HOW WE CAME TO BE... VALKNUT
So where to begin...
Valknut was born out of sheer exasperation at the cost to quality ratio of top tier machines, that seemed to offer the promise of a revolutionised feature, offering us all the performance and technological advances that we wanted, to make our lives and jobs as tattooists easier, and more enjoyable,
Being a tattooist myself and owning a studio with my wife, we invested heavily in new machines as and when they came out. Often I've had 4 of whatever machine was current at the moment, and that seemed to be the new next best thing! Partly, as I always believe in having back ups and also I like to set up a few groupings for large pieces, only issue being, they cost around £1000-£1500 each…. And well before the warranty was out all but one or two developed a fault for various reasons (none our fault) the support was nil or useless, and I began to wonder….
It’s also worth mentioning that any time a machine came out that promised to be the holy grail, I bought it only to find it was hyped up and failed to deliver anything new, and often felt like a step backwards. Often I had to adapt my own technique heavily to try and get the best out of my brand new machine, this led me to complete frustration as I could no longer just tattoo in an instinctive way, I was finding many things needed reworked or a different approach. Bending my own learned skills and habitual techniques to fit a machine, this made my technique suffer every time I bought a new machine. This is genuinely the most stressful part of tattooing I've ever put myself through! Machine hopping is NOT the way forward!
Before tattooing, I was an offshore mechanical engineer, 11 years working on turbine engines, Siemens, and Rolls Royce turbines mostly, This made me think…. essentially a tattoo machines primary function is to make the needle go up and down, so, I began to wonder what makes a machine worth £1500 or one worth half that or even less… how different are these machines?
So, I set off on a mission, I had every machine going and usually multiples of any that did their job. I’ve taken apart machines that cost me a small fortune, and I took apart cheaper machines that I got online. As expected the cheap machines weren’t up to much and the crucial internal components were made poorly and never intended as a professional tool, HOWEVER…… both the cheap machines and the expensive ones shared many parts or indeed on par components which was a surprise, this was an eye opener for me.
After my findings and feeling a little cheated that my super expensive machine wasn’t any prettier internally than the cheap ones it made me consider….. can I buy a readily available shell to keep costs down and then retro fit it with some industry standard components and then some clever custom performance parts and what do we have? We have possibilities…..
Years ago, in the experimental days when I had no idea if my idea would take off, I bought cheap machines and tore them down, put the magic into them, i.e custom motor amongst other things. Then, I would see if it was any good. The feedback was great! Now everything is custom made, so then I set about making things more official and professional, many revisions and many machine versions later we have the loved Valknut we have now. It was my friend Noddy Goffin who video called me in the early experimental days that gave me the push to keep going…. He said, “Bro... this thing is epic!... What the f**k is in this thing... From that day on its been progression and advancements.
There were definitely times where I felt like giving up, the pressure in the beginning felt immense and truthfully I didn’t cope as well as I would have liked , however that’s when support came from the most unlikely place, in the form of my now dear friend Dor Stocker. We didn’t know each other and when I hit a low point with my health and things hadn’t gone to plan Dor was there for me and took the time to make me whole and since then we have been the best of friends and I’ve been able to support in return, Dor gave me my best and most favourite tattoo, Valknut love and strength in action and now the uniting force of many.
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I was tired of getting told “you get what you pay for!” Only to have big industry profit from my values of buying the best I can. Only to have my premium machines die on me very early on and need sent back to the other side of the world and take 3-6 months to be fixed if they didn’t get lost in the process! Under performance from the moment I unwrapped them was also a really big let down. Being from an engineering background I always look after my equipment and that made no difference to the longevity or function of the premium machines. They seemed to just have a big price tag and nothing to back it up. Maybe I could do this after all...?
So, many hours of learning CAD and other associated softwares and making trade connections in countries all over the world seeking the best value and quality balances, some failed designs that didn’t make it to production and some that did, many versions of the Valknut have been released, each time improvements were made, some subtle and some very prominent. Always striving to produce the best operational machine I can, that gives you its all from the moment you start it,
Many machines I’ve spent significant money on are “down clocked” to give you sub par performance BUT usually meaning the machine hopefully lasts until the warranty runs out…. This is a clever industry trick.
Valknut doesn’t do this, Valknut gives 100% from day one, maximum output, until it cant give anymore.
I’m honoured to be putting some of the fun back into tattooing, I love our ever growing community,
Valknut is for the artists, by the artists, now and always.
We do our best so you can exceed yours x
Viva la Valknut.
about valknut
the machine
and what comes with it
Find below all you need to know about the Machine, the Vault, and all the goodies that come with your purchase.
1
The vault - hard durable flight case with dual layer protective foam, able to hold 2 machines plus batteries
2
Valknut Rotary Machine, comes standard with two ergo grips (slim and standard) and 2 re-chargeable batteries
3
Plastic Pen Tray, fits the machine and has a small magnet on the base to stick to workstations
4
UK Plug with 4 charging points. 2x valknut battery charge, 1x iPad charge, 1x phone charge
5
RCA adapter so you can use the machine with an RCA cord and power supply
6
Sweets - because who doesn't love sweeties!
7
Charging cables and spare O-rings.
8
V-Lube for use on the machine and o-rings
9
Instruction manual and one of our shiny logo stickers!
what stroke suits your work best
the hammer guide
We have 4 different strokes available. Each one is good for different styles of work, see below for what we recommend for each stroke.
3.0mm
Perfect for soft soft shading and fine line work, but can also work great as a colour packer on tighter areas of skin. We love to pair this machine with the 4.0mm and we call that set up the "Dream Team" for all styles.
3.5mm
The best all-rounder for a machine. If you can only buy one, we recommend you start with this stroke. At lower voltages the give system kicks in and makes a nice shader, and higher voltages the direct drive kicks in and it can push bold lines and colour pack with ease.
4.0mm
The perfect stroke for bold line work, solid colour packing and can push any group of needle with ease. The voltage adjustment makes it the go-to for those harder to work on areas. Perfectly paired with the 3.0mm for the "Dream Team" set up.
4.6mm
The monster of all machines! Hits harder than any other machine you have tried but also amazingly versatile with voltage adjustment. If all you do is heavy lines, solid colour and solid black outs, this should be your tool of choice.
Instruction manual
FAQ
Please find below various FAQs on General questions, Machine use, Postage and Problems resolved.
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What comes in the Machine box?The "Vault" box is the standard box that comes with every machine purchase. Inside you will find.. - Valknut Machine - 2x re-chargeable batteries - 1x standard ergo grip - 1x slim ergo grip - 1x pen tray - 1x RCA adapter - 1x UK Plug with charging ports - 1x V-Lube - 1x charging cables/O-ring package - 1x Valknut Sticker - 1x User Manual - 1x Sweeties!
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What Machine stroke should I buy?We have 4 different strokes available. Each one is good for different styles of work, see below for what we recommend for each stroke. - 3.0mm - is perfect for soft soft shading and fine line work, but can also work great as a colour packer on tighter areas of skin. We love to pair this machine with the 4.0mm and we call that set up the "Dream Team" for all styles. - 3.5mm - is the best all-rounder for a machine. If you can only buy one, we recommend you start with this stroke. At lower voltages the give system kicks in and makes a nice shader, and higher voltages the direct drive kicks in and it can push bold lines and colour pack with ease. - 4.0mm - is the perfect machine for bold line work, solid colour packing and can push any group of needle with ease. The voltage adjustment makes it the go-to for those harder to work on areas. Perfectly paired with the 3.0mm for the "Dream Team" set up. - 4.6mm - is the monster of all machines! Hits harder than any other machine you have tried but also amazingly versatile with voltage adjustment. If all you do is heavy lines, solid colour and solid black outs, this should be your tool of choice.
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Can I use a cable connection instead of going wireless?Yes. Whilst Valknut is a wireless machine and that's all part of the package, we do supply an RCA adapter which will click onto your motor middle and you can use an RCA cable connected to a power supply instead.
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How long is the Warranty?The standard warranty on all new purchases is 12 months. After the warranty period has ended we also offer a servicing/repair option for your machine at a small fee. So at any time during your machine's use we will be there on hand to assist where we can.
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How do I charge the batteries?The batteries should be charged using the cables and charging point plug provided in the box. Please ensure you plug the charger into a good quality surge protector. This is a MUST when dealing with lithium rechargeable batteries. Any electrical surges through your buildings main supply (which is more common than you think) can affect the battery's ability to provide a regular current to the motor. If the motor is receiving irregular currents from the batteries, this can eventually wear down the motors ability to run well. We recommend Belkin surge protectors for all your electrical devices. (Even your phone and iPad will live longer when protected from the irregular currents entering our buildings).
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What is the V-Lube?The V-Lube is a skin friendly and machine friendly lubricant. It smells great and helps keep your machine running great. A small dab is all that's needed to keep the machine lubricated. We recommend dropping a small amount in the cart pin hole every few months, and a drop or two on the O-rings around the batteries (being careful not to get on the base of the battery), and a drop or two on the O-ring and click grip bearings. You'll notice the difference in how smooth those clicks are when connecting your grips and batteries! Also, did we mention is smells great?
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Why does my battery say "Overload"?Your machine is programmed and designed to protect itself and keep the motor from being overworked. If at any point the machine's motor feels like it is at risk of being overworked the battery will short and show an "overload" error. This is inbuilt so that your motor stays protected and lasts longer! The most common reason for this error is down to the membranes in cartridge needles. As cartridges are constantly changing and improving we have found that a number of brands use very hard membranes. This can put extra strain on your machine's motor. What we recommend is to "pump" the cartridge a few times to allow the membrane to soften, or to reduce the amount of "hang" on the needle to see if this reduces the strain on the motor. If you are finding your machine is showing "overload" without a cartridge, please contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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Can I autoclave my Valknut?You can autoclave the grip of the valknut, this can be easily removed from the motor. Please do not autoclave the motor or the batteries, they will not survive! These should be well wrapped when in use and wiped clean with a small amount of medical grade instrument cleaner after use.
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Where do you ship to?We can ship worldwide. Shipping costs will vary based on location. Please be aware that we are a UK based company and any import taxes and duties are payable by the recipient. We cannot be held responsible for any import duties and taxes so please take this into consideration when purchasing a machine.
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How long will it be until I receive my order?UK Parcels - We endeavour to dispatch all orders within 24 hours of payment received. We use either Parcelforce 24hour tracked Service or Royal Mail Special Delivery. Both of these providers aim to get your parcel to you within 24 hours of dispatch. Therefore expect your parcel between 1-3 days after purchase. EU/Rest of the World - We endeavour to dispatch within 24 hours of payment received. For this we use Parcelforce International and delivery can take from 5-10 working days from the day of dispatch.
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I am missing my Order, who do I contact?If you haven't received your order within 3 working days (UK) or 10 working day (rest of the world) please contact us on the contact form or via email at valknut.rotary.ltd@gmail.com. We will get back to you as soon as possible with tracking details and updates.
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Who do I contact if I have a problem/question?If you can't see your question here please just contact us either via the contact form on this website, via instagram DM, or you can email us at valknut.rotary.ltd@gmail.com. We will get back to you as soon as possible! :)