What is a Nectar Collector?

What is a Nectar Collector?

You have probably seen them in your local bud shop or online headshop - these odd-looking devices let you slurp vapor from cannabis concentrates (wax, budder, shatter, etc) like a straw. They’re called Nectar Collectors, and this unique take on dab rigs pushed the limits for dabbing on the go since their creation back in 2011, which was way before anyone had ever heard of an e-rig or electric dab pens. These vertical vaporizer tubes are designed to be used upright, and their convenience and ease of use made them an instant hit.  They can be made from quartz, glass, titanium, and sometimes even include silicone. 

The very first Nectar Collector inspired a whole wave of similar devices, sometimes with names such as dab straw, honey straw, and the like. Over the years, these cool vaping pipes have carved out an enviable niche in the world of dabbing.

The most common name that people use to describe these is Nectar Collectors, which basically covers any vertical vaporizer; however, this is actually incorrect. 

Nectar Collectors were originally made by glass artist Kristian Merwin who trademarked the design. They have become like Kleenex is to tissue or Hover to vacuum cleaners, and the term Nectar Collector has become synonymous with every type of dab straw around. The name itself comes from the long tip being shaped like the beak of a hummingbird as it dips into the flower, sucking up the nutritious, tasty nectar hidden within. 

Credit for photo: greencamp.com

How Does a Nectar Collector Work?

The uniqueness of the nectar collector is that instead of putting a dab to the surface of a nail or banger, you place hot tips on a small pile of concentrate in your dish.  

To prepare your Dab, you can put any amount of wax in the dish. You can take the dish and your nectar collector away for the weekend, when I do that I'll often pack a gram to take and enjoy over the full weekend. 

• Place wax, oil, distillate, or another concentrate in glass, quartz, or silicone dishes. Heat the tip of the nectar collector with a butane torch until hot.
• Allow the nectar collector to cool to the desired temperature.
• Vaporize the wax or concentrate by touching it with the hot tip of the nectar collector.
• Suck on the cold end of the nectar collector like you would a straw and inhale gently.

Electric Nectar Collectors

This type of product is different from vape pens and has gained interest in the past couple of years. The nectar collector evaporates in a unique way because you don't put wax into a chamber as you do with a vape pen. The nectar collector works by dragging the heating element directly onto the concentrate. They're lighter and smaller than dab rigs so you can carry them around and vape almost anywhere. They are also a lot cheaper than dab rigs costing a small fraction of the price. 

Pros and Cons of Using a Nectar Collector

Pros

Uniqueness - The novel design of the nectar collector will always attract people's attention.

Design - Cleaning is easy due to the fact you can take it apart. It's also travel-friendly due to the small compact size in relation to carting around bubblers or dab rigs.

Portable - You can take the dab pen wherever you go and it's easy to use making it an ideal daily dabber for those on the go.

Fully equipped - No tools required; Just a torch to heat it up then dab your concentrate and enjoy. It's quick and easy to use allow you to start dabbing in a few minutes. 

Versatile - Nectar collectors let you vape shatter, wax, rosin, budder, THC oil, CBD oil, and indeed almost any kind of concentrate. 

Cons

Multiple components - if not properly secured the component pieces can detach and fall to the ground shattering, not something we want happening. 

Expert tip: You can use a keck clip to help secure your glass attachments together.

Long and unwieldy - The long shape can be a bit unwieldy, especially if you're passing around and sharing the nectar collector when it has a red-hot tip.

Lack of temperature control - Although you can find electronic nail adapters and heater coils that can be used with the Nectar Collector, traditional heating and cooling methods provide make it hard to get the standard temperature every time. Finding the best location and managing temperature fluctuations will require some learning and experimentation. 

How to Clean a Nectar Collector

When cleaning the nectar collector, you will need:

• Torch (tip)
• Your preferred cleaning solution or alcohol above 95%
• A cup or glass of water
• Ziplock bag
• Hot water

This is the method to clean your nectar collector.

1. Remove the suction head, blow through the mouthpiece, and pour the water out.
2. Fill the chamber with alcohol or a cleaning solution of your choice. Support it vertically in a cup or glass of water. Let it soak for an hour. If it's really dirty, do it all night.
3. Place the suction head in a ziplock bag and soak for 1 hour.
4. Then rinse with hot water until the water is clear. Be sure to remove any alcohol or cleaning solution from the nectar collector.
5. If you have a silicone nectar collector, you need to remove the top and store it in the refrigerator for about five hours or overnight.
6. Remove and the reclaim should then be easy to remove.

If you have a particularly dirty nectar collector coated with residue then you may want to clean it with a torch first. Use the butane torch, starting from the mouthpiece end of the nectar collector, and slowly heat it up. as you heat it the reclaim will melt and run slowly down the glass towards the tip. you may have to wait halfway through to allow the top to cool down so you can continue this method on the bottom half of the device.  Be sure to put a tub underneath to capture the reclaim as it runs out of the tip. 

How to Clean the Seahorse Pro Electric Nectar Collector.

LOOKAH Seahorse PRO is the second generation seahorse DAB pen. It is a small electric nectar collector. Compared to the first generation of seahorse pen, the Seahorse PRO can be called the Super multi-pen DAB Pen. Not only is it easy to clean and can fit all 510 oil cartridges, but we also offer accessories that fit all the glass bongs and dab rigs. The dab coil for the seahorse PRO is not a ceramic one, it is a quartz coil that provides the best smooth taste for better healthier dabbing.

No matter how good the product is, it will need cleaning, otherwise, it will affect the taste. Here is how to clean it:

     01: remove the coil cap.

     02: remove the coil.

     03: remove the glass tube/mouthpiece.

     04: put some alcohol on a soft cloth or tissue.

     05: wrap the cloth around the cleaning brush.

     06: insert into the glass tube to clean away residue.

     07: apply extra alcohol if needed.

     08: apply alcohol directly to the cleaning brush.

     09: insert into the 510 thread and twist to clean.

     10: clean the thread of the coil.

     11: wipe up any excess wax or alcohol.

     12: replace the glass tube/mouthpiece.

     13: replace the coil.

     14: replace the coil cap.