Whether you're into tattoos, gadgets, history or all three, modern tattoo machines have had an interesting evolution which begins way back in the 1800's at the hands of one of the greatest inventors of all time: Thomas Edison - the man that filed over 1000 patents including for the light bulb and the phonograph.
In 1876 Edison invented the 'stencil pen' - a device which punched holes in a variety of shapes and designs onto a piece of paper placed over an object. The holes created would then be filled with colour, creating a stencil effect on the item's surface.
Intrigued by the stencil pen, Samuel O'Reilly, a tattoo artist from NYC, took the idea one step further and in 1891 modified Edison's invention by adding a tube and needle system so that the pen could push ink into the skin using rotary technology. However, although most people credit O'Reilly with being the inventor of the modern tattoo machine, the patent is actually owned by Charlie Wagner, an apprentice of O'Reilly, who further modified the machine to include an on/off switch amongst other things. He filed the patent for that machine in 1904.
But back in 1891, things were progressing quickly in the world of tattoo and just 20 days after O'Reilly invented his machine, a patent was filed by Thomas Reilly of London, England, who used a modified door bell in a brass box to create a whole new breed of iron: the electromagnetic coil machine.
By 1899 Alfred Charles Smith, also from London, had designed the 2 coil tattoo machine although in 1929, Percy Waters of Detroit patented a machine which consisted of 2 coils sitting parallel to the frame. This pretty much became the staple of tattoo artists everywhere and it wasn't until 50 years later that another patent was filed by Carol "Smokey" Nightingale of Washington DC who made various modifications to the frame including adding front and rear spring apertures, all aimed to make tattooing a more comfortable experience.
As in any industry and as with any technology there are people out there today pushing the boundaries both creatively and with the machines they create, and as every tattoo artist modifies their machine to their own personal specifications it would be true to say that no two tattoo machines are alike.
If this brief history of the tattoo machine has whetted your appetite and you're feeling the need for a new iron coming on, check out the huge range on the web. You don't have to spend a fortune - there's loads of competitively priced suppliers out there - and you might even find your dream machine!
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