Short answer: The GTT Sidewinder and the GTT Scorpion are both two-stage GTT torches with a selectable center fire, meaning you choose whether the small inner flame is a standard-mix Bobcat or a Triple Mix Lynx. The real split between them is the outer fire and the mounting. The Sidewinder runs a bigger 22-jet package with an outer fire built for larger, hotter work, wants more oxygen (roughly ~15 LPM at its largest usable flame), and is sold Bench or hand. The Scorpion is a bench-only torch with a smaller outer fire tuned to run on a single concentrator (about ~9.5 LPM), and it costs less. If you have plenty of oxygen and want reach and flexibility, look at the Sidewinder. If you are feeding one concentrator and want a compact two-stage torch, look at the Scorpion.
Both torches work soft glass and borosilicate, and both are 100 percent surface mix. This guide walks the differences that actually change the buying decision: outer fire size and oxygen appetite, the Bobcat vs Lynx center-fire choice, and the Sidewinder’s hand-or-bench flexibility.
Specs side by side
| Spec | Sidewinder | Scorpion |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Surface mix, two-stage | Surface mix, two-stage |
| Gas jets | 22 total (15-jet outer + 7-jet center) | Not published (see note) |
| Stages | 2 | 2 |
| Center fire | Selectable: Bobcat or Lynx | Selectable: Bobcat or Lynx |
| Mount | Bench or hand | Bench |
| Oxygen (estimate) | ~15 LPM | ~9.5 LPM |
| Reference price | $1,125 | $945 |
The Sidewinder’s catalog total is 22 jets: a 15-jet outer fire using GTT’s patent-pending surface-mix design, plus a 7-jet center fire you select as either the standard-mix Bobcat or the Triple Mix Lynx.
The Scorpion’s catalog total is 13 jets: an 8-jet outer fire on the same patent-pending surface-mix design, around the 5-jet Cricket center fire. GTT also sells a Lynx-center Scorpion separately, which makes 15, so the two torches differ mainly in how big the outer fire is and which center fire you start from.
Editor’s note: model names, jet layouts, center-fire options, and prices for both torches reflect public GTT and community information as of 2026. The Scorpion’s standard center fire is the Cricket, with a Lynx-center version sold separately, so confirm the current configuration and price on GTT’s own product page before you buy.
The core difference: outer fire size and oxygen appetite
The center fire on these two torches does the same job, a small detail flame you switch to for fine work. What separates the Sidewinder from the Scorpion is the outer fire that surrounds it.
The Sidewinder’s 15-jet outer fire is the larger of the two. GTT describes Sidewinder flame sizes running from a tiny pinpoint for detail up to roughly 2.5 inches wide by 30 inches long, and says it will handle solid borosilicate up to about 3 inches in diameter. That reach is the whole point of the bigger outer ring: it lets one torch drop to a pinpoint for stringer work and then open up for large boro or production soft glass.
The Scorpion’s outer fire is smaller and tuned differently. GTT describes Scorpion flame sizes from a small pinpoint up to roughly 1.25 inches wide by 16 inches long, and it too is described as handling solid boro up to about 3 inches. The design goal GTT states for the Scorpion is efficiency: its surface-mix outer fire is meant to optimize a single 10 LPM concentrator, or two linked 5 LPM concentrators. That is the Scorpion’s pitch, a genuine two-stage torch that a modest oxygen setup can actually feed.
That difference shows up directly in the oxygen estimates. The Sidewinder’s is about ~15 LPM at its largest usable flame; the Scorpion’s is about ~9.5 LPM. Treat both as estimates, not hard specs. They are derived from GTT’s flow chart at the biggest usable flame on propane (Sidewinder around 9 CFH fuel and 32 CFH oxygen; Scorpion around 4 CFH fuel and 20 CFH oxygen), and natural-gas consumption runs roughly 2.5 times higher. Oxygen demand is the juice you burn, not a precision buying number, but it does tell you which torch fits your supply: the Sidewinder is happier with a bigger oxygen source, while the Scorpion is built to sip.
Bobcat vs Lynx: choosing your center fire
Both torches let you pick the center fire, and the choice is the same on either one. Both the Bobcat and the Lynx center fires have 7 jets, so the difference is not port count. It is how the flame mixes and adjusts.
The Bobcat is GTT’s standard surface-mix version. It gives a wider, softer flame and simpler two-valve operation. That makes it the easy pick for general soft-glass work and anyone who wants fewer variables to manage.
The Lynx is GTT’s Triple Mix detail torch. A second, inner oxygen valve gives a much broader range of flame adjustment, which is why the Lynx is favored for fine detail, stringer control, and color work where a tight, tunable flame matters. There is a useful wrinkle here: with the Lynx’s inner oxygen (blue) valve barely cracked, community reports say the Lynx behaves effectively like a 7-jet standard surface-mix flame, close to what a Bobcat gives you. In other words a Lynx center can be run in a simpler standard-mix mode when you want it, so it does not force you to work in Triple Mix all the time.
A rough way to decide: pick the Bobcat center if most of your work is general soft glass and boro and you value simplicity, and pick the Lynx center if detail, stringer, and color control are the heart of what you do and you want the extra tuning range. If you are torn, the Lynx is the more flexible of the two because it can imitate the Bobcat but the Bobcat cannot imitate the Lynx. For a deeper look at that tradeoff on its own, see Lynx vs Bobcat and GTT Triple Mix technology explained.
Hand torch or bench: the Sidewinder’s extra flexibility
This is the Sidewinder’s other clear advantage. It is sold Bench or hand. As a hand torch, an on/off switch in the ergonomic handle lets you snap between the inner and outer fire instantly, which suits sculptural and off-mandrel work where you are moving the torch rather than the glass. As a bench torch, GTT offers 2-stud and 4-stud versions at the same reference price.
The Scorpion is a bench torch only. Like the Sidewinder, it comes in 2-stud and 4-stud versions. On both torches the 4-stud version is the one you want if you plan to feed the inner and outer flames from separate oxygen sources, or to add a foot pedal on the outer flame. If you are running a single concentrator into one manifold, the 2-stud version is enough.
So the mounting question breaks cleanly. If you need a torch you can pick up and work by hand, or you want the option of both a hand and a bench setup down the line, the Sidewinder is the only one of the two that does it. If you work exclusively at the bench, the Scorpion’s bench-only design is not a limitation. For the general tradeoffs here, see bench vs hand torch.
Which one should you buy
Map your own situation onto four questions.
- Oxygen supply. Feeding a single 10 LPM concentrator, or two linked 5 LPM units? The Scorpion is designed around exactly that. Have a larger oxygen source or a system that can push more? The Sidewinder’s bigger outer fire has room to use it.
- Flame size and work. If you regularly open up for larger solid boro or production soft glass and want reach, the Sidewinder’s roughly 2.5 by 30 inch flame envelope is the bigger tool. If your work lives in the small-to-medium range and you value oxygen efficiency, the Scorpion’s smaller envelope is a better match.
- Mounting. Need a hand torch, or the option of one? Only the Sidewinder offers it. Bench-only is fine for the Scorpion.
- Budget. The Scorpion’s reference price ($945) sits below the Sidewinder’s ($1,125). If the oxygen efficiency and smaller flame suit you, the Scorpion is the less expensive way into a GTT two-stage torch with a selectable center fire.
For most bench workers on a modest concentrator, the Scorpion is the sensible, efficient choice. The Sidewinder earns its higher price when you need the larger outer fire, more oxygen headroom, or the hand-torch option, and it is the more versatile of the two overall. On the center fire, choose the Bobcat for simplicity and the Lynx for detail and color, on whichever torch you pick.
Setup and safety notes
Both torches are 100 percent surface mix, which means the fuel and oxygen stay separate until they reach at or just past the face. That shapes their oxygen efficiency, and it shapes the flashback protection that applies. Do not treat any single blanket rule as universal here: use the flashback protection your torch and gas supply actually call for, and follow GTT’s own guidance for your setup, which differs between a high-pressure supply and an oxygen concentrator. Our flashback arrestors explained guide covers where each device belongs and why concentrator setups need a different approach.
Whatever the pages here say, the manufacturer’s manual takes precedence for pressures, flows, and fittings. The oxygen figures above are estimates from GTT’s flow chart, not measured specs; the flame sizes are GTT’s own descriptions and may blend product copy across configurations, so confirm the current numbers on GTT’s product page before you buy. Never substitute a remembered figure for the one printed for your specific torch and center-fire choice.
Related guides
- Lynx vs Bobcat
- GTT Triple Mix technology explained
- Surface mix vs premix torches
- Bench vs hand torch
- Flashback arrestors explained
Sources
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Sidewinder (Lynx Center Fire)”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/product-page/sidewinder-lynx-center-fire-1
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Sidewinder 2 and 4 Stud”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/sidewinder-2-and-4-stud
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Scorpion (Lynx Center Fire)”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/product-page/scorpion-lynx-center-fire-1
- Glass Torch Technologies, “Hand Torches”: https://www.glasstorchtech.com/hand-torches
- Studio Marcy, “GTT’s Scorpion Torch for Glass” (community): https://studiomarcy.blogspot.com/2009/08/gtts-scorpion-torch-for-glass.html
- Lampwork Etc. forum thread on Bobcat vs Lynx (community): https://www.lampworketc.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-184443.html