Live By The Sword Tattoo - Union Square — Local services in New York

I came in with my cousin to get her belly button pierced and my mom to get to nose pierced. The person at the front desk said okay and signed us in. They asked if i was going to get anything done. And i shared that i was interested in getting my nose pierced but I’ve had keloids in the past with cartilage piercings. They asked me a few questions and made me realize that i did not actually have keloids and that the nose is different. They told me they can sign me in and I can talk to my piercer more about it. I figured it couldn’t hurt, and i was there with my family, so i said yes.

I met Steven and he was very polite. I asked him A LOT of questions. I was almost looking for a reason not to do it. But Steven answered my questions with politeness and with no tones of trying to “convince” me. Instead, he gave me straight forward answers and made me feel safe to get it done. Then he helped me choose a piece that matched my style and the jewelry i already wear.

I involuntarily cried, lol. It also did hurt. But Steven checked in and monitored my reactions. Bracing for my sneezes and helped wipe my tears

I had to return 2 weeks later after the swelling went down because it had a bump on it. I was afraid this EXACT thing would happen. And unfortunately I went in with a little bit of an attitude. I told the front desk guy about my concern and he asked who my piercer was. I told him and thankfully Steven was there. He took me back and looked and immediately knew what the problem was.

I vaguely remember him mentioning that i may come in for a shorter bar if I’m having problems, but I didn’t remember as things were happening. Anyway, he removed my piercing and showed me what the piercing looked like.

He put in a shorter bar (for free) and i bombarded him with questions. He explained to me that the longer bar moving around was causing irritation and I was probably over cleaning it. I wanted to know why this didnt happen to my cousin or my mom with their nose piercings and he just calmly said each person is different. I felt bad for being a little bit of a brat but so thankful he was nice and calm about it.

If you need a brat tamer piercer, Steven is...

Terrible Experience! Poor Service and Possible Overcharging!

I chose this place because of its high ratings on Xiaohongshu and Google Maps, and it was the closest option at the time. However, this experience turned out to be very disappointing.

The piercer seemed friendly at first, but the reality was different. When the receptionist noticed that I wasn’t very chatty, they assumed my English wasn’t good and even told the piercer, “You got a baby.” This kind of condescending and disrespectful attitude made me very uncomfortable. But since I was in a hurry, I chose to ignore it and just wanted to get my piercing done and leave.

I originally planned to get a navel piercing and an ear cartilage piercing, but since I didn’t like their jewelry selection for ear piercings, I decided to only get the navel piercing and skipped the ear cartilage piercing. However, when it came time to pay, I realized that there was no front desk for checkout—piercers handle the payment themselves.

Shockingly, the piercer charged me for two ear cartilage piercings that I never got and even told me he was giving me a “big discount”, which misled me into thinking I was getting a deal. Because I was in a rush, I didn’t check the bill carefully and even tipped 20%, believing it was fair. Later, when I reviewed my receipt, I noticed the extra charges—all of this happened in less than 10 minutes!

I immediately called the store, but the first woman who answered rudely responded with, “So what?” Her attitude was completely unacceptable! Only after transferring my call to another woman was I finally able to get a refund.

Overall, this experience made me feel like they not only have poor customer service but might also take advantage of customers who aren’t fluent in English by overcharging them. This is extremely unprofessional, and it makes me question how they got such high ratings in the first place.

Be cautious and double-check your bill to avoid...

Went to studs at Hudson yards to get my 4 year old daughter’s ears pierced. Unfortunately they only pierce ages 13 and up but they recommended live by the sword. I gave them a call and they recommended Ericka for her piercing. They informed me to bring birth certificate and ID. They also gave me fair warning that they do a consultation and depending on my daughter’s comprehension and willingness to get it pierced would determine whether or not they would do it. This gave me reassurance they were not money hungry and wanted to have a successful experience for both. When we arrived Ericka was very easy going and comfortable to talk to. She communicated very well to my preschooler and made it clear what she expected of her and vice versa. I think a major reason my daughter was so brave (while admittedly scared) and well behaved for her first piercing was in thanks to Ericka. She helped us pick out beautiful earrings and gave us thorough instructions for aftercare as well as some treats for my little ones. I also received an ear piercing and she made sure that I was comfortable and sure about the placement. She was extremely patient and precise when it came to matching up my daughters ear lobes so they would grow with her and not look misaligned. Very humble yet knowledgeable!! So thankful to have stumbled upon this place and create such a beautiful memory for my daughter. My daughter came in nervous and determined , and left with so much pride and joy—which easily could have been disappointed and hurt with the wrong piercer. Will definitely be returning to her when it’s my youngest...