These are the days where people who don't tattoo are getting involved in our industry. Tattooing has been recognized as the 2nd fastest growing business in North America and this has invited non tattoo artist people who stand to make a substantial buck from selling products, which they know very little about, to artists who also know little about the products they are buying. As far as machines go, this presents a problem... for the artists who don't know their machines. As things have evolved from the beginning of time, products have made things so EASY, that almost every individual does not need to know anything... the "I'll just buy a new one" attitude is rampant, the craft is gone.. how many artists make their own needles? We're proud to say we do!! Same goes for machines... it's a throw away item now. We have seen machines on sale for 6 dollars on line!! Maybe you can afford a new machine when the one you are using isn't doing what you need it to do, but how can you call yourself a professional tattoo artists when you don't know how to fix or tune the main tool of your trade?
People live for hype, they believe it... look behind the products and you may be surprised at who is selling them. Everyone wants to buy a machine which is already "set up" and ready to tattoo. How do you buy a machine? do you buy for aesthetics? or do you buy because the catalog labels the machine "liner" or "shader"? How do you know that it's set up to line, shade or color, just by looking at the photo in the catalog? maybe you buy for "name brand". Many well known name brands outsource their manufacturing to people who don't tattoo, there is no quality control and guaranteed, they are probably built by NON tattoo artists who don't know what you need as an artist. The machine is simple, the recipe is over 100 years old and the truth is, there is little innovation these days... one guy copies another, who copies another, who copies another...
If you want to be a "portrait guy", why would you buy from an artist/builder who DOES NOT know or understand the techniques necessary to do even, smooth grey shades?, or who can't do fine lines? Some of these guys who can't apply these skills, often hide behind the excuse that the lines won't hold up in X amount of years, when the truth is, they can't do that type of tattooing!
Another question is: What is the difference between Chinese 24 gauge copper wire and North American 24 gauge copper wire? Is the American 1010 steel better than chinese 1010 steel? if the ingredients are the same, the coil shapes are the same, the core diameters are the same... what is the difference between these machines besides the frame design aesthetic? Maybe the spring gauges are different.
THINK!! Don't be fooled... vote for innovation, function and direction... vote for originality and individuality.. Educate yourselves and you will NEVER feel taken advantage of. You can buy ANY electromagnetic machine and know instinctively how to repair, modify and tune it, IF YOU UNDERSTAND IT!... there IS some hype to believe... "Tattoo Machines and their Secrets" the most important book you could ever own... for more info http://www.tattoolz.com
CAN YOU AFFORD TO BE WITHOUT IT?
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