Dealing in the Trade - Tattoo Supply History
Commentary on tattoo has never been higher, demand and competition, media and regulator attention, approach to and length of apprenticeships and of course availability of equipment and consumables supply.
As artists today work in an increasingly convenient and commoditised world, they make regular choices on what equipment they wish to use, and from whom to buy from. With more options available. Increased convenience comes more disposable, single use and cheaper equipment options, as well as more avenues to purchase that equipment from.
With this, it is true that some knowledge and machine skills concerning the tools of the artists trade is transferring away from the artist to the manufacturer or supplier.
When the majority of equipment is disposable, and easy to use, an argument exists that this skillset is redundant for the artist.
This is the first in a series of articles examining tattoo equipment supply, its regulation and current trends for discussion and debate. We hope you find it useful.
We start of course, with an examination of the history of tattoo equipment supply.
Starting Out
Once a tattooist was lucky enough to obtain a tattoo machine and power supply, likely from a tattooist friend or one retiring from the profession, willing enough to sell them the equipment, how did they then obtain the necessary equipment for tattooing, when mass manufactured, single use and disposable equipment did not exist?
They had to improvise. Make use of what was available in scrap and parts from various things.
Ball point pen tube cases could be used as a tube for the needle to pass through, or even suitable width car aerials could be repurposed for tubes. Bicycle wheel spokes were cut down to be used as needle bars and the end piece for tips.
Spring steel was sourced a variety of places. Packing steel strips on shipping crates, gramophone springs and the winding springs of grandfather clocks could be raided for spring steel. There are stories of tattooists purchasing these clocks from stores only to smash them to bits on the pavement outside the store and raid the steel inside to the shock of the store owner.
In 1839 the electric coil based door bell was invented by Johann Philip Wagner, and from the 1840/50s artists with sufficient skill could have converted those doorbell devices into electric tattoo machines with some simple steps removing the door clapper and adding a tube vice and grip. This would predate the patented machines from Edison and O’Reilly.
Those that did not possess the necessary machining skills, or equipment had to make do by buying their equipment from friends or travelling tattooists that were willing to sell to them.
British tattooist, George Burchett purchased his first electric tattoo machine from Tom Riley who patented his design in December 1891 in the UK, just 21 days after Samuel O’Reilly had patented his use of the Edison electric pen in the USA. Toms' design came from a modified doorbell assembly including a single coil in a brass box and used it in his Mile End tattoo shop at the turn of the 20th century with great success.
Paul Rogers remembers buying his first tattoo machine set-up from USA, Virginia based supplier E J Miller, which he used to initially tattoo himself with. Paul likely found his supplier through an advertisement in Billboard magazine, a popular trade magazine for outdoor amusement businesses, such as travelling circuses, carnivals and fairs in which E J Miller advertised.
It was artists like Percy Waters, Bert Grimm and Milton Weis who started to really evolve the tattoo equipment approach with the creation of mail order supply businesses for the purchase of machines, needle bars and soldering equipment, powdered pigment for inks and eventually, tattoo designs in the form of outline and hand coloured flash sheets. These businesses started to emerge in a material form from the 1920s. Joseph Hartleys flash as early as 1910 is beautiful outlined and painted for sale and is sometimes attributed as the first provider of commercial flash.
Milton Zeiss’s company, The Zeiss Studio which still exists today as a museum and archive with some items for sale more as memorabilia, who started selling from the 1940s and 50s and also created a mail order tuition under the aim to teach tattooing as a respectable profession. His store included shop displays and signage. By supplying quality equipment and high quality flash the Zeiss store quickly gained a good and reliable reputation trusted by tattooists.
Percy Waters may have been the first tattooist selling equipment internationally, and as a craftsman, his machine designs and making remain highly sought after and still in use today, though the price these coils fetch as collectibles probably means for only special tattoo occasions.
Let’s take a look at some of the tattoo supply forefathers............
Charlie Wagner (with Bill “Jonsey” Jones)
Charlie Wagner worked the Bowery for over 50 years starting in the1890s until his death in 1953. One of Wagner's more important contributions was his tattoo machine ideas that he patented in 1904. This patent was the first tattoo machine patented with coils in a vertical position, that is, in line with the tube assembly.
Little is documented about the supply business operated by Charlie Wagner during this time and. We do know he operated it with the help of Bill Jones the tattooist and machine maker known as “Jonsey”, Wagner sold many tattoo machines throughout the years, stamped with his name and location on the upright they remain one of the most collectable tattoo machines.
US tattooist Stoney St Clair noted that artists such as himself were able to buy machines from Charlie Wagner from his Bowery shop for $3 a piece, as well as second hand machines where Charlie would add in some additional armature bars, solder and screws in case you needed to make repairs. This would have been sometime in the 1930’s as Stoney met Charlie for the first time in 1929.
Other suppliers of that era, like Waters and Miller, sold their wares through very fancy multi-paged catalogues showing photographs of their machines and pages of illustrations of the flash that they offered. In a 1925 letter, Wagner seemed sure that he did not need the added expense of the fancy catalogue to sell his items. This is a far cry from what his competitors were turning out. In this direct quote from his letter, (and note the spelling and choppy sentences), Wagner said, "Eventually you will buy from me as I am the only one having a U.S. patent tattooing machine and electric devices issued by the U.S. Patent Office, no other supply house can show you these machines, (they) are the best, none better at any price anywhere." This letter was signed, "I remain Prof. Chas. Wagner, 208 Bowery, N.Y. City.".
The Zeis Studio
Milton Zeis was born in Rock Island, Illinois on December 10, 1901. Prior to his tattooing career Milton worked as a commercial artist, trained at the Chicago Art Institute. The Zeis Studio first began as a commercial art studio and it’s no surprise that so much of the world’s first source of tattoo flash for sale was from the Zeis Studio.
Chuck Eldridge from the Tattoo Archives noted Milton Zeis established a major supply outlet in Rockford, IL. during the 1940s, the first supplier to sell clip cords, colour production flash and machine kits as far as their records indicate. Milton did advertise his business, including ads in the popular home magazine for trades, Popular Mechanics such as this small ad placement in the December 1942 edition.
Milton used Bert Grimm in his time to review and endorse his equipment. Bob Shaw recounted in Tattoo Time issue 5 that Milton wanted Bert to endorse a heavy brass coil machine made by Floyd Samson for Zeis, which Bert refused since the machine was heavy and required too much juice to operate. Poorly designed machines were not uncommon at the time, not every tattooist in the age was a capable technician.
Milton was very open with his knowledge of tattooing by sharing tips and training others how to tattoo. “The Zeis School of Tattooing” included course work that was sent to students and then sent back to Milton for review. Milton’s book ‘Tattooing the World Over’ was published in 1947 and included among its pages, information on the “successful method of removing tattoos”, pictures of tattooed Native Indians and Japanese, instructions for tattooing permanent make-up, tattooing animals, use of stencils and more. The book was 17 pages long and cost $1 at its time of publishing.
Milton Zeis passed away in March 1972. The Zeis Studio website still operates selling memorabilia, flash and some excellent swag.
Percy Waters
Percy Waters of Detroit, Michigan established probably the largest tattoo supply company in the world in his era from the 1920s providing with everything the tattooer would need including large variety of flash, ink pigments, needles, tubes, power units, and tattoo machines. Percy operated his supply business until he passed away in 1952. By that time he was so well known and respected his company motto was simply “Waters, Enough Said”
Percy was a respected artist and machine builder, designing and manufacturing fourteen frame styles and was known to sell his shader and liner machine set for $5 at the time along with explanatory pamphlets and tattooing guides.
Prior to starting his supply company Percy Waters may have worked with a tattoo “school” operated by Mike Huff alongside Gus Wagner. A 1913 school certificate was dis
covered bearing the signatures of the three men, although there is the chance this certificate was “fake” and presented to boost the artists credentials (Thank you to @clintvaught for his commentary here).
Source: https://safe-tattoos.com/our-blog/f/percy-waters-1888---1952
Much like the Zeis studio, Percy did advertise his supply business, also featuring placements in Popular Mechanics such as this ad in the January 1941 edition.
Spaulding and Rogers
One of the world’s most famous and largest tattoo supply business started in 1956 and still operates today. By 1995 Spaulding and Rogers reported over 37,000 customers and was the largest provider in the US market in the 1970s and 1980s.
Huck Spaulding started tattooing at the age of 21 in 1949, purchasing his first machine from Owen Jensen who operated his tattoo supply company from California.
In the mid 1950s between 1955-1957 depending on which source you believe Paul Rogers moved his tattooing in with Huck Spaulding to 713 Court Street, Jacksonville NC and opened the studio Spaulding & Rogers. Paul helped Huck greatly with his tattooing techniques at the time and the two operated a successful shop in Jacksonville for four years together. Huck was surrounded by Paul Rogers, Ace Harlan and William “Bill” Jones with the pedigree August “Cap” Coleman and his skills progressed. Huck is known for some great pieces including backs on both Thom De Vita and Al Schiefley.
In 1955 Huck purchased the tattoo supply business he visited at the start of his career, from Owen Jensen and renamed it after the shop name, Spaulding & Rogers, as a mail order supply business. Though Rogers and Spaulding worked together until 1961 Rogers did not stay heavily involved with the supply business the entirety of their time together.
In the early days of the operation of the Spaulding and Rogers tattoo supply business the drilling of many of their machine frames was performed by Bill “Jonsey” Jones, the NY tattooist and machine maker who worked with Charlie Wagner in his supply business and after Wagners death in 1952.
Spaulding & Rogers advertised in common trade magazines and also large scale printed ads in the early days of tattoo magazines, attended and sponsored many of the first conventions around the globe.
Huck faced significant criticism regarding the supply business as they did not restrict tattoo product purchased and would sell to anyone and his aggressive marketing practices created a number of fierce rivalries as many disagreed with making tattoo supplies available to non-professionals as well as the publicity huck attracted as a risk to attracting too many into the profession, increasing competition.
Cliff Raven recalled "There was a period around the first convention in 1976 when a great deal of resentment (existed) on the part of the tattoo artist at the hyper availability of tattoo supplies. There were three of us (supply companies) there, Spaulding, Crazy Eddie, Buddy McFall, Dale and myself from CTS. Two of the parties made an attempt to get the third party to make an agreement not to widely disseminate tattoo equipment, and the third party refused. You can fill in the blanks". Credit to Tattoo Archive for this quote and picture (www.tattooarchive.com).
The Spaulding & Rogers website still indicates anyone can buy. Available for purchase includes comprehensive set-up kits including machines, needles, inks, an autoclave, book on how to tattoo and Spaulding & Rodgers Certificate of Excellence among its contents.
Huck Spaulding passed away in 2013
National Tattoo Supply
The National Tattoo Supply Inc. was established in August 1974 in New Hyde Park, Long Island, New York. Owned, founded and operated by Don & Flo Makofske, with support and guidance of Flo’s brother, Eddie Funk, known as “Crazy Philadelphia Eddie”, National became a hugely successful and global tattoo supply business famous for its colour pigments as well as beautifully designed tattoo machines.
Strengthened from advice and guidance from a number of notable tattooists like Terry Wrigley, Bob Shaw and Peter Tat 2 Poulos, National operated under very high professional standards for quality, safety and reliability.
You had to be referred by an existing member to be able to purchase from National and as a matter of policy, National did not advertise in any media format.
National was celebrated for its conventions, as among one of the first to operate and support these gatherings. These efforts helped to legitimize tattooing as an art form and brought together tattoo artists and enthusiasts from around the world. The first National Convention was held in Denver, Colorado in March 1979 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Speakers at this convention included many of the eras significant artists such as Don Ed Hardy, Terry Wrigley, Peter Tat 2 Poulos, Bob Shaw, Painless Jeff Baker.
In 1992 Philadelphia Eddie ended his association with the supply company he helped establish and created a separate supply business under the name of United Tattoo and Supplies, Inc. This company still exists today and provides original formula pigments and machines, operating as Philadelphia Eddie Tattoo Supply and owned by Brian Lybaert.
Recently National has closed its doors, following the retirement of its founders and family owners as well as the strain of COVID impacts on operations, product costs and shipping logistics. National started selling down its final stock from October 2022 and we at Industry Tattoo Supply are honoured and stoked to have a decent range of that stock available to artists in Australia from August 2024.
So that’s some background to some of the earliest and largest tattoo suppliers. This blog has been quite long, and yet only scratches the surface of these names and the surrounding history and stories of the time. We have three more blogs in this series coming for you and will end this first one with a nod to an Australian legend.
John Entwistle
Johnny Dollars Whistle Stop Tattoo Supplies is Australia’s oldest supply company run from Melbourne and still operating today, though only from Johns shop front counter on Punt Road with what remains of his stock.
When John Entwistle started tattooing in 1968 he was aware of the challenges faced by Australian tattooists trying to source quality equipment which often required the slow and expensive import from USA distributors. Artists were constantly being caught out with the wrong, or dodgy equipment arriving, as well as unexpected customs charges.
From 1985 Johnny Dollar started his own supply company, importing larger quantities from USA reputable suppliers and providing a huge range of supplies to Australians on their home turf. John had already gained a reputation as a quality machine builder and innovator, and this supplies included his own unique machine frame grill design and quick change vice which enabled fast switches of tattoo tubes and needles.
As John was well connected with National Tattoo Supply, he bought in a large range of their equipment, including powdered pigments which at the time was one of the most popular and trusted ink brands available.
Johnny Dollar became a significant link for Australian artists to access USA equipment at the time.
John was not the first or only supplier in Australia of course, there were many others. Wally Hammond operated supplies from his Kings Cross studio selling pigments, machines and power units from the last 1970’s and Steve Paul sold his flash internationally from Mildura to mention some of the many we may explore better in the future.
All the best and we hope you enjoyed this glance at supplier history. A long blog we know, but important to get down as we start a more current discussion on the world of tattoo supply ahead.
Stay tuned!