The Skin Factory just happened to be the last studio on my list to visit, and I wasn't sure what to expect after my not-so-pleasant encounters in the other shops.

I walked in the door and was immediately greeted with a friendly hello and handshake by Eddie Lin, the owner and head tattoo artist of the shop. I was even more impressed with the wall murals after seeing them in

person, which were all created by Eddie himself. We hung around and talked with Eddie for quite a while. I told him about the "cold shoulder" response I had gotten from the other studios, and he replied by saying, "Most

tattoo artists put themselves on this high horse, thinking they are doing you a favor by putting a tattoo on you, when in fact, the customer is the one putting money in your pockets." Eddie is 29 years old and has been tattooing for 4 1/2 years, but has

been an artist all his life. He loves his work, and it shows in his friendly and professional demeanor. Eddie runs the shop with his wife, Vallee, who works the front desk and keeps the place running smoothly. The studio is also home to three other