Fortunately for the Chapin area, a new tattoo parlor has opened in Ballentine, adding some local color to an otherwise drab stretch of highway.

The Brass Anchor Tattoo Studio, located off Highway 76 heading in to Ballentine was opened just over a month ago by Chapin High School graduate Adams O’Cain. Although the present economy has hindered O’Cain from hiring any help around the shop, he claims that business is getting off to a good start.

O’Cain has been preparing to be a tattoo artist ever since high school. “Drawing in class was the only thing I ever really got in trouble for,” he says. After studying in an apprenticeship in Louisiana, he moved back here to begin his own business, choosing his location for its close proximity to his home and its convenience saying, “I’m extremely fortunate to have this spot along the highway so close to Harbison.”

O’Cain says that he definitely recommends this profession for young artists. “Just feeling the machine in your hand becomes addictive,” he says, displaying a true passion for his craft. He has recently etched such tattoos as coy fish and Oriental symbols, among many other designs which he creates himself.

“The tattoo business is going crazy,” says O’Cain. Designs created by tattoo artists are being used for much more than tattoos these days. They are being printed on everything from skateboards to baby diapers.

However, becoming a tattoo artist is not necessarily an easy task. Many talented artists do not know what career will be suitable for them, and while tattooing is an excellent form of artwork, it is not for the squeamish. O’Cain says, “When I was in an apprenticeship there were people passing out left and right. Some of the training videos were pretty graphic.”  

While 36 percent of Americans age eighteen to thirty-five have at least one tattoo, the very conservative Chapin area does not have a high demand for body art. There are some, however who choose to permanently brand themselves with ink. Senior Jimmy Gibson, for example, has recently acquired a tattoo of a deer head. When asked why he chose to get a tattoo he said, “I’ve wanted one for years, and all of my friends had them so I decided to get one too.”

However, Chapin High School, know that in South Carolina a person must be over the age of twenty-one or have parental consent in order to be tattooed. While this may stop many young people in their tracks, the determined can always hop the border to Georgia.