Carlisle Lucio Glass Torch
Surface mix
$827
US reference price
Bench configuration shown.
Overview
Best for: Soft glass, Sculpture, Large work
- Mount
- Bench
- Fuel
- Natural gas, Propane
- Oxygen (estimate)
- ~26 LPM
Specs
The Carlisle Lucio is a single-stage surface-mix torch built for the professional soft-glass flameworker, low-pressure fuel and oxygen give a soft, wide flame that puts less stress in the glass for larger sculptural work, and it runs best on natural gas.
Intermediate-to-advanced soft-glass artists doing sculpture and larger work who want a soft, wide, low-stress flame, especially anyone set up for natural gas.
- Jets
- Not confirmed
- Stages
- 1
- Mount
- Bench
- Mix
- Surface mix
Specs
- Mix type
- Surface mix
- Mount
- Bench
- Oxygen (estimate)
- ~26 LPM
Documented estimate · editor's estimate, not a maker figure · checked 2026-07-18Oxygen use at the largest usable flame, not a minimum.
- Fuel
- Natural gas, Propane
- Skill level
- Intermediate, Advanced
- Glass
- Soft
- Best for
- Soft glass, Sculpture, Large work
- Price
- ~$827 (reference)
Manufacturer page · confirmed · checked and price captured 2026-10-17 · source
- Stages
- 1
Figures come from Carlisle's own pages and manuals where we have them; the oxygen figure is a rough estimate, not a specification. Confirm the current spec with Carlisle before you buy.
How we source these figures
Treat the oxygen figure as a rough sizing estimate. 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. Where a cell carries an evidence line it says where the figure came from, the date we checked it, and links the source where we hold one; a cell without one rests on the sources at the foot of the page. On a phone those lines show while this note is open. Confirm the exact configuration with Carlisle before buying.
Spec provenance: 1 of 7 spec fields on this page cites the manufacturer's own pages or manuals, and 1 is a documented estimate of ours.
Overview
The Carlisle Lucio is a specialist: a single-stage surface-mix torch for the professional soft-glass flameworker. Where most torches chase heat, the Lucio chases gentleness, low-pressure fuel and oxygen give a soft, wide flame that promotes less stress in the glass, which is exactly what larger sculptural soft-glass work needs. It works best on natural gas and comes on a familiar Mini CC base.
The flame
The Lucio is surface-mix, but its whole character is the opposite of a sharp production flame. Running fuel and oxygen at low pressure produces a soft, wide, even flame that heats glass gently. For sensitive soft-glass sculpture, that low-stress heat is the point, a hot, focused flame would risk cracking larger pieces. This is heat for managing thermal stress, not driving through thick glass. To understand the trade-off, see soaking vs penetrating flame.
Who it’s for
The Lucio is aimed at intermediate-to-advanced soft-glass artists doing sculpture and larger work. It’s not a general-purpose torch and it’s not a boro burner, our source data lists it for soft glass specifically. If your work is large, sculptural, and soft-glass, and you’re set up for natural gas, the Lucio is purpose-built for you. For the glass-type context, see soft glass vs boro vs quartz.
Fuel & oxygen
Carlisle says the Lucio works best with natural gas (it also takes propane), and it runs at low fuel and oxygen pressure by design. It comes on a Mini CC base with welding-hose fittings. Carlisle doesn’t publish the Lucio’s jet count or exact oxygen flow in our source data, so we won’t put numbers on it, confirm those with Carlisle and match them to your supply before buying. If you’re choosing between fuels, read propane vs natural gas for torchwork; for sizing oxygen, see how many LPM does my torch need.
Where it sits in the Carlisle lineup
The Lucio is Carlisle’s dedicated soft-glass sculpting torch. Its larger sibling, the Lucio Grande, adds a row of ports for even bigger work and ships on the Black Widow base. Both sit apart from the combination CC family and the boro-oriented Wildcat as the soft-glass specialists in the catalog.
Before you buy
Budget for the whole system, not just the torch: oxygen (a concentrator or tanks), the correct regulator, ideally natural gas, the Lucio’s preferred fuel, 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: spec details reflect Carlisle’s own materials. Carlisle doesn’t publish the Lucio’s exact jet count or oxygen flow in our source data, so confirm those specifics with Carlisle before purchasing.
Fit and tradeoffs
Best for: Intermediate-to-advanced soft-glass artists doing sculpture and larger work who want a soft, wide, low-stress flame, especially anyone set up for natural gas.
Not for: Boro production, fine pinpoint detail, or beginners who just want a simple first torch, this is a specialist soft-glass flame.
Pros
- + Soft, wide surface-mix flame that promotes less stress in the glass for larger work
- + Purpose-built for professional soft-glass sculpture
- + Low-pressure fuel/oxygen operation
- + Comes on a familiar Mini CC base with welding-hose fittings
- + Runs best on natural gas (also takes propane)
Cons
- − Specialist soft-glass torch, not a boro or detail burner
- − Works best with natural gas, which not every studio has plumbed
- − Mid price band
- − Jets, stages detail, and oxygen flow aren't published, confirm with Carlisle
Reader reviews
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Flame notes
Surface-mix torch for the professional soft-glass flameworker (works best with natural gas). Low-pressure fuel/oxygen gives a soft, wide flame that promotes less stress in the glass for larger work. Comes on a Mini CC base with welding-hose fittings. (Lucio Grande adds a row of ports for even larger work.)
Maker
Carlisle Machine Works
USA · Founded 1918
Focus: Soft, Boro, Beads
Family-owned Millville, New Jersey manufacturer. Its current glassworking line includes combination, surface-mix, bench, and hand torches. Carlisle says the CC was developed with Corning in 1939.
Related reading
Compared with
Head-to-head guides that put the Lucio against other torches.
FAQ
- What is the Carlisle Lucio designed for?
- It's a surface-mix torch for the professional soft-glass flameworker. Low-pressure fuel and oxygen give a soft, wide flame that promotes less stress in the glass, which is what you want for larger sculptural soft-glass work.
- Does the Lucio need natural gas?
- Carlisle says it works best with natural gas. It will run on propane too, but if you're choosing this torch specifically, natural gas is the intended fuel, see our propane vs natural gas guide to weigh the two.
- Why a soft, wide flame instead of a hot focused one?
- Larger soft-glass pieces are sensitive to thermal stress. A soft, wide, low-pressure flame heats more gently and evenly, putting less stress in the glass, exactly what sculpture and larger work need. A sharp, hot flame would risk cracking.
- Can the Lucio do boro?
- It's built around soft glass. Our source data lists it for soft glass, not boro, for borosilicate you'd want a different Carlisle. We won't claim a boro capability the data doesn't support.
- What's the difference between the Lucio and the Lucio Grande?
- The Lucio Grande is a larger version of the Lucio with an extra row of ports for even bigger work, and it ships on the Black Widow base rather than the Mini CC base.
Researched and edited by Joe Blanchard, sixteen years on the distribution side of the glass industry.