Dab tools (pointed/scooped dabbers, dab mats, carb caps, dab timers) are the utensils and accoutrements of the concentrate world. Because each dab session will involve a tool and a dab mat, it is a very brandable aspect of the shop. Currently, most shops hand out fairly generic dab tools and dab mats. Custom dab tools and dab mats are very inexpensive, extremely functional, and not often discarded.
The custom dab catalog
The core products in this category are stainless steel picks and scoops, titanium tools for the heat lovers, silicone-tipped hybrids that can be used as containers as well as the silicone work mats. Tools can receive laser engraving on the handle, while the mats receive full-color printing on the entire surface, making them the largest branding opportunity in the category. Carb caps and terp pearls can be branded too, but they carry higher minimums.
Materials and safety
Material is even more important in this area than it is in most accessories. Tips that come into contact with the hot nail should be made of stainless steel or titanium – not painted or plated. Likewise for silicone, it needs to be food safe and rated for high temperatures. A tool that breaks off bits of coating and goes into the banger is instantly going to destroy a brand’s trust with customers – and you should insist on seeing material certifications for any run that’s going to be retailing, whereas you should avoid those cheap mystery metal tools like the plague.
Design rules
Engrave the handle of your tools with a wordmark and keep the working part clean. The surface of your mats should be treated like a poster: Bold logo centered or in the top right corner, a color field for your brand and a border to conceal any residual stains. (Note: Dark mats age much better than white ones). A mat, a tool and a storage container of the same colorway can be sold by shops as a bundle in the form of a kit.
Programs that work
A number of brands include free branded tools in concentrates sold in bulk to dispensaries. Printed mats on the glass of a smoke shop can serve as inventory and as store branding. A number of extract brands include a free tool with the first order that a customer places. These items all compound in value as they are used daily and are right next to the customer’s rig.
Ordering
Counter mats and tools have “friendly minimums” that are around 100 units and a few weeks production time. Order samples of the tooling and of the mat samples to determine weight and thickness of the silicone, then decide which one fits best on your counter – mats are usually best for display heavy shops and tools for high volume concentrate retailers.
Start with the custom dab mat and dab pen, or see the wider accessories collection and our how to take a dab guide.
