Just wanted to take a heartfelt moment to thank @ruethlessirons for starting this conversation, which, frankly, has turned into a movement. Corporations are squeezing every dollar from every corner of the world. Where you shop matters, both online and locally. If you’re unfamiliar (where have you been?), go check out his page to get yourself up to speed.
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS.
True Line is live and growing every day. We are past the launch now—it’s about using this to protect your bench and keep your money in the trade.
People are asking why certain brands aren’t listed yet. It’s simple. Either they sold to Private Equity and they don't belong here, or I just haven't got to them yet. I’m adding names every day, so if an artist-owned brand isn't there yet, it’s just a matter of time.
I’m also putting together a page dedicated to all the moves made by the PE firms. You’ll be able to see exactly what they own, who sold, and how they’re trying to move into the market. No more hiding behind a legacy name.
As for the regulations, the Model Body Art Code is moving at the state level and the FDA is tightening rules on facility registration and product listings. We have to keep paying attention to how this hits our shops. I’ll be dropping all the updates on that in the Blog section of the app.
Stop guessing who you’re supporting. Use the directory to keep the trade independent. Link in bio to access.
This is 100% free. You can’t buy your way onto True Line. It’s not here for profit—it’s just a directory to help you support the people who actually support the trade.
All brass attack pack. Hand-cut bases and spring decks with countersunk tall 8-wrap coils.
Nux Shader
Built to pack solid color, day in and day out.
Comanche Liner
Made to scream in lines like a laser beam in a single pass.
This is a collab build with @vestermfg
Thank you to those that have and support my builds. I build all machines no matter if it's a direct drive, pen, or coil—even hand pokers. Whatever gets the job done; I just love building.
Rue at @ruethlessirons put together something I think a lot of tattooers will appreciate.
True Line is a simple web app directory for independent tattoo suppliers, machine builders, and tattooer-owned companies. Easy to save to your phone and keep nearby while working.
Feels like more and more of tattooing keeps getting pulled toward corporations, investors, algorithms, and outside interests, so it’s refreshing seeing something built to help support the people actually contributing to the trade itself.
Makes it a whole lot easier to spend your money with the right people. Who sell ethically.
Can tell a lot of work went into this thing. Definitely appreciate seeing somebody take the time to build it. Thank you!
To install the free app, go to
#tattooing #tattoosuplies #tattoomachines #madefortattooers tattooerowned
The True Line Directory is Live.
This started as a simple list of breadcrumbs and a goal to leave tattooing better than I found it. It went from a basic note to a Google Sheet, then an Excel file, and finally into a fully functional PWA so the directory is live and searchable for everyone. It took a massive amount of work to get the formatting right, but we did it to keep the trade in the hands of artists and independent owners.
This only exists because of the community. Thank you for the suggestions, the DMs, and the emails. By coming together to highlight independent brands and artist-owned companies, we’ve built something for ourselves.
If you want to know how to help, it’s simple: put your money where your mouth is. Spend your money with people who are actually part of what we do and want to see this trade prevail.
True Line is 100% free and all the information is free. There is no catch. This is about unity and giving back to the tattoo gods.
We are still verifying every link and address by hand, so if you aren’t on here yet, please be patient. It’s not a dig—it’s just me and one other person doing the work. If you’re artist-owned or independent, you belong here. No favorites and no bias.
If you need to be added, message me and send over your logo.
Link in bio. Keep the craft and trade in the hands of the artist and independent and those that want to see tradition push forward.
#ruethlessirons #vestermfg
I can’t preach what I don’t practice. I’m searching to make everything I use come directly from tattooer owned non corporate builders and suppliers. It’s not gonna be easy but step one was a good pen machine that I would honestly say runs just as good if not better than the most popular machines. I tried a few and my favorite is the shiv pen by @ruethlessirons Absolutely incredible machine and their page has linked me to a directory they made of tattooer owned companies. More work is being done to compile a full site of tattooer owned builders, suppliers, ink makers, and more. Check out @ruethlessirons irons for putting in a ton of work to help the tattoo community connect with tattooer owned companies. It’s truly inspiring.
#tattooartist #tattoomachine #tattoopen #tattoosupply #tattoocommunity
The May 28, 2026, deadline in the EU is the official re-classification of our trade, and it’s happening in real-time. They used Annex XVI to hijack our tools and force them into a medical registry. This is the "Sync" (International Harmonization)—a global blueprint to ensure that if a machine is a "medical device" in the EU, it becomes one in the USA (MoCRA).
This has nothing to do with tattooing and everything to do with logistics for an industry we aren't even a part of. Because we’ve been lumped into "Cosmetics" since the 1930s, we are getting caught in the crossfire. The goal is a unified harmonization code so major commercial makeup firms can ship products back and forth across borders without custom snags. They are turning your machine into a medical device just to keep their corporate supply chain moving.
The doorway they used was our own online behavior. When the EU pushed the pigment bans, they mined forum pages and social media where people were bickering over ink reactions. They used those negative posts to "prove" the trade didn't trust its own brands and required government intervention. They are scanning our hardware discussions right now to do the same thing.
The "Hardware Tax" is a paywall set by labs and consultants who want you to believe the paperwork is impossible. It’s not. You can self-document using MDCG 2023-5. Since the first coil patents in 1891, the global tattoo community has maintained its own standards. If you’ve been building since before 2023, you have until 2028 to make your move.
Stop the "crabs in a barrel" mentality. Every time we air out negative trade business in public, we are handing them the doorway they need to justify taking over our trade.
#vestermanufacturing #ruethlessirons
The February 12th "High Risk" classification was the trigger that officially bypassed MoCRA’s Small Business exemptions. If you thought a $1M revenue shield would protect you, it’s gone. This didn't happen in a vacuum; it is the direct effect of a trade busy fighting itself while the industry casts a net to define "safety" on corporate terms.
We are watching a direct copy of the European REACH rollout where they started with the ink and are now hitting the "Hardware." On May 28th, the EUDAMED database becomes mandatory in Europe, meaning a CE sticker is no longer enough. Without a federal Technical File, your gear is illegal. The facility registration happening in the States right now is the exact infrastructure needed to launch that same hardware registry here.
This is the "Chemical Tax" in action. At $5k–$10k per batch for testing, it is an economic filter designed to swallow the independent trade and hand the market to corporate giants. The "don’t worry" crowd isn't being honest with you. International harmonization means the strictest rules become the global standard, and those telling you to ignore the May 28th deadline are the ones who benefit from you staying reactive.
We starve this movement by sticking together and sharing data instead of circling each other. Proactive defense means using independent third-party labs and sourcing pre-certified components on our own terms. We have to set the standards before they use them to price us out.
#vestermfg #ruethlessirons
The website launch is about 6 days out. I’ve been working to turn that directory spreadsheet into a full PWA so you can have it right on your phone like an app.
Tattooing has been good to me my whole life. Everything I have has come from this, and I just want to give back so others get that same feeling of being part of this community. It’s always been about making your own path and finding freedom by going against the system— trying to make a path.
This isn't an organization, a union, or a group. It’s just an open, unbiased directory shared among peers so you can cross-reference where your dollars go. No favorites and no picking sides—if it’s independent and artist-owned, it’s in.
Like the Dan Higgs quote, it’s about nurturing something that came way before you because you hope it continues after you. This is about being in the middle and making sure this resource is here for the next person. At the end of the day, this is just about unity in the trade. People who are actually here to contribute will always find a way to work together.
I’m still adding to the list daily. If you’re an independent brand, hit me up. If you want your logo on the site for the launch, send it over now. Let’s keep pushing.
#ruethlessirons
#vestermanufacturing
To understand how Private Equity and one-stop shops change a trade, look at the history of retail. Walmart, Home Depot, and Amazon used this model to replace independent ecosystems with centralized ones. These models provide a platform that looks like support, but the goal is to strip the asset.
It is not about benefiting the company; it is about benefiting the firm. These firms operate on a 5 to 7-year "Holding Period" to maximize value for a future sale. The handoffs are public record: Bunker Hill flipped to Audax in 2017. Bertram flipped to Trivest in 2021.
The one-stop shop model impacts local economies. Customer service lacks, products run out, and those hired have no interest in the work. Innovation slows as competition is eliminated. Product choice disappears when what looks like many options is actually just one or two manufacturers.
When competition is removed, quality drops. This happens across all platforms. This shift includes hiring call centers, outsourcing, and using day laborers to build machines. It is about profit maximization. Support those who support you.
#vestermfg #ruethlessirons
East to West Episode - Horisumi X Rue. A great interview with @ruethlessirons about the corporatization of tattooing, turning a craft into an industry. Only able to post the first 20 minutes to Instagram, watch the whole video on YouTube, search 'horisumi'
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Authentink Studio Sydney
Info:
[email protected]
👉🏻@horisumi 👈🏻
👉🏻@authentink_apparel 👈🏻
🙏🏻
Freehand Tebori Horimono
All lines by machine - color and shading by hand. #Tebori #tattoo #japanesetattoos #irezumi #wabori japanesetattoo traditionaljapanese
@authentink_studio Tebori is the traditional Japanese method of tattooing, deeply rooted in the art of irezumi and wabori. Each Japanese tattoo carries rich cultural meaning and showcases the timeless beauty of traditional Japanese designs.
The Cause and Effect
As tattooing exploded, outside money moved in to consolidate the independent brands and supply houses built by artists. This happened because convenience was prioritized over reliability and the craft itself. Now, we are seeing government regulations being framed as "safety nets," when they actually operate as a "pay-for-play" regulatory tax. This isn't about villainizing—it’s about the mechanical reality of how these systems work and the cost of choosing convenience over the ecosystem.
The Reality of the Trade
Tattooing is a service business and a luxury expense; it fluctuates with the economy. This isn’t a corporate 9-to-5 or an hourly wage job. You chose freedom, and with that comes slow periods and busy periods. When things slow down, you work on your art. You learn the history of the trade. You look at different avenues of growth as an artist. There is more to tattooing than just putting ink in the skin.
The Work
Travel. Get tattooed by the artists you admire and pick their brains; that is the best education you can buy. Use social media as a tool to network. Go to conventions and art shows. Buy art and support the independent makers who give back to this trade. It takes years of dedication to earn respect from your peers and provide better work for your clients.
The Responsibility
You only get from this trade what you give. Tattooing needs love and it needs to be respected. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and continuing what they laid out is a massive responsibility. Many of us have done better for ourselves than any of our predecessors, yet the problem is not giving anything back. We honor this art form by giving back everything.
Stop being complacent. Ask a thousand questions.
#vestermanufacturing #ruethlessirons #
