Short answer: The GTT Phantom and the Herbert Arnold Zenit are both serious surface-mix bench torches, but they come from different design traditions and different price tiers. The Phantom is a US-built, two-stage Triple Mix torch with a reference price near $1,425 and a modest oxygen appetite (an estimate of about 16.5 LPM at the largest usable flame). The Zenit is a German-built concentric ring burner in the pro band near $3,300, with a much larger oxygen demand (an estimate of about 58 LPM on the standard 40mm head). If you want a versatile, oxygen-friendly bench torch for pipes and functional boro, the Phantom is the easier torch to feed and buy. If you want a heavy production or scientific burner with a cooler-on-demand flame and you can absorb the oxygen cost and import lead time, the Zenit is built for that job.
Both torches are surface mix, so neither behaves like a premix burner. Gases stay separate until at or just past the burner face, which gives both a calmer flame than a premix torch of comparable size. The differences that matter are how each one arranges its fires, how much oxygen each drinks, and what it costs to own.
The two torches at a glance
The table below is drawn from the catalog. Oxygen figures are estimates, not published hard specs, and the two prices are reference figures rather than a live quote.
| Spec | GTT Phantom | Herbert Arnold Zenit |
|---|---|---|
| Mix type | Surface (Triple Mix) | Surface (concentric ring) |
| Burner design | Two-stage: center fire plus outer ring | Single-stage concentric ring |
| Stages | 2 | 1 |
| Jets | 22 (7-jet center, 15-jet outer) | Not published |
| Mount | Bench | Bench |
| Fuel | Propane, natural gas | Propane, natural gas |
| Oxygen (estimate) | ~16.5 LPM | ~58 LPM (40mm head) |
| Price (reference) | ~$1,425 (high band) | ~$3,300 (pro band) |
| Origin | United States | Germany (Weilburg) |
How each one mixes and shapes the flame
The Phantom is a two-stage torch. It pairs a Lynx 7-jet center fire with a 15-jet outer ring, for 22 jets in total, and uses Glass Torch Technologies’ patented Triple Mix approach. In practice that gives you an inner fire you can work tight and a broader outer fire you can bring in for volume, which is why the Phantom is popular for pipe and functional work where you shift between detail and body heat on the same piece. GTT also builds the Phantom as a hand torch with a thumb on/off switch for the outer flame, and in 2-stud or 4-stud bench versions, so the exact configuration you buy affects both handling and price.
The Zenit takes a different path. It is a single-stage concentric ring burner, a design Herbert Arnold has built for decades. Rather than a discrete center torch inside a ring, the Zenit arranges its fires as concentric rings tuned for a stable, noiseless flame, adjusted through a single twist grip that runs from a sharp pinpoint up to broad, intensive flames. Herbert Arnold does not publish a jet count for the Zenit, so we do not list one; it is a concentric ring burner, not a multi-stage torch, and inventing a port count would be guessing.
One feature sets the Zenit apart: a flame-stabilization system that lets it run on surplus air for a cooler flame. Combined with optional compressed-air injection, that gives the Zenit a wide, controllable working range, which is part of why it is favored for scientific and production settings where an operator may spend hours dialing a specific flame character.
Heat and oxygen appetite
This is the sharpest practical difference between the two torches. The catalog oxygen estimate for the Phantom is about 16.5 LPM, derived from GTT’s own flow-rates table at the largest usable flame on propane. The Zenit’s estimate is about 58 LPM, mapped to the standard 40mm head from Herbert Arnold’s data sheet. That is roughly three and a half times the oxygen, and it changes what you can run the torch on.
The Phantom’s demand sits within reach of a stout oxygen setup and is manageable for many home studios that already feed a mid to large bench torch. The Zenit, at the standard head, is firmly in tanked-oxygen or large-concentrator-bank territory, and the larger 50mm and 65mm heads consume more still. Community discussion on Lampwork Etc. consistently frames the Zenit as a heavier, more fuel-hungry production burner and the Phantom as a premium surface-mix bench torch, which matches the catalog estimates.
Editor’s note: Oxygen figures here are estimates, not published specifications, and they vary by configuration. The ~16.5 LPM Phantom figure is derived at its largest usable flame on propane; natural-gas consumption runs higher. The ~58 LPM Zenit figure maps only the 40mm head; the 50mm and 65mm heads draw more, so do not read one number as covering all three sizes. Herbert Arnold’s data sheet also lists a natural-gas version at about 73 LPM, which is a maker figure for the NG variant only. Before you size an oxygen supply, confirm the current flow figures with the maker.
The Zenit’s surplus-air flame stabilization is worth weighing against that appetite. It lets the torch produce a cooler, gentler flame on demand without simply starving the fires, which is useful for delicate joins or heat-sensitive color work. The Phantom manages its heat through the two-stage layout instead: bring in the outer ring for volume, back it off for detail. Neither approach is strictly better; they suit different working styles.
For a fuller treatment of how to feed either torch, see our guide on oxygen concentrators vs tanks for lampworking.
Price, availability, and lead time
The Phantom’s reference price is about $1,425, recorded from GTT’s own store for the standard bench configuration; the variable-switch and compressed-air configurations are priced separately and cost more. The Zenit sits in the pro band near $3,300. That gap is real, but it understates the total-cost difference once oxygen is added, because the Zenit’s larger appetite means a bigger and more expensive oxygen supply over the life of the torch.
Availability is the other quiet factor. The Phantom is US-made and moves through the domestic channel that most American lampworkers already use, so lead times are usually shorter. Herbert Arnold burners are hand-assembled and adjusted in Weilburg, Germany, and mounted on a solid cast-iron foot with an adjustable ball joint. That build quality is part of the appeal, but importing a torch from Germany can mean longer lead times and added shipping and handling, which is worth planning for rather than discovering after you commit.
Treat both prices as reference figures. Confirm the current price and the exact configuration with the maker before buying, and factor in the oxygen supply each torch will require.
Which glass and which work each suits
On paper the two overlap. Both run propane and natural gas, both work soft glass and boro, and the catalog aims both at intermediate and advanced users. The difference is emphasis.
The Phantom’s documented use cases are pipes, functional work, and medium boro. Its two-stage flame and moderate oxygen demand make it a strong all-around bench torch for a studio that does a range of boro work and wants to keep its oxygen setup sane. If most of your work is functional and you value versatility per dollar, the Phantom is the natural pick. Our guide to the best torch for borosilicate puts it in context against the rest of the boro-capable field.
The Zenit’s documented use cases lean toward boro, soft glass, scientific, and production work. Its cooler-on-demand flame, wide adjustment range, and heavy-duty build fit a shop doing long runs or precise scientific tubing work, where the higher oxygen cost is justified by throughput or by the specific flame control the torch offers. The 40mm head works boro tubing up to roughly 80mm, with larger heads available for bigger work.
How to choose
- Pick the Phantom if you want a versatile US-made bench torch, you value a manageable oxygen supply, your work is pipes and functional boro, and the roughly $1,425 reference price fits better than the Zenit’s tier.
- Pick the Zenit if you are running production or scientific work, you want the surplus-air cooler flame and the wide twist-grip adjustment range, you can feed a much larger oxygen demand, and you can absorb the pro-band price and the import lead time.
- Either way, size your oxygen supply to the torch, not the other way around, and confirm the current price and configuration with the maker before you buy. Both are surface-mix torches, so if you are still deciding between mix types, start with surface mix vs premix torches.
If you are earlier in the decision and not yet committed to this pair, the complete glass torch buyer’s guide walks the whole field.
Related guides
- Surface mix vs premix torches
- Best torch for borosilicate
- Oxygen concentrators vs tanks for lampworking
- Propane vs natural gas for torchwork
- How to choose a glass torch