About

The Sock Method, also known as The Sock Trick, refers to a hack or trick that purportedly extends the life of a weed dab pen (aka "cart") that involves putting the oil cartridge in a sock and spinning it in the air after heating up the resin with a hair dryer or lighter. The heat plus the spinning causes the remaining oil to migrate to the cart's bottom where it can be lit. The Sock Method went viral on TikTok in 2023 and 2024. It was originally discussed on Reddit in subreddits dedicated to stoner culture.

Origin

On April 18th, 2018, Redditor^[1] boozythedrunkghost posted to the subreddit /r/Waxpen, writing, "wax stuck to the side of cartridge." To help, Redditors in the comment section suggested using a lighter or a heating pad to heat the cart, bringing the resin to the bottom where it can be ignited and used.

On November 2nd, 2019, Redditor^[2] hazelnut3313 posted to /r/StonerEngineering concerning the same problem experienced by Redditor boozythedrunkghost. On November 3rd, Redditor^[3] ThousandthWolf said that in addition to heating it up, "Put the cart in a sock and swing it around. Put the threaded side of the cart in the toe of the sock. The centrifugal force should push the remaining oil into the coil" (shown below). The Redditor's comment is currently the first known post discussing the Sock Method.

r/r/StonerEngineering • 5 yr. ago hazelnut3313 Any suggestions on how to get the last bits of oil out of pre-filled carts? I store them upright, but the last bit of oil just doesn't want to settle in some of them. It seems like such a waste! 91 125 Share Single comment thread ThousandthWolf • 5y ago • See full discussion Put the cart in a sock and swing it around. Put the threaded side of the cart in the toe of the sock. The centrifugal force should push the remaining oil into the coil.

Spread

In the following years, posts about the Sock Method surfaced on multiple weed-related subreddits. For instance, on June 24th, 2022, Redditor^[4] DJ-Slim_Dick shared a post to /r/fakecartridges called, "Sock trick," in which they outlined a step-by-step tutorial on performing the method. Over two years, the post received 55 upvotes (shown below).

18 r/fakecartridges • 2 yr. ago DJ-Slim_Dick Iron Lungs 18 NSFW Sock trick Informational Puttin this here cuz I'm tired of jhits asking how many hits they got left n nobody is talking ab this method. U need: 2-3 socks, lighter/flame/heat, and a willingness to exercise ur arm. Step 1: Heat up the cart til u see the oil get runnier. Make sure to get near the top hot especially cuz that's where all the oil is Step 2: Lay cart down on a sock n roll it up lengthwise on the sock (top to bottom or bottom to top doesn't really matter). Optionally I use 2 socks for added weight n stability Step 3: Place sock(s) in another sock so the cart is sitting upright when holding the sock. Step 4: swing it. Like a ceiling fan til ur arm starts to get tired but I check to see progress every 40 or so swings nowadays Done right I can usually get another couple days outa my cart. This some fiend s--- but y'all needa get put on this game again. Been doin it over a year now n never fails :

On March 23rd, 2023, Redditor^[5] zorfog posted to /r/trees warning against heating up a cartridge with a lighter, writing, "Friendly Tip: don’t use a lighter to heat up a cart to move the oil around." The post received over 1,400 upvotes in a year (shown below). In the comments, Redditors claimed that a plastic cart can not handle the lighter but a glass one can.

r/trees • 2 yr. ago zorfog Friendly Tip: don't use a lighter to heat up a cart to move the oil around EntProTips BIC

In 2024, videos about the Sock Method began appearing on TikTok.^[6] For instance, on July 3rd, TikToker^[7] @_guapnese posted a video that joked about the method, gaining over 345,200 plays and 60,300 likes in three months (shown below).

@_guapnese yk how it get #guapnese #relatable #sockmethod #fypシ゚viral #fyp ♬ goose creek by iayze CYBER SPEED – cyberundergr0und

On September 13th, 2024, TikToker^[8] @f3ntblunnntkunt posted a video of a girl seemingly doing the Sock Method in a school bathroom stall, receiving over 5.8 million plays and 708,200 likes in a month (shown below).