There are many different kinds of dabbing nails, but the most common are Titanium, Quartz, and Ceramic. There is a lot of debate as to which is the best and it can all be boiled down to preference. You will hear that dabs on quartz and ceramic taste better than titanium, but those nails break much easier. Ceramic takes the longest to heat up, but it retains heat the longest in most cases. Quartz heats up the quickest, but can cool off the quickest depending on the thickness of your nail. A titanium nail is right in the middle with heat up and cool of time and the least likely to break.
Dabbing Nails
Titanium
Titanium is one of the most common forms of dabbing nail mostly because they are fairly cheap and indestructible. Other nails are more likely to break, but Titanium can is mostly unbreakable. The first thing about Titanium that most experienced stoners will tell you is that it affects the taste. Titanium has a tendency to make a lot of great concentrates taste okay. If you are using a cheap nail, chances are your flavor is going to be affected. While each type of nail has their own taste, Titanium has been known to give the lowest quality flavor at times.
A good thing about Titanium is that it heats up fairly quick and holds the heat for a good amount of time. It takes longer to heat that quartz, but less than ceramic typically. Most Electronic Nails or E-Nails use Titanium because it can take the high temperatures for long periods of time and not break.
Pros: Indestructible, E-Nails
Cons: Flavor degraded
Quartz dabbing nails
The most common option for a quartz dabbing nail is a banger which comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. A quartz nail can heat up quicker than other options but can also cool off quick if you have a thin nail. Some quartz nails are being designed to hold heat longer and take over a minute to cool off. Some thin quartz nails can cool off in as little at 15 seconds, so make sure you are monitoring your temperature.
Pros: Best Flavor, Easy
Cons: Breakable
Ceramic dabbing nails
A Ceramic nail can be a great option for dabbing. A ceramic nail can provide an excellent flavor experience and is a long lasting product. Ceramic nails can take a bit longer to heat up, but they will retain that heat longer than other nails. While they are not entirely indestructible, a ceramic nail can last you through many dab sessions. With the long heat retention, it helps multiple people take a hit from one heating so you don’t have to overuse the dab torch.
Ceramic may not be the best option for some, but it is worth a try if you’ve never used it for dabbing. There are even ceramic cartridges and sometimes cartridges use ceramic components to heat the concentrate. It can provide a better flavor than titanium which is ideal for some people.
Pros: Great Flavor, Long Lasting
Cons: Can Break, Long Heat up Time