Percy Waters: The Blueprint Beneath Our Skin

Before tattooing was celebrated, before it filled museums and galleries, it lived underground — carried forward by people who believed in it when no one else did.

Percy Waters was one of those people.

Born in 1888, Percy Waters didn’t just tattoo — he helped build the foundation we still stand on today. He shaped the future of tattooing through innovation, vision, and pure, stubborn dedication to the craft.

In an era when tattooing was barely tolerated by the mainstream, Waters perfected the electric tattoo machine. He created one of the first mail-order tattoo supply companies, putting tools directly into the hands of aspiring artists across the country. He opened a Detroit studio that became more than a shop — it became a beacon for the next generation of tattooers.

Waters didn’t just tattoo bodies — he tattooed history. His bold American traditional flash still echoes across studios today, a visual language that laid the groundwork for a culture much bigger than he could have ever imagined.

His work wasn’t just ink on skin. It was a blueprint. A declaration that tattooing mattered. That it was a craft worthy of respect, permanence, and legacy.

Nearly a century later, we are still living in the world Percy Waters helped carve out — one mark at a time.

For those who left their mark — Percy Waters stands among the giants.