The intellectual. At 35, Chris is the big brother of the crew. He is the oldest and the first to become a tattoo master. Chris grew up in Pittsburgh and received his first tattoo at 6 years old – when he was accidentally stabbed in the finger with a pencil. At 15, he received his first professional tattoo. Chris got his start in tattooing when he sold his bass guitar at 17 to buy tattoo equipment.

Chris is widely considered to be among the best tattoo artists in the world. With a celebrity-studded list of private clients (and a wait list), he has set the bar for the rest of the guys. They all respect and revere him. Chris handles his status with humility, but has little patience for sloppy work. He is at once stoic and soulful.

When not tattooing, he might be found playing bass guitar, traveling the world or listening to live bands. He received his favorite tattoo three years ago from a monk when he was in Thailand; it is a Buddhist passage that can only be read by monks. Its meaning is "to protect." He is also now building tattoo machines.

Tattoo Gallery

Take the Poll View and then vote for the best Garver tattoo.

Up Close Photos Check out these great photos of the master artist.

Q&A with Chris Garver Garver answers your questions about his tattoos, the art of tattoo and more!

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