Short answer: The GTT Scorpion and the GTT Phantom are close cousins: both are two-stage, surface-mix Triple Mix bench torches built around GTT’s 7-jet Lynx center fire, and both come in two-stud or four-stud versions. The difference is the outer fire and the oxygen it takes to feed it. The Scorpion is the leaner of the two, designed around concentrators and low consumption, at roughly $945 with an oxygen estimate near 9.5 LPM. The Phantom carries a larger 15-jet outer ring for 22 jets total, needs more oxygen (estimate near 16.5 LPM), and costs more at roughly $1,425. If you run oxygen concentrators and want a two-stage Triple Mix flame without a big supply, the Scorpion fits. If you have tank oxygen or several concentrators and want more outer-fire heat for larger boro, the Phantom is the stronger tool.
Both are steps up the same GTT Triple Mix ladder, so the choice is less about which torch is “better” and more about your oxygen supply and how big your work gets.
What the Scorpion and Phantom share
Start with what is identical, because most of these two torches is. Both are two-stage torches, and both are built as a center fire inside an outer ring: the Phantom uses the Lynx 7-jet head as its center fire, while the standard Scorpion uses the 5-jet Cricket, with a Lynx-center Scorpion sold separately by GTT. Both are surface mix, meaning fuel and oxygen stay separate until they meet at or just past the torch face rather than being blended inside the body. And both are GTT Triple Mix designs, so they share the same flame logic and valve behavior.
Both are also offered in the same two configurations. The two-stud version runs on a single fuel and oxygen source (or concentrators Y-ed together) and has no foot pedal. The four-stud version gives the most flexibility, including foot-pedal control that can turn the outer fire on and off with its valves preset to a chosen setting. That means if you already run one GTT Triple Mix torch, the other will feel familiar: same center fire, same mix concept, same stud options. What changes is the outer stage.
How Triple Mix and the two-stage design work
GTT’s Triple Mix works by surrounding the fuel with oxygen and then injecting oxygen directly down the fuel stream, so the fuel burns more completely for a hotter, cleaner flame. The two oxygen streams are independently controllable (GTT labels the valves green and blue), which is what gives a Triple Mix torch its wide, adjustable flame range: you can move from a reducing flame through neutral and oxidizing to over-oxidizing without swapping tips. That is GTT’s own framing of the mechanism, and it is the same on both torches.
“Two-stage” refers to the two banks of jets: a center fire and a separate outer fire, each with its own controls. The Phantom’s center fire is the Lynx, so its detail end behaves like the Lynx you may already know; the standard Scorpion’s center is the smaller Cricket, and only the separately sold Lynx-center Scorpion matches the Phantom there. The outer fire is where the two diverge. If you want the full mechanism, see GTT Triple Mix technology explained, and for how surface mix differs from premixed torches generally, see surface mix vs premix torches.
The real difference: outer fire and oxygen appetite
The Phantom’s outer fire is the well-documented one. GTT describes it as the Lynx 7-jet center fire with a ring of 15 jets for the outer fire, which is where the catalog’s 22 total jets (7 plus 15) comes from. It is a deliberately larger envelope than the Scorpion’s.
The Scorpion’s outer fire is 8 jets on GTT’s patent-pending surface-mix design. With the standard Cricket center that makes 13 jets; the Lynx-center version GTT sells separately makes 15 (8 outer plus the 7-jet Lynx). Confirm which center fire a current listing carries with GTT before comparing numbers.
What is consistent is the direction: the Scorpion is the leaner torch, built for low pressure and low consumption, and the Phantom is the bigger-flame torch. The oxygen estimates track that. The Scorpion’s estimate sits near 9.5 LPM and the Phantom’s near 16.5 LPM, both derived from GTT’s flow-rate table at the largest usable flame on propane. GTT designed the Scorpion around oxygen concentrators specifically, saying it runs great on one 10 LPM concentrator or two 5 LPM concentrators, with the optimal setup being two 8 LPM concentrators or tanked oxygen. The Phantom, with more jets to feed, sits higher on the supply ladder.
| Spec | GTT Scorpion | GTT Phantom |
|---|---|---|
| Stages | Two stage | Two stage |
| Center fire | Lynx 7-jet | Lynx 7-jet |
| Jets (total) | Not stated (GTT listings conflict) | 22 (7-jet center + 15-jet outer) |
| Mix type | Surface mix (Triple Mix) | Surface mix (Triple Mix) |
| Mount | Bench | Bench |
| Oxygen (estimate) | ~9.5 LPM | ~16.5 LPM |
| Fuel | Propane or natural gas | Propane or natural gas |
| Studs | 2-stud or 4-stud | 2-stud or 4-stud |
| Reference price | ~$945 (mid band) | ~$1,425 (high band) |
Editor’s note: the oxygen figures are estimates from GTT’s own flow-rate table at the largest usable flame on propane (Scorpion fuel 1/4 to 5 psi and oxygen 5 to 15 psi; Phantom fuel 10 psi and oxygen 35 psi), not fixed working requirements, and natural-gas consumption differs from propane. The Scorpion’s jet count is the standard Cricket-center version; the Lynx-center version is 15. Treat all of these as planning numbers and confirm the current specs, and the setup pressures, against GTT’s manual before you buy.
Oxygen supply and setup
For most buyers this is the deciding factor, so plan the oxygen before the torch. GTT built the Scorpion with concentrators in mind and states it runs well on a single 10 LPM concentrator or two 5 LPM units, with two 8 LPM concentrators or tanked oxygen as the optimal setup. That makes the Scorpion a realistic two-stage Triple Mix torch for a shop that does not want to move to tanks.
The Phantom’s roughly 16.5 LPM estimate is higher, so it leans toward multiple concentrators or tank oxygen to run its full outer flame. Neither figure is a hard requirement for every job, because you are not always burning the largest flame, but the ceiling is real: the Phantom can ask for more oxygen than a single concentrator delivers. To size a supply properly, read the oxygen concentrator LPM guide, and to weigh concentrators against tanks for a torch of this size, see oxygen concentrators vs tanks for lampworking.
On configuration, the choice between two-stud and four-stud applies to both torches equally. The two-stud is simpler and suits a single supply or concentrators Y-ed together; the four-stud adds foot-pedal control of the outer fire, which lets you preset the outer flame and toggle it on and off without touching the valves mid-work. If foot-pedal control matters to you, budget for the four-stud on whichever torch you pick. Variable-switch and compressed-air configurations are priced separately from the base torch.
As always, GTT’s manual sets the actual pressures and setup, and the manufacturer’s instructions take precedence over any number here. We do not invent pressures or flow figures beyond GTT’s own sourced values.
Price and where each sits in the lineup
The Scorpion’s reference price is about $945, which puts it in our mid band. The Phantom’s is about $1,425, in the high band. Both prices come from GTT’s own pages rather than a re-confirmed live fetch, so treat them as reference figures, not exact street prices, and remember that added studs, variable-switch options, and compressed-air setups cost more.
In the GTT lineup, GTT positions the Phantom as the first of the two-stage Triple Mix torches, and the Phantom also serves as the second fire for the three-stage Kobuki and Delta Mag torches. That is useful context, but it does not make the standalone Phantom a three-stage torch; it remains two-stage. The Scorpion is the leaner two-stage option built around low oxygen consumption. Both sit above the single-stage GTT Lynx and GTT Cricket, and below the larger two-stage torches. If you are looking at the next rung up from the Phantom, the GTT Delta Elite carries a much larger outer fire and a heavier oxygen appetite; the Phantom vs Delta Elite comparison covers that step. The GTT Sidewinder is the Scorpion’s close relative, also built on the Lynx center fire but offered as a bench or hand torch.
Which one fits your work
Choose the Scorpion if you run oxygen concentrators and want a genuine two-stage Triple Mix flame without moving to tanks, and your work is soft glass or small-to-medium boro. GTT says the Scorpion produces flames from a roughly two-inch pinpoint for detail up to about 1.25 inches wide and 16 inches long for wide beads and solid borosilicate up to three inches in diameter, and it works both soft glass and boro. For a concentrator-based shop that wants an adjustable Triple Mix flame at a mid-band price, it is the natural pick.
Choose the Phantom if you have tank oxygen or several concentrators and want the larger 15-jet outer ring for more heat and coverage on bigger boro and functional work. The Phantom’s known 22-jet layout and higher oxygen estimate buy you a bigger envelope, and its role as the second fire on GTT’s three-stage torches shows where its outer flame sits in the range. The trade is the higher torch price and the larger oxygen supply behind it.
Either way, match the torch to the oxygen you can actually deliver. Buying more outer fire than your supply can feed leaves you running a big torch on a choked flame, which is the most common and most avoidable mistake at this tier. Confirm the current specs, configuration, and pricing with GTT before you buy.
Related guides
- GTT Triple Mix technology explained
- GTT Phantom vs GTT Delta Elite
- Oxygen concentrator LPM guide
- Oxygen concentrators vs tanks for lampworking
- Surface mix vs premix torches
Sources
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Scorpion 2 and 4 Stud” (two-stage torch on the Lynx center fire, two-stud and four-stud configurations): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/scorpion-2-and-4-stud
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Scorpion Lynx Center Fire” (concentrator-oriented design, low pressure and consumption, flame range): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/product-page/scorpion-lynx-center-fire-1
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Phantom” (Lynx 7-jet center plus 15-jet outer ring, first two-stage Triple Mix, second fire for Kobuki and Delta Mag): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/phantom
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Triple Mix Torches” (surface-mix mechanism, independently controllable oxygen streams, flame chemistry range): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/triple-mix-torches
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Lynx” (7-jet single-stage Triple Mix center fire): https://www.glasstorchtech.com/lynx