Located at 511 W. Kentucky in Pampa, TX, Top of Texas Tattoo, soon to be known as Gypsy Iron Tattoo, has made quite the name for themselves in the Texas Panhandle, leaving their literal mark on those bold enough to go under the needle.
With a shop full of talented artists specializing in everything from fine line, black and grey to bright traditional, customers are sure to walk out of there with a smile on their face and an ink-clad testimonial that will forever speak for itself.
Ethan Kindle, Gypsy Iron Tattoo owner and traditional-style connoisseur, has spent most of his life around the buzz of a needle.
His admiration for tattoos and the people who wear them started at an early age when adolescents are the most impressionable and driven.
“When I was a teenager, I always thought tattoos were just really cool,” Kindle said. “I was into skateboarding and punk rock music and those people always had tattoos. I grew up in flea markets and I would always go in the leathers shops and see those kinds of people. Just hardworking, rough and tumble.”
Since 1999, Kindle has fully immersed himself in the tattoo culture working as an artist in different parts of Texas, specializing in American traditional.
Norman Collins, aka Sailor Jerry, is coined as the father of the old-school tattoo and his unique style has influenced countless artists over the decades, including Kindle.
“Traditional is when you use a bold line and if you really want to get serious, you only use black, red, yellow and green.”
After gaining an abundance of experience in both the artist and business aspect, he would move back to his hometown of Pampa where he would open Outlaw Ink.
For nearly four years, Kindle would build a reputation as a talented and skillful artist among the citizens of Pampa and surrounding areas.
Unfortunately when Covid hit, just like all businesses at that time, he was forced to shut down.
Once he was able to reopen and the public was finally allowed to rejoin society again, Kindle had a huge burst of business.
But after a while, the enthusiasm of freedom dwindled and the burden of responsibilities took its toll on the working class, causing business at the shop to slow.
Because of this and the birth of his newborn daughter, Kindle decided to permanently close Outlaw Ink and spend time with his family.
A little more than a year ago, Kindle noticed a for lease sign for an office space ironically in the same building he was born in, the old Highland Hospital, and decided to open up another shop, named Top of Texas Tattoo.
With the office being a single room, Kindle was a one-man show for the most part until eventually he moved to a bigger space across the lot that allowed him more elbow room and the opportunity to hire more artists.
Miles Trevor has worked as an apprentice for Kindle for a little over a year and also specializes in traditional; both in art and machine.
While within the past decade tattoo artists have been graced with tattoo ‘pens’ that are easier and lighter to handle, Miles is loyal to the coil.
“I will never make that transition,” Miles laughed. “There’s just something about the old machines. I love the sound of the coils when they hum, the science behind the way they work, tuning and building them. I think everyone should know some history and the roots of it.”
Constantly coming up with his own flash designs, Miles takes pride in seeing customers walk out of the shop sporting his own creations.
“I get to leave my impact long after I’m gone in a positive way with art to help someone who may be having a bad day or bad week.”
Roberto Solis, specializing in the classic black and grey style, has worked with Kindle for about a year.
After a tragic work incident in 2016 that rendered his hands nearly incapacitated, Solis took it upon himself to get them back to their original funcionality and began working on projects that would restore his hands’ strength and dexterity.
“In 2016, I was in an explosion at Flogistix and almost died. I wasn’t working and couldn’t do anything and I had started crafting, trying to keep my hands moving,” Solis said.
“I was making paracord bracelets and all kinds of stuff and then I started doing leather work-tooling. I did that for a couple of years and I thought there had to be something easier to help transfer the image to the leather. And that’s when some of the stuff that we use like stencils and paper came about and I started using that. Well then I started watching videos and saw someone dull a needle from a tattoo machine to use on leather. Years go by and I wondered if I could use fake leather to tattoo. I had already been using the tools and doing it the old school way of hammer and tap, and so it just came natural to me. Slowly but surely, I grew into it.”
Realizing that his leather creations would become worn out and eventually thrown away with time but the tattoos he could give would be forever, Solis ultimately decided to become an official tattoo artist and put his newly-rejuvenated hands to meaningful use.
Kallea Villalpando has worked with Kindle for a little over six months, but has been a tattoo artist for about nine years and specializes in fine line and enjoys using bright colors to make a tattoo really stand out.
Seth Childers has worked for Kindle for about six months, but has been tattooing for the last 14 years and specializes in American traditional.
While all of the artists have done a multitude of different tattoos, from memorials of loved ones to young couples who decide to permanently let the world know who their partner is, there’s one facet of the job that they all undoubtedly agree with.
“This job isn’t about us, it’s about the people that come in. Like Miles said, you’re leaving an impact on someone and you feel better when you know that person was really happy about that tattoo,” Kindle said.
For more information about Top of Texas Tattoo (Gypsy Iron Tattoo) or to view their extensive portfolio, visit their Facebook page, Top of Texas Tattoo.
To set up an appointment, send a message through their Facebook page or call 806-662-3330. They can also be reached via email at topoftexastattoos.com
