Let’s face it…there are tons of  tattoo equipment suppliers in the world.  How can you recognize the good ones from the bad?  Well price isn’t necessarily the determining factor.  Buying cheap tattoo supplies and needles does not mean you have to forgo quality.  You just want to make sure what you purchase provides you with a durable and useful product, and your customer a safe and sterile end result.

Tattoo machines or guns can be manufactured of high quality and still be competitive in price.  Many affordable tattoo machines are made from stainless steel.  Strong thick sheets of stainless steel are machine punched to form the frame of the gun.  Many unique designs for the tattoo machines can be achieved.  Some popular designs represent snails, dragons, spiders, hearts, and many more.  In addition, stainless steel machines can be have their finish processed to resemble silver, iron, copper, or bronze.

These machines should be able to generate a strong force for the needle to work at its best.  Make sure the machine uses a refined magnetic coil to dampen the noise it generates while working.  These coils consist of 8 to 10 wraps.  It should produce a frequency of between 25,000 to 30,000Hz.  Also, the tattoo gun should be able to work with anywhere from 3V to 9V of electricity.  You want the unit to work for long sessions without generating too much heat.

As with the tattoo machines, tattoo needles can manufactured from stainless steel to produce a high quality needle at an affordable price. Above all else, the needles need to be prepackaged and sterilized to protect the tattoo artist and his/her client from chance of infection.  Most needles are sterilized with EO gas(mixed ethylene oxide gas).  It is best if each prepackaged needle is marked with the type of needle and the date of sterilization or its expiration date.  Never use a needle where the package is damaged or opened.  And, I  know I don’t have to say this, but never ever reuse a needle.

If you watch out for the above pointers when purchasing your tattoo supplies, there is no reason that you can’t find cheap tattoo supplies and needles with fine quality workmanship.