Long before tattoos became such a worldwide phenomenon, the venerable tattoo machine had more modest roots from with onae of the most accomplished inventors of all time. Long before it took on the form of the machine we have all come to know, it started it’s life, originally intended for use as an engraving machine. Thomas Alva Edison designed, developed, and created the machine’s predecessor. At the time, the machine was rotary, operating on a related but very different principle than that of today’s modern machines. With time, a number of innovators would take the simple machine and make it the marvel that it is today.
Samuel O’Reilly was one of the first gentlemen to take a stab at reinventing the tattoo machine. He was the first man to see the potential it had for placing pigment, under the skin. By patenting a tube and needle system, which acted as a reservoir of ink, in 1891, the tattoo machine had truly arrived. Though crucial, O’Reilly’s adaptation to the tattoo machine was but a short leap in the ultimate design. It would take London’s Thomas Riley’s use of the single coil electromagnet to start taking this tattooist’s tool to greater heights.
Modern tattoo machines are designed with two electromagnetic coils. An innovation that would not appear until 1899 with advancements by Alfred Charles South, the dual-coiled tattoo machine would become the staple of any tattoo shop’s repertoire. With constant improvements to the design, efficiency and overall quality has increased over the years. It is not surprising to find that modern tattoo machines are capable of having the ability to have such fine tuning adjustments as needle depth, application force, and speed as options. With the rise of such precise settings, the tattoo machine has gone from a humble engraving tool to skin art’s best weapon.