Short answer: GTT Triple Mix is a surface-mix burner design with fuel and two independently controlled oxygen streams. Oxygen surrounds the fuel and also enters its center. The extra oxygen control changes how the flame behaves. Triple Mix does not mean three fuels, three stages or three oxygen supplies. The Lynx introduced the design to GTT’s lineup; larger torches build additional fires around that center.
The red, green and blue controls are the visible part of a design documented in a 1998 patent. Understanding what those controls do also makes the rest of the lineup easier to read: standard surface mix, Triple Mix, stage count and compressed air describe different features.
What “Triple Mix” actually means
Glass Torch Technologies’ technical sheet describes oxygen around each fuel jet plus a separately controlled injector feeding oxygen into the middle of the fuel stream. The arrangement puts oxygen on both sides of the fuel flow, with control over the inner oxygen delivery. [2]
Think in terms of three controlled flows: fuel, surrounding oxygen and inner oxygen. There are two kinds of supply gas in ordinary oxy-fuel operation, but oxygen has two jobs at the head. A second oxygen control therefore does something more specific than opening another valve on an otherwise identical stream.
GTT associates this arrangement with more effective fuel combustion and greater heat per jet. Those are the manufacturer’s performance claims. The useful, documented distinction for a buyer is the separate control of the oxygen paths. A claim about efficiency does not tell you how much oxygen to plan for; GTT’s Flow Rate Chart does, and it puts the Lynx at ~9.5 LPM at its largest usable flame on propane. Our Lynx oxygen guide works that figure through against real concentrators. [13]
This is also why counting valves, hose connections and burner jets can be confusing. Those counts describe different parts of the system. A single-stage Triple Mix torch can have three flame-control valves without being a three-stage torch.
The patent behind the design
U.S. Patent 5,803,725, titled Triple-mix surface-mix burner, names Wallace E. Horn and William A. Horn as inventors. It was filed on June 13, 1997, and granted on September 8, 1998. These are patent milestones, not a documented company founding date or first retail sale. [1]
The patent describes separately controlled gas flows and several possible burner-face arrangements. Its illustrated construction includes distinct internal chambers and passages. One oxygen path also runs along the burner body’s inside wall, providing a cooling function.
GTT identifies the Lynx as its first Triple Mix torch. That establishes the model’s place in the maker’s development story; the current Lynx page does not give its launch date. [4]
Surface-mix face vs premix: why it matters here
Triple Mix belongs within the surface-mix category. In the patent’s oxy-fuel arrangement, fuel and oxygen have separate delivery paths to the burner face, where their flows meet. A premix arrangement combines fuel and oxidizer before they leave the burner. [1]
That classification describes where mixing takes place. It does not assign every surface-mix torch one flame shape or every premix torch one useful task. GTT’s technical sheet explicitly presents Triple Mix as capable of producing a focused flame resembling premix behavior while retaining its surface-mix construction. [2]
For a buyer, the practical questions are narrower than which category is universally better. How small is the useful detail flame? How broadly can it heat the work? What oxygen supply does the selected model require? How does its control scheme fit the way you work? Our surface mix vs premix guide covers the broader comparison.
What the red, green and blue valves control
GTT’s Lynx instruction sheet identifies the controls as follows. This explains their roles; use the current instructions for your exact torch for pressures, lighting, adjustment and shutdown. [3]
| Control | Published role | What to understand |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Fuel | Works together with the oxygen controls to establish the flame. |
| Green | Main outer oxygen | Important to burner cooling and to keeping combustion away from the jet openings. |
| Blue | Secondary inner oxygen | Changes focus, thrust and sharpness. It is an oxygen control, not an air valve. |
The blue valve is the feature people often notice first. It is tempting to treat it as a simple power control. GTT describes a more useful distinction: the oxygen balance can change the character of the flame as well as its size. More focus and a larger flame are different outcomes.
The instructions also give the green control a cooling role. A flame that looks acceptable farther from the face does not excuse glowing jet openings or other overheating signs. GTT warns against running a soft flame that is low or short and gives specific adjustment guidance for different operating modes. Do not reduce that guidance to a universal number of knob turns.
The Lynx: the center-fire building block
The Lynx has 7 jets and is a 1-stage torch. GTT describes it as suitable for both soft glass and borosilicate and identifies its platform as the center fire used in the larger two- and three-stage Triple Mix models. [4]
The center-fire idea is useful because a large piece can require very small operations. Owning a larger burner does not mean every task needs the full head. Separately controlled fires let an artist return to the center for localized work and engage more of the torch when broader heating is needed.
The Cheetah is another single-stage Triple Mix torch, with 13 total jets. It is not a Lynx with a separately switchable outer stage. GTT describes a wider flame range for this different head. Compare the actual single-stage options in Cheetah vs Lynx, rather than assuming that more jets simply reproduce the same small flame at a larger maximum size. [5]
How center fires stack into multi-stage torches
The Phantom places a 15-jet outer fire around the Lynx center. GTT describes it as the first of its two-stage Triple Mix torches. It also describes that Phantom-sized fire as a building block used in larger designs. [6]
The Mirage makes an important distinction visible: a ring is a physical arrangement of jets; a stage is a separately controlled fire. The Mirage’s outer fire contains two rings, but the complete torch has two stages. Counting circles on a burner face is therefore not a reliable way to count stages. [7]
| Torch | Stages | Published arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| Lynx | 1 | 7-jet single fire. |
| Cheetah | 1 | 13 total jets in one controlled stage. |
| Phantom | 2 | Lynx center plus a 15-jet outer fire. |
| Mirage | 2 | Lynx center plus a 33-jet outer fire arranged in two rings. |
| Kobuki | 3 | Lynx center, 15-jet middle fire and 27-jet outer fire. |
The Kobuki also connects the engineering to a named artist. GTT says John Kobuki requested more heat while retaining the Phantom-sized flame he liked. Its resulting layout has separately controlled center, middle and outer fires. That documented request explains the model more clearly than treating every larger torch as a simple ranking above the previous one. [8]
For all the models, current configurations and buying comparisons, use the model-by-model GTT lineup. The technology explains what the controls make possible; the chosen stages determine which sizes of fire are available independently.
Where “4-Way Mix” comes in
GTT’s homepage places 4-Way Mix alongside Triple Mix and compressed-air injection. Its air-option page gives the concrete operating distinction: compressed air is introduced into the fuel system, with fuel-to-air adjustment used to influence flame temperature while retaining the desired flame characteristics. This is GTT’s description, not an independent temperature measurement. [10] [12]
Keep three categories separate when comparing a listing:
| Description | What it identifies |
|---|---|
| Standard surface mix | GTT’s category for models such as the Bobcat. |
| Triple Mix | Fuel with two independently controlled oxygen paths. |
| Compressed-air option | An additional air input into the fuel system. |
The Bobcat has 7 jets, just as the Lynx does, but GTT identifies it as standard surface mix. The shared count does not make their gas-control arrangements equivalent. GTT positions the Bobcat for smaller concentrator supplies as well as tanked oxygen; the Lynx vs Bobcat comparison deals with that practical choice. [9]
An air option is also separate from a Variable Switch. GTT describes the latter as outer-fire on/off and adjustable flame control, available on the Phantom, Mirage and Delta Elite. It changes how the outer fire is operated. [12]
The public descriptions establish these functions without providing a complete internal drawing for every air-equipped version. For air preparation, option pricing and configuration differences, continue to GTT compressed air and 4-Way Mix. GTT’s air guidance requires clean, dry air; adding a compressor is a supply-system decision as well as an extra control. [11]
What it means for you at the bench
Flame control without swapping tips
GTT presents the independently adjustable oxygen streams as a way to change flame character without exchanging tips. Its Cheetah description spans fuel-rich, neutral and oxygen-rich operation. That is a useful range for evaluating a torch, but the right setting still depends on the identified glass and the operation. A manufacturer’s broad capability description is not a recipe for a particular color. [5]
Soft glass and boro from one torch
The Lynx and Cheetah are both described for soft glass and borosilicate. That breadth does not remove the sizing decision. Consider the work you do most often, the detail flame you need and the oxygen supply available, then choose the useful upper range. A large maximum flame contributes little if your daily work needs a controllable smaller one.
Matching stages to a working sequence
GTT’s Mirage page describes using a foot pedal with the outer-fire valves preset. It also states that a pedal is optional. This is the practical reason to consider stages: the artist can return to a chosen larger fire without rebuilding its settings from scratch each time. [7]
A useful demonstration follows your actual sequence: fine attachment, broader heating, return to detail. Observe the transition and the available working space, as well as the largest flame. The relevant comparison is how the torch handles those repeated operations.
Editor’s note: Patent dates and the historical drawing come from the published patent. Current model and control descriptions come from GTT’s own pages and instructions, accessed October 8, 2026 UTC. Follow GTT’s current instructions for the exact model and configuration. Neither a historical patent nor a photograph establishes current operating settings.
Key takeaways
Triple Mix adds a separately controlled inner oxygen stream to GTT’s surface-mix design. The Lynx supplies the center-fire platform for larger models, but jet count, ring count and stage count answer different questions. Compressed air adds another function; the blue valve on an ordinary Triple Mix torch remains an oxygen control. Identify the model and its configuration before comparing its capabilities.
Related guides
- GTT lineup, model by model
- GTT compressed air and 4-Way Mix
- Surface mix vs premix torches
- GTT Cheetah vs Lynx
- GTT Lynx vs Bobcat
Sources
Manufacturer documents and the published patent, accessed October 8, 2026 UTC. Performance claims remain attributed to GTT. Photograph credits appear with the images.
[1] Wallace E. Horn and William A. Horn, U.S. Patent 5,803,725: Triple-mix surface-mix burner. Filing, grant, inventors and disclosed construction; original drawing sheet linked with the figure.
[2] GTT, Triple Mix Technology, official technical sheet.
[3] GTT, Instructions for Lynx Torches, control roles and operating cautions.
[4] GTT, Lynx, development order and center-fire platform.
[5] GTT, Cheetah, single-stage Triple Mix design and flame range.
[6] GTT, Phantom, center and outer-fire arrangement.
[7] GTT, Mirage, stages, rings, controls and photographs.
[8] GTT, Kobuki, artist connection and three-stage arrangement.
[9] GTT, Bobcat, standard surface-mix classification and supply positioning.
[10] GTT, Compressed Air Option, where air enters and its stated purpose.
[11] GTT, Compressed Air Information, air preparation requirements.
[12] GTT, official homepage, 4-Way Mix terminology and Variable Switch.
[13] GTT, Flow Rate Chart, fuel and oxygen at the largest usable flame on propane, per model.