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Nortel Unitorch-9 Hand Torch
Premix
$519
US reference price
Overview
Best for: Lathe work, Scientific seals, Quartz, Flame cutting
- Mount
- Hand
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas
- Oxygen (estimate)
- Not confirmed
Specs
The Nortel Unitorch-9 is a premix hand torch with nine stainless-steel tips, built for scientific glassblowing: lathe work, seals, and flame cutting. Nortel says the Unitorch hand torches easily work 40 mm quartz or 75 mm borosilicate standard-wall tubing.
Scientific glassblowers and lathe workers who want more tips than the six-tip Unitorch offers for seals, dewars, and quartz or boro tubing work.
- Jets
- Not confirmed
- Stages
- 1
- Mount
- Hand
- Mix
- Premix
Specs
- Mix type
- Premix
- Mount
- Hand
- Oxygen (estimate)
- n/a
- Fuel
- Propane, Natural gas
- Skill level
- Intermediate, Advanced
- Glass
- Boro, Quartz
Manufacturer page · checked 2026-07-23 · sourceNortel explicitly lists 40 mm quartz and 75 mm borosilicate standard-wall tubing.
- Best for
- Lathe work, Scientific seals, Quartz, Flame cutting
- Price
- ~$519 (reference)
Manufacturer page · confirmed · checked and price captured 2026-10-17 · source
- Stages
- 1
Manufacturer page · checked 2026-09-05 · sourceSingle burner: Nortel's product page describes one premix hand torch carrying nine interchangeable stainless tips, with no second burner or top fire.
Figures come from Nortel's own pages and manuals where we have them; the oxygen figure is a rough estimate, not a specification. Confirm the current spec with Nortel 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 Nortel before buying.
Spec provenance: 3 of 7 spec fields on this page cite the manufacturer's own pages or manuals.
Overview
The Nortel Unitorch-9 is a premix hand torch with nine stainless-steel tips, part of Nortel’s Unitorch family and aimed squarely at scientific glassblowing: Nortel lists the Unitorch hand torches for lathe work, dewars, fritted discs, round bottoms, ring seals, graded seals, glass-to-metal seals, and flame cutting, and says they easily work 40 mm quartz or 75 mm borosilicate standard-wall tubing.
What the Unitorch-9 is
It is a premix torch: fuel and oxygen are mixed inside the body before reaching the flame, which makes the flame simple to light, stable, and predictable, exactly what long seal-making sessions on a lathe demand. The tips are the heart of the design, since flame size and character come from the tips rather than a machined port face. For the mixing background see surface mix vs premix torches; on format see bench vs hand torch.
The length is part of the design
Nortel describes the nine-tip Unitorch as giving an intense narrow band of fire with a roughly 20 inch length, which exists so the operator can stand back from that heat. On a torch built for sustained seal work, reach is an ergonomic feature rather than a spec-sheet number.
Editor’s note: some supplier listings for this torch also cite hydrogen as a fuel alongside propane and natural gas. Nortel’s own product page for the Unitorch hand torches does not, and Nortel’s torch index describes its torches as natural gas or propane with oxygen. We record propane and natural gas only, and you should confirm any hydrogen setup directly with Nortel.
Who the Unitorch-9 is for
This is a specialist tool. If you are doing scientific or lathe work, sealing, or flame cutting on quartz and boro tubing, it belongs in the conversation alongside the six-tip Unitorch. If you are buying a first torch for beads or general studio work, it is the wrong shape of tool entirely, and the best beginner glass torch guide is a better starting point.
What we do not know
Nortel does not publish an oxygen flow figure for this model, and flame size depends on the tips, so we record none. Nortel’s own store lists the nine-tip version at about $519 in US dollars (read 2026-10-17), against $421 for the six-tip; Nortel prices in Canadian dollars, so the US figure is a conversion that moves with the exchange rate. Confirm the current configuration, tip set, and price with Nortel before buying.
Fit and tradeoffs
Best for: Scientific glassblowers and lathe workers who want more tips than the six-tip Unitorch offers for seals, dewars, and quartz or boro tubing work.
Not for: Beginners looking for a first soft-glass torch, or anyone needing a mounted bench flame, this is a specialist scientific hand tool.
Pros
- + Nine stainless-steel tips for an intense, narrow band of fire
- + Roughly 20 inch length lets you stand back from the heat
- + Premix flame: simple to light, stable, and predictable
- + Nortel says the Unitorch hand torches easily work 40 mm quartz or 75 mm borosilicate standard-wall tubing
Cons
- − A specialist scientific tool, not a general studio or beginner torch
- − Hand-held only; not a bench production tool
- − Flame size and oxygen use depend on the tips fitted, so no single LPM figure applies
- − Priced above the six-tip Unitorch on Nortel's own store
Reader reviews
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Flame notes
Premix hand torch with nine stainless-steel tips and a roughly 20 inch length, which lets the operator stand back from an intense narrow band of fire. Nortel lists the Unitorch hand torches for lathe work, dewars, fritted discs, round bottoms, ring seals, graded seals, glass-to-metal seals, and flame cutting, working 40 mm quartz or 75 mm borosilicate standard-wall tubing. Dealer listings also cite hydrogen as a fuel option; Nortel's own product page does not, so only propane and natural gas are recorded here.
Maker
Nortel Manufacturing
Canada · Founded 1967
Focus: Soft, Boro, Beginner
Toronto manufacturer founded by Peter Norton. The current mounted line is surface mix; selected hand torches and optional top burners are premix.
Related reading
FAQ
- What is the Nortel Unitorch-9?
- It's the nine-tip member of Nortel's Unitorch family of premix hand torches for scientific glassblowing. Nortel lists the Unitorch hand torches for lathe work, dewars, fritted discs, round bottoms, ring seals, graded seals, glass-to-metal seals, and flame cutting.
- How does it differ from the six-tip Unitorch?
- Tip count. The Unitorch family shares a premix design and the same stated capability of 40 mm quartz or 75 mm borosilicate standard-wall tubing; the nine-tip version puts more tips on the manifold. Nortel presents the nine-tip version as delivering an intense narrow band of fire.
- Is the Unitorch-9 surface-mix or premix?
- Premix: fuel and oxygen are mixed inside the torch before reaching the flame. Premix burners are simple to light, stable, and predictable, which is why the style dominates scientific hand torching.
- Is the Unitorch-9 a good beginner torch?
- No. It's a scientific and lathe-work tool for intermediate-to-advanced users. A beginner working soft glass at a bench is far better served by a bench burner; see our best beginner glass torch guide.
Researched and edited by Joe Blanchard, sixteen years on the distribution side of the glass industry.