HONOLULU (KHON2) — On a narrow street in Honolulu’s Chinatown is the birthplace of modern American tattooing.
Old Ironside Tattoo, once the shop of Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, holds its ground as both a living studio and a piece of history.
Harry Seda, owner and tattoo artist at Old Ironside said it all began in 1960.
“Sailor Jerry opened up this shop here in 1960, after working around the neighborhood in a few different shops,” Seda said as he leaned back in Sailor Jerry’s tattoo perch. “And, you know, he did quit for a moment tattooing. And when he decided to come back to it, this is the very place where he decided to do his own shop.”
Sailor Jerry ran the studio until his death in 1973. Mike Malone took over afterward and renamed the shop China Sea. From there, ownership passed hands, sometimes as a piercing business, sometimes left quiet.
Seda’s connection came by way of a friend, Christopher Dante, who purchased the shop in 2013. After Dante’s sudden death, Seda stepped in and has kept it alive ever since.
A legacy of Old Ironside
Seda said the shop’s name reaches back to Sailor Jerry’s own voice.
“The reason why we name that Old Ironside is just to keep the Jerry Lee’s legacy going,” Seda said. “Jerry used to have a radio talk show, called the Old Ironside, where he talked about his political views and what was going on at the moment.”
The walls also carry Sailor Jerry’s legacy with his designs framed and arranged in a way that turns the shop into part gallery, part studio.
“Once I took over the shop, I figured, since everybody comes here for Jerry’s designs, why not have a wall in his memory,” Seda said. The collection now serves as both inspiration and a visual reminder of the artist who helped define 20th century American tattooing.
The clientele today
The people who walk through Old Ironside’s door reflect the same mix Sailor Jerry once drew in: sailors, locals and visitors chasing a piece of legend.
“Our clientele nowadays mostly is, I’d say Navy, but military in general as well,” Seda said. Tourists come, too, especially after the release of Sailor Jerry Rum, which gave the shop a surge of recognition.
With tattoo artists from around the world stopping by to see the birthplace of an icon, Seda said that some tattoo requests never change. Amongst the endless options on the walls, one design still rises above the rest.
“As far as tattoos goes, one of our most popular one is the hula girl,” Seda said. “That, I guess, is like one of the most iconic images, really. But it is our daily bread and butter here, you know, like we do so many of them.”
Honoring the craft
Seda traces his career back to the moment needle first met skin. The experience, he said, flipped a switch.
“I got my first tattoo done; and shortly after that, I figured it could be something that I could do for life,” Seda said. “It was like something magical. It’s like coloring book for adults.”
Old Ironside Tattoo still operates with coil machines, the same type Sailor Jerry invented, though Seda insists it’s less about tradition and more about quality. And even though Sailor Jerry’s designs are most popular, Seda offers myriad books that can give anyone the best ideas for their own artistic expression.
“Books are still the best way to go about this,” Seda said. “If I’m going to compose a new design, I don’t want to base it off of something that it’s already done. I kind of want to put my own spin into it.”
Sailor Jerry’s mark
What made Jerry different was more than art. He created tattoo machines, invented the color purple for tattooing and demanded that artists master every part of the process, from mixing inks to photographing work.
“He was like an encyclopedia of, like, cool designs, you know, and cool information,” Seda said.
That spirit still lingers at Old Ironside. From its walls to its needlework, the shop continues to carry Jerry’s influence. And nothing indicates this more than Chinatown’s Sailor Jerry Festival.
And Seda said they have a special way of celebrating the icon.
“We have this little box called a Sailor Jerry treasure box. You pay 60 bucks and shake the box. Whatever comes out, that’s the tattoo you get,” Seda explained.
According to Seda, the game has become one of the highlights of the festival and tends to draw crowds eager to test their luck with the legendary flash designs.
“It’s all Sailor Jerry designs,” he added as he noted that some are bolder or carry quirky, unexpected meanings. Guests embrace the randomness, and if someone wants a different piece, “customers tend to, like, just trade with each other.”
The result is a lively, communal vibe where the trading is part of the fun.
“At the end of it all, everybody’s happy with what they get,” he said. “Yeah, it’s pretty fun. We’re here day and night pretty much, until the last person leaves.”
Each tattoo created at Old Ironside ties modern ink back to the roots of Chinatown, back to the sailor who turned a small Honolulu shop into the foundation of a global art form.
You can click here to view Old Ironside’s Instagram page.
Old Ironside Tattoo is located 1033 Smith Street in Honolulu’s famous Chinatown with hours from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. So, what’s your tattoo going to be?