By Angela Caito

A tattoo is a permanent art design on the body made by puncturing the skin and injecting ink into the skin. While some tattoo artists use manual needles to insert the ink past the epidermis and down into the dermis, the layer of tissue just beneath the exterior layer of skin, others use electric tattoo machines that make the injection easier, as well as quicker to complete.

Does it hurt to get a tattoo? Sure, let’s not fib here, it can be painful, but the intensity of the pain often depends on the sensitivity of the person or the area of the body that the tattoo will be placed. For many people, tattoos are a great way to lay back and relax while an artist creates an amazing piece of art on the body. For others, especially without a little knowledge of how tattoos are done, being nervous can intensify pain. If you’re planning to have your first tattoo, be sure to relax while the tattoo artist is at work on your new design.

Getting a tattoo is a big deal and since tattoos last forever, it’s best to take time to carefully consider the artwork you want on your body. Pioneer Tattoo has incredible artists who customize every tattoo they do, and they work with each customer to make sure the tattoo requested is the one they want. The tattoo artists at Pioneer Tattoo are so good in fact that they have many regulars who come in for every tattoo they have on their body.

Amanda Sorrell, who co-owns Pioneer Tattoo along with her husband Rusty, sat down to discuss having a business in downtown Elizabethton and what it means to her family to be in the heart of the city. She said she loves feeling like they really are a part of the community along with other downtown businesses because, “every one of the businesses downtown looks out for one another, cross promotes for each other and downtown is a great area to be in.”

The average tattoo customer’s age is anywhere from 18 to 30, but they also enjoy the fact that they have had quite a few locals who are well into their senior years who come through the door for their very first tattoo, and often, they love the work so much that they return for another later. Rusty has been doing tattoos for 15 years, and the other tattoo artists at the shop have many years of experience and offer detailed work and creative designs for everyone they work on. 

Pioneer Tattoos not only does tattoos, but thanks to Amanda and her artistic flare, they also do microblading and have many customers who come in to have their eyebrows taken care of. Microblading is a semi-permanent procedure where ink is scratched into the skin to look like eyebrow hair. It’s become a very popular procedure for women as well as men in recent years, and it’s one of the great artistic techniques that customers can take advantage of at Pioneer Tattoo.

Amanda said she would love to see more business in the downtown area that are geared towards children. She went on to say, “We partner with the Boys and Girls Club to do fundraisers for the kids including an art supply fundraiser and one of our biggest events every year is our toys for tots’ event at Christmas.” With the toy drive, they not only collect toys for local children, but with every $25 toy donated, they offer a free $50 tattoo to the person who donates. Christmas 2019 will be the fourth year they have hosted the toy drive.

The business also participates in the Annual Covered Bridge Celebration and they host a booth for kids where they put on temporary tattoos. They have participated in events with the Elizabethton Twins and recently, they participated in the Downtown Elizabethton Art Walk and showcased artwork from local artists. This is a small business that does so much to give back to the local community.

For anyone who may be worried about cleanliness or health risks, Amanda said that Tennessee is a very strict state when it comes to tattoo or cosmetic tattoo regulations. They are inspected no less than twice annually to make sure everything is up to code. She had a little advice for anyone who is considering having a tattoo done but unsure of where to go. She said, “I think that the biggest thing I could say for anyone wanting a tattoo is do your research. You know? You get what you pay for and a tattoo is going to be on your body for the rest of your life. Look and find a good artist that has a good portfolio they can show you.”

She said that they have had people walk in who want a tattoo then and there but they could not squeeze them in at the time and the people end up going to whatever shop they could find and they end up returning to them later to have a bad tattoo repaired. Again, she said to do your research so that you don’t end up having to have a poorly designed tattoo fixed.

Rusty and Amanda have children and they are very family oriented and strive to ensure their employees not only have great working conditions but that the shop closes no later than 8 p.m. so people can be home in the evenings with their families. They take customers by appointment but also will take walk-ins to ensure that everyone has an opportunity for a quality tattoo.

If you have a design in mind and have been searching for the right artist for your tattoo, be sure to visit Rusty and Amanda and their team at Pioneer Tattoo at 428 East E Street in downtown Elizabethton. Whether you walk out with a new, one of a kind custom tattoo or not, you will get to meet some talented and creative people who not only have a great eye for art, but who also care about their community and are working hard to help the downtown area grow.

Angela Caito is a freelance writer, film producer and publicist who writes a variety of columns nationwide. Sidewalk Stories is an initiative of the steering committee of the Main Street program and one that Angela is currently working on to help promote our downtown businesses. To contact Angela to be included in Sidewalk Stories you can email her at: angela@30dazeproductions.com