The best nail for your dabbing experience depends on what you’re looking for. Some nails heat up quicker than others and some provides users with better flavor. So choose your nail by deciding how much you’re looking to spend, whether flavor matters, and how hot you like your dabs. Here we go through the main differences between the most common nails to help you find the best nail for using your concentrates.
Titanium Nail
Titanium nails are known to heat up the quickest and also cool down the fastest. So if time saving is a key factor in why you do dabs then a Ti nail might suit you. Titanium comes in different grades so make sure you know what you’re paying for. Titanium comes from grade 1 to 5, the lower the number the purer the titanium. This is why Grade 2’s are the most expensive, safest, best tasting titanium nails currently available on the market. If your nail turns white instead of red when being heated, that is a sign of titanium oxide being released in the form of white flakes that are unsafe to inhale. The lower the grade of titanium the less chance of titanium oxide or other contaminants to flake off of the nail. It’s also worth noting that being grade 2 doesn’t necessarily mean the nail is safe for use, make sure it’s MEDICAL grade 2 titanium. Two companies known for using grade 2 titanium are Santa Cruz Shredder & Highly Educated.
Ceramic Nail
If you’d like a less hot dab you’ll need a nail that can retain heat. Ceramic nails hold heat for longer than titanium and many quartz nails. Users report better flavor from concentrates when using ceramic over titanium. Since ceramic holds heat better you will want to let the nail cool after heating or your oils will burn instead of vaporizing, wasting precious THC and any ruin the flavor while burning your throat and lungs. Ceramic doesn’t come with grades so if you want a quality ceramic nail you should just go with a company known for quality like Hive Ceramics.
Glass Nails
There are many different types of glass nails but the most 2 common are quartz bangers and the glass nails used with domes that usually come with rigs. Quartz bangers have become the favorite among concentrate users because it maximizes flavor. The heat retention of Quartz bangers depends on how thick the quartz is. A 2mm quartz banger will probably only hold heat for about 10 to 15 seconds before coming too cool to vaporize thc. A 4mm thick banger on the other hand, will need to be heated for longer and cooled for about 40-60 seconds before dropping the dab. The two main types of quartz bangers on the market are American-made and Chinese-made. American brands like Quave Club Banger and Sugar Cube Banger use pure quartz. Some Chinese-made bangers consist of quartz mixed with other glass and since there’s not usually a name attached you may be gambling on that quartz banger purchase. However, China made bangers can come close to the quality of American-made at a fraction of the price due to the fact that they are mass produced.
In Conclusion
The best nail for your concentrate experience depends on your preference but lately quartz has gained the most popularity because thick quartz can both retain heat and provide more flavor than metal and ceramic but to each his own.

Recently the streets of bed-stuy, a neighborhood in Brooklyn was left looking like a scene out of a zombie movie. 33 people were hospitalized in Brooklyn for K2 overdoses. K2 is also known as synthetic marijuana or spice and it has been known to cause hallucinations, rapid heartbeats, and seizures. Some have also died from synthetic marijuana unlike the drug it was named after.
It’s legal
K2 has only recently become banned in some states recently but it’s still legal in many parts of the U.S.
It’s cheaper than weed
Bags were being sold in pre-packaged glycine bags for as little as $3 so it comes as no surprise why K2 was so popular in one of the cheapest neighborhoods to live in in NYC. Online grams can be found for $7 when on average a gram of weed is sold for $20. Some of the K2 bags are filled with nothing more than herbs sprayed with chemicals that adversely affect the brain. Even though K2 was outlawed in NY last year the penalties associated with selling and possessing synthetic marijuana are much less severe than the ones associated with actual marijuana which is less harmful.
They can’t find weed
Some people just don’t know anyone who sells weed so they try to replace marijuana with its more deadly synthetic counterpart. People in states that don’t have recreational marijuana are forced to socialize and meet pot dealers but not everyone is fortunate to come across one but K2 can be found on the shelves of grocery stores and delis.
They need to pass drug tests
K2 does not appear on most standard drug tests. K2 would require a separate more expensive drug test so most places end up not testing for the substance and drug users are aware of this flaw in the sytem. People who are on probation or feel the need to get buzzed beyond alcohol but get drug tested at work may turn to K2 for a good time. Tyssen Walker, a K2 user, said “I am on probation and I didn’t want to come up with a dirty urine but I didn’t want to stop doing drugs.” This is one of the main reasons people use K2 despite the harmful side effects.
Underage teens
K2 is sold as incense or potpourri which are not sold for smoking and do not require an ID. This has made the drug alluring to teens between the ages of 15 to 18 who can’t even buy cigarettes yet but can legally purchase and smoke these “incense” packets that make some teens and even adults feel like they’re dying.
The bottom line
Even in places like New York where K2 is banned, spice use is still popular due to the low costs and inaccessibility of real marijuana. The K2 epidemic is one that might see it’s end if legalization ever hit the federal level. Until then some folks in states without recreational marijuana will turn to more deadly alternatives when chasing their highs.
image credit: avvo.com