45-Degree Angled vs. Straight Torches: Stop Burning Your Fingers on Your Banger

A 45 degree torch points the flame out sideways instead of straight up. That one change is the difference between heating your banger in comfort and burning the back of your hand on hot quartz.

Quick note first, because the number gets used two ways. A 45 degree banger is about the joint angle on your rig. A 45 degree torch is about the head angle on your lighter. This post is the torch.

The rule is short. Flower, buy a straight body. Concentrates, buy angled. A straight torch makes you drop your wrist and reach across glass that is already glowing. An angled head keeps your hand out to the side and puts the flame where the heat needs to go.

The Classic Straight Body Torch

Straight torches point the flame up or straight out from the body. For a bowl, that is exactly right.

You are working downward into the bowl, you can see what you are lighting, and your hand sits above the piece rather than beside it. Nothing is glowing at 500 degrees six inches from your knuckles.

That makes a straight body the easy pick for anything in our bong bowls collection. Cheaper, simpler, and the shape most of the range comes in.

Why a 45-Degree Dab Torch is Safer for Concentrates

Bangers change the problem. You are heating the base and the lower walls of a quartz bucket that sits at chest height on a rig, and you have to hold the flame there for 20 to 30 seconds.

With a straight torch you end up hovering your hand over the hot zone the whole time. With an angled head your hand stays out to the side and only the flame goes in.

The Scorch Torch 45° Degree Lighter is the straightforward version, with a continuous flame lock so you are not holding a button down for half a minute. We also stock an angled model with side adjustment, which lets you change flame height mid heat without repositioning your grip.

Angles help most on hard to reach setups. Low bangers on a tall rig, a nectar collector tip, a mini rig on a table. Anywhere a straight flame means an awkward wrist.

If you are running anything from our quartz banger and dab nail collection, an angled torch is the shape to start with.

What About Long Neck Torches?

The straight versus angled split is not quite the whole story. There is a third shape worth knowing.

A 7 inch long neck torch solves the same problem a different way. Instead of turning the flame sideways, it moves your hand further from it. Good for deep bangers and for anyone who finds an angled head fiddly.

Which Torch Shape Should You Buy?

Flower only, straight body. Concentrates, angled. Both, buy the angled one and use it for both, since an angled flame lights a bowl fine.

Shape is one decision. How many jets you need is a separate one, and the two get mixed up constantly. We split that out in single vs dual vs triple flame. Brand is a third, covered in Scorch Torch vs Newport Zero.

Whichever shape you land on, the full Scorch Torch dab torches and butane lighters collection carries both. Push your cart past $30 and a free surprise gift goes in the box.

Shop for Gear at SmokeMEGA

Torch shape is one of those things you only understand once you are holding it. So if you pick wrong, send it back. Returns run 14 days, there is no restocking fee, and you do not pay the postage.

Worth planning for: every butane torch ships empty, since butane cannot legally travel by post. Grab a can locally so you are not waiting around on delivery day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a straight torch for a dab rig?

Yes, plenty of people do. It just puts your hand closer to hot glass for longer, and it forces an awkward wrist angle on low or deep bangers. It works. It is less comfortable and slightly riskier.

Where should the flame actually hit the banger?

Aim at the base and the lower walls, keeping the flame tip an inch or two off the quartz. Move it in small circles rather than parking it on one spot, which is what causes hotspots and cracks.

Heat until it just starts to glow, then stop and wait 30 to 60 seconds before you drop. Thick quartz can need 90. Never dab on a red hot banger. Our guide on how long to heat a quartz banger goes through the timing by thickness.

Does the angle of the torch change how hot the flame gets?

No. Temperature comes from the jets and the butane pressure. The angle only changes where the flame goes and where your hand sits while it gets there.

Can I use a propane torch instead of butane?

Stick with butane. Propane burns considerably hotter than concentrates need, which makes overheating easy and is rough on quartz over time. It also carries an added odorant that you can taste. Refined butane is the cleaner fuel for this job.