Chapel on The Edge of respect

Remember Jack Nicholson's face just before he screamed, "Here's Johnny!" in The Shining? One patron of The Edge Tattoo Co. parlor on Chapel Street will never forget it. He has the image tattooed on the back of his upper arm.

It's easy to understand why Mayor DeStefano voiced opposition to the new tattoo parlor, The Edge Tattoo Co. located on Chapel St. Obnoxiously huge blue neon letters scream out across the Green in a ghoulish font, a sort of Bat Signal calling out to burly Harley Davidson aficionados and disgruntled metal fans everywhere.

But The Edge has cultivated an image that attracts a varied clientele. "There's nothing really like (The Edge) in this area," manager Bill Stewart said. He stresses that The Edge differs from the average back alley tattoo parlor. "It's a larger, more friendly atmosphere."

When you set foot in The Edge, the darkness and the display of hundreds of tattoo designs on the wall greet you as powerfully as the parlor's uncanny cleanliness. A gate separates the piercing room from the waiting area, which includes a couch. The parlor has an almost clinical atmosphere, which shows how much the social significance of getting a tattoo has changed in the last decade. Up until the '80s, a tattoo could be viewed as a challenge to both society and one's own body itself.

These days, the process is less risky. You sit in a waiting room, as if you're about to see a dentist. It's illegal to get a tattoo if you're drunk. And the guy who tattoos you will wear rubber gloves. While you're waiting, you can even play a game of chess with fellow tattoo lovers.

Roberto Lugo, SY '99, had his tongue pierced at The Edge. "It's like entering a totally new and dark environment, but it's not intimidating. It's inviting, really interesting," Lugo said.

The tattoos, like the parlor itself, have evolved in terms of content and in physical quality. "Each artist has their own individual style. It's not the old boat anchor anymore, not to take anything away from that style," Stewart said, adding that today's tattoos last much longer since they are no longer preserved with antifreeze and animal urine.

The six full-time artists at The Edge specialize in realistic, detailed body art, like the Jack Nicholson piece. They prefer custom work, and do tattoos requests at no extra charge. That portrait of a long-lost relative, a photograph of your loved one or your pet can literally become a part of you at The Edge.

The Edge opened on July 1 and business has been steady. The age of customers ranges from "18 to death," Stewart said. An 84 year-old woman came in for cosmetic work on her eyebrows, while a 64 year-old man stopped by for his first tattoo. "We've had cops, lawyers, firemen, corrections officers, doctors, med students," Stewart said.

So far, armbands and tribal work have been the most popular tattoos. The full-time body piercer has been doing a fair amount of business as well, as Lugo and hordes of Daily Caffé regulars can confirm.

Of course, tattoos are a little pricey. One hundred bucks will get you an hour of the artist's valuable time. If a large work covering a person's entire back takes 13 hours to complete, the the fee can grow exponantially. Typically, plan to spend a couple hundred dollars on tattoos. But if you want to splurge, Stewart says that for $25,000, "We'll shut the doors for a couple days and have the artist work on you." You could also get yourself a car, but hey, it's up to you.

Back to A & E...