Streckenbach and Kohrs pioneered many jewelry designs including the fixed bead ring and internally threaded barbells.
Samy introduced Jim Ward to barbell style jewelry.

"The first barbells I recall came from Germany.
Doug had made contact with Tattoo Samy, a tattooist and piercer from Frankfurt.
Over the years Samy came to the States a number of times and frequently showed up in LA to visit Doug.
On one of his first visits he showed us the barbell studs that he used in some piercings.
They were internally threaded, a feature that made so much sense that I immediately set out to recreate them for my own customers.
"Jim WardPhil Andros: "A German tattoist named Horst Streckenbach invented a radically different tattoo pen, with each instrument containing its own small motor was attached an irregular camwheel that furnished the up and down movement."
Streckenbach and Kohrs pioneered many jewelry designs including the fixed bead ring and internally threaded barbells. Samy introduced Jim Ward to barbell style jewelry.
"The first barbells I recall came from Germany. Doug had made contact with Tattoo Samy, a tattooist and piercer from Frankfurt. Over the years Samy came to the States a number of times and frequently showed up in LA to visit Doug. On one of his first visits he showed us the barbell studs that he used in some piercings. They were internally threaded, a feature that made so much sense that I immediately set out to recreate them for my own customers."Jim WardPhil Andros: "A German tattoist named Horst Streckenbach invented a radically different tattoo pen, with each instrument containing its own small motor was attached an irregular camwheel that furnished the up and down movement."
Horst Streckenbach