How to Season a Quartz Nail

You’re here to learn how to season a quartz banger and we’re here to teach you! Learn what it means to season a nail, why you should, and how to get your quartz banger ready for dabbing in a few easy steps.

What Does it Mean to “Season” a Nail?

Much like chefs season their pans, serious dabbers like to season their nails. In both examples, the purpose of seasoning is to cover the porous surface of your pan or nail with whatever your cooking or dabbing. This ensures a better flavor, both for your food and your dabs. Cleaning and seasoning your quartz banger, or any nail, is also important to remove any impurities left from manufacturing.

Do I Need to Season My Quartz Banger?

Actually, no. You don’t need to season a quartz banger to begin using it. While it’s always smart to clean any product you intend to smoke from, seasoning isn’t required. Unlike titanium nails, quartz doesn’t have much of an aftertaste. So why do people season their quartz bangers?

Essentially, people season their nails to improve the flavor of dabs. Even the flavor of quartz dabs can be improved through seasoning. You want to season your nail when it’s brand new and after any heavy cleaning.

That said, it’s worth noting that some people choose not to season their quartz bangers at all. In fact, many quartz users intentionally clean their nails after every dab to remove any residue. Cleaning your nail after every dab means that “seasoning” never builds on the nail’s surface. Neither method is wrong, it’s just a matter of preference and personal taste.

How to Season a Quartz Banger

Follow these quick and easy steps on how to season your new quartz banger:

1. Put your new nail in the rig of your choice.
2. If your nail is brand new, it’s likely to still have residue and other filth on it from manufacturing and handling before the sale. The second step is to heat your nail until it glows. This burns off any impurities present on the surface of the nail. Your nail is now sterilized.
3. Wait for the nail to cool. At this point, while the nail is still warm, you may run a Q-tip around the inside to remove any invisible residue.
4. The next step is to season your quartz banger. For this you need a dab tool and an oil with which to season your nail. The most obvious oil to use is legal concentrate! You may even use reclaimed oil to coat your nail. If you can’t bring yourself to use reclaimed or new oil, you may substitute with  oil or other natural oil.
5. Now that you have your oil, heat the nail again. This time, heat the nail just a little hotter than you would for a dab. Once the nail is around 600-700°F, apply a small amount of oil to the inside surface of your banger. You need enough oil to completely coat the interior of the banger. Don’t inhale! Just let the oil smoke and bind with the invisible pores in your quartz.
6. You only really need to do this once, but it never hurts to season multiple times. The idea is to coat the whole interior with a thin layer of oil. If the oil burns off too quickly or bubbles when you touch it to the nail, the nail is too hot.
7. That’s it, you’re done! A seasoned nail tastes better and is easier to dab with than a perfectly smooth surface. You may notice that some kinds of concentrate are more manageable on a seasoned surface.

Alternatively, you may season your nail by simply using it with low-temp dabs. After a few sessions, you’ll notice a layer of residual wax build up on the inside of your quartz banger. This build up should NOT be black or dark brown. If material is being burnt to the inside of your nail, you’re taking dabs at too high a temperature and accelerating the oxidization process of your nail. This shortens the lifespan of your nail and makes it look ugly to boot. Be kind to your nail and your lungs: take low-temp dabs below 500°F.