Mastering Your Dabs: A Comprehensive Guide to Types and Styles of Bangers
Types and Styles of Bangers: Your Complete Guide
In the ever-evolving world of concentrate consumption, staying up-to-date can be a challenge. With the advent of concentrates in the marijuana industry came a new avenue for glass artisans to explore, leading to the creation of the dab rig and its essential component, the banger. Whether you call them bangers or nails, these tools are indispensable for any dabber. Typically crafted from quartz, although ceramic and titanium options exist, quartz reigns supreme due to its rapid heating, superior taste, and durability. Moreover, it's safer than alternatives like ceramic or titanium, which may emit harmful gases when heated. For optimum performance and safety, investing in high-quality full-weld quartz bangers is highly recommended.
Understanding the terminology and functionality of various banger styles and types can be daunting, given the plethora of options on the market. To simplify your decision-making process, we've compiled a comprehensive guide to help you navigate through the diverse array of bangers available.
1. 90° Banger: This style refers to the angle of the neck of the banger, typically resembling a 90-degree angle. While the angle remains consistent, variations in quartz thickness, shape, and function provide users with customizable options.
2. 45° Banger: Characterized by a 45-degree angle, this style is commonly used for converting bongs with joints incompatible with 90° bangers into concentrate oil rigs. It's also favored in heady rigs and may necessitate a similar angled banger, depending on the rig's design.
3. Flat Top Banger: Featuring a perpendicular opening instead of an angled cut, flat top bangers accommodate carb caps, spinner caps, and marbles more effectively. Additionally, some variants boast thick bottoms for prolonged heat retention.
4. Flat Top Insert: Designed to fit inside flat top bangers, inserts facilitate easier cleaning and provide indirect heat for vaporization. Users praise inserts for delivering cleaner, more flavorful hits and simplifying the cleaning process.
5. Auto-Spinning Bangers: A newer innovation, auto-spinning bangers feature angled port holes on the side walls to ensure concentrates remain at the bottom. This design eliminates the need for specialized caps, as a simple marble can create the required airflow restriction.
6. Terp Slurper: Characterized by an open dish on the bottom and elongated bucket walls, terp slurpers maximize airflow efficiency. As concentrates melt down and vaporize, the unique design encourages continuous circulation for enhanced vaporization and flavor.
7. Terp Blender: Similar to terp slurpers, terp blenders boast angled or curved ported air slits to generate a spinning effect from underneath. This design allows for various accessories and larger dabs, offering versatility for dab enthusiasts.
8. Terp Cycler: Engineered to cycle oil through the banger, terp cyclers feature a specialized insert that maximizes surface area for vaporization. Concentrates melt down through the insert, circulating back to the top for continuous vaporization.
9. Round/Bubble Bottom: With a rounded bottom, these bangers facilitate concentrate collection at a single point, simplifying reheating and cleaning. Compatible with terp pearls and various spinner accessories, round bottom bangers offer versatility in dabbing.
10. Cold Start/Splash Guard Bangers: Ideal for cold start dabs, these bangers allow users to place concentrates before heating the quartz. Featuring a flared round bottom with a beveled edge, they prevent excess concentrate from being pulled down the stem during reheating.
11. Long Barrel/Finger Bangers: Extended buckets enable users to consume larger dabs without risking excess spillage. These cold-start bangers typically feature a round bottom shape and provide ample space between the base and top airflow for added convenience.
12. Core Reactor: Equipped with a thick quartz cylinder in the center, core reactors offer enhanced heat retention and increased surface area for vaporization. Some variants incorporate heat-reactive, color-changing crystals to gauge temperature levels accurately.
13. Thermal Banger: Featuring dual walls, thermal bangers create a barrier between the flame and quartz, facilitating lower-temperature dabs. Heat-reactive, color-changing crystals can be added to assist in temperature regulation.
14. Bell-Shaped Flare: Originating from Evan Shore's design, bell-shaped flares widen at the bottom, enhancing heat retention and preventing spills through the neck.
15. Heat-Reactive Color-Changing Crystals: Embedded in certain bangers, these crystals change color based on temperature, aiding users in achieving the perfect dab temperature.
With this guide, navigating the diverse world of bangers becomes more manageable. Whether you're a seasoned dabber or new to the scene, understanding the nuances of each banger type empowers you to make informed choices and elevate your concentrate consumption experience. Let us know your favorite style or if there's any style you'd like us to explore further!