GlassTorches.com
The honest guide to choosing a glass torch.
Independent comparisons, a buyer's guide built around how you actually work, and the history of the craft, from surface-mix to premix, beginner minors to production triple-mix.
Written and edited by Joe Blanchard, sixteen years (2007 to 2023) on the distribution side of the glass industry.
Why trust this
Buyer-first
Comparisons are made to help you choose the right torch for your bench, not to push a brand.
Built around how you work
Soft glass or boro, beads or production pipes: recommendations follow your actual bench, not a spec sheet.
Compiled from maker sources
Figures come from the manufacturer's own pages and manuals where we have them, and are labelled as estimates where they are ours. Confirm the current spec with the maker before you buy.
Featured torches
A few standout torches to start with, tap any one for full specs and flame notes.
Everyday workhorseGTT Bobcat
7-jet standard surface-mix torch (not GTT's patented Triple Mix).
$275Beginner, Intermediate
Precision & detailGTT Lynx
7-jet pinpoint detail flame; patented Triple Mix surface mix.
From $525Intermediate, Advanced
Production / big flameGTT Mirage
2-stage: Lynx center + two rings, 40 total jets; high power across glass types.
From $1,975Advanced
Figures come from the manufacturer's own pages and manuals where we have them, and are labelled as estimates where they are ours; confirm the current spec with the maker before you buy.
Browse by maker
Every manufacturer we cover, with its full lineup and where it fits. Start with the maker you already have in mind.
- Most coveredGlass Torch TechnologiesUSA · Boro, Production, Pipe, Soft
Standard surface-mix, patented Triple Mix, and 4-Way Mix torches, built by hand in Pennsylvania.
16 torches in catalog - Nortel ManufacturingCanada · Soft, Boro, Beginner
Toronto maker; a surface-mix mounted line with premix hand torches and optional top burners.
20 torches in catalog - Carlisle Machine WorksUSA · Soft, Boro, Beads
Family-run New Jersey maker of combination, surface-mix, bench, and hand torches since 1918.
14 torches in catalog - Bethlehem BurnersUSA · Scientific, Production, Boro
Pennsylvania maker of surface-mix glassworking torches since 1950.
12 torches in catalog - Herbert ArnoldGermany · Scientific, Industrial, Boro, Soft
German maker of surface-mix bench and hand burners plus premix hand torches, quartz-capable.
6 torches in catalog - National TorchUSA · Hand-torch, Bench, Scientific, Industrial
A division of Premier Industries; premix and surface-mix hand and bench torches with tip systems.
4 torches in catalog
Guides
Plain-language explainers built around how you actually work: mix type, oxygen, fuel, and budget.
How to Choose a Glass Torch: The Complete Buyer's Guide
Confused about which glass torch to buy? This buyer's guide walks soft-glass and boro artists through mix type, oxygen, fuel, and budget to the right torch.
Read the guide →Surface Mix vs Premix Torches: Flame, Noise, and Cost
Surface mix burns quieter, gentler, and more adjustable; premix gives a tighter, faster flame and usually costs less. A side by side table for soft glass or boro.
Read →Best Beginner Glass Torch for Lampworking and Glass Blowing
The best beginner glass torch has a forgiving flame, runs soft glass on modest oxygen, and fits your budget. Top picks: Carlisle Mini CC and Nortel Minor.
Read →Oxygen Concentrator vs Tanks for Lampworking: Which to Run
Oxygen concentrator vs tanks for lampworking: how torch LPM demand decides it, purity and flow ceilings, costs, safety, and the best supply by torch size.
Read →
Not sure where to start?
The guided finder opens on four answers about your glass, your work, your oxygen supply and your budget, with the matching torches already listed. Change any of them and the catalog narrows to what fits, with what we record on each one.