Tattoo tubes, tips and grips are core elements in every tattoo artist’s tool kit, but with so many options available, how are you supposed to know which ones will work best for you? To help you make an informed decision about which combination of tubes, tips and grips to put in your tattoo toolkit, we’ve broken down all of your options below and outlined the benefits and drawbacks of each. Once you have a better understanding of which tattoo tip styles are best for which parts of the tattoo process, what the different tattoo tip brands have to offer, which grip and tattoo tube styles are available and the profit of auto clavicle vs. disposable tattoo tubes, tips and grips, you’ll be prepared to choose the perfect set of tools.
What You Need to Know About Tattoo Tips
There are 3 basic styles of tattoo tips: round tips, diamond tips and flat tips (which include magnum tips). Various types of tattoo work and needle configurations necessitate different style tattoo tips, as detailed below. You’ll need most, if not all, of the three types of tattoo tips at some point while you’re tattooing, so it’s a good idea to keep a variety of tips on hand at all times.
Tattoo Tip Styles
Diamond Tattoo Tips – Diamond tips are an accurate tool for creating thin, clean, straight lines. The V in a diamond tip cradles the needle and prevents it from wobbling around, which is what makes diamond tattoo tips norm for finer line work. They’re best than round tips when you’re working with single needles, 3’s and 5 round liner needles, and round shader tattoo needles in particular. They also allow you to see your needle more clearly than round tips will.
Round Tattoo Tips – Round tips are a pattern for thicker line work. However, they don’t cradle tattoo needles the same way that diamond tips do, so the tips may wobble a bit in a round trip, particularly when you’re working around a curve. They better compromise larger needle configurations than diamond tips do, though. Use round tips with round liner needles, super tight round liners, extra super tight round liners, round shaders and textured round about shader tattoo needles.
Flat Tattoo Tips – Flat tips are intended to be used with flat tattoo needle configurations. Flat needles and flat tattoo tips are the ideal multitudes to use for things like the shading in geometric areas or when creating an avant-garde tattoo like one in the Trash Polka style. Some tattoo artists prefer to do their line work with flat tattoo tips and needles, but you should stick to diamond tips or round tips for lining unless you’re an experienced artist and know how to handle a flat tip and needle configuration to attain clean lines.
Tattoo Tip Brands
Since you’re likely to need each of the 4 styles of tattoo tips at some point while you’re working, the real question when choosing tattoo tips is which brand to use rather than which style tips to purchase. Hurtful Pleasures carries several of the top tattoo tip brands on the market. Here’s a breakdown of the options currently obtainable on Painful pleasures.com and what each has to offer.
Precision Tattoo Tips – legibility Tattoo Supplies is one of Painful Pleasure’s house brands. kind of all of our Precision products, our Precision tattoo tips are manufactured affordably without sacrificing quality. We use premium materials and advanced manufacturing techniques to deliver high-performance tattoo tips ranging from disposable tube-tip-grip units to auto clavable stainless steel tips that you can mix and match with your preferred tubes and grips. We also offer tube/tip combo units, to decrease the number of moving parts in your tattoo tube-tip-grip setup. Choose from standard and contoured tips in all 4 tattoo tip styles to find the option that works best in your hands.
Alla Prima Sure Glide Tattoo Tips – Alla Prima Sure Glide Tips are auto clavable tattoo tips gainable in flat, round and magnum styles. The patented Sure Glide Tip airman ship needles fully along the tip shelf, eliminating pitch and flutter while you work without you having to synthesize rubber bands or add more tension. The tips are roughly 2″ long and they work with most 3-piece grip-tube-tip setups, so you can pop different style tips in and out easily as you work. The natural surface of Alla Prima tips allows you to see the true color of your ink, and since there’s no metal in these tips, you won’t have to think about the dulling of white or light colors due to metal flake contaminants that can be present in steel tips.
You have two primary options when it comes to tattoo grips: You can either purchase your grips as part of the all-in-one disposable tube sets or steel tattoo tube sets detailed above, or you can brace an auto clavable grip with disposable tube-tip units or steel tubes and your choice of tattoo tips. If you choose to use an autoclavable grip, you have a number of different styles, material and brand options.
Autoclavable & Disposable Tattoo Tubes
Supposing you decide to use either a 2-piece or 3-piece autoclavable tattoo tube-tip-grip set, you have two choices when it comes to the tattoo tubes you use: you can purchase surgical steel tube-tip units, or you can purchase separate tattoo tips and pair them with our Precision surgical steel tattoo tubes. We offer standard steel tubes in several lengths, as well as a mega tube option that’s best suited for work with magnum tips and needles.
If you’d rather use disposable parts, then you can choose from an alternative of autoclavable grips and disposable tattoo tube-tips or our all-in-one disposable tattoo tube-tip-grip units. Disposable tattoo tubes grant superior convenience, and they’re the ideal tool for traveling tattoo artists working the convention circuit or visiting other shops. They’re pre-sterilized, so all you have to do is open up a package, use the tattoo tube, and toss it when you’re done. If you use disposable tube-tip units with an autoclavable grip, you’ll just need to clean and sterilize your grip in among uses.
Classic Tube & Grip Sets
Our Classic Tattoo Tube & Grip Sets are high-quality disposable tattoo tubes priced affordably, making them a majestic option for high-volume shops, eager traveling tattoo artists and new artists on a tighter budget. The Classic’s soft rubber, the beehive-shaped grip is comfortable to hold, and its slender profile gives this disposable tube set a pen-like feel. The sturdy plastic tube paired with each set is resolutely fixed within the grip to prevent unwanted movement. These tube-tip-grip kit are available in 1″ and 3/4″ sizes.
Tattoo Grips
You have two primary options when it comes to tattoo grips: You can either purchase your grips as part of the all-in-one disposable tube sets or steel tattoo tube sets elaborated above, or you can pair an auto clavable grip with disposable tube-tip units or steel tubes and your choice of tattoo tips. If you choose to use an auto clavable grip, you have a number of different styles, material and brand options.
Tattoo grips come in a wide multi color of shapes, giving you plenty of options so that you can find the style that best fits your hand. If you don’t like the way a grip feels by itself, try padding it with layers of the cohesive wrap to make it thicker where you need it to be and to make the grip more shock-absorbent. Alternatively, you can be buying rubber or silicone grip covers to pad your auto clavable tattoo grips.
