Kingpin Tattoo Supply

What Kingpin Tattoo Supply does

Kingpin Tattoo Supply is a privately held US B2B distributor of professional tattoo, piercing, and permanent makeup supplies, founded in 1996 by Don Kobasky at Tattoo Emporium in St. Petersburg, FL. The company serves licensed tattoo artists, piercers, and permanent makeup (PMU) practitioners, operating an owned e-commerce storefront (kingpintattoosupply.com), a branded mobile app (iOS and Android), a dedicated phone sales line, and two physical showrooms in Austin, TX (headquarters) and St. Petersburg, FL. Its catalog spans tattoo needles, needle cartridges, pen/coil/rotary machines, inks, power supplies, tubes and grips, medical/PPE supplies, shop furniture, stencil products, piercing supplies and body jewelry, and PMU equipment, sourced from third-party brands such as Critical, Bishop, TATSoul, Eternal Ink, and Inkeeze alongside its proprietary "Made by Artists" private-label portfolio and Kingpin Crown Cartridges.

The business model is transactional unit-pricing with no disclosed subscription offering. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales with promotional levers including clearance discounts up to 50%, a $50-off $300+ code (KPSAVE50), and the four-tier Royal Rewards loyalty program (Loyalist, Knight, Noble, Monarch). Affirm installment financing is offered on larger purchases to reduce ticket-size friction. Marketing is multi-channel across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, email/SMS, and content properties including the King's Chronicle and Kingpin Artists blogs, with convention presence and a "Discover" customer-work gallery supporting community engagement.

Operationally, Kingpin is a founder-owned, 30-year specialty retailer with no disclosed venture or private equity backing, no parent company, and no reported M&A activity. It maintains affiliate relationships with Republic Tattoo Supply and the UK-based Barber DTS distributor, indicating indirect international reach beyond its formally disclosed US-only operating geography. The company's strategic posture centers on curating a comprehensive one-stop professional supply catalog, deepening proprietary brand equity through artist-developed product lines, and extending into adjacent verticals such as permanent makeup to broaden its addressable market.

Name

Kingpin Tattoo Supply

Legal name

Kingpin Tattoo Supply

Website

https://kingpintattoosupply.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kingpin Tattoo Supply is a B2B distributor of professional tattoo, piercing, and permanent makeup supplies serving licensed artists through e-commerce, a mobile app, phone sales, and two US showrooms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Petersburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time product sales across tattoo supplies (needles, cartridges, machines, inks, tubes, grips, power supplies), shop equipment (furniture, medical supplies, disposables), piercing jewelry, and permanent makeup supplies. Revenue generated through direct consumer/business purchases on e-commerce platform and in showrooms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kingpin Tattoo Supply is a professional distributor of tattoo equipment and supplies, selling tattoo needles, cartridges, machines (pen, coil, rotary), inks, power supplies, tubes, grips, and grips directly to licensed tattoo artists. The catalog extends to piercing supplies and body jewelry, permanent makeup (PMU) machines and pigments, medical supplies, tattoo shop furniture, and stencil products. Sales are conducted through an owned e-commerce site, mobile app, phone sales, and two physical showrooms in Austin, TX and St. Petersburg, FL.

Product overview

Kingpin Tattoo Supply is a professional tattoo supply distributor offering a comprehensive portfolio of tattoo equipment and supplies. The core product line centers on tattoo needles, needle cartridges, and tattoo machines (including pen machines, coil machines, and rotary machines) alongside tattoo inks, power supplies, tubes, grips, and accessories. The company extends its offering through related verticals including medical supplies (sterilization, PPE, anesthetics), shop furniture, piercing supplies and body jewelry, and permanent makeup equipment. The product ecosystem includes proprietary sub-brands such as Kingpin Crown Cartridges, alongside curated third-party brands including Bishop (Power Wand machines), Critical (Torque Pen Machine), TATSoul (furniture and cartridges), Eternal Ink, Solid Ink, and Fusion Ink. The company operates an e-commerce platform with a loyalty rewards program (Royal Rewards) offering tiered membership benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kingpin: House brand product line including needles, cartridges, tubes, and tattoo supplies.

Products and services

• Tattoo Needles Pre-made tattoo needles including standard round liners, tight round liners, magnum shaders, and polished taper needles for professional tattooing techniques.
• Needle Cartridges Disposable cartridge system needles including round liners, round shaders, magnum shaders, and curved magnum configurations for use with cartridge-compatible tattoo machines.
• Pen Machines Cordless and wired tattoo pen machines including rotary and wireless configurations for precise lining and shading.
• Coil Machines Traditional electromagnetic coil tattoo machines for lining and shading with adjustable contact screws and spring tension.
• Rotary Machines Electric rotary tattoo machines providing smooth, quiet operation with consistent needle movement for various tattooing techniques.
• Tattoo Inks Professional tattoo ink sets including black and gray, color palettes, and wash sets from multiple brands such as Dynamic, Eternal Ink, Solid Ink, and Fusion Ink.
• Power Supplies Tattoo machine power supplies including foot switches, machine cords, and accessories for controlling machine speed and voltage.
• Tubes, Tips, Grips & Covers Tattoo tube assemblies including disposable tubes, cartridge grips, stainless steel tips, and grip covers in various sizes.
• Medical Supplies Sterilization, infection control, PPE, gloves, bandages, topical anesthetics, and disinfectants for tattoo shop compliance.
• Shop Furniture Tattoo shop furniture including client chairs, artist chairs, arm rests, tables, and lighting systems.
• Piercing Supplies & Body Jewelry Piercing needles, receiving tubes, anesthetics, aftercare products, tools, tapers, and body jewelry including nostril screws, barbells, captive bead rings, and labrets.
• Permanent Makeup Supplies PMU machines, cartridges, grips, power supplies, pigments, and accessories for permanent cosmetic procedures such as eyebrows, lips, and scalp micropigmentation.
• Stencil Products Thermal imagers, image carriers, stencil transfer paper, and stencil solutions for tattoo design transfer.
• Critical Torque Pen Machine Adjustable pen-style tattoo machine with variable stroke length and voltage control for lining and shading, distributed under the Critical brand.
• Bishop Power Wand Wireless rotary tattoo machine with advanced battery compatibility and multiple configurations for liner and shader work, distributed under the Bishop brand.
• Kingpin Crown Cartridges Proprietary cartridge system featuring bugpin configurations, bold traditional variants, and open tip magnum shaders under the Kingpin house brand.
• Dynamic Black Tattoo Ink Concentrated black tattoo ink in various sizes including 8oz bottles for bold, long-lasting results, distributed under the Dynamic brand.
• Royal Rewards Loyalty Program Customer loyalty program allowing members to earn points on purchases and redeem for discounts, with tiered membership levels (Loyalist, Knight, Noble, Monarch).

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• Republic Tattoo SupplyminorOthersRelated company linked in Kingpin's footer. May be a sister company or affiliated brand within the same corporate family.
• Critical Tattoo SupplycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKingpin resells Critical Tattoo products including Critical Torque Pen Machine, Critical Connect foot pedals, and Critical batteries. Critical is one of Kingpin's featured brands with significant shelf space and customer demand.
• Eternal InkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor ink brand carried by Kingpin. Featured brand with extensive color selection including signature series, Liz Cook colors, and Kelly Doty collections. High customer demand product line.
• Barber DTSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based tattoo equipment distributor linked as related company. International distribution partner for tattoo industry products.
• Bishop Tattoo SupplycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor brand carried by Kingpin including Bishop Power Wands, Da Vinci V2 cartridges, and PMU products. Flagship brand featured prominently on website with collaboration products.
• InkeezemoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAftercare and ointment brand carried by Kingpin. Popular products include Inkeeze Green Ointment, Pink Ointment, and Hemp Glide. Frequently mentioned in customer reviews.
• TATSoulcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor equipment brand including Envy Gen 2 cartridges, furniture, and accessories. Featured brand with extensive product range. High visibility in best sellers section.
• AffirmminorOthersFinancing partner offering installment payment options for customers. Promoted on website as 'Save over time with Affirm' allowing customers to pay for larger purchases over time.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Critical Tattoo Supply: Manufacturer of tattoo power supplies, pen machines, batteries, and foot pedals sold under its own brand and through distributors like Kingpin. Comparable because Critical operates both D2C and wholesale channels targeting the same professional artists, illustrating the brand-direct competitive threat.
• TATSoul: Manufacturer of tattoo furniture (client chairs, artist chairs) and cartridge systems (Envy Gen 2) sold via its own site and through resellers including Kingpin. A flagship brand for Kingpin that also competes via D2C, making it a relevant comparable on supply and channel dynamics.
• Cheyenne Professional Tattoo Equipment: German manufacturer of professional tattoo machines (pen and rotary) and cartridges sold globally via D2C and authorized distributors. Comparable because Cheyenne's products sit on Kingpin-adjacent shelves and represent both a supplier and a competing brand-direct channel.
• FK Irons (formerly Bishop Rotary): Manufacturer and direct seller of professional tattoo machines and PMU equipment (Power Wand, Da Vinci cartridges). Comparable because Kingpin resells FK Irons/Bishop as a flagship brand; FK Irons represents the brand-direct disintermediation risk facing Kingpin.

Regional players

• Killer Ink Tattoo: UK and EU tattoo supply retailer offering machines, inks, needles, and PMU supplies to professional artists. Direct competitor in product catalog and target customer, but serves primarily European geographies versus Kingpin's US-centric footprint.
• Barber DTS: UK-based tattoo equipment distributor and Kingpin's existing international partner. Comparable product portfolio (machines, cartridges, inks, furniture) for professional tattoo artists, but operating primarily in the UK/European market rather than competing head-to-head in the US.

Emerging players

• Perma Blend: Specialty PMU pigment manufacturer whose products are commonly stocked by professional PMU supply distributors. Comparable to Kingpin's PMU category in target buyer (PMU artists) and product focus (pigments, cartridges), though Perma Blend is product-only versus full-line distributor.

Direct peers

• TattooJ.com: Online retailer of tattoo equipment and supplies serving both professional and enthusiast buyers. Comparable to Kingpin in e-commerce-first D2C model and product catalog scope, though with less emphasis on professional-only positioning.
• Painful Pleasures: One of the largest US distributors of tattoo, piercing, and PMU supplies serving professional artists through e-commerce and a physical showroom. Directly comparable to Kingpin in catalog breadth, customer base, and D2C B2B model.
• Lone Star Tattoo Supply: Texas-based tattoo supply retailer distributing machines, inks, needles, and PMU supplies to professional artists. Direct competitor in the US South/Texas region, comparable in product mix and target customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kingpinsupply
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@KingpinTattooSupply
• Facebookfacebook.com/195281100493295
• Instagraminstagram.com/kingpintattoosupply
• TikToktiktok.com/@kingpin_tattoo_supply
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kingpin-tattoo-supply

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kingpin Tattoo Supply