Today we are going to be going over how to take a dab. There are many ways to take a dab and many tools to get the job done. So today we will just be covering the most popular method and tools. Like smoking herb, dabbing requires a few special tools.

The main one being a water pipe, or in this case a dab rig. I like to use a fairly small piece with not too much diffusion to get the best flavors from your oil. The only real difference between a dab rig and a water pipe is that a dab rig comes equipped with a male joint also referred to as Direct Inject.

Next you will need a dome & nail, which is often included with a dab rig set up. There are many types of nails, including domeless nails, which do not require a dome. We will go over the different types of  dab nails in greater detail in a future article.

You will need a butane torch large enough to heat your nail. Most people use a Vector Nitro but there are many other options.

To scoop the oil onto the nail, you will need a dabber. I recommend using a pointed or ballpoint  titanium dabber. Glass dabbers and other odd shaped dabbers tend to leave too much waste.

Last and most importantly you will need some essential oil or oil concentrates. Essential oils are the flavors and oils concentrated from herbs. We will go over the many forms of oil concentrates in a future article.

So you have the equipment now lets use it!

First take your dab rig and fill it up with enough water to bubble when you pull air through it but not enough to splash water into your mouth.

Next take your nail and put it inside the joint.

Grab your dabber and scoop a small “dab” of oil. You only need a small amount, so the size of a beebee or even smaller should be enough. Try to keep the oil at the very end of the dabber so it easily drips off when dabbing.

Grab your torch and heat the nail. Always face the torch flame away from your glass or you will crack it!

Once it starts to turn orange, stop heating and put the dome over the nail on to the joint. Wait anywhere from 10-40 seconds for your nail to cool to the optimum temperature. This is different for every nail, so you will have to play with it. The longer you wait the better the flavor of the oil, but if you wait too long it will not vaporize your entire dab.

Once you have waited for the nail to cool to the optimum temperature, start to pull air through your dab rig slowly and put the oil end of your dabber on the head of the nail through the hole in the top of the dome.

When using a dome setup, always remember to remove the dome after you dab to prevent it from sticking to the joint.

That’s it! Now you’re an expert on how to take a dab! For a list of the products used in this video, check out the links below. Thanks for reading and happy dabbing!

UPDATE: A lot has change since 2014 and although the basic concept covered in this blog still applies, we want to keep you informed on the new tools and techniques used for dabbing. Check out our new blog "How to Dab using the Latest Tech".