EIKON TEAM | PUBLISHED JUL 18, 2022

Back in 2017, FK Irons made a huge splash when they released the XION Pen. With this machine artists were able to adjust both the stroke length and the amount of give, without having to buy a second or third machine. This was the first big evolution in traditional pens, but it wouldn't be the last.

Lightning Strikes, Again...

Three years later, as wireless capability began to improve and take off, XION users had a choice to make; “cut the cord” and lose the key features they loved or continue to be tethered to their power supply (...no matter how awesome that power supply was). Enter the FK Irons LightningBolt. Launched in 2020, the LightningBolt was FK’s first foray into battery packs. It hugged the curves of the XION (and many of FK’s other Rotary machines) perfectly and provided XION users with the wireless capability they craved.

On the downside, the LightningBolt added a bit of weight to the XION machine making it a bit cumbersome when tattooing in tighter areas, but many artists felt it was worth the trade-off to be able to run cord-free.

Gone Wireless

Not one to sit on their hands, FK Irons launched the FLUX Pen that same year. FLUX was their first fully wireless pen, paired with a removable PowerBolt. The FLUX performed very much like its older brother the XION, but was missing a couple of key features; stroke length and give adjustment. While stroke length is still an issue that can only be solved by buying a second machine, the give adjustment has gone digital with the launch of the FK Irons Darklab app. You can learn more about that app here.

The world takes a Covid19 “intermission”...

Bringing things back on-line in 2021, FK Irons combined the world of wired and wireless by introducing the EXO Pen. This machine offered artists the power of choice, coming equipped with both a PowerBolt battery jack and an RCA jack. Now you could switch effortlessly between wired and wireless capability without the added weight and bulk of the Lightning Bolt. Like the FLUX, the EXO pen relies on the DarkLab App for e-give adjustments. The EXO is also compatible with FK Iron’s Hover power supply which enables artists to adjust voltage and presets with the wave of a hand.

The Power of Choice: FK Irons AirBolts

Earlier this year FK Irons launched their AirBolt, a battery pack that can either be attached to your machine (yes, even coils) using an RCA cord or Clip cord instead of being mounted on your machine. This little unit will power your FLUX and EXO Pens wirelessly when equipped with a PowerBolt+ battery. And yes, the DarkLab app works with them too!

The pocket-sized Airbolt battery can be mounted magnetically to your station and is perfect for travel, or for artists just looking to dip their toe into a semi-wired world. Although the Airbolt is available in two sizes, we recommend getting the larger version if you plan to run your coil machine with it, otherwise, you’ll be spending a lot of time at the charging station.

Click HERE to check out the products we talked about above.

Still have questions? Just ask our Customer Service Team, they love to talk machines.