waited, and waited, and waited. We were there 2 and a half hours before someone came to see what we wanted, I understand things like this, time varies, but if we had known it would take so long we would have gone elsewhere. At this point a guy comes up to us and asks what we want, any interaction we had with him was very short and blunt on his part, he took our ideas, both very simple, only linework, small words we had the font picked out so it was basically just a copy and paste. The work he showed us looked exactly how we wanted so we agreed. We get back to the room and he was handling everything very unprofessionally, kicking chairs in his room, smoking, not to mention he didn’t speak one word to us the whole time which would have been appreciated to ease nerves, but regardless he made it a very uncomfortable experience for us. At the end he gave us no information on aftercare(thank goodness it wasn’t our first tattoo) and I almost immediately regretted coming here to get it done. I’ve given myself a tattoo before and I could tell he was going way too deep in some areas and expressed concern, which has now led to some blowout on a couple letters for both me and my friend. Overall I get that we were walk-ins so some things would be difficult, but I wish things were handled more professionally and that he had given more care to his work on us.*****After this review was left Sid called me to make it right and offered to cover up the tattoo properly with whatever I wanted, at no charge.
Walked in for a tattoo and Conrad was my artist! He made the whole experience fun and did an amazing job on my tattoo! I was worried about a piece that is so close to my heart, but he took his time and made sure I was in love with every single detail! Definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a tattoo!!!
Great place! Snooky was wonderful! Thank you so much, its perfect!
I love my nose piercing! It was fast and painless. Healed quickly and cleanly!
Will did a fantastic job on my piece and it was his 1st ever celtic piece he ever did. I highly recommend Hardwire Tattoo for all your tattoo and piercing needs!
Artist are extremely talented and friendly, my first experience was so positive, I got 5 tattoos there in less than two months
I have had several tattoos done other places and they were okay but AK is a game changer. He listens and is patient and also very informative with your wants. AK does a great job and is quick but yet efficient. If you go to him you will not want to go any where else. Thanks for always coming through with awesome work.
My experience with this shop started on a whim. My best friend and I wanted to get matching tattoos but it was a holiday weekend. We came into Hardwire and everyone was really nice and helpful. We got who was next available which happened to be AK. He listened to what we wanted and made sure it was absolutely perfect for the both of us. This was a year ago. Since then I’ve come back two more times to get tattooed by AK. I live 2 hrs away and gladly make that drive to have work done by him. I can honestly say he’s an artist who truly cares about his work and clients. Everyone there is great but I highly recommend AK, hands down!!!
Visited Hardwire while vacationing. Clean facility, helpful staff. @Samanthatyrant was extremely helpful and accommodating with both design and scheduling. Very talented and you can tell she enjoys what she does. Very engaging while tattooing. She went above and beyond in both her time and talent. Will definitely go back and have her do more tattoo work for me.
Great staff. They can accomplish ANYTHING YOU WANT. Very smart and friendly. Even if you dont quite know what you are looking for they can take any idea to.o the next level and make an unbelievably awesome work of art for you.
Definitely worth going to especially if you just walk in. I had a very good experience. I will 100% be going back for more work.
Conrad! Youre awesome :) I love the tattoo done by him and Im honored to be his first canvas after the health inspector permitted him 🥰😎😎😎
They cost more than some other tattoo and piercing stores but it is because you are paying for experience and cleanliness. Would highly recommend getting your piercing done here. I never had a tattoo before so I cant comment on their tattoos but My daughter went to another tattoo shop the lady did her nose piercing and she wasnt satisfied. They didnt take the time to Mark her location and it was way off and she was not satisfied with it so we came here to get it done over and was very satisfied.
Fabulous professionalism by piercing artist!
Amazing experience for first tattoo. AK was professional and an amazing artist. We sent him pictures and he was able to draw exactly what we wanted. AK gives every customer his personal attention and access for after care! All staff at hardwire were friendly and helpful but I highly recommend AK!
Out of towner and got rejected by another shop in Carolina Beach due to not having an appointment. Called in and even though they couldnt promise getting me in they wanted me to come by. Even came with my own stencil. When we got there not only were they more than willing to get me in he spent time perfecting what i brought in. Condrad was the man and a great artist. New to the store but I bet hes got a great future in Wilmington! Thanks for the laughs dude 🤙
Ive used Hardwire for most of my tattoos, and couldnt be happier. Mike G. is my go to guy, but Im quite confident I could use any of their artists employed by the shop. Top notch customer service, professional and talented artists for reasonable prices. Will definitely be going back in the foreseeable future to finish my sleeve and start planning my next one.
I’ve had two spur of the moment tattoos done by Sid, who did an amazing job of taking my vague idea and making it perfect beyond what I could ever imagine. He’s so fun to sit for; a genuine guy that makes you feel at ease. Super friendly staff and great atmosphere. Worth the wait or a trip to Wilmington for!!
WOW. Sid is the modern day Picasso— just absolutely fabulous. I’ve had three pieces done by him and I couldn’t be more happy with them. Not only is he talented, he gives you a comforting and enjoyable experience by conversing and connecting with his clients. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a stupendous artist with a splendid personality.
Went in for a spur of the moment tattoo and Sid went above and beyond for me! Hes such a sweet guy and so easy to talk to and really laid back. Plus his work is absolutely stunning!! Highly recommend :)
I got my nose pierced here this past Thursday. I was very pleased with it. I spent less than 30 minutes but the staff was super friendly and welcoming and helpful. I will definitely be coming back. I will also recommend this place to anyone and everyone.
Great folks
This is an amazing shop. My wife and I have both had tattoos done here and were treated with nothing but respect. Our work was done by AK who does beautiful work. We both were very pleased with everyone in the shop. We were quoted a price and that is what we paid. We searched around for months to find a good local shop and we wont go anywhere else.
This is the only place i will go to get any tattoo or piercings done.
Lee did an awesome job with my wifes and my tattoos...great experience, will return...Ask for Lee
Amazing artists who want you to enjoy your ink as much as they enjoy doing it
Great studio! Have used them my last 3 visits. Sid is the greatest! Understands my wants and crazy ideas and puts it on. He’s amazing!
Everyone was really nice, took my nine year old to get her first ear piercing. Tim was the artist who did her ears. He was GREAT!! Told her every step he was making. Made her comfortable and she made no fuss was quickly done after all was explained, very clean and sterile environment. For any parent this is the safest place to take your child to for there first piercings. Thank You for a great experience.
My cousins and I were visiting from Florida. We came into Hardwire at about 8:00 last night wanting tattoos for all 3 of us. They said they werent sure if we would we would be able to get seen due to the number of people ahead of us. But, they put our names down on a list and said if we wanted to wait around we were welcome to, so we did. Not even 40 minutes later our tattoos were being drawn up. We were all very pleased with our tattoo artists, they all did a wonderful job! I would definitely recommend coming here. The place is clean and well kept, all of our tattoos were perfectly executed and reasonably priced. Thanks Hardwire for a great experience!
Went in to see what they could do for me. The 2 guys were talking behind the counter didnt even care I was there. When they did talk to me they had to look at the list to see who was next. Well I got the guy behind the counter. So I told him I wanted something like this showed him a pic. Hes like what about it he just acted like he didnt want to do it. I asked him about touching up on I have he said there was nothing he could do to fix it. Well he was wrong. I found a shop after looking around that was able to fix it all i wanted was the saying traced didnt feel that was to difficult. If you dont want my money that fine I have no problem going somewhere that makes me feel wanted.
I have gotten 2 tattoos and 1 piercing at Hardwire and all of them were a great experience! Both AK and Sid are amazing artists that I plan on going back to again and again. Sid will take your idea and make it 100 times better! He really takes his time to make sure every last detail is absolutely perfect before he wraps you up and goes through specific care instructions. AK is also very nice and does an amazing job making sure that you are getting exactly what you wanted!
Awesome bunch of guys & great service! Would highly recommend this place to anyone
Walked in, and back out. Not a place I’d recommend for something to alter your body permanently. Just watch the video reel they show and you’ll see why I left after 30 seconds. The tattoos they were proud to show are something you’d see on an episode of tattoo nightmares. Yikes.
Walked in with an idea of what I wanted and Sid took it to a whole new level. He added a lot of personal touch and detail to my tattoo and it was fantastic to see an artist care as much as he did about the quality of his work. I couldnt be happier with the tat. Highly recommend Sid.
I highly recommend hardwire everyone there is super friendly and the tattoo artists know what their doing. I also highly recommend AK, i live 3 hours away and i won’t let anyone tattoo me besides AK. He is really quick and has a good eye and he gets to know his customers i recommend my family and friends to him.