How come you know all this Tattoo Machine stuff...?

A recent conversation about Tattooing, Australian Tattoo Artists & Tattoo Machines prompted that very question...
...to answer it, here's a very brief summary on who I am & why I know about this Tattoo Machine stuff.


As it was for everyone wanting to get into the Tattoo Trade back in the 70's, you'd get tattooed, you watched everything that was being done & listened to everything intently.
90% of the time, what you'd see or hear from one week to the next didn't really make much sense, but as a secretly aspiring Tattoo Artist, it was up to you to start formulating how everything interconnected.
You were quite literally building yourself a "Tattoo Information Jigsaw Puzzle" without any guidance.

If you were really lucky, you might go home with a key bit of information to help with assembling that Tattoo Jigsaw Puzzle.
And if you were extremely lucky & made a really good connection with your chosen Tattoo Artist, then he might just provide you with that elusive piece of the Tattoo Puzzle...
...a complete running Machine!!

I was extremely lucky & so with that Machine, I was then able to start my entry into the Tattoo Trade.
Although mostly self-taught, at that time (mid 70's) I was heavily influenced by several of Australia's Tattoo Legends.
Chris "Spider" Webb who was renowned for his Machines, knowledge on building them & laying in Color.
Dan Robinson (Snr.) who was renowned for his amazing Designs along with Colors that were bright & solid.

During my career I've been lucky enough to work with & tattoo some of the legends of the Australian Tattoo scene.
Dan Robinson Snr, "Nutz" Robinson, Bev Robinson, Steve Paul, Fletch, Charlie Wagner, Jed Hill, Beans, to name just a few.

I've also had the good fortune to meet, work, share knowledge & build Machines for some amazing Tattoo Artists from Overseas too.
Shelly (Israel), Laura Vida (USA), Mike Malone, Scott Sterling, Lance McLain (att Hawaii),
Bebert & Chris (France)


When I retired from Tattooing in the mid 90's, I sold everything "tattoo related" to TonyB, a young (back then) Tattoo Artist working in Western Australia.
From that point, I had little to do with anything Tattoo related aside from making the occasional custom piece of jewellery for various Tattoo Artists that knew me.


Just recently I was approached to help teach a young guy about tuning his Machines.

And because I'm an Old School Tattoo Artist, part of my teaching means we'll be Hand Building Machines...

...then a limited number will be built & available for sale.