Carlisle Universal Hand Torch
Premix
$147
US reference price
Hand configuration shown.
Overview
Best for: Hand torch, General
- Mount
- Hand
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas, Hydrogen
- Oxygen (estimate)
- Not confirmed
Specs
The Carlisle Universal Hand Torch is the company's versatile premix hand torch, offered with a 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch nozzle and in Shorty, High-Capacity, and Unecon configurations for hand-held soft-glass and boro work.
Intermediate-to-advanced makers who need a hand-held premix flame for assembly, spot heating, and general off-bench work across soft glass and boro.
- Jets
- Not confirmed
- Stages
- 1
- Mount
- Hand
- Mix
- Premix
Specs
- Mix type
- Premix
- Mount
- Hand
- Oxygen (estimate)
- n/a
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas, Hydrogen
- Skill level
- Intermediate, Advanced
- Glass
- Soft, Boro
- Best for
- Hand torch, General
- Price
- ~$147 (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.
Overview
The Carlisle Universal Hand Torch is the company’s versatile premix hand torch, a held, maneuverable burner rather than a bench fixture. Carlisle offers it with a 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch nozzle, and in Shorty, High-Capacity, and Unecon configurations, so you can match it to the kind of hand work you do.
A premix hand torch
Unlike Carlisle’s surface-mix bench burners, the Universal is premix: fuel and oxygen mix inside the torch before reaching the flame. Premix burners tend to be simple, stable, and predictable, a sensible character for a hand torch you’re moving around the work. If you’re weighing that against surface-mix, see surface mix vs premix torches.
Who it’s for
The Universal suits intermediate-to-advanced makers who need a hand-held flame for assembly, spot heating, and general off-bench work across soft glass and boro. A hand torch is held and maneuvered rather than mounted, which makes it well suited to bringing a controlled flame to the work. If you’re deciding between formats, read bench vs hand torch.
Configurations, fuel & oxygen
Beyond the 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch nozzle choice, the Universal comes in Shorty, High-Capacity, and Unecon variants. It burns propane, natural gas, or hydrogen with oxygen. Carlisle doesn’t publish exact oxygen flow for it in our source data, so we won’t put a number on it, confirm that with Carlisle and match it to your supply before buying. For sizing, see how many LPM does my torch need.
Where it sits in the Carlisle lineup
The Universal is Carlisle’s general-purpose premix hand torch, sitting alongside the surface-mix C-702, C-705, and Mini CC hand torches. Where those carry CC-style surface-mix flames into the hand, the Universal is the straightforward premix option. For the wider context on the maker, see the how to choose a glass torch guide.
Before you buy
Budget for the whole system, not just the torch: oxygen (a concentrator or tanks), the correct propane, natural-gas, or hydrogen 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: spec details reflect Carlisle’s own materials. Carlisle doesn’t publish the Universal Hand Torch’s exact oxygen flow in our source data, so confirm that with Carlisle before purchasing.
Fit and tradeoffs
Best for: Intermediate-to-advanced makers who need a hand-held premix flame for assembly, spot heating, and general off-bench work across soft glass and boro.
Not for: Beginners wanting a first bench torch, and anyone needing a surface-mix flame, this is a premix hand torch.
Pros
- + Versatile premix hand torch from a long-running maker
- + Choice of 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch nozzle
- + Also offered in Shorty, High-Capacity, and Unecon configurations
- + Hand-held format suits assembly and spot heating
- + Burns propane, natural gas, or hydrogen
Cons
- − Premix, not surface-mix, a different flame character from Carlisle's bench burners
- − Hand torch, so limited in raw output versus a bench burner
- − Entry price band
- − Oxygen flow isn't published, confirm with Carlisle
Reader reviews
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Flame notes
Carlisle's versatile premix hand torch (1/4-inch or 3/8-inch nozzle); also offered in Shorty, High-Capacity, and Unecon configurations.
Manuals & instructions
- Carlisle Universal Hand Torch bulletin (PDF, Carlisle's site)
- Carlisle downloads page, which lists the Universal Hand Torch Instruction Sheet (Carlisle's site)
Manufacturer documentation on the maker's own site, which holds the current revision.
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 Universal Hand Torch against other torches.
FAQ
- Is the Universal Hand Torch premix or surface-mix?
- Premix, fuel and oxygen are mixed inside the torch before reaching the flame. That's a different character from Carlisle's surface-mix bench burners. See our surface mix vs premix guide for what that means in practice.
- What nozzle sizes does it come in?
- Carlisle offers it with a 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch nozzle. It's also available in Shorty, High-Capacity, and Unecon configurations for different needs.
- What is a hand torch good for?
- A hand torch is held and maneuvered rather than mounted on the bench, which suits assembly, spot heating, and controlled, mobile flame work. See our bench vs hand torch guide to decide which format fits how you work.
- What fuels does it run?
- Propane, natural gas, or hydrogen.
- How much oxygen does it need?
- Carlisle doesn't publish exact oxygen flow for the Universal Hand Torch in our source data. Confirm the figure with Carlisle and match it to your supply before buying.
Sources
Researched and edited by Joe Blanchard, sixteen years on the distribution side of the glass industry.