Dab Enails

If you’re a serious dabber and don’t like having to heat up a nail with a torch on a regular basis because you find that you’re just blowing through butane, you may want to consider an electronic nail. Called e-nails for short, this piece combines the nail with the torch to help you keep your experience efficient and enjoyable. There are several reasons why many dabbers like having these costly little numbers on hand instead of a traditional nail and torch. Let's get into it.

The Power is Yours

With an e-nail, you have more control. We know that dabbing at high temperatures is super easy with a torch. You literally just turn it on and fire the flame at your nail and heat that sucker up. But you don’t have control over that. There are people out there that believe dabbing at lower temperatures, like within the 600 degree range, will lead to inhales that are tastier and less harsh on your throat and lungs. Since the e-nail is electronic, you can program what exact temperature you want coming from your nail and it will heat it up to precisely that. It won’t go over or under.

With all this power in your hands, you also take guesswork out of how hot, or cold, your nail actually is. You won’t have to rely on deciphering what color your nail is as it gets heated to know when exactly to dab. The e-nail will tell you.

This is good for those of us who are a little bit more anal about precision. You also avoid running the risk of ruining your dab by waiting too long or not long enough to apply your concentrate to the nail.

Show Me The Money

You’re not wasting money on concentrates anymore, but is that it? No way! While the e-nail is more costly in the beginning, it certainly pays for itself in the long run.

E-nails can run you around $250 depending on where you get them and what features they have. That can really dent your wallet if you’re just starting, so many newcomers to dabbing will steer clear from them for their dab tool kit. If you’ve got the change or are more experienced and looking to invest in your hobby, getting an e-nail will save you bigger bucks in the long run.

We already told you how they’ll save you from wasting your concentrates, but they’ll also save you money on fuel. Remember we said the e-nail combines the torch with the nail for efficiency? Because you won't need a torch, you won’t constantly need to buy butane to refill it. The cost of butane can seriously add up if you’re serious about this hobby. For people who dab daily, they can need to refill their torches more often than they’d like.

You save money on fuel and you save money by not letting your dabs go up in smoke, literally, before you can enjoy them. So far we think this is a pretty serious win for the e-nail.

Don’t Play With Fire

Now it’s time to play a little devil’s advocate here. Yeah, the e-nail sounds beautiful and easy to use, which it is. But with great power comes great responsibility.

The basic function of the e-nail is that you plug it in and it heats up right away. It’ll stay hot for as long as you have it plugged in which is great if you’ve got a group dabbing. You won’t have to worry about the nail cooling down between hits which will make your concentrate go farther.

However, there is a serious danger with e-nails that you need to be aware of. We already mentioned it above: it stays hot the entire time it’s plugged in. What do you think that means? That means if you plug it in and walk away, it’ll be hot. If someone goes to touch it, you’re going to have some serious burns. These things can get up with 1200 degrees and that is definitely remove some layers of skin. Another concern is that if you walk away while it’s on, there is a higher likely hood of something, like fabric, coming into contact with the nail and starting a fire.

Are you terrified into paying attention now? Good. That’s all you really need to do: pay attention. There are some higher end e-nails that have a safety feature built in where the nail will turn off if it’s on for too long or the temperature gets too high. It is totally worth it to spring for this feature. Peace of mind is priceless.

Lack of Portability

The only other serious drawback to the e-nail is that you need to be somewhere with power. This means no dabbing parties out on the deck or on a camping trip. If you’ve got portable sources of power that’s one thing, but most people don’t think to have or carry things like that. It just means that your dabbing can’t be overly spontaneous unless you also keep a torch on hand for situations like this.

The Choice is Yours

We think we’ve made a pretty good case for e-nails here. Just like everything in the smoking hobby, there are pros and cons. You’ve got to think about who you are as a dabber and consider whether or not this investment is for you. For serious smokers who enjoy on a daily basis, you really can’t go wrong with an e-nail. If you’re just starting or aren’t as hardcore as daily, you might shy away. Either way, we’ve got something for you, no matter what you decide.

source https://www.thickassglass.com/blogs/enlightenment/dab-enails

Healthstones

Just because you have a hobby that requires you to inhale vapors doesn’t mean you can’t be healthy about it. People smoke and inhale because they enjoy the feeling it gives them. No one wants to harsh on their throats and lungs, but that can be an unfortunate side effect of dabbing or smoking legal herbs. When you dab, you’re more than likely using a butane torch to heat up your nail. Getting your face that close also puts you at risk of inhaling butane vapors and messing up the taste of your dab.

There’s a way around that which won’t make it harder for you to enjoy your dab without destroying your body. It’s called a Healthstone and it’s a relatively new addition to dabbing that helps users enjoy what they’re doing in a safe manner.

What Does It Do?

In short, a health stone uses something called a vapor stone: this thing is an inert piece that doesn’t have high heat retention or emit any chemicals or gasses. That’s already a plus. You put the concentrate on the stone directly and use a torch to heat it up.  The dab is going to get absorbed into the stone and it’ll sit there until it gets hot enough to vaporize so that you can suck it out through your pipe.

One thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want to point your flame directly on top of your concentrate. That’s just going to make your hit go up in a puff of smoke, literally, when you set it on fire. Try to hold it to the side so that you’re aiming over the top of the stone, but not right down on top of it. Clear as mud? Great.

Why Do I Want This

Anything that makes your hobby better on your body should be a no-brainer.  Like we explained above, the healthstone is inert. If you don’t know what that means, it refers to the fact that the concentrate gets absorbed into the stone itself and the vapor will move in to the pipe, not out into the air. This makes your hits more concentrated without having to light up a whole bunch of product. It also helps you use less to get more. That’s something everyone can get behind.

I’m New. Is This For Me?

If you’re new to the dabbing scene you might not want to dive right into using a healthstone. Unless you have literal money to burn. Because the healthstone is a bit different from heating up the nail you run the risk of combusting your product and losing it to the wind. Not only does that suck, but the inhaling the combusted product is way harsher on your throat and lungs which makes this a lot less comfortable than it should be. You’re smoking to find a way to relax or reduce pain, right? Don’t make it harder for yourself.

The reason why this is not really recommended for newcomers to the scene is the temperature control you’ll need to have when using your torch. Some torches get up to 2000 degrees which seems insane, but is actually quite normal. When you use a healthstone you don’t need to heat it up to that high of a temperature. You want it to be more around the 400-450 range in order to make it work properly. New users generally don’t have the finesse when it comes to regulating heat which can make for a discouraging experience.

Things to Consider

Just because you don’t have the finesse doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. You just need to be careful and watch what you’re doing. If you’ve got a large torch on hand you may want to invest in something smaller before you try a healthstone out for the first time. A smaller torch will produce a smaller flame and make it easier to navigate what you’re doing. Something like a cigar-style lighter is going to make your life a whole lot easier. Even if you’ve been doing this for a long time, you might want to have one of these smaller torches on hand just to save yourself some headaches down the line.

Light it Up

You should have a pretty good grasp on what a healthstone is now and why you might want to use it. It’s healthier for you, easily portable and looks pretty sweet. The healthstone just falls into place so when you’re replacing them you shouldn’t have any issues. If you find that your healthstone is stuck and doesn’t just pop out like it should when you’re trying to replace it don’t panic. This is bound to happen since residue will build up and act like a glue that keeps it in place. Just heat it up like you’re about to use it. That should loosen the residue. Turn it upside down and tap the stone out onto something non-flammable and you’re good to go. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

source https://www.thickassglass.com/blogs/enlightenment/healthstones

Drop Downs

Who doesn’t like accessories? How about accessories that help prolong the life of your gear? Now we’re talking!

Whether your taste is for legal herbs or concentrates, you’re going to be using gear and pipes that are continually subjected to some pretty high temperatures. You might also have noticed after consistent use that there is some reclaim stuck in your pipe that does not look like fun to get at.

When it comes to pipes and dab rigs there are multiple accessories that can be added, but some things require joints or connections that aren’t already native to your piece. Sounds like a mess, doesn’t it? Not worry! There is a piece out there designed to make your hobby a lot more enjoyable without any added stress. More commonly used with dab rigs, this piece works for both.

Enter the Drop-Down! Let’s lay out why you seriously want to keep this accessory with your gear.

Multi-Function

When we say that this piece can do it all, we’re not lying. The drop down is the must-have accessory for serious enjoyers of legal herb and concentrate. This adapter can be attached to a water pipe or a dab rig. That already makes it awesome for those who use both. Maybe you’re browsing for new accessories and can’t remember if you need male or female joints. A drop-down often has connections for both, which makes it a no-brainer.

Live Long and Prosper

Pipes and dab rigs are typically made of one safe, amazing material: glass. While you can get accessories and other parts in varied materials, the core of your equipment is going to be made from glass. Glass can be fragile, especially when you use it on a regular basis at the temperatures you need to get a good inhale going.

This is where the drop-down shines. It serves as a buffer between the joint and nail, keeping excessive heat away from this delicate area. Heat stress is caused from overuse and can be accelerated when a wayward torch isn’t as focused on the nail as it should be. In the long run the drop-down will also save you some money by preventing you from having to replace your pieces on a regular basis. If you’re a daily dabber or smoker, it’s a good investment.

Reclaim

Not only does catching reclaim keep your rig clean and operational, it allows you to easily harvest this useful by-product for other uses like baking. You can even use the reclaim to dab again. When you apply a drop-down to your rig you can attach a reclaim bucket to obtain the reclaim (or just buy our drop-down/reclaim combo piece). With a place to go, the oil won’t hang around inside your rig or pipe causing build-up that is a pain to clean off. Instead of washing the reclaim down the sink because you don’t know how, or can’t be bothered, to get it out let the drop-down do the dirty work for you.

Look Me in the Eye

Another really sweet reason to get your hands on a drop-down is that they make your nails easier to see. This might not sound like a big deal, but if you’re new to the scene or find yourself getting lost in the rhythm from frequent use, the nail can wander from your line of sight. By not keeping an eye on your nail you might be pointing your torch at the wrong thing which leads to the heat stress mentioned above. If you can see what you’re doing, you’re more likely to do it right.

Many nails rely on their users to notice color changes in order to determine what the temperature is. Use a nail that’s too cold and you wind up with some pudding-like concentrate. Too hot and your concentrate will become vapor and drift away before you have a chance to inhale. By being where you can see it, you’ll save yourself from a few headaches.

Saving Money, One inhale at a Time

You might think that you can enjoy your hobby without a drop-down. You’d be right, of course, but you might find your wallet getting thinner as time goes back.

We’ve told you that the drop-down and protect your rig from heat stress. Never underestimate how costly it can be when critical parts of your pipe or dab rig shatter from being too hot. Heat stress isn’t something you’re going to notice right away. It builds up over time and often catches users unaware. There’s nothing more disappointing than trying to light up to de-stress only to find out your joints are cracked, and you don’t have a back up piece. Or maybe you’ve got a craving for some special brownies but it’s going to take you more than a day to get at your reclaim in order to use it in your baking. That really takes the fun out of the whole thing.

A drop-down is an optional accessory that you don’t have to have in order to enjoy the hobby. It will, however, make your enjoyment easier and more productive. You really can’t go wrong.

source https://www.thickassglass.com/blogs/enlightenment/drop-downs

Dab Essentials: What Dab Tools Do You Need?

You might be an experienced smoker looking for something new to try. Maybe you’ve always been into concentrates but haven’t been confident in what pieces you need to have to have a solid start.

When it comes to dabbing there are essentials to any kit. These pieces are going to make your dabbing experience more productive and will be easier on you in the long run. You don’t want to be substituting proper pieces for makeshift ones, so it’s important to know exactly what is required with dabbing and make sure you have it all on hand when you get started. We’ve got a nice list for you here, so take a look and tick it off as you go along collecting your stuff.

Dab Rig

First things first, you can’t get very far without this essential piece.  You might know this by the terminology "oil rig" instead of "dab rig". Both terms refer to a water pipe that is the foundation of enjoying concentrates.

Dab rigs come in all shapes and sizes: just like any other water pipe. In order to find one you like, you have to think of who you are as a person enjoying concentrates. There will be a piece out there that speaks to you.

Whether it’s a huge and intricate piece looking to start conversations or small and basic enough to get the job done, you can find it at TAG. Of course, the size and where it’s made is going to influence the cost of your new toy. One of the things you can be assured of with Thick Ass Glass is that it won't be easy to break your new rig. This glass is THICK!

Since the dab rig forms the base of your hobby when it comes to legal concentrates, you should look at investing more than $50 into it. Remember: this is going to be with you for a long time. Unless you expect dabbing to be a fleeting hobby, don’t be afraid to put some money where your mouth is.

Nails

We’re not talking about the things that grow out of your fingers or what you use to keep two pieces of wood together. No, nails in this sense refer to the thing that you will apply your concentrate to and then heat the hell out of to get the vapor.

Nails come in various materials like quartz, ceramic, glass and titanium. The material your nail is made out might influence the taste of your concentrate, so be careful when you’re deciding what to use.

If you plan to be, or already are, a serious dabber it’s probably a good idea to stay away from glass nails. While they are beautiful, they can’t take being heated to the high degree you need for concentrates on a regular basis. This means they’re prone to breaking and that’s just a whole mess itself. Ceramic is more durable, but still fragile.

If you’re a casual dabber, you might want to go with glass. If you’re making this a more serious commitment, then we suggest quartz or titanium.

Another alternative to all of this is the e-nail. This is recommended for people who know what they’re doing. The e-nail plugs into a socket and heats up directly: you won’t have to use a torch at all. (We’ll get into torches and why you need them next.)

When it comes to e-nails there is a serious and potentially dangerous side to pay attention to. E-nails start heating up as soon as you plug them in. That means these little puppies are hot all the time. This can lead to burnt fingers or singed furniture so handle with care. Some of them do have a safety feature where they’ll turn off if on for too long or the temperature is too high. So be careful!

Torches

Now that we’re done scolding you like a bad teacher, let’s talk about torches. This is exactly what is sounds like: a torch fueled with butane that will heat up your nail and transform your concentrate into sweet sweet vapor. You point the flame of this sucker right on the nail to heat it up and suck back that vapor. Be careful not to inhale the fumes of the butane and try not to heat up your nail in the same spot every time. This can degrade the nail and cause it to work improperly. Also, it’ll make your concentrate taste like garbage if you don’t use it properly.

Dab Rag/Mat and Silicone Jar

Okay, these are on the list just to keep your house from becoming a sticky mess. The mat will protect whatever furniture you set your dab rig on when you’re enjoying a session. When we say sticky, we’re not talking something simple like bubble gum. Think something sticky and oily that will ruin whatever it touches right from the get-go. So while it's not  absolutely necessary to have a mat, it’ll just keep your life from being a cleaning nightmare.

Same with a silicone jar. Dabs are sticky so you want something that will allow you to easily remove it to apply it to the nail. You can use a glass jar for this if you really want to, but you might miss out on some bits because glass is a lot harder to scrape off of.

Dabber

Now for the last, yet obvious, piece that you’ll need. This isn’t really optional, as you are going to need something to pick up the concentrate and add it to the nail. This dabber by TAG offers not only titanium construction, but also a big carb cap. We really don’t recommend using fingers or anything else that is liable to burn and hurt. The dabber is also referred to as a wand and comes in materials like quartz, titanium, ceramic and glass. It’s up to you what you want to use but titanium is going to be the most reliable.

The Power is in Your Hands

Literally. It’s up to you what pieces you get to add to your dabbing arsenal. Pick what you think will be the most functional and consider how much dabbing you think you’ll actually do. Have fun with it! This is an expression of your personality. Run with it.

source https://www.thickassglass.com/blogs/enlightenment/dab-tools