Thank you, Pam, for your thoughtful post. You are absolutely right. We should be helping each other instead of tearing each other down.
Back to the topic of this thread:
When I started lampworking, I used to use a Hot Head. It was a great way to get introduced to melting glass (aside from the Bunsen burner I used in Chemistry). The Hot Head has many benefits.
It is inexpensive. If it were more expensive, I may not have been able to try lampworking to see if it was for me.
It is slow. I list this as a benefit because when I started out, working slow helped me. I learned better how glass moves. I also learned a little more about patience.
It is a real torch and can do just about anything - just maybe on a smaller scale. I have seen beads that are absolutely stunning and were made on a Hot Head. I believe that a true artist can make his or her tools sing. Of course, some tools are a lot easier to deal with than others, but what tools someone uses is a personal choice (like Pam stated above).
After a while, I decided that I wanted to melt larger globs of glass in a shorter amount of time than I was able with my trusty Hot Head. I also wanted more control over my flame. I wanted to add detail to my sculptural beads without melting other stuff in. So, I looked around and found the Lynx. I loved my Lynx and was very happy with it for a long time. I gave my Hot Head to a friend of mine who had taken a bead class, but was not ready to purchase an oxy/propane set-up. I was so happy that she could make beads and didn't have to wait. Her beads are beautiful, btw.
When I decided to work even bigger, particularly in boro, I felt that I needed a bigger torch. I still wanted the precision of the Lynx. So, naturally, I went with a Phantom. I gave my Lynx to my friend. She still used her Hot Head and after nearly a year, is just now getting that Lynx hooked up. I'm excited to see what beautiful beads she will be making on the Lynx.
So, there is my short story about the torches I have used and why. Oh, and just to clarify things, I bought my Lynx and my Phantom long before Willy and got together.
|