The Evolution of Tattoo Equipment: Round Shader Tattoo Needle Configurations

Precision Round Shader Tattoo Needles - Tattoo Supply - REBEL

ROUND shader tattoo needle configurations were one of the very first tattoo needle configurations in history. They have been with us since the dawn of tattooing, even before magnum configurations appeared.

When you work with round shaders, they give you the same results that round paint brushes can give painters. In this article, I’ll provide you with all the ultimate information you need to know about round shader tattoo needle configurations.

Let’s get to it now!

What’s Unique About Round Configurations?

“Round” is important when it comes to manufacturing. The round configuration provides unique possibilities for us to create various textures which are not achievable with needles from other tattoo needle categories.

These configurations are great for color packing as well as gray wash shade creations. But they’re not ideal for sewing lines.

Round Shader Tattoo needle configurations compare to artist paint brushes - REBEL

The Round Shader

Round shader tattoo needle configurations usually come from medium tapered needles. They are always available in a round shape, regardless of the number of needles.

The needle tips do not come up together at the end.

It’s actually quite easy to visualize this configuration. Put the thickest part of the needles together parallel to one another and solder them together in that position.

- .25mm – FINE – #8 is the standard system (US) designation.
- .30mm – NORMAL – #10 is the standard system (US) designation.
- .35mm – FAT – #12 is the standard system (US) designation.

Note: ALL REBEL ROUND SHADER needles are medium tapered configurations.

Note: Don’t mix up “gauge” with “taper”!

In this category, the round shader tattoo needle configuration does bear as many variation options as the round liner category or the magnum configuration category.

The shader category ranges from a 7 round shader up to between 18 and 20, depending on the manufacturer. The steps between configurations are the same as in the case of liners (usually odd number grouping): 7, 9, 11, 13, and so on.

Round Shader Tattoo Needle Configurations

The general ID or mark for this category of needle configurations in the tattoo industry is RS (Round Shader). The mark usually stands for the number of needles plus the gauge or diameter of the needles. For example, 1018RS means Gauge #10 = a .30mm needle, while 18R means there are 18 of them in a round configuration. And let us not forget that the S in the name stands for “shader”.

In this case, we can’t tell the taper of the individual needles by name or mark, so you need to get this information from the manufacturer.

REBEL precision driven tattooing RTC 14RS

At REBEL, we also mark our configurations based on this logic. We name the brand first – RTC = REBEL TATTOO CARTRIDGE – then we add the number of needles and finally the needle category. We mark the gauge of the individual needles under the product code as #10 – .30mm, which you can find on the blister packaging. So, now you know what RTC-18RS means with #10-.30mm.

ROUND 7 Shader - Precision Tattoo Cartridge - Needle - REBEL

ROUND 18 Shader - Precision Tattoo Cartridge - Needle - REBEL

Note: ALL REBEL ROUND SHADER configurations are medium tapered.

The REBEL Collection of Round Shader Cartridges

REBEL offers a great selection of round shader cartridges, with #10 = .30mm needles ONLY. All of them have a precise, technical feature that you should pay attention to. The measurement of the soldered together needles is the working diameter or working gauge what we use physically in tattooing.

The Definition of the Working Diameter

The term working diameter is my own invention. I came up with this expression to lay ground for a better understanding of the gauge.

Working diameter is the group of needles soldered together. This can be manufactured from different gauges of different needles. And this determines whether we call that a BUGPIN liner, STANDARD liner, POWER liner, or ROUND shader. Also, it determines how thin or thick lines you can make or how big a surface you can cover in case of using a round shader.

The difference between these needle configurations is the gauge of the needles they are manufactured from:

#8 = .25mm needle – BUGPIN
#10 = .30mm needle – STANDARD
#12 = .35mm needle – POWER

The chart below contains the measurements of the working diameter in different gauges of needles, showing the correlations between them. You’ll see both metric and standard measurements on the chart.

Round shader gauge measurement chart REBEL

As you can see, working diameters overlap (if you look at highlighted bits), just like they do in case of the REBEL ROUND LINER needle categories.

The Difference Between Cartridges

The fundamental difference here is in the REBEL #10 – .30mm configurations because there are no significant differences between the other gauges.

After looking at this chart, you’ll realize why keeping a high inventory of #8 – .25mm 3-7 RS cartridges won’t really get you a lot of marketing value. In tattooing, you can’t make an advantage of these sizes – they are too small.

The configurations are up to 1.58mm and only the .35mm 18RS has a bigger working diameter. That is still not visible to the naked eye, nor does it give you much advantage. So, REBEL mostly keeps inventory of the #10 – .30mm.

To support you with the most reliable and up to date insights, I’ll write more blog posts for you on various industry secrets. Stay tuned!

Caesar The Hun

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