Where to go for the Best Friday the 13th Tattoo Deals

Friday the 13th is nearly upon us, and it’s one of the best days to go get a tattoo.

San Francisco is arguably one of the most influential tattoo scenes in the country. The rise of Sailor Jerry tattoos and the popularity of Ed Hardy’s shop are evidence that ink is highly valued here. And any time the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday, tattoo shops celebrate. 

Why Friday the 13th?

“We do it because the founding fathers of tattooing said so!” jokes Maggie Majoue, owner and artist at Cloud 95. This December will be special because many of their artists used a wintery theme for their flash. 

“Friday the 13th is traditionally a bad luck day so it’s really nice to infuse a bit of good by getting a cool tattoo at a discount! Lots of clients use flash days to ‘audition’ an artist for a bigger piece down the road so it’s a great opportunity to make connections for future projects,” Majoue explains.

Many tattoo shops in San Francisco participate in the festivities. The line for flash and Get What You Get at Idle Hand on Lower Haight can snake along nearly down the block. Black Heart next to Zeitgeist has a busy lobby on tattoo event days. Even if a shop isn’t doing special deals for the day, it’s a tradition and shops can expect to see more walk-ins than usual. 

What is Flash?

Flash is a tattoo that’s pre-drawn. When someone walks into a shop and chooses flash, there’s very limited negotiation on what the design will be. No, “Can you make the bee into a butterfly?” or “I love the Golden Gate Bridge but could you actually make it the Bay Bridge?” A lot of flash pieces are recreations of original art that’s been reproduced by hundreds if not thousands of artists, but every tattoo comes out different based on someone’s skin, the ink, or even the time of the month! 

Friday the 13th at Cloud 95

Majoue and the Cloud 95 team are doing things a bit differently: “We try to keep our flash unique to each artist and their style and go against the norms of Friday the 13th. We will be offering flash at a discounted rate ($80-$200) instead of our normal minimum ($250-$300)!” That’s a great deal for a tattoo in The City.

And their shop is also planning several free or low-cost / donation-based community events for 2025, including draw nights, clothing swaps, and offering their space for mutual aid projects and discussions. Cloud 95 is what Majoue describes as “a diverse, inclusive and beautiful queer space on Folsom Street that anyone can go to and feel not only safe and comfortable but at home in.” They tell us that the artists are trauma-informed and kind, in addition to being talented. 

Cloud 95 is located at 1114 Folsom Street and their festivities begin at noon.

Moth and Dagger, at 610 Bush, is doing a holiday special. If you bring in a new unwrapped toy, you can get a discount on their flash ($100 instead of $120).

Black Serum, at 310 Valencia, is having a Krampus Flash Day, themed around the Germanic devil that comes around to steal naughty children around Christmas. Their deal is $150 tattoos.

Eye of the Tiger, at 1309 20th Ave, is doing a $100 special that starts earlier than the others at 10am.

One thing’s for sure: Friday the 13th is a lucky day to get a tattoo. 

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