A Beginner's Guide to Snuff

[Snusdog]

God made two kinds of dogs in this world. You are either a lap dog or a scent hound.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Nasal Snuff. I hope you will find this Guide both helpful and informative. I have tried to pool together information and resources that I have collected over my time using snuff so that you can have them all in one place.

I. Types of Snuff
There are a gazillion different snuffs out there. Below is a breakdown of the major categories or types of snuff as well as a few representative examples of each class.

1. Plain Snuff- is unscented and relies on the expert blending of various types of tobacco for its flavor. Don’t let the name fool you there is nothing plain about this snuff. When done right plain snuffs offers some of the most complex, flavorful, and exquisite snuffs around. Examples:
Samuel Gawith Blue Crest
Dholakia Sparrow (Green)
Gawith Hoggarth Kendal Brown

2. Toasts- like the plain snuffs, toasts tend to be made from unscented tobacco (not always but usually). The difference is that here the tobacco has been toasted giving it a nutty and often times slightly smoky character. Toasts tend to be dry and finely ground and thus can be challenging to take. Challenging or not they are well worth the effort and represent some of the best snuffs around. Examples:
Fribourg & Treyer (F&T) High Dry Toast,
Wilsons Irish High Toast #22,
Toque Toast and Marmalade

2. SPs- SP stands for Spanish and harkens back to the way snuff first came to Europe. These snuffs tend to be flavored with Bergamot and/or other citrus flavors. They represent some of the most popular and skillful blends in the snuff world and are often a snuffer’s all day or go to snuff. Examples
Toque Original,
Wilsons Best SP,
Samuel Gawith No1 High Mill

3. Floral Snuff- are more typical of the French influence. These tend to be perfumed snuffs and feature blends of such scents as geranium, lavender, Rose, and Jasmine to name but a few. Examples
F&T Kendal Brown,
Toque Berwich Brown,
Wilsons Jockey Club

4. Dessert Snuff- dessert snuffs tend to be sweeter and flavored with everything from mint to chocolate to coffee. Examples:
Wilsons Crumbs of Comfort
Toque Peach
Wilsons Irish Coffee

5. Medicated Snuff- medicated snuffs use menthol and often eucalyptus in their blends. Examples:
McChrystals Original and Genuine
Hedges L260 The Snuff

6. Schmalzler- Schmalzler Snuffs are traditionally German snuffs made of fermented tobacco. Thus they tend to be very moist, coarsely ground, and rich in flavor. Often they smell like a Christmas desert from the old world. Examples:
Bernards Klostermischung
Bernards Brasil Doppelt Fermentiert

7. American Scotches- American Scotches tends to be dry, finely ground, and varying in degrees of smokiness and molasses undertones. American Scotches come in two basic varieties Sweet and Plain. Each of these shares the basic characteristics of American snuff with the sweet being sweeter and the plain being smokier and a bit harsher as a general rule. Examples:
Navy Sweet
Railroad Mills Plain
W.E. Garrett Plain

8. Everything Else- There are a whole host of outstanding snuffs that do not fit neatly into any one category. Some share characteristics with two or more groups. Others are in a class by themselves. A few outstanding examples of this group are:
Bon Bon
Prins Regent
Macuba
(all Molens De Kralingse- Dutch Windmill)
Toque Spanish Gem
Wilsons Best Dark


II. Methods
To get the snuff into your nose, you will need to develop a workable method. Method involves two parts: (a) controlling your breathing and (b) taking the snuff (pinch it, spoon it, thumb it, or take it off the back of the hand). The point is that you need to develop your snuff taking skills. I know of no better introduction than Snuffhouse’s Beginner’s Guide. Check it out: snuffhouse-guide.pdf

In the meantime there are a couple of basic things that you can do to get started
1. Get the right snuff. Snuffs that are dry and finely ground are not the best place to start. Packard’s Club snuff is amazingly easy to handle as are most Toque Snuffs. When buying, just read the reviews or ask.

2. Breathe right. Do not snort snuff, don’t even sniff it. Rather, relax and just smell it. Snuff is light and it will not take much to get it into your nose. Many folks find it helpful to take a full breath before they begin taking the snuff. Regardless, half the battle is remembering to SMELL and not SNORT

3. Right placement- you don’t want the snuff deep in your nose but rather closer to the front. Notice the space where you finger is when you pick your nose. That is where you want the snuff to go

4. Be patient- we all had those sneezing, eyes watering, and head blown off moments. It will take a little time, practice, and experimenting but you will get it down.

III. Storage
Because snuff is dry it has a extended shelf life (it will keep until gone with just moderate use). The moister the snuff the more care is needed. Also tap boxes may not keep snuff long term. The snuff I have in rotation I have on my desk. No special care is taken. Everything else I wrap in cellophane, Zip lock, put in a Tupperware container, and freeze. The main thing is to thaw it gradually in the refrigerator for a day and then bring it to room temperature before using it.

IV. Nose care
Do I need to take any special measures to clean my nose? No. I find a good hot shower in the morning is all that is required. However, some like to use a saline nasal spray especially during the winter when the nose tends to be dry. Others swear by something called a Netti pot but I don’t find it to be necessary at all.

V. Ammonia
The fresher the snuff the more it will smell of ammonia. This has to do with the way snuff is produced. Thus, if you get a new tin and it smells like cat piss don’t panic and don’t throw it a way. Instead, take the top off and let it air out, stirring it occasionally. This may take anywhere form an hour or two to a whole day.

VI. Resources
A] In addition to Snuson’s growing snuff section, there are a few on line sites that you will find indispensable.

1. Snuffhouse.org- a wonderful forum full of great folks and fantastic information. Many of our members take part there as well. http://snuffhouse.org/

2. Snuffreviews.com- a great resource to learn about various snuffs. The snuffs are listed by manufacturer. http://snuffreviews.com/list.php

B] Shops
1. Northener.com- Northerner has a wide range of nasal snuffs. http://www.northerner.com/index.php
2. Mr. Snuff- Wide selection. Great service www.mrsnuff.com.
3. Toque Snuff- Order directly from Toque and the shipping is free. http://www.toquesnuff.com/
4. Molens- Old school, hand crafted snuff http://www.snuifmolens.nl/winkel/winkel_en.html
5. The Snuff store- http://www.snuffstore.co.uk/
6. Buy Snuff- A decent selection and Samuel Gawith in Bulk http://www.snuff.me.uk/default.asp


I hope this Guide has been of some help. May your nose and lip be ever full.

[rickcharles606]

I recently came into several cans of snuff in a trade with a friend who is a snuff user. I have been using snuff for about a month or two intermittenly. I'm having issues with "where does the snuff go", and "is this making my sinuses worse than they already are?" There are things about snuff that I think are great, the way it smells is the biggest draw for me besides the nic hit. I'm a "smells" kinda guy, so things that smell good to me are appealing to me. I now have 6 or 7 new tins of snuff and have been playing with them.

Last night, I tried ALL of them and when I woke up this morning...I felt like hammered dog shit. Not sure if it was the snuff, but I'm guessing it was. Any tips, clues or hints would be appreciated by you more experienced snuffers. Thanks!

[Roo]

I agree Rick. For whatever reason, snuff and me were not an instant hit. My nose feels like ass the next morning. For what it's worth, I have a rather small nose. I imagine if my shit was all hawkish and/or gaping there would be more room for it to sit comfortably. But for now, it's been about a year and I only use it when I'm drunk. For those of you inclined to think that it's the alcohol rather than the snuff that I feel the next morning, believe me, I have had way more quality time with alcohol than snuff and it's definitely the snuff. I love the smell though, and I'm going to sniff some right now, but if anyone else has a similar story of not taking to it as expected for the first 6 months to a year, please let me know how it turned out. Snusdog, nice thread G.

[Snusdog]

I recently came into several cans of snuff in a trade with a friend who is a snuff user. I have been using snuff for about a month or two intermittenly. I'm having issues with "where does the snuff go", and "is this making my sinuses worse than they already are?" There are things about snuff that I think are great, the way it smells is the biggest draw for me besides the nic hit. I'm a "smells" kinda guy, so things that smell good to me are appealing to me. I now have 6 or 7 new tins of snuff and have been playing with them.

Last night, I tried ALL of them and when I woke up this morning...I felt like hammered dog shit. Not sure if it was the snuff, but I'm guessing it was. Any tips, clues or hints would be appreciated by you more experienced snuffers. Thanks!

RC,

A couple of things:

Once I got it down I found that snuff has actually helped me with my sinuses. For one it coats the nose blocking a good deal of the pollen that gives me so much trouble.

Second, for now do not use snuff right before bed. Laying down or even leaning back in a lazy boy chair can cause some unpleasant drainage (especially depending on what brand you are using.)

Third, buy one or two of these snuffs
Bernard’s Klostermischung
Bon Bon, Prins Regent, Macuba (all by Molens De Kralingse- AKA Dutch Windmill)
F&T Old Paris or Santo Domingo
Packard’s Club snuff

For now the issue is not if you like them. Rather, they will be starter snuffs. In other words, use one of the above as your first snuff of the day. Once your nose is coated, you will find other more finely ground snuffs are easier to manage and will not run up the nose on you as much. (A saline spray right before your first snuff might do the trick as well)

As far as where the snuff goes- Pick your nose (seriously dig some buggers). Now, where your finger is…. is where the snuff should be.

Finally what snuffs are you using?

[rickcharles606]

I haven't been having probs with sneezing anymore, a friend told me to use a bigger pinch/pile and to breathe very lightly, it helped. I did use a TON of snuff last night, and then layed right down for bed, woke up this morning with my chest all congested and hacking up snuff phlegm. So I will not do that again, lol. Now the types I'm using now;

Toque Natural-like it

Wilson's Royal George-love it

Super Himalaya-like it, very interesting

F&T Dr JR Justice-really like it

Toque Quit-very good, nice nic hit

Toque Cheese and Bacon-meh

Dholakia Swiss Chocolate-good, but like snuffing swiss miss hot chocolate mix, lol

[lxskllr]

Nice guide Dog :^)

I think Dog's on the right track with the boogers :^D You may be sniffing it too hard, and it's getting too high in your nose. You want it to coat the flat surface that's hanging off your face, not up in your sinuses. Very fine snuffs(American come to mind) can be tricky for someone new. A medium-coarse snuff is a better bet imo.

[lxskllr]

Going to bed with a nose full messes me up sometimes. I'll wake up feeling almost sick, like I have a cold coming on. It goes away pretty quickly though, and most times I can take a hit of snuff in bed without issue. It's only when I overdo it that I run into problems.

[Snusdog]

Yea it sounds like it might be a sniffing problem or a lying down problem or both. None of the snuffs you have would be ones that I would call problematic (though I have never had Super Himalaya).

Anyway try smelling verses sniffing.

At first, I had to actually put a small amount of snuff on the back of my hand and then put my nose on my hand with the nostril over the snuff (so that the air flow was blocked) then I would gently and ever so slightly rock my hand back and forth letting in a little air.

Also reduce you pinch size by 1/2 and see if that helps (you can begin to work back up in time)

[rickcharles606]

Yea it sounds like it might be a sniffing problem or a lying down problem or both. None of the snuffs you have would be ones that I would call problematic (though I have never had Super Himalaya).

Anyway try smelling verses sniffing.

At first, I had to actually put a small amount of snuff on the back of my hand and then put my nose on my hand with the nostril over the snuff (so that the air flow was blocked) then I would gently and ever so slightly rock my hand back and forth letting in a little air.

Also reduce you pinch size by 1/2 and see if that helps (you can begin to work back up in time)

Thanks guys...I'll keep on keeping on and try some of these ideas. I do like snuff and if I can figure it out, will probably use it more regularly. Thanks again, I'll let ya know how it goes.

[Snusdog]

Another snuffhouse thread that may prove helpful for beginners is here: http://snuffhouse.org/discussion/6/how-to-use-snuff/

[wa3zrm]

Good guide dog. Very useful.
My favorite are the Pöschl Snuffs... love 'em! I highly recommend them to any beginner.

[tom502]

Yeah, good post, though I would add a "Scented/Perfumed" catagory, like WoS Strasbourg, and others that are not floral, or SP. I think many of the Indian snuffs may fall into that? Like 5 Photo Himalaya is medicated, but also it's like it's perfumed, very unique. But there is such a variety of snuffs, it's not easy to narrow them all down.

When I 1st tried snuff, it was about a year ago, and it was Jaxon's Cherry Menthol, and it was love at 1st sniff. I should get some of that again, as I traded mine off. But for a long time, I had zero nose issues with snuff, then one day I got totally stopped up, for a couple of days, it was miserable. I quit the snuff for a little while.

I also tried the Neti Pot, which was OK, but it didn't magically clear me up. I think I may have OD'd on the menthols, or the oil in the German snuffs, or a combination, or maybe it was my method, which seemed fine at 1st.

Today though, it has gotten better, and I snuff some every day. I do get stuffy, but I haven't been totally stopped up like I was that time. I think most of it is related to the method, because it's rather easy to sniff it right up, which I guess can agrivate the sinuses, so I am still working on my sniff techniques. Small amounts seem to work best for me, of course 1 tin lasts me forever. I have really down sized my collection, but still what I have will last my lifetime, and it's easy and fun to build a collection, but after a while I didn't see the point.

One thing I also tried, and still do sometimes, because it works, but it can be a little messy, is to pinch some snuff, and literally stick in your nose and rub it around, not using the sniff at all. You'll have to experiment with what works best to do this, usually the snuff is on my thumb tip, which I rub on the inside of the outer side nostril parts.

[Mr. Snuffleupagus]

Hey, Dog! Thanks for putting this guide together and getting this forum section in place. I think these things will be very useful for anyone interested in successfully trying out nasal snuff. It's too easy to start off on a bad foot with snuff but it's really worth it once you get your technique down.

[LaZeR]

Good stuff DaWg. I would like to add a shout out for "F.U.B.A.R" Grunt. It's in a class of it's own. I suggest the numeral 69.

[chadizzy1]

I would like to say that in personal experience I've found the Toque Snuff's to be the most approachable to beginners. That's in my personal experience though, and the few people I've given snuff to - so I'm sure it's different for everyone, but Toque was the first ones I used, and they helped me branch into other stuff.

That being said, GREAT guide, very glad to see this!

Make sure and include, "THIS IS NOT HOW YOU USE NASAL SNUFF!"