The year was 2015. Spike TV was still a thing. Tattooing on reality television had moved past the "drama in the shop" phase of Miami Ink and into the high-stakes, cutthroat arena of technical competition. Ink Master Season 6, subtitled "Masters vs. Apprentices," was supposed to be about the passing of the torch or the dominance of the mentor. But looking back at the Ink Master winners season 6 history, it’s mostly remembered for one of the most polarizing finales in the show's decade-plus run.
Dave Kruseman won. He walked away with the $100,000, the feature in Inked magazine, and the title. But if you spend five minutes on any tattoo subreddit or forum today, people are still arguing that Chris Blinston was robbed.
It was a weird season.
The Chaos of the Masters vs. Apprentices Format
The whole "Master vs. Apprentice" gimmick was a bit of a stretch for some pairings, but it created an immediate psychological hierarchy. You had heavy hitters like Chris Blinston and Matt O'Bary who felt like they were in a different league than the people they had trained. Honestly, it made the middle of the pack feel like cannon fodder.
Kruseman didn't start the season as the frontrunner. Not even close. While Chris Blinston was putting up technical masterclasses week after week—despite being framed as the season's "villain" because of his intense, borderline aggressive military demeanor—Kruseman was just... there. He was consistent. He was a "traditional" guy. In a competition that often rewards versatility, being a specialist is usually a death sentence.
But he survived. He survived because he didn't beat himself.
The Finale That Split the Fanbase
By the time the live finale rolled around, the tension was thick. You had Kruseman, Blinston, and Matt O’Baugh. Each had to produce a 35-hour master canvas. This is where the Ink Master winners season 6 debate really gets spicy.
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Chris Blinston did a massive, photorealistic color back piece. It was technically proficient. It was huge. It was exactly what the judges usually drool over. Matt O’Baugh did a stunning bio-mechanical piece that showed off incredible depth. Then there was Kruseman.
Kruseman went back to his roots: American Traditional.
He tattooed a massive ship. It was bold. It had clean lines. It used the "black stays, color decays" philosophy that defines the genre. The judges—Oliver Peck, Chris Nuñez, and Dave Navarro—faced a choice that would define the show's criteria for years. Do you reward the guy who did the most difficult, technically straining work (Blinston), or do you reward the guy who did a "perfect" version of a simpler style?
They chose Kruseman.
The backlash was immediate. Fans argued that Blinston had carried the season and that his finale piece was more ambitious. But the judges' argument was simple: Kruseman’s tattoo had no flaws. Blinston’s had tiny technical hiccups that come with trying to do too much. It’s the classic "perfection vs. ambition" trap.
What Kruseman Has Been Doing Since 2015
Winning Ink Master is a double-edged sword. You get the money, but you also get a massive target on your back. Unlike some winners who faded into the background or opened massive franchise shops, Dave Kruseman stayed remarkably true to his brand.
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He still runs Olde Line Tattoo in Maryland. He didn't become a "TV personality." He went back to being a tattooer. If you look at his portfolio now, it’s still that rock-solid traditional work. He’s one of the few winners who didn't let the "Master" title go to his head, which is probably why he’s still highly respected in the actual industry, even if the TV fans are still salty about Chris Blinston.
Why Season 6 Was a Turning Point for the Show
Before Season 6, the winners were usually the undisputed "best" of the bunch (think Scott Marshall in Season 4). Season 6 introduced the idea that you could "game" the finale by playing to your strengths rather than trying to out-flex your opponent.
- Strategy over Strength: Kruseman knew he couldn't out-detail Blinston in realism. He didn't try.
- The Power of Traditional: This season solidified American Traditional as the "safe" harbor for contestants. If you do it perfectly, the judges find it almost impossible to sent you home.
- The Villain Edit: This was the peak of the "villain" edit. Blinston was portrayed so harshly that many believe the judges (or producers) steered away from him to avoid a "bad guy" winner, though the judges have always denied this.
It’s also worth noting that the "Apprentices" rarely stood a chance. The gap in skin-to-needle time was just too vast. Most of the apprentices were gone long before the finale, proving that while the theme was great for TV drama, it didn't really change the competitive landscape much.
The Technical Reality of the Winning Piece
If you look at Kruseman's winning back piece today, it holds up. That’s the thing about Traditional. Ten years later, it still looks like a tattoo. Some of the hyper-realistic pieces from that era of the show have started to blur or lose their contrast. Kruseman’s ship still looks like it was punched in yesterday.
That’s a huge part of the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) of the judging panel. Oliver Peck, a traditional specialist himself, always valued longevity. He wasn't just looking at what looked good on camera under the bright studio lights; he was looking at what would look good in a decade.
Actionable Takeaways for Tattoo Fans and Aspiring Artists
Looking back at the Ink Master winners season 6 saga offers more than just reality TV nostalgia. There are actual lessons here for anyone interested in the craft or the industry.
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1. Know Your Niche
Kruseman won by being the best at one thing rather than being mediocre at five things. If you are an artist, finding your "lane" is more valuable than trying to please everyone. In a competitive environment, your "perfect" is always better than your "ambitious but flawed."
2. The Longevity Test
When getting a tattoo, look at the artist's healed work from five years ago. Reality TV rewards the "fresh" look, but real life rewards the "healed" look. Kruseman’s win was a win for tattoos that last.
3. Manage the Ego
The drama between the masters and apprentices showed that ego is the quickest way to make mistakes. The contestants who got caught up in the "Master" title often overlooked basic technical errors because they thought they were above the fundamentals.
4. Research the Shop, Not Just the TV Name
If you’re looking to get work done by an Ink Master alum, check their current daily work. Many winners and runners-up from Season 6, like Katie McGowan or Matt O'Baugh, are still producing incredible art that far exceeds what they did on the show under time constraints.
Kruseman remains a polarizing figure not because of who he is, but because of what he represents: the triumph of solid, fundamental craft over flashy, high-risk ambition. Whether you think Blinston was robbed or not, you can't deny that Kruseman's win changed the way future contestants approached the game. They stopped trying to be the most talented and started trying to be the most flawless.
To truly understand the impact of this win, your next step should be to look at the portfolios of the Season 6 top three side-by-side today. See how their styles have evolved since 2015. You'll likely find that while the show was a moment in time, their actual careers as tattooers have moved far beyond the drama of the Spike TV set. Check out the current work coming out of Olde Line Tattoo or Black 13 to see the difference between "TV tattooing" and the modern industry standard.