Bethlehem Star: the low-pressure surface-mix bead-and-marble torch
Bethlehem Star · Bench torch · Surface mix
The Bethlehem Star is a single-stage, low-pressure surface-mix bench burner one step above the Alpha, built for large beads and 2in marbles, with the same quiet flame chemistry and fuel efficiency and a bit more heat.
Specs
- Mix type
- Surface mix
- Mount
- Bench
- Oxygen (estimate)
- ~20 LPM
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas
- Skill level
- Beginner, Intermediate
- Glass
- Soft, Boro
- Best for
- Beads, Marbles, Soft glass
- Price
- ~$446 (reference)
- Jets
- 11
- Stages
- 1
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 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 publishes the Star’s numbers directly: 6 center gas jets in a star-shaped oxygen chamber plus 5 outer gas jets (11 total), with full-flame consumption of 5 LPM propane (2 to 5 psi) and 20 LPM tanked oxygen (8 to 20 psi). Those are ceilings at full flame, not minimums; Bethlehem calls the Star ideal on household gas at 1/4 psi and an oxygen concentrator at 7 psi. It works 22 mm boro rod and 36 mm heavy-wall tube. See how many LPM does my torch need and oxygen concentrator vs tanks.
The hardware advantage
The Star carries Bethlehem’s swivel-base mounting, 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 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: jet, flow, and capacity figures reflect Bethlehem’s own product page for the Star, checked July 2026, and the catalog carries Bethlehem’s $446 manufacturer-direct list price. Prices and configurations change, so confirm current details with Bethlehem before purchasing.
Fit and tradeoffs
Best for: Beginners and intermediates making large beads and marbles up to about 2in who want a touch more heat than the Alpha while keeping a quiet, oxygen-efficient flame.
Not for: Large boro tubes, thick solid work, or production heat, step up to a Bravo, Champion, or multi-stage Grand for that.
Pros
- + Quiet, fuel-efficient low-pressure surface-mix flame, same chemistry as the Alpha
- + A little more heat, sized for large beads and 2in marbles
- + Flame ranges from a gentle pinpoint for stringer detail to a 2in bushy soaking flame
- + Bethlehem lists 11 gas jets (6 center, 5 outer), 20 LPM tanked oxygen at full flame, and a swivel base
Cons
- − Single-stage, not built for large boro or production heat
- − Full-flame oxygen of 20 LPM is a ceiling; size a concentrator to the flame you actually run
- − Premium mounting hardware is part of the price
Flame notes
Single-stage stainless surface-mix bench burner with 6 center gas jets and 5 outer gas jets. Bethlehem lists 5 LPM propane and 20 LPM tanked oxygen at full flame, and says it works 22 mm boro rod and 36 mm heavy-wall tube.
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 Star against other torches.
FAQ
- How is the Star different from the Alpha?
- The Star is the next level up from the Alpha, same quiet flame chemistry and fuel efficiency, but a little more heat, sized for makers of large beads and 2in marbles. The Alpha is the gentler entry burner; the Star gives a bit more headroom in soft glass.
- What size work does the Star handle?
- Its flame ranges from a gentle pinpoint for stringer detail up to a 2in bushy flame for soaking glass, which makes it well suited to large beads and marbles up to about 2in. For larger boro you'd step up the line.
- Soft glass, boro, or both?
- Both soft (soda-lime) glass and small boro, with its sweet spot in large beads and marbles. Larger boro tubes need more heat than a single-stage low-pressure burner delivers.
- Is the Star a good first torch?
- It's an approachable beginner-to-intermediate burner, especially for someone focused on beads and marbles. Compare it with the rest of the entry field in our best beginner glass torch guide.