Believe it or not, tattoo making, despite being a pretty rewarding profession, treads on the lines of artistic creativity. While the pandemic did impact the unhindered proliferation of the tattoo industry, things have been considerably better in 2022, thereby driving a massive surge in the sale of the best tattoo starter kits.
In a nutshell, here are our top 3 picks for the best tattoo starter kit
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Overall, as a tattoo artist, you can still make a pretty good living in the post-pandemic era, provided you play the cards right. While you need to have the requisite skills, it is also necessary to invest in the best tattoo starter kits to make an impression in this keenly competed arena.
If global market reports are to be believed, the tattoo industry, at its prime, generates close to 1.6 billion dollars, each year. What’s heartening enough is that a regular tattoo artist, in the United States alone, earns close to 50,000 dollars, each year.
Figures and statistics like these are motivating enough for creative beginners, who want to take up tattoo-making as a career choice. That said, even if you are creative enough, tattoo-making isn’t as easy as it seems.
While you might be an artist of the highest category, using the skin as a canvas is never easy. You need proper training, both theoretical and practical, to succeed as a tattoo artist.
Things to Know Before Purchasing Tattoo Starter Kits
Although a starter tattoo machine kit is a good way to get your tattoo-making career underway, it is pertinent to know a fair bit about guns. While the accessories and additional tattoo equipment are of relevance, you should know your way around a rotary and coil tattoo machine kit.
How knowing about the tattoo machine helps:
Once you get a fair idea about the best tattoo machine to choose, based on the technology, nature of the digital power supply, additional tattoo equipment, and more, it becomes easy to select the perfect tattoo starter kit.
Best Tattoo Starter Kits for Beginners in 2024
Here are some of the best tattoo starter kits that can make precision easier to achieve.
1. Grinder Tattoo Kit
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As a professional, the Grinder tattoo kit is something that you must never ignore. While this tattoo kit by Pirate Face might not be the most premium one in the retail space, it offers relevant information to an aspiring tattoo artist. Besides, this kit features one of the best tattoo ink supplies. Not just that, the tattoo needle, exhibited by this starter kit is one of the top variants in the market.
Therefore, this isn’t just a starter tattoo kit but a goldmine of essential, professional insights. Last but not least, despite the numerous inclusions like the dual voltage-regulated power supply and the practice skin, this is one of the most cost-effective starter kits on the market.
Moreover, this is not just a basic tattoo kit for beginners but also caters to mid-level tattoo artists courtesy of the exceptional lining and shading capabilities of the coil tattoo machine.
2. Dragonhawk Complete Tattoo Kit
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The Dragonhawk complete tattoo kit sets newer standards for aspiring professionals. While this kit comes with a wide range of accessories, what stands out is the inclusion of four separate types of coil machines. Despite being a beginner tattoo kit, you get access to soft shading, color packing, power liner, and conventional liner machines, powered by an excellent foot pedal.
Buy this tattoo kit if you have a penchant for high-quality tattoo needles and even a power supply module that is compatible with diverse supplies. Besides, the quality of the practice skin is closest to human skin. As far as the tattoo ink quality is concerned, the Dragonhawk complete tattoo kit is easily one of the better starter kits on the market.
3. Solong Tattoo Complete Starter Kit 3
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The Solong tattoo complete kit readily justifies the same. Purchase this for the inclusion of three coil tattoo guns followed by an extensive set of accessories, which are otherwise absent in other tattoo kits. Besides, this is easily the best tattoo kit if you are interested in grommets, O-rings, and adjustable machine grills.
Besides, the Solong tattoo complete kit also houses a high-quality practice skin that even works well with the rotary machines, provided you want to purchase them separately. Found only on the best tattoo kits, the Solong tattoo complete kit also offers the best tattoo starter manual, bested only by the Grinder tattoo kit.
Lastly, the pedal is one of the better things associated with this kit. However, if you want the best power supply associated with tattoo machines, the Solong tattoo complete kit with the LCD supply is quite a resourceful inclusion. Not just that, the ink associated with the supposed beginner kit can be easily wiped using paper towels, upon application over the practice skin.
4. Eyepower Starter Kit
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The Eyepower complete tattoo kit doesn’t confuse a beginner like some of the more overwhelming products. Instead, it emphasizes value for money and even relies on excellent tattoo inks. Besides, the Practice skin on offer is also as close to reality as one can get.
As per one of our in-house reviewers, the set of tattoo accessories stood out from the rest, especially for such an affordable price tag. Despite this being a beginner kit, Eyepower is one of the few brands to offer sterilized needles, and that too in assorted sizes. Not only that, the ink is of decent quality and some of our experts even persisted with the same while inking some of their near and dear ones.
Lastly, this tattoo kit serves an artist perfectly as it comes with an ointment, thereby allowing creative individuals to try inking with the skin as the canvas.
5. Solong Professional Tattoo Gun Kit
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The Solong Professional single tattoo machine kit is quite a resourceful ally for tattoo enthusiasts. While it might fall short in terms of coil machines, the single tattoo gun is more than adequate for showcasing creativity. We were most pleased with the 14 tattoo ink bottles, which aren’t just a resource for beginners.
Moreover, this is one of the more popular kits for beginners. Not just that, if you are more into switch-based propelling of the tattoo power supply, the existing foot pedal is quite a liable feature.
Unlike other tattoo guns, this is more like a professional tattoo kit with several handy accessories to rely on. Most importantly, you can always pair an ergonomic carrying case for sheltering the coil machine, after use. However, Solong doesn’t offer one, straight out of the box.
6. Dragonhawk 1013
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In case you are bored of coil tattoo machines, the Dragonhawk 1013 is the perfect starter tattoo kit to invest in. Moreover, this is one of the few beginner kits that we used at one of our tattoo parlors.
What impressed us the most was the atom pen, which doesn’t work as a conventional tattoo gun. Instead, this is an all-inclusive machine that can be used for shading, color, and even lining. However, each setting requires you to make certain tweaks to the pen.
The best attribute is the needle-depth adjustment support, which eliminates the need for other pens. Moreover, you also get access to a carrying case, a justified feature considering the versatile pen. Not just that, the foot pedal is pretty resourceful as well followed by the inclusion of assorted needles.
Despite being a bit different than other tattoo starter kits, the learning curve isn’t as steep as we expected it to be.
7. Stigma Tattoo Starter Kit
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Firstly, it is the inclusion of the rotary tattoo machine that makes a lasting impression, when the Stigma Complete tattoo kit is concerned. Much like any of the existing rotary machines, the one related to the Stigma starter kit makes less sound and doesn’t vibrate as much as compared to the coil machines.
This attribute makes room for better lining and shading effects. Coming to the accessories, you get access to a plastic-clad case, which is aesthetic enough. However, you need to practice tattoo inks and even practice skins separately. While Stigma does offer quite a few variants of tattoo ink, not even one is formulated for human usage.
As far as the restrictions are concerned, this is more of a basic starter kit, devoid of several tattoo equipment options. Then again, Stigma doesn’t compromise on the control exhibited by the rotary tattoo machine with the cover tape for gripping the tattoo machine.
Besides, the company also throws in a pair of disposable gloves with the same followed by quite a few tattoo cartridges to get the desired design.
8. Hildbrandt Tattoo Kit
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The Hildbrandt tattoo kit is easily the most comprehensive offering on the list. While beginners can make good use of this tattoo complete kit, it holds more value for extended professional usage. The best thing about the Hildbrandt tattoo kit is that you get access to two coil and rotary tattoo machines.
Not just that, we tested each gun for quality and the .44 Magnum tattoo kit gun stood out as one of the better lining tools. In addition to the .38 caliber shading gun, Hildbrandt also gives access to the Silencer liner and rotary Beretta shader for vibration-free tattooing. While the feature sets and accessories are stacked in plenty, this tattoo kit is best known for the detailed set of resources, including DVDs, textbooks, and other inclusions.
Coming to the additional tattoo equipment, the professional needles deserve separate mention followed by reliable and useful practice skin. Besides, the Hildbrandt complete tattoo kit is one of the few options in the starter kit space to offer a crash course on tattooing, which furthers the affordability-quotient.
9. Shark Tattoo Kit
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If you are a beginner tattoo artist who is particular about the ink selections, the Shark Tattoo kit is the best option in the market. Firstly, this tattoo kit doesn’t come with ink but offers ink holders, in case you plan on purchasing them separately. What works perfectly though is the inclusion of four coil tattoo machines. Each of the existing machines is capable of working at different voltages, despite the inclusion of 10 copper-clad coils.
While the copper coils and the electromagnetic activation might lead to vibrations, they are still pretty manageable if you know how to operate the foot pedal. Next in line are the featured inclusions and the tattoo machine chassis, made of cast iron. The durability showcased by each of the many accessories is commendable, to say the least.
This is easily the best Tattoo starter kit, in terms of usability, as it also offers a detailed instruction manual to go with the existing set of tattoo equipment. Lastly, you are free to pair any tattoo ink, provided you want to try out the human skin canvas, rather than restricting yourself to the practice skin.
10. Hummingbird Solitary Tattoo Kit
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The Hummingbird tattoo kit is more of a standalone Bronc pen that doubles down as the rotary tattoo machine. The best thing about this equipment is that it pairs perfectly with almost any set of accessories. Moreover, as it is a pen-type tattoo kit, it is easier to carry around. Coming to the Bronc pen itself, we were amazed to see the durability of the aluminum-clad chassis that exhibits aircraft-grade material strength.
Despite supporting a wide range of power supply voltage, the Swiss motor ensures surge protection and allows you to manage the pen in different conditions. Coming to the flexibilities on offer, the pen is exceedingly easy to handle and also known for its adherence to diverse needle cartridges. Moreover, we were impressed with the tattoo-making precision followed by the ability of the rotary machine kit to adjust the stroke length.
As far as the performances are concerned, the pen hardly vibrates and takes the lightness of the profile, pretty seriously. Therefore, if you are quite a busy tattoo artist, this is the perfect beginner tattoo kit to invest in.
11. Dragonhawk Mast
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The Dragonhawk Mast is one of the best tattoo kits for beginners in the market, best known for the Mast rotary tattoo machine. Moreover, the power supply associated with the coreless motor is capable of lasting for a minimum of 3000 hours. Coming to the performances of the Mast tattoo pen, the portable unit is good enough for perfect shading, color packing, and even lining.
The machine itself weighs a mere 82 grams and is best known for the softness of its feel. Besides, the existing tattoo cartridges are top-notch, to say the least, and complement the machine, in the best possible way. Besides, on continuous testing, we came across the membrane mechanism, which readily keeps the tattoo ink spit back to a minimum.
The existing RCA jack is readily water-resistant and pairs perfectly with the featured RCA cord. Besides, this is one of the best tattoo kits if you want to start directly by using human skin as a canvas.
Tattoo Starter Kit – Buying Guide
Here are the aspects you need to understand before purchasing a tattoo kit:
Type of Machine
It is good to be sure of the tattoo machine before purchasing a kit. While it might be difficult for a beginner to understand which machine works best for him or her, you can always look at the technologies to understand better. For instance, coil tattoo machines cost less and are common but might vibrate a bit more for a novice. The Rotary machines are better choices if you are planning to cut down on noise or vibrations.
Type of Work
You can either invest in a tattoo kit that is good enough for lining or get the machine-based beginner tattoo kit that works best for color packing or even shading. However, regardless of the one you choose, it is necessary to check the structure of the machine and whether it is capable of accommodating shorter or longer strokes or not. To be on the safer side, you should opt for a kit that has at least one shader and one-liner to start with.
Technology
A good tattoo kit is the one where the machine is in sync with your requirements. Therefore, customizable tattoo guns and pens are preferred choices as they allow you to manage depth of penetration, setup time, placement of the pivot point, and even the needle angle.
Best Tattoo Kit – FAQs
Why tattoo kits are better choices as compared to separate purchases?
As a beginner, it is always advisable to start slow and not follow in the footsteps of a professional tattoo artist. Therefore, the tattoo starter kit should comprise kits as standalone units like needles, machines, ink, and practice canvas might make the cost higher.
What are the things to look for in a complete tattoo kit?
A complete tattoo kit should include different types of machines, formulated ink, portable tattoo guns, and other creative resources for a professional tattoo maker.
Why do we need to take a look at the tattoo machine’s digital power supply?
The individual, power supply module determines the ability of the machine to adjust in different conditions, sans outage, or surge-based issues.
Bottom-Line
Best Tattoo Starter Kit – The Editor’s Choice
Although a tattoo artist has an open sea of possibilities in front of him or her when starter kits are concerned, the Grinder tattoo kit by Pirate Face is easily a top available choice. The Pirate Face Tattoo kit is loaded with options and tattoo-making resources.
As the best tattoo kit for beginners, it gives access to 4 coil tattoo machine units, a resourceful tattoo power supply with dual voltage support, tested tattoo practice skin, disposable gloves, and other relevant resources.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that this pirate face tattoo kit for beginners prepares you well for an extensive professional journey.
The best tattoo starter kits are the ones adhering to your requirements, vision for diverse tattoo designs, and even professional stead as one of the leading tattoo artists. However, it is necessary to start slow and look for the best tattoo starter kits, like the Grinder Pirate Face tattoo kit, to understand the process better.
Once you are sure about the lining, shading, and other techniques, you can always purchase premium units where the kit comes loaded with skin-formulated ink and other high-end resources.
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