what was your tobacco before snus?

[gopherbob]

I used american dip, skoal, copenhagen timber wolf... And I'm a recent snus convert, I had been curious about snus for awhile and my girlfriend got my a sampler pack from northerner!

[Andy]

My previous tobacco?

Over the last thirty-five years I have tried nearly every form of tobacco available to mankind.

Starting in the 1970's:
Pipe tobacco (St Bruno & Condor & Gold Cut),
Rollups (Old Holborn & Golden Virginia),
Tailor made cigs (Gaulouse, Players Navy Cut, Benson&Hedges, Rothmans),
Chewing Tobacco (special order from USA),
Nasal snuf for many years (Made by Wilsons & Co, Sharrow, England)

And then in 2006 I discovered Swedish Snus on the internet.
It's the best by far. No smoke, no smell, no gunk or mess, just the taste of tabacco and the effect of nicotine.
I wonder now why we tried to get nicotine out of tobacco by setting light to it!
Snus should be the "normal" way to use tobacco. I do not expect to ever want to smoke again.

The only downside of snus for some smokers is that it does not give the quick hit of nicotine that a cigarette does. The nicotine is released slowly and steadily over a longer period. If you still crave that quick hit you could try a generous pinch of loose snus and then after a few minutes "soaking" under your lip spread it out (using the tip of your tongue) so it covers the full width of your gum under your upper lip - wait for ten to twenty seconds for the hit to arrive. This works best with a fine ground snus such as Roda Lacket or Goteborgs Prima Fint.

[Subtilo]

Before I became a snuser-only, I smoked cigarettes for ten years. Mostly Kings, but also red Cecil, John Player Special and B & H. Oh, and Lucky Strike during my military services. In the late years I smoked some pipe - but only on lonely walks by the sea or in various woods. Good ritual, but after moving back into Copenhagen it sort of died out.

The first time I tried snus was in Reykjavik a few years ago. I got drunk with a swedish guy and at some point during our brilliant conversation about the big whateverness, he presented this little black box (surely General) containing a bunch smelly bags. Sure, I knew what it was - I've got swedish relatives and my grandpa used to snus too - it had just never crossed my mind to try it out. Before this drunken showdown in Iceland. And so I did. Punched it up my lip and whipped down another whiskey and waited. A few burning minutes later I was sailing. It was perfect with the whiskey, I loved it, drank some more and kept 'playing' with the little bag of taste. Until I suddenly got very, very sick and had to step outside and yell at the ground ...

One year later or so, I decided to try snus again and got hold of a box of Göteborgs Rapé. Not being completly wasted this time made me deal with it in a more suitable way, and surprise, surprise, this was good! Not a single cigaret since! Or maybe a couple, I dunno, I still get drunk sometimes, you know 8)

Anyway, snus rocks.

[Jono]

Smoked cigs for 20 years. tried everything to quit. NRT (many times and varieties), accupunture, chinese medicine, hypnosis, self help books, (Allen Carr is worth looking at), Zyban (twice), finally found snus while researching scandinavian languages, particularly Norwegian which I intend studying at University in Edinburgh. It works!
To any smokers out there, TRY IT.
Follow Starwing's advice. Start with mini white portions (I started with WISE), then move up.
Good Luck.
Har de bra.

[mickaroo]

marlboro

I started smoking, but realized early that it would only screw up my good health. So now I've been snusing for about 4 years, and it's the best thing. I can use snus, and still be in a good shape like everybody else. Actually, in Norway the snus isn't labeled in the same way as cigaretts. It only says that Snus is addictive, and it may pose a healthrisk. IT MAY! And what more, there is no proven link between snus and cancer. Snus is not a health risk. wonder why the EU doesn't want to approve it. that's sick.

Snus on!

[littlesilverboxfromwales]

I have smoked since my mid teens, I am now in my late 30's.
I smoked on average 30 a day, and recently used snuff to help me cut down to 10 mild ones a day.
I found out about snus from a snuff website called snufftalk.com , I didn't realise I had tried snus before, I was given a pris by a guy from Austria.
Anyway, I placed an order for a mixed batch of 10 tins, got it, stuck it under my lip and haven't smoked since.
I may now live long enough to see my grandchildren born.
EU = nil points Sweden = 10 points

[Cap'n SnusBeard]

I didn't use tobacco at all before snus - it was my new-year's resolution to get addicted to nicotine and I decided to choose the most interesting (and, in my view, perhaps the silliest) form of delivery I knew about.

[theoldsearock]

Re: My previous tobacco?

Over the last thirty-five years I have tried nearly every form of tobacco available to mankind.

Starting in the 1970's:
Pipe tobacco (St Bruno & Condor & Gold Cut),
Rollups (Old Holborn & Golden Virginia),
Tailor made cigs (Gaulouse, Players Navy Cut, Benson&Hedges, Rothmans),
Chewing Tobacco (special order from USA),

Andy, you're a man who liked his nicotine straight - those are some of my favorite brands! Add Mick McQuaid and Dunhill Royal Yacht into the mix with Gawith and Hoggarth Rum Flake or Kendal Flake.. Though I never dallied much with the Rollups other than Three Castles and Drum. Three Castles was excellent!

I smoked for nearly 20 years, chewed/dipped for nearly 10. Cigs, pipes, cigars. Quit the cigarettes in 1997 or so, never looked back. US cigaretttes are gawd-awful..

So, I learn about snus from an online article regarding a well established tobacconist in Chicago, IL. This lead me to research snus, research led me here.

Still waiting on the postman - with the last cans of Copenhagen Fine Cut (US equivalent of STRONG NICOTINE FIX snus)... waiting on the postman.... :lol:

[Zero]

Re: My previous tobacco?

US cigaretttes are gawd-awful..

Cigarettes anywhere are gawd-awful, mate. Occasionally you get semi-nice "luxury" brands like the Indonesian Djarums, but tailor-mades are the same horrible crap everywhere. Dry, wretched smelling, terrible things. Pipes and cigars at least smell nice, and rollups are at least smooth and don't have the same (as bad) blue-smoke, sticky-stench that comes with pre-fab cigs. Blech. Snus is king of them all, haha 8)

[phish]

Re: My previous tobacco?

US cigaretttes are gawd-awful..

Cigarettes anywhere are gawd-awful, mate.

In the UK we have some terrible brands. For example L&B which we nickname logs and branches because if you ever open one of them up it looks like wood chip. When smoked they taste of burning tires, saying that there are some brands that make L&B look like a Cuban cigar (Richmond I'm looking at you)

I used to smoke golden virginia or drum rolling tobacco which is slightly better but not very appealing after a few years of snusing

[capkanada]

I started out a smoker.
Camel (usually menthol, though I sometimes switch(ed) it around) is/was my usual brand. (yeah, I'm still trying to kick 'em... had some moments where I just wanted a ciggie, and ended up getting back on them. :roll: )

Anyhow, then the city I live in enacted a smoking ban, which made life difficult as far as smoking at work goes. So, I go for some dip, but am totally annoyed by the whole spitting thing. I'd really rather not be talking to a customer and have to drain a fat, brown loogie into the trash can. Just doesn't look very nice, or seem very respectful. (same could be said for smoking though, too.)

So, I discovered snus. I love it. I am trying to convert myself to it exclusively, but..well, the past few months have been stressful and annoying, and kinda helped me get back on the stink-sticks. Ah well... if at first you don't succeed.... :wink:

Here's hoping that Swedish Match or some other company decides to finally go national... I really don't want to have to drive 2.5 hours to get my snus. :evil:
Ordering it isn't so bad, but the convenience of having it available locally would be awesome.

I've also let a couple friends (some smokers, some dippers) try some, and they're all in awe of it; especially the fact that one doesn't need to spit with it. Need to get them to start ordering some... :lol:

[phish]

Anyhow, then the city I live in enacted a smoking ban, which made life difficult

We are two days into a smoking ban in the UK and we also happen to be in a period of record breaking rain levels. Thank god for snus

[Zero]

seriously, wtf is up with all the rain?! It was sunny and nice, then i ran up to willesden, got out of the tube and it was black clouds and thunderstorms, got soaking wet by the time I got to my flat, grabbed my umbrella, and when I went out it was fine again - got the tube back to fulham and damned if it wasn't a hailstorm going on, only to clear up to clear sky and bright sun again. :?: :?

[phish]

It's insane, the end is nigh! At least we're not in yorkshire http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6240038.stm

[Zero]

hazards of covering a floodplain in pavement, hey? :lol: