[TAz]

JACK ARMSTRONG is known world-wide as the "OLDEST LIVING TATTOO ARTIST IN THE WORLD"!

He was born to parents who were both tattoo artists, and cut his first teeth on a tattoo machine! Notice I said "TATTOO MACHINE"?? NEVER....but NEVER say "TATTOO GUN" around Jack, or you will hear his wrath! "Guns are for shooting people" he says.

At the ripe age of 9, after saving his money and buying a Schwinn bicycle and a Radio Flyer wagon, and sneaking supplies from his parents, a little at a time, he left home in Seattle, in 1928, to venture out on his own! After spending 7 years traveling the country coast to coast, tattooing, at the age of 16, he returned home to show his folks how well he had done. They thought he had come home to bum off them and didn't even give him a chance to tell of his adventures, or the $2000 he had in his pocket, so he got mad and left for good!

In 1928, he ended up in Tuscon, Arizona, and was tattooing under, what was then, the only street light in town, when he got arrested for conducting business without a business license. The U.S. Marshall took him to the little cafe, across the street from the jail, for steak dinner, then put him in jail. The following morning he was taken to that same cafe, and fed steak and eggs for breakfast. After eating, the marshall asked him if he had the $3.00 to pay for a business license, and he said "sure"! So, he was given a license to tattoo for LIFE anywhere in the USA by the U.S.Marshall!

At Fort Huachuca, near Tombstone, Arizona, he got a job tattooing on the calvary horses. He tattooed "USA" on the lower inside lips of over a thousand horses!
He has many stories to tell, and you can scroll through this site, and learn about the life of this colorful TATTOO LEGEND!

Jack is no longer doing tattoos, but is residing in Las Vegas, with Sandy and Cornfed, owners of "STARBORN TATTOO STUDIO" on the Strip, and is affiliated with "ONE EYED JACK'S TATTOO" of Omak and Republic, Washington. Jack is just retiring from the making of his Famous Signature Tattoo Machines, and only a very few of these collectors items are still available for sale. He makes a double coil, and a single coil, which he calls his Cosmetic Machine. This is your LAST chance to buy one of these machines, as no more are going to be made...so put your order in now...as supplies are limited! For information and prices, please e-mail : oneeyedjackstats@yahoo.com...or give Jack a call at: 702-452-5854....or sign his guestbook, and tell him what you want, and he will get back to you ASAP!




Pencil Portrait of Jack by Patti Jo..copyright 2002

Updated: 11-13-03 MORE TO COME!!!







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JACK ARMSTRONG'S Tattoo Machines 4 Sale !
JACK at Hollywood Inkslingers getting tattoo

[TAz]

Here is a sketch of Jack


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[BENT]

I had the pleasure of meeting Jack while working at A-1 tattoo co. in Gladstone,Mo. around 95 or 96 (anyone else have fuzzy years,NO just me?) Tell you what,that man has stories! Can you imagine trying to ride around the country today on a bike with your gear and a sign saying TATTOO ARTIST!! I don't think you would get 50 feet without the longarm of the law up your ass to the elbow!!!! Anyhow, Jack wanted to tattoo someone and after watching him set up with one good eye,We drew straws and Jack did one of his famous self-portraits on Frederick. Later that day he tried to sell me a machine that looked like he built the night before out of the local tru-value. It was finished with red nail polish!! me being the dumb-ass I was when I was younger((come to think about it,I still am)I passed on it( dumb, dumb,& dumber) The day I spent listening to his stories was that I'll never forget!

[JerseyBryan]

Saw some of what was "supposed" to be his machines on e-bay not to long ago. They def. looked like some of them were painted with nail polish.

[Sturgell]

Oh how I love a well executed pencil portrait, no more pastels, no more titanium white. Just paper, and graphite. Hows the durability of a Jack compared to say, a Sharpz?