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Tubes? What’s yours.
Lots of people have different views, this is probably the same with any decision or argument that you will come across, but when it comes to tattoo gear there is quite a clear cut line between the people who like something and the people who don’t. Grips and tubes is one of those matters. I used to find that when ever I talk to artists they always say that Steel grips and tubes are best, but I am starting to find that more and more are converting to the disposable alternative. So why is this?
I suppose the obvious advantages to disposable tubes are that, one you don’t need to buy a steriliser which saves you a bit of cash, they are easily available with almost every internet shop selling a wide variety of sizes and they are quite comfortable to use, coming from previous experience using them. With that in mind why wouldn’t you use them, seems to be a good argument to do so; well the down side to these tubes are that, even though you save money on the steriliser, they are quite costly in the long run (hence why most shops don’t use them); also when you are setting up your machine, you will have to change the entire tube when changing needle size e.g. when changing shading needles it easy to catch the needle tip on the plastic and chip it causing a rough motion; not nice.
So if there are faults with the disposable tubes why are people changing to them, well it is because they’re just easier; you don’t have to sterilise them which is my biggest incentive, as I don’t have the cash to buy a steriliser and they aren’t expensive to replace like Steel tubes; if you break one, no biggy, just get another one out. Although saying that I think that if you have the cash I would defiantly use Steel. They are a lot more customisable, you can get the perfect size grip for your hand which can make all the difference, they are cheaper in the long run when you add it up and; you don’t have to change the whole tube to change needle size, just the end section.
To be honest I think that when I comes down to it, neither ease, cash or sterilisation will factor in to it, you will choose what suits you, weather it be disposable plastic tubes or steel tubes that you can have one of a kind, it is what you hand wants to use.
