Choosing Tattoo Supplies

No matter how you look at it, tattoos are art, plain and simple. You may not like body art or agree with tattooing your body, but you cannot argue that tattoos are a form of art. I don't particularly like modern art, but I can't argue with the simple fact that it IS art, no matter how much I want to! Tattoo design is an ancient art-form that has found increasing popularity with the saturation of pop culture in our media and the ease in which we are all exposed to it. Because of this exposure, tattoos have evolved into highly complex and beautiful designs. These designs require the work of a skilled artist and the quality of the tattoo supplies they use.

Tattoo supplies are an important aspect of creating the art of the tattoo and that will be the main focus of this article, but first I feel it is important to discuss the history of tattoos in general.

While no-one can actually pinpoint when the history of tattoos began, the oldest tattoo discovered was on a 5300 year old Iceman known as Oetzi.  The significance of these tattoos and most early tattoos is not known, but it is suspected that they were done for medicinal purposes.  Other early tattoos are suspected to be used as a form of status, for religious purposes or even for decorative purposes alone. 

Of course the Egyptians are the civilization most well known for their tattoos.  The Egyptians most likely used tattoos as ritual markings and for status.  Many years after the Egyptians, tattoos were made popular by circus performers, who's whole purpose was to dazzle the audience by the sheer number of tats on their bodies and by the colorful designs.

Over the ages, tattoos have been used for many different purposes, but no matter what the purpose, the artist creating the tattoo always needed tattoo supplies.

If you are considering becoming a tattoo artist then tattoo equipment will be your number one priority after skill. Tattoo equipment can quickly become very expensive, but for something like this you truely do get what you pay for. Cheap tattoo supplies are readily available, but to get quality supplies at a good price you have to do your research. Tattoo supplies can be found a variety of ways, but the most popular would be through the Internet. Many tattoo suppliers have taken to the Net as a way to exponentially expand their business and this is where you will find the best deals.

A few of the well known names in tattoo supplies are King Pin Tattoo Supply and Superior Tattoo. You may want to consider checking out wholesale tattoo supplies for the best prices available, but remember when buying wholesale you often have to buy in quantity to get the reduced prices. This may not be an issue if you plan on opening your own shop!

When considering becoming a tattoo artist you must also remember the amount of equipment (and training) you will need to become successful. Even small time operators require the essentials of tattooing. The following is a basic yet essential list that all tattoo artists will need:

• Tattoo Machine
• Ink
• Needles
• Latex Gloves
• Tattoo power supplies
• Sterilization products
• Anesthetics
• Disinfectants and cleaners
• Ointments
• Topical Skin Cleaners
• Gauze and Surgical Tape
• Tubes, Tips & Grips
• Art Supplies

As you can clearly see, there is a lot to purchase and consider when becoming a tattoo artist.  You must build up your tattoo supply in order to properly serve your customers.  You will also notice that a lot of your equipment is centered around safety and/or medical supplies.  This is so important that it cannot be overlooked.  When dealing with tattoos you are dealing with blood.  Everything your needle and supplies touch must be sanitized before beginning each tattoo.  You must be careful about cross contamination and about your clean up techniques.  This is an area where you cannot afford to be slack for your safety and the safety of your clients.

It is easy to see that the amount of tattoo supplies that you need alone can be overwhelming, but there are some tricks to finding just what you need for the right price.  In fact these methods can be used for just about anything that you might need to purchase.  Doing Google searches alone will probably get you all the information you need, but there are some other routes you might want to consider.  For instance, Ebay is probably the number one place to begin any search for any item you may wish to purchase, but remember that Ebay is not the only site of its kind out there.

You should ALWAYS check Craigslist for the items that you need.  This resource may not be as extensive as Ebay or the Internet as a whole, but the chances of you getting really awesome deals is higher.  You do have to be careful though as doing transactions through Craigslist is a one on one thing and you do not have any buyer or seller protection using this method.  For the most part my experiences have been positive and I have found amazing deals this way.

Of course there are the tattoo suppliers who deal with only these supplies and you should also be able to compare prices and find the great deals through direct suppliers.

Below is an instructional video for how to set up your tattoo machine.