From the bench of Brandyn Feldman – June 2025

There’s been a lot of talk lately. About wireless this, pen that, Bluetooth-enabled machines, programmable stroke settings—plug-and-play tattooing like it’s 2030 already. And while I understand the tech, I’ve got to say it out loud:

Coil tattoo machines still matter.

Not just because they look cool. Not just because they hum like an old truck warming up in the cold. They matter because they work—when they’re built right. When they’re tuned by someone who understands geometry, spring tension, magnetic pull, and what it means to drive a needle into skin all day, every day.

That’s exactly what I set out to do with the Front Loader Aussie Bulldog Shader. It’s built from A-36 steel, surface ground for flatness, and machined to precise tolerances. The geometry is balanced, the punch is clean, and the side-load vise makes tube swaps quick and easy. It’s a machine made for the real grind—hours in the chair, bold color work, and skin that needs to heal smooth. Built for tattooers who want gear that works as hard as they do.

I’ve spent the better part of my life chasing that perfect hit—the one that doesn’t stutter mid-pass or chew up the skin. That pursuit led me deep into the world of traditional coil machines. And the more I studied the old-timers—Paul Rogers, Sailor Jerry, Des Conley—the more I realized they weren’t just guessing. They were engineers in their own right. Problem solvers with limited tools but unlimited grit.

Take that 1972 letter from Sailor Jerry, where he writes about chasing clean DC, fighting ripple, and trying every trick in the book to stabilize his builds. Some of it reads like superstition—swinging armatures by hand, polarity wraps, weird battery setups—but beneath all that was a real hunger for understanding. That’s what lit the fire under me.

I’ve made it my mission to turn those superstitions into science.

Every machine I build—like the Front Loader Aussie Bulldog Shader—is cut from that same mindset. I surface grind all critical frame faces to dead flat. I hand-tune each one for smooth draw and punch. My machines are made from A-36 steel, machined in a precision shop with HAAS CNC mills, and finished by hand. This ain’t factory fluff—this is real-deal equipment for working tattooers.

Coil machines matter because they teach you how tattooing actually works. You feel the lag. You feel the pull. You hear the cycle rate. It’s not hidden behind a processor or silicone-damped shell. It’s you, the machine, and the skin. That’s it.

That honesty makes you a better tattooer.

When you run a good coil, you learn timing. You learn hand speed. You start to hear when a machine wants to work and when it needs tuning. These things can’t be replaced by convenience. They're earned.

And for those who say coil machines are too heavy, too loud, too much—good. Let ‘em say it. Because the ones who stick with it will build skill, not dependency. They’ll understand why balance matters, why precision matters, and why a properly tuned coil machine will always leave the pen pushers two steps behind.

If you’re still on the fence, start with a well-built shader like the Aussie Bulldog. Feel the weight. Feel the history. And know that every buzz you hear is backed by a hundred years of craft, trial, failure, and breakthroughs.

We don’t run coil machines because we’re stuck in the past. We run them because we’re building the future—on steel, not software.

Still chasing greatness, – Brandyn Feldman

Want to dive deeper? Check out our full line of:

• Professional coil tattoo machines

• Bulldog frame shader and liner machines

• Surface-ground precision tattoo frames

• Handmade tattoo tools for professionals

• Tattooable practice skins and accessories

• Direct drive rotary tattoo machines

• CNC machined tattoo machine parts

• American made tattoo equipment

• Tattoo machine coils and armature bars

• Tattoo machine tuning tools

• Tattoo machine springs, screws, and yokes

• Traditional tattoo machines for professionals

• High-performance tattoo machines for shading

• Tattoo machine engineering and power supply optimization

• Custom tattoo machine design and geometry

• Tattoo machine troubleshooting and maintenance

• Coil machine setup for bold line work

• Tattoo machine frame materials and finishes

• Magnetic field balancing in tattoo machines

• Tattoo machine builders inspired by Sailor Jerry and Paul Rogers

Made in California. Built for working tattooers.