Bethlehem Champion: the stronger two-stage surface-mix bench torch

The Bethlehem Champion is the stronger two-stage surface-mix bench burner in Bethlehem’s core lineup — a step up from the Bravo for intermediate-to-advanced medium work. It’s a redesign of the older PM2D, and it keeps the brand’s hallmark quiet, low-backfire flame while giving you more heat and a wider working range. It’s also one of Bethlehem’s generally in-stock models.

What the surface-mix flame gives you

The Champion runs all surface-mix: fuel and oxygen meet at the face of the torch rather than premixing inside it. Its low-velocity flames stay gentle to the glass across a wide range of fuel mixtures, which keeps the burner calm and forgiving of color — characteristic of why Bethlehem is favored for scientific and production work. For the background, see surface mix vs premix torches; for how a gentle flame behaves versus a hard penetrating one, see soaking vs penetrating flame.

Two stages, four valves

The Champion’s inner and outer flames are controlled separately — one gas and one oxygen valve per stage, fed by a four-port manifold. That lets you dial a tight inner flame for detail or open the outer fire for broader soaking heat, and tune the mix gently across its range. It’s a genuinely controllable torch, which is the point of the two-stage design.

Glass, fuel, and oxygen

The Champion handles medium soft glass and boro and burns propane or natural gas with oxygen. The catalog doesn’t publish a base jet count or exact oxygen flow for the standard Champion, so treat its appetite qualitatively — a stronger flame than the Bravo’s, needing oxygen to match — and confirm the specifics with Bethlehem against the work you do. See how many LPM does my torch need and oxygen concentrator vs tanks.

The Champion Sharp Flame variant

For larger-diameter boro, Bethlehem offers a Champion Sharp Flame that swaps in its Sharp Flame centerfire — a 6-jet centerfire plus a 30-jet outer fire on a 1.125in face. If your work leans toward bigger tubes, that’s the configuration to ask about; the standard Champion covers general medium work.

The hardware advantage

Like the rest of the line, the Champion carries Bethlehem’s signature swivel and rack-and-pinion adjustment, so you can set a precise angle and height and return to it exactly — a real advantage for repetitive production and delicate scientific joins, and part of why it earns a place in our quietest torches for shared studios roundup.

Where it sits in the Bethlehem lineup

The Champion sits above the Bravo and below the multi-stage Grand in the surface-mix range. Because the flame behavior and hardware feel consistent across the family, moving up from an Alpha or Bravo is straightforward — 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 arrestors on both lines, didymium eyewear, and ventilation. New to plumbing a torch? Start with the fittings, hoses & connectors guide and the glass torch safety setup guide.

Editor’s note: spec details reflect Bethlehem’s own catalog. Bethlehem doesn’t publish the standard Champion’s base jet count, exact oxygen flow (LPM), or current pricing — the jet figures above are specific to the Champion Sharp Flame variant. Confirm the configuration and your oxygen needs with Bethlehem before purchasing.