Bethlehem Star: the low-pressure surface-mix bead-and-marble torch

The Bethlehem Star is a low-pressure, single-stage surface-mix bench burner that sits one level above the Alpha. It’s built for makers of large beads and 2in marbles who want a little extra heat while keeping the same quiet flame chemistry and fuel efficiency that make Bethlehem’s entry burners easy to live with.

What the surface-mix flame gives you

Like all of Bethlehem’s burners, the Star is surface-mix: fuel and oxygen meet at the face of the torch rather than premixing inside it, for a quiet, calm, oxygen-efficient flame that’s gentle on colors. Running at low pressure keeps it especially soft and forgiving — ideal for soft-glass beadwork. For the background, see surface mix vs premix torches.

The flame, from pinpoint to soaking

The Star’s flame ranges from a gentle pinpoint for stringer detail up to a 2in bushy flame for soaking glass. That spread is exactly what bead and marble makers want: a fine flame for adding detail and a broad, even flame for keeping a larger gather warm. It’s a single-stage torch, so it trades the independent inner/outer control of the two-stage Bravo for simplicity and a soft, easy flame.

Glass, fuel, and oxygen

The Star handles soft (soda-lime) glass and small boro, with its sweet spot in large beads and marbles up to about 2in. It burns propane or natural gas with oxygen and is known for fuel efficiency. Bethlehem doesn’t publish a jet count or exact oxygen flow for the Star, so treat its appetite qualitatively — modest, in keeping with a low-pressure entry burner — and confirm against your supply. See how many LPM does my torch need and oxygen concentrator vs tanks.

The hardware advantage

The Star carries Bethlehem’s signature swivel and rack-and-pinion adjustment, letting you set the torch to a precise, repeatable angle and height — a real comfort over long beadmaking sessions and part of what you’re paying for.

Where it sits in the Bethlehem lineup

The Star is a step above the entry Alpha in the surface-mix range, below the gap-filling STACKS and the two-stage Bravo and Champion. Because the flame behavior is consistent across the family, growing into a larger torch later doesn’t mean relearning your flame — compare the tiers in Alpha vs Bravo vs Champion, and see where the Star fits among starters in our best beginner glass torch guide.

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: flame-range details reflect Bethlehem’s own catalog for the Star. Bethlehem doesn’t publish its jet count, exact oxygen flow (LPM), or current pricing, so confirm those specifics with Bethlehem before purchasing.