GTT Kobuki: the three-stage Triple Mix showpiece that imitates the whole lineup

The GTT Kobuki is Glass Torch Technologies’ showpiece — a three-stage, ~49-jet Triple Mix bench torch built to be many torches at once. It stacks a 7-jet Lynx center, a 15-jet Phantom middle, and a 27-jet outer ring, and the result can imitate the Lynx, Phantom, Mirage and Delta Elite flames as well as its own wider Kobuki flame. In other words, it’s a single torch that covers GTT’s whole flame range, from a pinpoint to a broad soaking flame. An optional compressed-air path rounds it out.

What the three-stage Triple Mix flame gives you

Triple Mix is GTT’s surface-mix technology: fuel and oxygen meet at the face of the torch, keeping the mixing chamber cool and giving a clean, penetrating flame that drives heat into the core of thick glass. With three independently usable stages, the Kobuki scales from the fine Lynx center all the way up to large-boro heat — which is how it manages to stand in for so many models in the line. For the underlying tech see GTT Triple Mix technology and surface mix vs premix torches; for why penetration matters on heavy boro, read soaking vs penetrating flame.

The compressed-air option

The Kobuki can be ordered with GTT’s compressed-air path, which injects air into the fuel system so you can lower flame temperature while keeping the same flame chemistry and flame type — the documented idea behind GTT’s 4-Way Mix torches. It’s a useful lever when you want a cooler flame without otherwise changing how the torch behaves. The full explanation is in GTT compressed air & 4-Way Mix.

Who the Kobuki is for

The Kobuki suits advanced makers and production studios who want one torch that does everything — detail one minute, large boro the next — and are happy to feed and pay for that versatility. It’s not a beginner’s torch and it’s wasted on detail-only work.

Glass, fuel, and oxygen

The Kobuki burns propane or natural gas with oxygen and runs both boro and soft glass. As a three-stage production-class torch its oxygen demand is high — realistically tanked oxygen or multiple concentrators. GTT doesn’t publish the Kobuki’s exact LPM, so size your oxygen to your work and confirm with GTT. Start with how many LPM does my torch need.

Where it sits in the GTT lineup

The Kobuki is the versatile flagship of GTT’s multi-stage bench torches, sitting alongside the production-class burners like the Delta Mag. It’s built around the same Lynx center and Phantom middle as the rest of the line, which is precisely why it can imitate them — the flame behavior you learn on smaller GTTs is all there in one torch.

Before you buy

Budget for the whole system, not just the torch: an oxygen supply sized to a three-stage torch, the correct propane or natural-gas regulator (plus an air source if you take the compressed-air option), flashback arrestors on both lines, didymium eyewear, and serious ventilation. New to plumbing a torch this size? Start with the fittings, hoses & connectors guide and the glass torch safety setup guide.

Editor’s note: spec details reflect GTT’s own materials. GTT doesn’t publish the Kobuki’s exact oxygen flow (LPM) or current pricing, so confirm those specifics with GTT before purchasing.