Reclaim Catchers: How To Choose The Proper Size For Dab Rigs and Bangers

How to choose the proper reclaim catcher for your dab rig and bong? 

There have been countless times where people choose the wrong-sized or gendered reclaim catcher, and we have written this blog to make it as simple as possible. To purchase the correct reclaim catcher, there are two things you need to know. 

1. Know the size, gender, and angle of your dab rig joint. 
2. Know the size and gender of your banger. (When attaching to a reclaim catcher, all bangers should be 90 degree angle)

Now let's take a deep dive into understanding the size, gender, and angle of your dab rig. 

Which mm size Reclaim Catcher Should I be using? (Pipe Joint Size)

Determining the size of your dab rig joint is the first step. Dab Rigs are made in three standard sizes: 10mm, 14mm and 18mm. 

To easily identify the size of your dab rig joint, you can use these common household items:

The size of the reclaim catcher pipe joint will match the joint size of the dab rig. So if you have a 10mm dab rig, you will need a reclaim catcher with a 10mm joint. If you have a dab rig with a 14mm joint, you will need a reclaim catcher with a 14mm joint, and likewise for an 18mm joint. 

Once you have determined the size of the dab rig joint, you will then want to determine whether it is male or female: 

Which gender Reclaim Catcher should I be using? (Pipe Joint Gender)

To determine whether your dab rig joint is male or female, look at the portion where the banger connects.

Female dab rig joints have the banger slide inside of it, while male dab rig joints have the banger joint slide over it. 

The reclaim catcher you will be using will be the opposite gender of your dab rig. 

If you have a male dab rig joint, your reclaim catcher must be female.

If you have a female dab rig joint, your reclaim catcher must be male. 

Which Angle Reclaim Catcher Should I be using? (Pipe Joint Gender)

Dab Rig Joint Angle

Once you have determined the dab rig joint size and gender, you will then need to understand the angle of the dab rig joint. This is possibly the easiest part. 

A 90-degree angle is when the joint angle is straight up and down. A 45-degree angle is when it is on a side angle.

You should choose a 90-degree angle reclaim catcher if your dab rig joint is 90 degrees.

You should choose a reclaim catcher with a 45-degree angle if your dab rig joint is 45 degrees.

Choosing the proper banger for your reclaim catcher. 

To properly match your banger to a reclaim catcher only requires 1 measurement. Being that 99% of reclaim catchers on the market are female-gendered, you will want to use a male-gender banger joint with the reclaim catcher. 

Regarding the angle of the banger, you will want to always use a 90-degree banger; no matter whether the reclaim catcher is 45 degrees or 90 degrees, the banger should be 90 degrees. This will keep the banger's bucket flat and allow it to work properly. 

Reclaim catchers function not only as a device used to capture reclaim and keep your dab rig clean, but they also act as a joint angle adapter and even a joint size adapter. 

For instance, if you have a 45-degree dab rig joint and plug in a 45 degree reclaim catcher, the resulting angle will be 90 degrees, making the new setup compatible with 90-degree bangers. 

There are also reclaim catchers that have a 10mm-size pipe joint but a 14mm banger joint. This adapter functionality of a reclaim catcher makes it a great accessory.

Choosing the proper banger joint size

To choose the proper banger joint size for your reclaim catcher, understand what size banger joint the reclaim catcher has whether it is 10mm, 14mm or 18mm then match that joint size to your banger. If your reclaim catcher has a 10mm joint size, you will need a 10mm banger. If your reclaim catcher has a 14mm joint size, you will need a 14mm banger joint, and the same logic holds true for 18mm.

Reclaim catchers for titanium nails

Sometimes reclaim catchers are more important than just a tool to keep your dab rig clean and save dabs for later. Sometimes reclaim catchers are more important than being a joint size, gender, or angle adapter. Reclaim catchers can also help protect your dab rig. 

This concept is most exemplified with titanium dab nails. Titanium dab nails are renowned for their heat-up time, being the fastest dab nail to heat up. This phenomenon is because of the heat absorption and transference rate. These properties have a negative side too. Being that titanium heats up so well, the entire body of the dab nail heats up, even down to the joint portion. 

This portion of the nail is in direct contact with the dab rig. The joint portion of the dab nail can heat up to such an extent that it can reach a temperature that can crack the dab rig joint of the dab rig or bong. 

This same equation holds true for borosilicate glass reclaim catchers, as both reclaim catchers and dab rigs tend to be made of borosilicate glass; they are both prone to breaking under the extreme heat of a titanium nail. 

This scenario is where silicone reclaim catchers come into play. By placing a titanium dab nail into a silicone reclaim catcher it creates a heat buffer, preventing the heat from touching the dab rig joint and cracking the glass.