The culture of cannabis consumption has decades of history and is, to this day, extremely popular and is dabbled in by the masses. To keep up with this trend, several new and modernized ways of weed consumption have been introduced to make it an easier and more enjoyable affair. In these several consuming ways, dab nail is an essential accessory.
Cannabis is one of the most consumed extract globally. It thus provides enormous scope for creating new ways to enjoy its effects. One of these creative methods is dabbing, which is currently sweeping the target audience by the second.
To understand what dabbing is, let us first understand what dab means. The cannabis plant consists of several glands that carry the substance, which induces the feeling of being high. This compound can be extracted from the plant in various textures and consistency, including wax, taffy, sauce, etc. These substances are highly concentrated in the compound cannabis and thus can affect the user with a lot more intensity. When consumed through dabbing, this product is called a dab and is otherwise referred to as a cannabis extract.
What Is Dabbing?
Dabbing is a technique employed to smoke marijuana using a dab rig, which resembles a bong. This dab rig has various components: water pipe, dab nail, chamber, dab tool, burner torch, dome (optional), and obviously, the cannabis extract. The extract is placed on the dab nail, vaporized, and ready to be inhaled through the chamber.
Although a small component, the dab nail plays a considerable role in the whole dabbing experience. Therefore, it is vital to have the necessary information on the functioning and the types of dab nails, and their effects on dabbing. So, without further ado, here is your guide to what a dab nail is.
What Is a Dab Nail?
As mentioned previously, the dab nail is where the cannabis extract vaporizes. Its function is pretty simple, whereby it has to convert the wax or taffy-like extract into a vapor that the consumer can inhale. Since the process of vaporization requires very high temperatures, the dab nail is made up of materials that can withstand these excessive temperatures without adverse effects. The dab nail is provided heat from an external source, except for e-nail on the electric dab rig. The heat of a dab nail is mainly from butane fueled torches. When these torches heat it to a high temperature (varying from 300°C to 800°C, depending on the extract), the nail starts to glow, indicating its readiness. The nail can cool down momentarily to prevent any hazards or accidents. Following this, the extract is placed on the nail by the dab tool. It is immediately vaporized and ready to be inhaled.
In addition to the dab rig is a dome placed at the top of the dab nail to prevent the loss or escape of heat. Further detail on this is provided at the end of the article.
The dab nail is made out of different materials that vary in how long it takes to heat up and their ability to retain this heat. The four primary materials used to make dab nails are ceramic, glass, titanium and quartz, each with its benefits and drawbacks.
Ceramic Dab Nail
A ceramic dab nail is pretty economical within the four options and thus a good choice for beginners at dabbing. Ceramic can retain its heat for a good while before slowly cooling down. Thus, it provides an ample opportunity for the consumer to inhale the vapor. Ceramic dab nail is also known to enhance the flavor of the extract to provide the best experience to users.
However, a massive flaw of the ceramic dab nail can be owed to science. As the dab nail retains its heat for a long time, it also takes the same amount of time to reach its optimum temperature, and hence its usage requires a lot of patience. Furthermore, since ceramic needs time to obtain the right temperature, a lot of heat might be provided due to impatience, resulting in the fracturing of the dab nail. Therefore, a ceramic dab nail should be treated with care and composure.
Glass Dab Nail
The Glass Dab Nail is the most affordable dab nail, as glass is relatively cheap. It can be quickly heated, and its usage is effortless for first-timers. It also does not alter the flavor or essence of the extract and hence is favorable in that area. However, as with every glass material, a glass dab nail is highly fragile and can break either due to clumsiness or inability to withstand high temperatures. Even if the glass does not break completely, it can develop cracks and fractures very early on in its usage period and affect the overall potential of the dab nail.
Quartz Dab Nail
A bit expensive compared to other dab nails, the quartz banger dab nails are a lot more promising than its primary counterparts. Quartz is an excellent conductor of heat and can be heated up quickly and efficiently. It also retains the original flavor of the extract and provides an authentic experience to the user. Furthermore, it is a strong material that can sustain high temperatures and be used for extracts that require greater temperatures.
But like with other dab nails, the Quartz Dab Nail comes with its own problems as well. Although it can efficiently be heated to a high temperature, it loses this heat as quickly as it is gained. This means that the user needs to be quick in their actions and place the dab as quickly as possible post-heating.
Titanium Dab Nail
Titanium is a costly and valuable material, so the Titanium Dab Nail is an expensive dab nail relative to the others. However, this cost is worth the purchase because titanium is a lightweight, durable material that can endure temperatures of more than 2000°C. On top of all this, titanium heats up fast. Also, it retains this heat for a long time, so the consumer can take their time and enjoy the experience to the fullest.
A very slight downside of the Titanium Dab Nail is that it could potentially tamper with the flavor of the extract, giving it a metallic taste. Other than this, it is an excellent investment and the definitive choice if money is not a hindrance.
E-nail is also a trendy choice for dab nails, albeit very expensive. It does not require external heating as it uses a built-in coil to bring the nail to the optimum temperature for dabbing.
Domed Nail vs Domeless Dab Nail
Dab nails with domes were mentioned previously, but there was not much context for it. Now that the foundation for dabbing has been established, the function of a dome is easier to understand. Since the nail does not get continuous heating, it loses heat energy to the surroundings. To prevent significant losses, the nail is covered with a dome-like structure to prevent this from happening. However, some users consider this unnecessary as it does not make a huge difference and reduces the surface area for dab placement. At the same time, the domeless dab nail become their favorites.
The Take Out
Hopefully, this article has answered most of the questions related to dabbing and dab nails. Choosing the right dab nail for your needs can be a tough decision to make, but the only important point to keep in mind is that a good dab nail is durable, not too heavy on the pocket, and can provide the best of the extracts’ flavor. This, combined with a good quality cannabis concentrate and the euphoria from dabbing, is only a dab rig away.
