FIRST: Defiance Tattoos

Defiance Tattoos offers services for any tattoo, piercing or jewelry change that customers may desire. 

Defiance opened in 2006, putting the store near their 20th year serving the Kent area. Christine Zwick has worked at Defiance for eight years and has been tattooing for nine.

Zwick tattoos anywhere between one and two to 15 or 16 tattoos a day. “I’d say it depends on the size of them because some of them are really, really big,” she said.

Zwick described the culture of the shop as welcoming and friendly. 

“Everybody gets along here as far as people that work here and I think that when you have that kind of culture where people are actually friends working together, it just makes the shop more fun,” she said.

“We get all types of people that come in this building from all walks of life, so it’s not catering to one type of person or another,” Zwick said. “We’re just not really judgmental or weird, we try to treat people with respect.”

Helen McLellan, a freshman fashion design major, has gotten two of their three tattoos at Defiance. They enjoyed their experience and appreciated the customer service at the shop.

“Me and my tattoo artist talk a lot in conversation,” McLellan said in regards to Rachel Schwan, one of the tattoo artists at the shop.

“The people are really nice and they talk to you, it’s really sick,” McLellan said.

Zwick and other employees ensure that they maintain a welcoming and accepting environment to anyone who visits. 

“People might be nervous to come in here, or any tattoo shop,” she said. “I think we do a good job of making people feel comfortable to come here and come back.”

Defiance changed locations last January to a spot just a few doors down from their previous location. They are currently located at 121 E. Main St.

“So this one we were able to take our time, build it out, make it nice so customers had a place to come and take cool pictures and just hang out and feel comfortable,” Zwick said.

Defiance Tattoos can be contacted at 330-677-2322.

SECOND: War Horse Ink

War Horse Ink in Kent is one of the studio’s four locations, offering tattoos and piercings to the Kent community. The Kent location is at 107 E. Summit St. War Horse Ink is veteran-owned and strives to create a welcoming environment for people looking to get tattoos and piercings. 

The Kent shop has five tattooers and one piercer, with many more at their other locations. Joe Rafferty, a manager and artist, said the shop takes both appointments and walk-ins, though his services tend to be booked for months. 

“Anytime I can squeeze in a tiny one or something I will,” Rafferty said.

Rafferty has been tattooing for War Horse for over seven years, with the shop first opening in 2016.

“I think once we opened this one it was going to be the busier of the two and that would help us get our name out there a little more,” Rafferty said.

The shop is known for being nice and welcoming to any customers, according to Rafferty.

“We’re able to treat people nice and give the best services we can, and so it’s a good vibe when you come in,” he said.

Clint Marsh, the owner of War Horse, describes the shop as being very accepting, including people of all different backgrounds. 

“We are just widely accepting and have kind of an equal opportunistic platform where we think everybody should have a chance to come in and get a tattoo and be able to tattoo,” Marsh said.

Marsh has been tattooing since 2010 before he opened War Horse Ink and took on a management position. 

“I found a lot of satisfaction in being able to provide opportunities for other artists, aspiring artists who are coming up and trying to get involved in the industry,” he said.

Part of creating a welcoming environment is having artists who thoroughly enjoy what they’re doing.

“I just love that I get to do what I love everyday with people that I enjoy being around,” Rafferty said. 

War Horse Ink in Kent can be contacted at 330-541-0063.

THIRD: Rotten Peach Studios

New to Kent, Rotten Peach Studios, located at 1480 Water St., has gained popularity fast with their welcoming and inclusive tattoo environment. 

Tattoo artists Allyson Blessing and Erin Haines opened Rotten Peach together last August.

“We wanted to have a very inclusive environment,” Blessing said. 

The shop highly prioritizes catering to their customer experience and creating a comfortable environment.

“Having space that’s spread out, quiet, comfortable and relaxing for people instead of being jammed in a big room,” Blessing said.

“We have a lot of clients who are queer and women, and we heard a lot of horror stories about people having uncomfortable experiences,” Blessing said. “So that was a big thing that we wanted to do a little bit differently; have a very safe space for people to get tattooed.”

The shop consists of four tattoo artists, all women, each tattooing about two people per day. Rotten Peach is a private studio tattooing only scheduled appointment customers throughout the week. 

Blessing has been tattooing for seven years altogether. 

“My favorite part of tattooing is being able to help people embrace their individuality and feel comfortable in their own skin,” she said. 

As tattoo artists, they said they have to take the art seriously because of the permanence on people’s bodies. 

“It’s a big deal,” Blessing said. “So I definitely don’t take that lightly, and I like forming bonds with my clients as well.”

Blessing said her own experience led, in part, to the creation of this shop and ensuring it welcomes anyone.

“For myself, having tattoos has made me feel a lot more comfortable with myself and willing to show myself off a bit,” she said. “So I really appreciate being able to provide people with that experience.”

“We hope to continue providing a space for people to get tattooed and display their art and just appreciate all around,” Blessing said.

Rotten Peach Studios can be contacted on Instagram, @rottenpeachstudios.

Talia Milewich is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].