Critical Power Supply Review

Critical CX-1 Power Supply

Todays review is on a super important part of any tattooist's arsenal. The power supply. I've used and owned many in the past, and none seem to compare to my Critical. This little power supply really produces a lot of solid, steady power and my machines really have never run better. A power supply that can provide steady power to your machines during a tattoo is, well...critical in producing quality tattoos.



Pros/Cons:

Some things I love about this power supply are its size, portability and ease of use. Its very small, it doesnt take up a lot of room in your work space. I've used power supplies that, alothough worked wonderfully, were the size of a small child. Because they are so small, the Critical Power Supplies are great for any tattooer that travels. The supply itself is about the size of a cigarette box, and the only other part is a power cord with another small box near the wall outlet plug. Its very small and compact. The Critical supply that I own, version CX-1 is incredibly simple and easy to use. It has 2 buttons to adjust voltage and buttons to switch between Liner and Shader.
This power supply, more so than any that I have used in the past provides steady power to my machines during my tattoos. Other supplies that I've used in the past would sometimes lose power and drop in volts in the middle of a tattoo.

The only 'con' I can think of is that when I ordered this power supply, it only came with a stand that attached to metal surfaces via magnets, which seems to be the standard stand that is included. My tattoo station did not have anywhere I could affix this to, so I had to rig up a system that worked. I eventually ended up buying a metal plate from  the Critical website that they sell just for these type of situations. So this was an extra few dollars that I had to spend in order to comfortably use the power supply, which is lame. The company also offers a stand that attaches to other surfaces by a clamp. Which I could have used, and I would more people could use than the magnets. But its a small price to pay for a quality power supply.

Worth the money?

Absolutely. Seeing as the only 'con' I can think of has nothing to do with the way the supply itself works, it is definitely worth the money. It is the best power supply I have used in my years of tattooing and I would absolutely recommend it to a friend. In the future if I find myself needing another power supply, Critical will be my first choice. I cannot find my exact model online, but it is the most basic supply they make. For their most similar choice the price is $150.00, and I paid something very close to that. So for such a great working power supply, I definitely got my moneys worth.




Thanks for reading!!
Let me know what power supplies you guys use and what you think of Critical!

Check out their website and grab one for yourself! :
Critical Tattoo Website

Mike Godfrey Tattoo Machine Review

Mike Godfrey "Pusher" B&G Shader

Theres a saying..."The tools make the man." Meaning when a man has the proper tools, he can create. 

In this case, the man makes the tools. Thee man. 

A machine that is made by Mike Godfrey is definitely a proper tool.

Im pretty sure I first heard about Mike from Jeff Gogue, who is one of my tattoo heros. I had seen a video of him tattooing with a Mike Godfrey tattoo machine, and at the time I was trying to decide which builder to buy my next machine from. Well, I guess I found my answer. 

In the video Gogue was using a "Pusher" style frame, like one above. I loved the shape of it and thats what I ended up ordering. I emailed Mike telling him I wanted a black and grey/color blending machine. I left the color of the frame up to him. He was super pleasant to deal with over email. He built and mailed out the machine super fast. And he even sent it in a rad little canvas drawstring bag. I love little drawstring bags, they make me feel like a wizard. 

I love this machine, I use it almost every day. Its built to last. Its a nice and solid construction that runs super smooth. Before this machine, I was using a shader from Electric Soul Tattoo Machines, which is a great machine as well, but theres a big difference in the way the machines run. Of course each machine will run differently, no two are built exactly the same. The EST machine feels a bit lighter, and hits a bit lighter. It almost has a "tinny" feel and sound to it. My new Mike Godfrey machine feels like it has a much more solid hit. I can get super smooth blends and grey shading from it, and it still feels and sounds like a more solid and sturdy machine. I use a lot of 11 and 15 mags and this machine pushes them with ease. 

I started experimenting with rotaries a bit, and for long sessions it is nice to have a machine that weighs practically nothing. But I still prefer to feel the machine in my hand. Its nice when a machine has a little weight to it, and you know the needle is making a solid hit on the skin. Thats what I feel with this Mike Godfrey machine. Its not too heavy to the point where its straining, its a comfortable weight and feel. 

I definitely intend on buying another machine from Mike Godfrey. He delivered exactly what I needed, and at a fair price at just around $400. Some people argue that builders charge far too much, but I absolutely do not mind paying for quality. I am looking to purchase another color packer and I think Mike might be the guy. 

If any of you guys have ever used any of his Machines I'd love to hear what you think!!

Thanks for reading!!

Check out his site and contact him for a machine!!

Mike Godfrey Machines