Help for new lössnus and Prismaster user

[snusbear1]

Well, I finally ventured into the world of lössnus! I ordered and received the lös version of one of my favorite portionsnus offerings, Skruf Stark, along with a Prismaster.

I really like the lös version! It's so comfortable in the mouth, compared with portions - none of that intrusive "teabag" feeling. After a minute or two, I hardly even know it's there!

I have two questions about the Prismaster, though:

1) How firmly do you compress the snus in the Prismaster to make it stay together best? Should I give it a good, firm compression, or does the pris stay together better with a gentler touch?;

2) How big a pris do you take with the Prismaster? I've found that if I want to go for a really big pris and pull the slider all the way back before loading, I end up with this enormous vertical column of snus, the top third of which nicely tucks up between my lip and gum (nice!), the middle third of which covers my upper teeth (yuck!), and the final third of which drops off of my teeth onto my tongue (WTF?)! As a result, I just pull the slider back only a part of the way, but I can't help wondering why they would make the device so that you can pull it all the way back if making a pris that way is neither useful nor practical, unless your lips and gums are the size of those of a horse?

[bakerbarber]

Hey snusbear,

1. Medium.
Too hard and the prilla breaks.
Too soft and it dissolves prematurely.

2. Put it in sideways.
Across your gums. I fill the prismaster completely. I hold it sideways and put the tip in the very middle of my upper lip and pop it in. Then I just tuck it in with my tongue.

3. If you like loose snus a lot in the future seriously consider buying an Icetool. It is way more user friendly and makes a nicer prilla than the prismaster.

[RobsanX]

You can pull the inside tube out and stick it in the other direction for a smaller pris...

[airwoodstock]

I agree with the Icetool! I got a Prismaster with my last order from BuySnus just to see how it worked. I already have a 3 ml Icetool and wanted to see what the differences were.

The Prismaster makes an oval type cylinder which, imo, sits pretty well in the mouth and, like RobsanX said, you can flip the plunger around to get a smaller pris. What I didn't like about it is the mechanism. Really didn't like the whole lever idea.

The Icetool comes in 2 sizes. 3 ml and 5 ml (diameter of the cylinder). It's made of stainless steel or high grade aluminum depending on your choice so, it doesn't have that fragile feel you get with the Prismaster. You can also adjust the length of the pris as well with the Icetool.

Basically, until you deceide if you like lös, the Prismaster is a good starter tool. If you do deceide you like lös, I'd recommend the Icetool. You have more choices on pris size, will last 2 life times and is much easier to use imo.

[tdeni8]

Couldn't agree more about the IceTool. Just got mine today (along with the Icetool stainless steel snus box) and love the ease of use and the perfect cylindrical shape of the pris. Slips right in from the center of your upper lip, dragging it to the side as you press out the pris. I used 2 and 3 notches today. Just about right for use on just one side of your upper lip. I'll try the double barrel tomorrow for a wake upper.

Only warning I have on the IceTool is: order up some more los because you're gonna love how easy it is to enjoy it!

[spirit72]

Re: Help for new lössnus and Prismaster user

1) How firmly do you compress the snus in the Prismaster to make it stay together best? Should I give it a good, firm compression, or does the pris stay together better with a gentler touch?

This largely boils down to your taste and experience. Pack it too hard, and depending on the snus it could break more easily, but the big concern with packing it too tight for me is that it gets hard, and then it'll take longer to get going and wil feel like a rock under your upper lip(not a good feeling at all). It can actually get pretty painful, especially with the coarser brands like Grov or Knox.

But too loose, and you'll have mudmouth in minutes. Basically, you'll want to play around with it and see what works for you.

2) How big a pris do you take with the Prismaster?

Usually, I take the whole prismaster, and then gently level it off with a fingertip and press very slightly to get the desired pris.

[TBD]

Just got my Prismaster and a can of Phantom Blue today. Just tossed out my first pris. After about 40 minutes it started to slide. I really like the Phantom, I bought a cheap can to see if I like los. I might upgrade to something better on the next order. The only thing I didn't like was the flakes in my teeth. Had to rinse like 5 times. It kinda built up in the top of my teeth. Maybe a bit to loose?

Just to add my voice to one other... Phantom Blue is great.

[ponysoprano]

I pack the sh!t out of the prismaster, pressing it onto the can lid until juice seeps. I'd rather spend the $40-some on snus than an aluminum syringe...though I will eventually spring for an Icetool, as it's convenient, but I really enjoy the hand bake at home, otherwise using portions lately.
Hi Woodstock! Hey Baker!

[airwoodstock]

I pack the sh!t out of the prismaster, pressing it onto the can lid until juice seeps. I'd rather spend the $40-some on snus than an aluminum syringe...though I will eventually spring for an Icetool, as it's convenient, but I really enjoy the hand bake at home, otherwise using portions lately.
Hi Woodstock! Hey Baker!

Hey pony!!

I agree with the packing part! Even with the Icetool, some lös you really have to pack in order for the pris to be stable. TBO, the main reason I got the Icetools is because I'm Baketarded!! :lol:

[snusbear1]

In my varied experiments since posting this topic, I'd have to say that I agree with the idea of packing the Prismaster really tightly, so tightly that the juice begins to seep out of the end, at least for my purposes, and for now. It may well be true that there's a faster, and bigger, nicotine hit with a great big "farmer pinch" (or "Hillbilly Method," to quote the video from Northerner.com!), but for those of us who are just now making our careful, tentative transition from portionsnus to lössnus, who aren't used to the idea of tongue-play (pardon the phrase ops with a huge mouthful of tobacco mud, the small, super-tight pris of lös that sits stably and securely high up in the lip works well as a means of getting used to having a nice maintenance-free pris of snus up there WITHOUT the "teabag."

Part of my initial resistance to this idea may have been due to the fact that I underestimated just how much snus was in a small, tightly packed pris, and that I assumed I needed to shove a huge wad up there to get a kick. But the fact is that even when I've got a fairly small, tightly packed pris up there, when I spit it out I notice that my pris contains at LEAST as much tobacco as in a standard-size portion, and perhaps more so!

What I'm really loving about lös is that it's SO comfortable in the mouth! Portions are OK, especially when you're out and about and need the convenience, but I've never quite gotten used to that feeling of having a teabag shoved up under my lip. Lössnus rocks!

[joe broker]

Reading this thread makes me want to try los

What's a good starter can?

[chainsnuser]

Re: Reading this thread makes me want to try los

What's a good starter can?

A lös of your favorite portion, I guess.

A finecut snus like Röda Lacket is easy to bake but falls apart under the lip very soon.

A coarse snus like Offroad Cranberry is hard to bake but keeps well under the lip.

On the bottom line all lössnuses are the same IMHO, regarding beginner-friendliness. So it's all about taste.

If you're asking for a clear recommendation, I'd say that you can't go wrong with Ettan.

Cheers!