The general idea is to instantly vaporise the small balls of pot between to very hot plates without any combustion.

In my area it's always been blades but in other its hot rats.

using two heated blades to smoke pot or hash.
Hash is rolled into little balls and scooped up and held between two blades. Sometimes small ammounts of saliva or water is added to the balls. The balls are then vaporised almost instantly by the red hot metal. Smoke is then inhaled usually with a hooter of some kind. Those who do not use hooters can be spotted by a mark on their lips from "kissing the blade". There are two main methods for this #1 each person holds their hooter with their teeth/lips and serves themselves their blades #2 a server stands in a central location and serves allowing others to have a hand free on the hooter or even use larger hooters. I have never seen the second method result in a burn, I have never seen the first method not eventually result in a burn. When you serve yourself you cannot see the blades as they get closer to your mouth. This is how people end up kissing the blade.

This is sometimes also called "Blades" or even "rat tails"
A stovetop can be used, bunsen burners are ideal. Hot plates are very difficult but can work. Everything from modified spoons and kitchen knives may be used but all thats needed is two peices of metal that fit together snugly and have insulated handles.

The term "blade" or "rat" may reffer to the rolled balls. Blade also refers to the...