Neuma

After my post about joint pain, I've received numerous e-mails about the Neuma Tattoo Machine. I've even been told my style of tattooing will fit with the Neuma. I've certainly looked into it before but have balked at the price of a good air compressor. Now, I have no problem spending a large amount of money on a quality product! That's easy to do. But coming up with the money to spend is a different story.

neuma.jpgAt the end of 2007, I emailed Carson about trying one out. I couldn't find anybody near me, so he offered a test run at Off the Map Tattoo. I have yet to fly out there... but I'm visiting Hell City this year, so maybe I'll run into somebody there.

I will say that it's coming, eventually. I'm going to figure it into my budget somehow and save up. When I get my hands on some Neuma machines and a quality compressor, I'll dedicate a load of posts to reviewing the machine and process.

Related links:

Keith over at Kustom Kulture, has some wonderful Neuma videos on his blog. Here's the blog and here's a great video showing his setup.

Marisa, over at Needled, has mentioned she'll be doing a quality post about Neuma. I look forward to it.

Comments

i've heard you can not tune Neuma machine in any kind of way. how could this be working well ? it's like trying to reinvent the wheel in my opinion. why would i want a lighter machine either ?? give me an 8ox machine and a 1" grip and i am a happy camper. plus. good luck carrying the compressor on the plane when you're going to that guest spot.

the cons defeat the pros

aivanne   on March 13, 2008 3:00 PM

David, you can find a really nice multi-artist compressor on ebay for around $1000 (I did). The Neuma doesn't need to be tuned like a coil machine. It runs perfectly smooth (although sometimes I find myself fiddling with the rubber bands to get the speed just right), and the speed of the needle is controlled by an air regulator so changing from lining to shading is quick.

The lighter machine helps hand fatigue more than anything else though. I'm able to use the machine at any angle to my body, stretch the skin more easily because I'm not trying to keep the machine in place, and get longer "flowing" lines.

Definitely seek out a Neuma at Hell City, Gabe and the TattooNow folks are big fans.

Also, Carson and Nathan Kostechko released a short DVD through TattooNow (and their convention booths) that goes into detail on the Neumas. It's not a full on instruction video, but will give you a visual of how well the machines work.

Nate   on April 9, 2008 12:51 PM

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This entry was published on
March 10, 2008 9:53 AM
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