Is It Fixable or a Lost Cause? — BJ “Soba” Fireside Tattoo Network

Is It Fixable or a Lost Cause?

[28:39] “I went through so many cartridges to find one that had it all, and then when I finally found one and then reordered…they’d be different…they’re inconsistent. It’s very frustrating.”

— BJ “Soba”

We’ve mentioned some problems with tattoo needle cartridges in other deep dive pages, like this one with Cooper. There seems to be some manufacturing problems that seem to be plaguing the tattoo world since the inception of the needle cartridge. Whether that be bad solder joints, jamming springs and membranes, or inconsistencies with plunger tension there doesn’t seem to be a manufacturer out there that’s putting out a near perfect product with every box, though some are better than others.

Though not everything about the cartridge is bad or maladaptive. For one thing the level of convenience it has given to the tattoo industry is second to none. The ability to use one machine, and switch between needle groupings within seconds has been a huge boon to nearly every tattooer who uses rotaries. Another point that many tattoo artists make is that machines have gotten significantly lighter and more balanced due to the way rotary technology has evolved over the last 10 years. Though, this seems to be a bit of a controversy with some saying that the machines were never really a problem, but that other factors like posture or bad habits are more the contributing factor.

Opinions and styles may differ, but one thing is certain. Something in the cartridge manufacturing needs to change. Maybe a standardizing procedure needs to be in place or more some kind of stabilizing machine technology needs to be developed? Whoever decides to head this type of development will change the tattoo industry yet again.

Watch the full episode:

Is it Worth the Trade-off? Coil Tattoo Machine Talk | BJ Johnson (Soba One) | EP 268