Bethlehem Bravo Sharp Flame: the Bravo with a Sharp Flame centerfire
Bethlehem Bravo Sharp Flame · Bench torch · Surface mix
The Bethlehem Bravo Sharp Flame is the two-stage, surface-mix Bravo fitted with Bethlehem's Sharp Flame centerfire, the same quiet, oxygen-efficient bench burner with a crisper, more focused inner flame.
Specs
- Mix type
- Surface mix
- Mount
- Bench
- Oxygen (estimate)
- ~30 LPM
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas
- Skill level
- Beginner, Intermediate
- Glass
- Soft, Boro
- Best for
- Small-to-medium work, Soft glass, Boro
- Price
- ~$1,284 (reference)
- Jets
- 18
- Stages
- 2
Manufacturer page
Manufacturer page
Manufacturer page
Treat the oxygen figure as a rough sizing estimate, not a specification. Depending on the model it may be manufacturer full-flame consumption, a converted flow figure, or a documented estimate, and delivered pressure and purity matter as much as flow. What actually drives a torch choice is the glass, the work, and the flame, so size your oxygen supply after you pick the torch. Prices may be manufacturer list prices or observed dealer references. Use the evidence label and sources below, then confirm the exact configuration before buying.
Overview
The Bethlehem Bravo Sharp Flame is the two-stage, surface-mix Bravo fitted with Bethlehem’s Sharp Flame centerfire. It’s the same compact, whisper-soft, oxygen-efficient bench burner that replaced the Barracuda, but with a crisper, more focused inner flame for makers who want more bite in the center for detail.
What the surface-mix flame gives you
Like all of Bethlehem’s burners, the Bravo Sharp Flame is surface-mix: fuel and oxygen meet at the face of the torch rather than premixing inside it, for a quiet, calm, low-backfire flame that’s gentle on colors. For the background on why that design is prized, see surface mix vs premix torches; its quiet character also makes it a strong shared-studio pick, covered in our quietest torches for shared studios roundup.
What the Sharp Flame centerfire adds
The Sharp Flame centerfire is Bethlehem’s crisper, more focused inner-flame option. On the Bravo, it sharpens the centerfire for finer detail work while leaving the broader outer fire and the burner’s overall quiet, two-stage behavior unchanged. If you like the Bravo but want a more pointed inner flame, this is the configuration to ask about; if you want the standard centerfire, the regular Bravo covers it.
Glass, fuel, and oxygen
The Bravo Sharp Flame handles soft (soda-lime) glass and boro for small-to-medium work and burns propane or natural gas with oxygen. The Bravo family is known for sipping oxygen and running on concentrators as well as tanks, but the full two-stage flame wants more oxygen than a single small concentrator delivers. Bethlehem publishes this variant’s numbers: a 6-jet Sharp Flame center fire, a 12-jet outer fire with 36 oxygen ports (18 gas jets total) on a 1 inch face, and 30 LPM of tanked oxygen at full flame (8 to 20 psi), a ceiling rather than a minimum. It works boro rod to 30 mm and heavy-wall tube to 42 mm. See how many LPM does my torch need and oxygen concentrator vs tanks.
The hardware advantage
Like the rest of the line, it carries Bethlehem’s swivel-base mounting, so you can set a precise, repeatable angle and height, a real comfort over long sessions.
Where it sits in the Bethlehem lineup
The Bravo Sharp Flame is a centerfire variant of the Bravo, sitting in the same place in the surface-mix range, above the entry Alpha, Star, and STACKS, and below the stronger two-stage Champion (which also offers a Sharp Flame variant) and the multi-stage Grand. Compare the tiers in Alpha vs Bravo vs Champion.
Before you buy
Budget for the whole system, not just the torch: oxygen (a concentrator or tanks), the correct propane or natural-gas regulator, flashback protection matched to your torch and gas supply, didymium or boro-rated eyewear matched to your glass, and ventilation. New to plumbing a torch? Start with the fittings, hoses & connectors guide and the glass torch safety setup guide.
Editor’s note: this is the Bravo with Bethlehem’s Sharp Flame centerfire. Jet, flow, and capacity figures reflect Bethlehem’s own product page, checked July 2026, and the catalog carries Bethlehem’s $1,284 manufacturer-direct list price. Prices and configurations change, so confirm current details with Bethlehem before purchasing.
Fit and tradeoffs
Best for: Beginners through intermediates doing small-to-medium soft glass and boro who want the quiet Bravo with a sharper, more focused centerfire for detail.
Not for: Large boro tubes, thick solid work, or production heat, step up to a Champion or multi-stage Grand for that.
Pros
- + Quiet, oxygen-efficient two-stage surface-mix flame, Bravo-style
- + Bethlehem's Sharp Flame centerfire for a crisper, more focused inner flame
- + Handles both soft glass and boro
- + Bethlehem lists an 18-gas-jet layout (6-jet Sharp Flame center, 12-jet outer with 36 oxygen ports) on a 1in face
Cons
- − Not built for large boro or production-scale heat
- − Full-flame oxygen of 30 LPM is a ceiling; size a concentrator or tanks to the flame you actually run
- − Premium mounting hardware is part of the price
Flame notes
Two-stage surface-mix bench burner with a 6-jet Sharp Flame center fire and 12-jet outer fire. Bethlehem lists 6 LPM propane and 30 LPM tanked oxygen at full flame.
Maker
Bethlehem Burners
USA · Founded 1950
Focus: Scientific, Production, Boro
A division of Bethlehem Apparatus Company. Bethlehem says it has manufactured surface-mix glassworking torches since 1950.
Related reading
Compared with
Head-to-head guides that put the Bravo Sharp Flame against other torches.
FAQ
- What does 'Sharp Flame' add to the Bravo?
- It swaps in Bethlehem's Sharp Flame centerfire, giving the Bravo a crisper, more focused inner flame for detail while keeping the standard Bravo's quiet, oxygen-efficient two-stage surface-mix character.
- How is this different from the standard Bravo?
- Same two-stage surface-mix bench burner and the same quiet flame; the difference is the Sharp Flame centerfire. If you want a more pointed inner flame for detail, this is the variant to ask about. See our Alpha vs Bravo vs Champion guide for the surrounding range.
- Can it run on an oxygen concentrator?
- The Bravo family is known for being oxygen-efficient and runs on concentrators as well as tanks, but Bethlehem lists 30 LPM of tanked oxygen at full flame for this variant, more than a single small concentrator delivers. Size your supply to the flame you actually run.
- Soft glass, boro, or both?
- Both. It's built for small-to-medium soft glass and boro, like the standard Bravo.