Pick up any box of mags and you're making a choice before the needle ever touches skin: curved or straight. Both are magnums, meaning two staggered rows of needles soldered flat. They behave differently once they're in the tube, though, and picking the right one for the job makes your shading easier.
Here's how we think about it after 25+ years in the chair.
What's the difference?
A straight magnum (M1) has its needle tips lined up in a flat, straight edge. A curved magnum (also called a soft-edge or round mag, labeled CM or RM) has its tips set in a gentle arc, so the outside needles sit a little shorter than the center ones.
The needle count on the box doesn't change between the two. A 13 curved mag and a 13 straight mag have the same number of needles. The only difference is the shape of the edge that hits the skin.
Straight mags: power and coverage
Because every tip sits at the same height, a straight mag puts down ink evenly across the whole grouping. That makes it the workhorse for:
- Solid color packing and flat fills
- Bold black shading where you want a hard, even field
- Large areas like backgrounds, where speed and consistency matter
The trade-off is the edge. A straight mag can leave a visible line at the ends of each pass if your hand angle isn't consistent. Many artists run them slightly on their side, or switch to a curved mag at the edges of a shaded area.
Curved mags: the soft edge
The arc on a curved mag means the outside needles hit a little lighter than the middle. The result is a naturally feathered edge, so there's no hard line where the pass ends. That's why curved mags are the go-to for:
- Black and grey realism and smooth gradients
- Soft blends between tones or colors
- Whip and pendulum shading where you're building value in layers
The arc is also more forgiving of small changes in angle. That makes curved mags a good first mag for newer tattooers learning to shade.
Quick comparison
| Straight Magnum | Curved Magnum | |
|---|---|---|
| Tip layout | Flat, even edge | Gentle arc |
| Best for | Color packing, bold fills | Smooth gradients, soft blends |
| Edge of each pass | Crisp | Feathered |
| Learning curve | Less forgiving on angle | More forgiving |
What about bugpins?
Bugpin mags use a thinner needle (#10, 0.30mm instead of the standard #12, 0.35mm) packed tighter together. The tighter grouping gives you finer texture and smoother transitions in a smaller footprint. That's why bugpin curved mags show up so often in fine realism and portrait work. Straight bugpins give you the same tight grouping with the even, flat edge.
Taper matters too
The shape of the edge is only half of it. Taper, meaning how long the needle point is, changes how much ink each pass puts down. A medium taper puts down more ink and packs faster. A long taper puts down less per pass, which helps with subtle gradients and layered black and grey. For a full breakdown, see our Tattoo Needle Size Chart & Configuration Guide.
So which should you buy?
Most working artists keep both on the tray:
- Doing mostly color or bold traditional? Lean on straight mags for packing, with a curved mag for the edges.
- Doing mostly black and grey or realism? Curved mags will do most of the work. Add curved bugpins for fine detail.
- Want to try a size before committing to a full box? Our Rambler 10-packs are the same needles in a smaller count.
Every Lineage mag is made from 316L stainless steel and designed by working tattooers. They come as traditional bar needles and as cartridges, so you can run the same grouping whichever machine you prefer.