Is This the End for Coil Tattoo Machines?

By Johnny Clauson, Workhorse Irons

Originally published in Tattoo Today, 2020. Revisited six years later.

Six years ago I wrote an article for Tattoo Today (@tribal_publishing).

As painful as it is to read some of my own writing from six years ago (and a few of the cheesy things I said 😅), I still stand by the overall message.

Some details have evolved. Wireless machines have become commonplace, Kubins continue to replace pens, needle on bar has made a comeback, and tattooing continues to move forward.

But the bigger ideas still feel just as relevant today.

This was never meant to argue that one tool is better than another. It was simply an observation of where tattooing seemed to be heading, and why understanding our tools still matters.

Below is a slightly updated version of that original article, presented through the images and text we recently shared on Instagram.

Is This the End for Coil Machines?

Six Years Later...

Whether you tattoo with coils, rotaries, cartridges, or needle on bar, I still believe better tools, better knowledge, and better technique all move the craft forward.

Either way, we'll still be here working hard to make better tools for better tattoos.

Curious what everyone thinks now that another six years have passed.

Read the Original 2020 Article

The original article appeared in Tattoo Today in 2020. The complete version includes additional details about coil machine development, machine knowledge, and a technical reference section covering machine tuning variables.

 Click Here To READ THE COMPLETE ORIGINAL 2020 ARTICLE