list your favorite three stripers!!!

Louie striped my dad's hearse at Rollie Purifoys place and it turned out great. If you can stripe a hearse and make it look good to an old fart - you got talent!!!!

 

I can't believe Tawnt Topps and Pandora Peaks didn't make this list.

 

Unkl Ian
Pistol Pete
Without the tips, motivation and inspiration from them I never would have gotten to where i am today with my striping, making some extra cash on the side and fucking up the economy.

 

Calico Joe from Neenah Wisconsin....

 

Jake (from Texas) and Brian Bass

 

I know I'm coming in on this pretty late in the game since the original post was years ago. My top three are people I've watched and studied over the 30 or more years I've been interested in the art. They're not new, young hot shots but were the most inspirational for me.

- Charles "Shaky Jake" Babbitt
- Frank Smika
- Herb Martinez

I became a sign guy because of Jake. I learned more about signs and striping from Frank than any other source so far. I've watched Herb at many car shows and always liked his really thin lines.

All are southern California dudes, except for Frank who came from Oklahoma a bunch of years ago.

 

Art was the go-to guy in West LA in the mid-50s. He was already middle-aged by then; he'd worked as a striper in some automobile plant prewar, and when they stopped striping cars he turned to sign painting. When striping became popular on rods and customs, Art picked up his brushes again. He striped 2 of my cars while I was in high school.

I dated Art's daughter Nancy for a while; sweet girl. Somebody told me that she took up pinstriping too, but I don't know anything about that.

Among current guys, I became aware of "Lil' Louie" (San Bernardino) because of the great sign work he did on Don Small's '34 "Mines Field" roadster, and I had him stripe my pickup and roadster. I really like the basic, outline-style work that he did on them.

 

there are a lot of great artist doing this type of art again.
My favorite are:

Krazy Keith ( San Jose,CA the guy is amazining)
Chico Von Spoon AKA Hayfork, AKA Phil, AKA Spoon,AKA Jim
Moochie
Scratch
Von Franco
are all tops.

 

Doug Dorr, Skratch, Kelly

 

Back in the day i use to go to Dennis Jones and in my VW days i used Herb Martinez but now i would have to say hands down my favorites are two of my personal friends.... David Anthony Garcia (D.A. Designs of the Drag-N-Shop) & Manuel Cisneros of the "Strays c.c." - www.cisnerospinstriping.com

 

Disregard this.

 

Tex
Jerry Cambell
Ed Roth

 

Great info 50;thanks for posting that.That turtledeck T is KILLER!!!

There is another striper out on the left coast name of Rory that does some really great Tommy the Greek style stuff.Never met him but a friend of mine said he originally came from the Detroit area and only started striping about 10 years ago.I saw a Brizio car he did(a Deuce with 34 fenders and a 35 grille) in ivory and red and it was dead nuts on.

 

Anthony White
Charlie Decker(one arm bandit)
Pete Finland(hot dog)
Brian Papa
I know, that's four.....but the list goes on from there.

 

My friend Brian Papa
www.papastudios.com
To see his work look at the 32 roadster in the Honest Charlie adds.

 

im still looking for stripper pics?

 

You said three, Grew up in oakland,foothill seminary area,spent early teens in tommys shop,he had lots of charactor,late teens ran with herb martinez,early 20s,ran with Cary Greenwood,had all 3 of em stripped rods 4 me.Pulled some lines myself.

 

fuck it post whoever you want too

 

Hey thanx for mentioning me !! But i suck compared to the guys that are being mentioned here. I couldnt pick only 3, but my favs include :

Makoto, One Arm Bandit, Anthony White, Mr.J, Alan Johnson, Pete finlan (he can do it all), Skratch, etc, etc. I could go on forever.

 

My three (and it's really hard to narrow) would be:

1. Brandon for my first custom lettering and being so nice to a noob.

2. Larry (Old Bob Sign) for his immense talent, being an amazingly nice guy, and laughing at all my stupid jokes.

3. Ray Smith (El Vago) for just loving the life. See pic below from 'Rama '07. Stopped in the middle of a stripe job to teach a little and giggle a lot.

- RBR

 

ray is the best isn't he!!!!! look mom i made a 5 star post w00t w00t

 

there's a guy in MN that does a lot of lettering and some pretty badass striping, Its been years since I have seen his work, don't know his real name but he goes by "Creeper", also I saw a kid at a show in Willmar MN this past summer just tearin it up, I think he was with Bo Huff, this kid looked like he was 15

 

hot dog
alan johnson
jimmy c

 

dirty of dallas

 

Mike Clines
TJ Pagano
Kellie the kandy striper

 

1.Kali Verra, my all-time personal favorite
....................................
2.Steel Phoenix- an inspiration,and humble
....................................
timeless masters:
3.Dean Jeffries
4.Larry Watson
5.Ed Roth
6.Von Dutch

 

Dennis Jones of Jones Custom Lettering and Pin-Striping, I only saw him get mentioned once but this guy has been around since the early 60's here in Whittier and has been friends with the best of them and this is only because of the great amount of pictures and memorabilia in his shop that I have seen over the years while me and friends would go thru while we waited to get our lettering or striping done and he would shot the shit with us and school us about hot rodding. One of my influences for sure. He just striped my 65 Sub with variegated copper leafing. One day I need to let him scan all the pictures he has in his shop. Sorry for the long story.

Here's my Fav's,

Dennis Jones
Hiro "Madman" from Japan
Tom Kelly

 

i havent seen his name mentioned yet so ill say my all time favorite is willie fisher aka daddy-o. www.daddyodesigns.com

 

Dean Jefferies
"Bats"
Jim "dauber" Farr