Xquisite Ink
reviews and complaints

I understand that lying and scamming people is how you make your living Steve, what with your 6 [censored] children and that ugly grandchild of yours. But what good will it do once you're in jail where you belong? BTW did you know your daughter is a [censored]? Haha, like mother like daughter!

I guess when you don't have a real job you can waste an entire day disliking comments because you're a cry baby goof.

I believe I had the wrong establishment when posting this review. The business in question begins with an E, not an X and is located in Hamilton, not Brantford. I apologize for the confusion and to those affected.

Tons of legit tattoo artists are laughing at your [censored]ty work right now dude.

Thanks for getting in touch with me. I once worked "for" Steve and his ethics are shaky at best! He set up a fake go fund me page asking for funds for his "sick" uncle.. Turned out his uncle wasn't sick. It was all a scam! He used to work out of his basement. He's a scratcher that scammed enough people to afford a shop. He cheats on his wife with Steph. That's all.

FYI he's not booked up for months in advance. He only does one tattoo a day because he's lazy. So technically, he's not very busy or popular haha..

He's a sexist scamming piece of [censored].

While I appreciate the attempt to stand up for me, I would prefer if you kept your comments to yourself. I would like to apologize to Steve for all of this, and if it were possible to have these comments removed, I know I would. Unfortunately, I cannot. It would appear that Complaints Board does not allow anyone to delete comments or posts, and refuse to remove any of these despite having contacted them. I do hope however this will stop the attacks against one another on this website and appreciate having the posts removed where I can, such as google.

I am the party responsible for posting this review and the comments on this page. This review is completely unfounded and untrue. I have never been to this business nor have I received a tattoo from any of the tattoo artists employed by this business. I am certain that this business is upstanding, clean and reputable. All comments posted on this page were left by myself and are also untrue. I'd like to correct my mistake. I apologize to all affected by my review.

FYI he's not booked up for months in advance. He only does one tattoo a day because he's lazy. So technically, he's not very busy or popular haha..

Beware of this shop! The owner (Stephen Williams) tried to scam my friend out of $3000. She was an apprentice and he said he would buy all her gear. She wasn't allowed to know where from/how much it cost. She also found out his other apprentice is not covered by his insurance. So where is the $3000 going? It's not like he actually teaches anyone anything. He can't even draw.

His current apprentice runs around doing everything and paying for everything while he sits on his butt whining and smoking all day. Pretty sweet deal. He must feel like a big man scamming and threatening vulnerable young women. But he's really just a huge hypocrite and a cry baby.

His work is awful. He doesn't know how to shade or color correctly. His linework is shaky. He threatens anyone who posts the truth about him and cries defamation. It's not defamation if it's true.. and our opinions are subjective anyway.

He makes fun of literally every other tattoo parlour in town. He has said awful things about Bouncing Buddha and Distinktiv Ink - two studios that are much more talented than he will ever be. He says these things to clients. How's that for defamation?

Also, he makes fun of ALL his clients. One lady was having a maple leaf tattooed on her butt cheek and growled a little having it done. When she left, he said she's literally crazy and made fun of her. He also made fun of an 18 year old girl who had a typical chinese tattoo done on the back of her neck. He's just a seriously awful person. He's referred to some of his clients as crackheads. Well, you are who you tattoo.. so what does that say about you?

My friend has been receiving harassing messages from him, Matt Dean, Joshua McKenzie and Carla Smeck almost non-stop for weeks. She had to file a police report and inform Bell that their employee Matt Dean likes to threaten people because they literally would not stop. Matt Dean is a hillbilly loser who gets off harassing young women. He made sexually harassing remarks towards her several times in the studio as well.

I've told all my friends about this experience and they told their friends. It won't be long before the city of Brantford realizes what a joke this guy is. Just like Hamilton and Orillia previously. Have you heard? His shop in Hamilton was shut down because he didn't pay his bills. He ripped off all his artists which is why he has no one working with him now. Also he is currently ripping off his "friend" Lashed by Ancaster by overcharging her on the rent.

Beware of this scumbag! He's a crook. I'm sure he will try to have this review removed. If that happens, I'll share this everywhere else on the web possible.

After receiving a rather threatening email from Steve, I felt it necessary to go public with my story. I briefly apprenticed for this shop. During my time there I witnessed a lot of drama, a lot of crooked behaviour and a lot of [censored]. Here is just a short list...

- As an apprentice, I was not allowed to purchase my own supplies. I was to give Steve $3000 to spend as he pleased. I was not allowed to know the company he was dealing with, the cost of my gear, and so on. I found this to be a rather extravagant amount considering his other apprentice is not insured. (Super sketchy.. Am I right?)

- Steve does not know how to draw and insists tattoo artists don't need to be artists. Total [censored]. He downloads templates off the Internet to tattoo. His apprentice copies designs from actual talented tattoo artists that she finds on the Internet.

- Steve doesn't really do anything. He has his apprentice running around doing everything, cleaning everything, buying everything, etc... She's basically his monkey. Quite a scam. Pretty sweet gig, huh?

- Steve is friends with some of the most disgusting characters I have ever met. Constant sexist remarks. Anti-gay, transphobic, just horrible, awful people. Total rednecks.

- Steve speaks poorly of his clients. Once a client leaves, he proceeds to laugh at their "[censored]ty" tattoo (uh.. you tattooed it dude, so what does that say about you?), he makes fun of them if they display any sort of human emotion while being tattooed (all the while talking about how he hates being tattooed...) I remember one woman in particular growled while having a tattoo done and he called her a "crazy nutjob" after she left.

- Steve speaks poorly of other tattoo parlours. Totally unprofessional. He makes fun of Distinktiv Ink and Bouncing Buddha in particular. I assume this is because he's jealous that he has no clients other than his family and friends.

After leaving the shop and beginning a new apprenticeship at a much better shop, I spoke with my fellow tattoo artists and learned more about this Steve character. He used to have a tattoo shop in Hamilton that was shut down because he didn't pay his hydro bill. He lost all of his artists because he ripped them off. Everyone I spoke with had nothing but horrible things to say about him.

Now, does this sound like someone you want to work with? I would hope not.

If you speak with ANY reputable tattoo parlour in Hamilton, Ontario, they will tell you about how Stephen Williams of Xquisite Ink had his former Hamilton location shut down due to poor business practices, bad hygiene, not paying his hydro bill and not paying his workers which led to him losing ALL of his artists. Stephen used to work in Orillia where people will also tell you about his lack of integrity. This guy has been running this scam for a long time.