Cannabis consumption by humans dates back thousands of years. Not long after we discovered the beauty that cannabis can bring to the world, we began to look for ways to make the euphoric feeling that consuming cannabis can have to all new heights. This took a bit of ingenuity on our part. First, we had to figure out that there were specific parts of the plant that carried higher concentrations of the active ingredient that gets us high, tetrahydrocannabinol. Otherwise know as THC.
Once we realized that a large amount of THC was concentrated in the crystals on the outside of buds, known as kief, we started figuring out ways to remove and isolate it. This process was the beginning of hash making. Hash in its original form was simply made by rubbing cannabis buds back and forth in one’s hands until the sticky, resinous THC particles coated our palms. This was then peeled off and gathered into small balls and bricks knows as hashish.
When smoked, hashish provided an elevated high that quickly became the preferred way to ingest THC in many parts of the world. This was the spark of cannabis concentrates. Flash forward thousands of years and more hashish is consumed now than ever. However, people have recently become turned off by the traditional hash making ways. These days, most classic hash is made using ice water to break off the THC and then run through fine mesh filters to remove impurities. Some of this hash is of such high purity, it can be melted and vaporized without actual combustion. This category of hash is known as “full melt.”
Since the development of modern hash making processes, we have also created numerous other ways to create cannabis concentrates. One of the most popular forms of cannabis concentrate is BHO, otherwise known as Butane Hash Oil. This process utilizes butane gas as a stripping agent to remove the THC from cannabis plants. After the THC is stripped away, the remaining butane is purged from the product leaving behind almost pure THC.
Another form of concentrate that is quickly becoming the favorite among daily cannabis concentrate users is rosin. Rosin uses cannabis that is pressed under immense pressure and low levels of heat until the natural THC resin and terpenes are squished out of the plant. This process can also be used on compressed ice water hash to produce an even cleaner, higher concentrated level of THC in the final product. This concentrate is called hash rosin.
All of this is simply base concentrate knowledge so that you can better understand the need for quartz bangers in the first place. With smoking cannabis, the necessities are fairly straight forward. You need a lighter for burning the buds and either a pipe, a bong, or some kind of paper or leaf to roll it up in. Consuming concentrates, otherwise known as “dabbing” can be a bit more complicated. First, you need a bong, or more specifically a dab rig.
A dab rig is essentially the same thing as a bong, but it is made specifically for dabbing. Instead of a bowl to fill with cannabis flower, you’ll need a quartz banger. A banger is a piece of heat resistant quartz that can be heated with a torch to optimal temperatures before bringing your concentrate into contact with it. This process melts the concentrate and releases vapor that can then be inhaled just like smoke. The only difference is a dab will get you way more stoned than a hit of flower due to the concentrated levels of THC.
Quartz bangers have had their own journey of innovation over the last thirty years or so. In fact, the first version of the banger wasn’t called a banger at all. It wasn’t even originally made out of quartz. Early dab rigs featured what was called a “nail” that was usually made of titanium, and often came with a glass dome that was placed over the hot nail before taking a dab. These early nails were often heated red hot, and people weren’t yet aware that dabbing at such high temperatures could lead to detrimental health effects.
Over the years, we realized that quartz could be heated to the same temperatures as titanium and the invention of the quartz banger finally arrived. The first quartz bangers were shaped like buckets with a small attachment that fitted them to the dab rig itself. Many still fit this exact description, but in recent years, they have taken on new shapes and styles. The overall use of bangers has not changed, however.
These days, we seem to have the process of dabbing down pretty much to a science. We know the optimal temperatures to vaporize each individual form of concentrates. We’ve developed accessories like carb caps to trap the heat of the banger so that we could effectively reduce the temperatures of dabbing across the board. We created small glass terp pearls to put inside our bangers to help evenly distribute the concentrates around the heated surface. We’ve even changed the shape of bangers to make them more convenient and easier to use.
Bangers make the lives of cannabis concentrate lovers around the world easier and allow people that are new to the world of dabbing to try it out without the fear of destroying their lungs. Those of us in the know, however, know that even at low temps with super clean dabs, first timers are likely to be surprised by the difference between smoking and dabbing. While it may not be for everyone, those of us who enjoy dabs know that there is no better way to get down. The only downside to dabbing is that you may occasionally need to replace your banger. Whether you broke one or simply used it until it was begging to be put out of its misery, there is no reason to fret! We carry all kinds of quartz bangers for every level of dabbing experience and budget. Check them out now!
