Emillion Irons, the classic coil manufacturer with a long history in the tattoo industry, has been brought up to date with the Emillion Silent Protest rotary machine!

As long-time sellers of Minikinetic machines and lovers of the Silent Protest - which is super adjustable and super powerful - we were thrilled to catch up with owner and tattoo legend Emillion!

Our chat with Emillion - who taught our very own Liam how to understand, tune and fix coil tattoo machines - includes the first machine he ever fixed, how the industry has changed since he joined it, and why he decided that rotary machines needed a little Emillion power!

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a kid, I seriously wanted to become a ninja or a kung fu master like Bruce Lee. Not the usual like a fireman or something, and most definitely not a policeman!

Have you always had an interest in tattoos?

Yes!

How did you move from a career in music production to creating tattoo machines?

Well, studio stuff was expensive back then and I wanted it by any means necessary (except for drugs and robbery).

That mindset got me straight to the jailhouse, where I was drawing a lot to spend time.

When I was released I had no money. My mate Nationmost, who used to barber with me, told me I should go on and start tattooing because I would be able to. Easier said than done - I started playing with an old Micky Sharpz machine he lent me and It just stopped on me!

Me and my mate both had no idea what to do with that machine, so I said “well let me get you a new one”...

After he told me it was like 300 Euros I backed down fast, and said “let me take a second look at that thing then!”

Assuming the machine was broken and there was nothing to lose, I started dismantling that Micky Sharpz machine part by part like it was an explosive.

During that journey I came to find out that I probably could make these machines myself

And so I did - big aluminium frames without yokes, running horribly at first. From there on I started understanding the magnetics, spring tensions and capacitors.

I ended up in Henk Schiffmacher’s shop where he tested me on what I was about.

After pulling some vintage frames which I identified, he was interested in running some. He said, “Blacksmith!...You make a meeeeean machiiiine! Morrison, Tygo come look.”

 Note: There were no good YouTube tutorials and the only professional builders were overseas like Aaron Cain, followed up by SobaOne, the Ciferri brothers, Mike Flying Irons, Juan Puente and then became more public because of the LA Ink series’ Dringenberg followed up by Tim Hendricks.

 Do you still make your coil machines by hand?

As in hand cutting, drilling and welding and winding coils, I don’t. During 15 years of machinery and website visits from 198 countries, I had the most popular models (Minijones and Minimilton) cast in Croatia and people making parts worldwide, not even knowing for what purpose.

Does anyone else work with you at Emillion?

Lester Little, Rasta Dave, Carlos Cardenas, Aliki and my former apprentice Miche Moulin, as everybody in the tattoo shop puts in work where they can. I do the final settings and tuning, and I’m the one showing them off!

What kind of customisations do your customers ask for?

I did dogs, children faces, logos, motorclubs photoshopped on coils, so many themes and frame colours (which I never saw when I was starting, and all the frames where patina or oil dipped).

Frames in different shapes like the number 7 with a Jack Daniels theme, 16 for the 16th Milano Tattoo Convention, 7 and 8frames for the 7 and 8th London Convention at the Tobacco Dock.

An animal marker from a sewing machine for Old Jan Born tattoo, an old powdergun frame, challenged by fillalpando’s signature, machines that hit so hard you could engrave cans with them, and one machine I got back because it runs as fast I ever seen - 210 cycles per second!

Why did you decide to go into the rotary game with the Silent Protest?

Because I'm mad! Big money companies sh*t out all these sticks and artists that are already amazing endorse them, tattoo shops praise them, and then there are no more settings or requirements.

Tattooists make demands about Faulhaber and Maxon motors, but don’t know what they’re talking about.

Cheyenne Hawk and Dan Kubin don’t even look at these…but are they appreciated? Go figure! I then took way too long, because I don’t like rotaries but iron!

Can you tell us a bit about the Silent Protest machine and what makes it great?

People around me were telling me to get with the “future”, while complaining about what was missing in these popular rotaries: stroke and power. That Emillion POWER!

I needed another engine to push my plan and had it customised by Allied Motion (which manufactures the most famous DC engine brands).

I’m protesting in my own little way, by taking the rotary game to another step with a functional (tattoo artist-approved) stroke adjustment, and the kind of power you won’t find elsewhere without a wire.

But then again I’ve got artists doing only 3 RL tattoos, 123 Magnum blackouts, colour packing and realism with it!

What makes the Minikinetic machine so popular?

The minimalist size, the design, and it’s something new with a different drive.

Recent machines with a bar movement like this and a side engine are simply Dan Kubin knock-offs if you ask me!

What makes a great tattoo machine?

It does what the artist exactly wants it to do without the artist having to adjust to the machine.

Which is the best, weirdest or funniest custom machine you’ve been asked to make?

I challenged Lyle Tuttle, told him I had a machine he doesn’t have and has never seen.

He said I was full of it and didn’t even know the P and Q’s about the San Diego Tattoo Museum and what was there.

I knew I had him because TattooMoby from the Netherlands invented a 3 piece dividable steel grip in the nineties and patented it. He ordered a custom machine set and made sign his leg with it.

I sent one off to Lyle in San Diego and he was stocked the hell out…he called it the “Dutch diesel”, took my proud picture with it and placed it in the Tattoo Museum!

Priceless!!

Which artists work with Emillion machines?

Of course most have changed from iron setups to rotary, but here are some artists I know that had or used them:

Jose Lopez, Dan Henk, Benjamin Moss, Morrison Schifmacher, Robert Hernandez, Cute Karin, Paul Acker, Miss Ariana, Costi, Gyno (rick ros artist), Joe Capobianco, Amy Mymouse, Johnny Domus, Giacomo Russo, Tatubaby, Sara Herzdame, Onie O’ Leary, Shige Yellowblaze, Brent Mcown, Boog (RIP), Gordo Letters, Jamie Ris, Antonio Todisco Macko, Rob Deut (RIP), Tattoobaby, TopBoy Gully, Cammy and Calum Stewart, Ossian, Brandon Bond, Horiyu, Yushi Takei, Bill Loika, and Tim Hendriks won one at the 8th London Convention.

What elastic bands, needles and grommets do you recommend for use with your coil machines?

Go with whatever works. If you use a coil, you will know!

 What is the tattoo scene like in the Netherlands?

Everywhere is the same - some see it as a job/hustle , and the real artists live the lifestyle.

What do you think is the next big thing in tattooing?

Paper drawings and coil machines, believe it or not!

How many tattoos do you have, and is there a favourite?

About twenty…I don’t even look anymore.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

Like any simple man; cars and women.

How has the tattoo industry changed since you joined it?

 Honestly, I look at it with pain in my system. Online 2 week tattoo courses? No more originality but Pinterest copies, an iPad that almost draws for you?

Newcomers are looking for a quick buck doing just line tracing calling it fine line tattoos and themselves artists.

Numbing cream has become an accepted standard instead of the exception.

There is less and less respect for the tradition, unwritten rules and craft itself, and everybody is looking for clout and Instafame.

You’d have to trick new clients with high beam lights, polarising and digital filters in your online presentation to keep up with the other artists' “falsified” portfolios.

Besides tattooing you need to be a sound and movie editor as well!

The overkill will kill itself and many won’t make it…

How a customer experiences the process will start to count more again and again though. They’ll ask, how was I treated? Does my artist listen to me? That’s where the newbie,selfish clout seekers will fall off, because they can’t be bothered.

Will we see Emillion Irons at any conventions in the next year?

Yes! I'll be doing a 10 metre Emillion family booth at Brussels, and then I’ll start doing some of the old rounds again!

What does the future hold for Emillion - both the company and the man?

As a conspiracy watcher, I want to leave the European Smart City, World Economic Forum, BlackRock etc elite environment and move to the tropics.

But before all that, I’ll be releasing a smoother rotary…

Massive thanks to Emillion for sharing his rich history in the tattoo industry as well as his expectations and hopes for the future!

Pick up the Emillion Silent Protest wireless machine or the Minikinetic hybrid machine from the Killer Ink shop, and make sure to follow Emillion himself on Instagram!

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