Dipper's Guide to Snus

[Snusdog]

Not a skoal bandit user..haha. He uses los..bucket mouths it big time. Had him try Rape #2 and he did not like. Not familiar with skoal mint but I believe it's a pure mint rather than a spearmint. Is their a pure mint los available?

To the best of my knowledge there is no Swedish mint los (there are some American attempts at snus that are los mint- see below)

The only pure mint snus I know of are General Mint white portions and Catch mint white portions (I have had the General but never the Catch). You can find them Here:

http://www.northerner.com/en/snus/No...Portion-22305/
http://www.northerner.com/en/snus/No...Portion-30182/

http://www.buysnus.com/snusbrand/Gen...e_Portion.aspx

Also, Catch, Fellinn and Mocca all have mini portions in mint (but I'm not sure I would start with the small/mini). You can find those here:

http://www.buysnus.com/Search.aspx?Cat=2&Sub=1

In desperation, you might want to check out some of the American attempts at snus

Klondike has some mint los snus (both long and fine cut) as well as portions

However, I am not sure it is exactly snus..............nor am I sure it is exactly good...............nor am I sure it is as safe a product as snus.

Anyway you can find it here

http://www.northerner.com/en/snus/No...r_US_Snus-447/

Hope this helps

[piks101]

Thanks Dog, I'll probably stick with a Swedish option but found the blurb below on Klondike interesting. Some feedback on those that have tried Klondike would be appreciated.

Fron Northerner:

Klondike Snus has been developed for adult smokeless tobacco consumers who are unwilling to compromise taste or quality, yet would prefer a product that utilizes the Swedish snus manufacturing process.

"Our Klondike brand is built on the belief that traditional smokeless tobacco consumers should have access to the Swedish snus manufacturing process, which can provide low nitrosamine levels without compromising taste, quality, and overall tobacco satisfaction traditional adult smokeless consumers are accustomed to," said Nordic American's CEO Darren Quinn. "We believe the taste, quality and tobacco satisfaction is actually enhanced by our Swedish Snus Process," Quinn added. Klondike Snus is the first loose snus brand manufactured in the U.S., utilizing the Swedish Snus Process, which will make snus available in popular Fine Cut and Long Cut forms. Both Fine Cut and Long Cut are available in Wintergreen, Peppermint and Straight flavors. Pouches are also available in Wintergreen, Peppermint and Cherry flavors. Bill Eder, VP Marketing for Nordic American, said "We recognize the consumer base for the Klondike brand as the traditional adult moist smokeless tobacco consumer who is interested in trying snus in the forms they find appealing, and in a value-priced proposition."

[Snusdog]

They Compromised the production process (and missed on the flavor........... according to reviewers). They will not confirm that Klondike is made according to Swedish standards or methods..............something they promoted heavily when they were starting up but then backed way off of closer to product launch.

We even had folks email and ask them point blank..................but got nothing but non answer spin

Use the snuson search you should find a pretty thorough break down here on the forum


Sorry there is not more to offer in the mint department.............but maybe one of the mints will work or you will find another los that will fit the bill for your friend.

Keep us posted

[piks101]

Will do. Looks like there is more to see than meets the eye on Klondike. Thanks for the heads up.

[Jwalker]

1-2 cans a day seems pretty heavy but skoal isn't that strong that's fairly heavy still. Ha ha klondike is a joke it's made by swisher so what do you expect? I'd say thunder frosted, General Mint and Jakobssons mint are things he'll like although thunder I'm less sure. If your buddy isn't averse to wintergreen dip definitely get him jakobsson's everyone seems to like it. Also get some ettan los, skurf los, and knox los which are just good. I almost puked on grizz mint so I don't think mint is that great although I've got some longhorn mint and it's ok it's not as overwhelmingly powerful as grizzly, I'm too cheap to buy skoal mint.

[Snusdog]

From another thread

This might be something some of you find helpful

When I first open a can of los……………I pack (smash) the tobacco down in the tin

I have a shot glass that works perfectly to pack the tobacco evenly and tightly.

I have found that this helps the snus stay fresh, moist, and full flavored longer.

It also helps some brands that tend to get crumbly or even a little bitter towards the end of the can

(I am thinking especially of Kronan which is good the first few pinches but becomes more and more bitter the longer the tin is opened)

Anyway……..thought I would pass this along………..try it………. and see if it works for you

[SmokedEuro]

Wow. I just started doing this myself this week before I noticed this. It works! I'll be doing this for every can of Los I open from this point forward.

[Snusdog]

this has just been instinctive to me once I get about a third of the can gone. Maybe it's from using dip but that stuff never stayed packed in the can. Snus does and it reduces the surface area that comes in contact with the air. I don't use a glass or anything though that's a good idea. I use my fingers to pull it all to one side of the can and pack it into the side so there's no shake floating around the can. It makes me take bigger pinches though.

That's it exactly

And to clarify......I only use the shot glass till about half way through the can...............then I do exactly the same thing as WK..............pack it to one side.

I use the glass because I can get an even and more firm pack................and because less snus sticks to the glass than to my fingers (this is especially true with brands like Gellivare and Landstroms)

And you are right..........a firmly packed can will result in bigger prises (or at least prises with more tobacco in them due to the close pack). Thus, I adjust my pris size accordingly

[Jbb]

Thanks for the write up... I've been snusing for about half a year now and I still cant taste much los... I can initially taste Grov like crazy but then it goes away and tastes as if nothing is there. Do i just need to give it more time? Or whats your suggestion.

[Gameness]

Thanks for the write up... I've been snusing for about half a year now and I still cant taste much los... I can initially taste Grov like crazy but then it goes away and tastes as if nothing is there. Do i just need to give it more time? Or whats your suggestion.

Definitely give it more time. It took me much longer to be able to truly taste Ettan/Grov/Prima Fint.

[Snusdog]

From another thread:

Los versus Portions

OK now for the serious answer:

As an x-dipper here is why I like los………….los has the feel of dip…………..to compare los and portions is like comparing sex without a condom vs. sex with a condom…………ok………….I realize I’m talking to snuson……..so let me rephrase that……………..it’s like comparing sex when the fleshligh batteries are brand new vs. sex when the batteries are dead…………..PP and Whalen ya’ll hold your questions till after class

For me the advantages of los are:

1. The more natural feel. There is something about just plain tobacco in the moth that is superior to anything else. (I realize that x-smokers might not get this at first……….. but x-dippers will). I can upper deck los or I can hillbilly it (dip it) in the lower lip……cause there are sometimes that a man has just gotta spit

2. los offers a slower release of flavor but a longer and eventually more robust flavor. Thus los tends to last longer

3. Like Lx said…….with los you can control the amount you use. Thus I am able to enjoy a good number of Extra Starks by simply reducing the amount I put in

4. Los tend to last longer per tin than portions and thus is more economical

5. Finally, with los there is the sheer joy of pointing out to other members (with their tattoos, acid rock T-shirts, and bad ass attitude) that despite all of that………they still have to put their snus in a tampon to use it ………..Therefore ……….. they will forever be……………….. the designated drivers at snuson night at the pub

In all honesty and with all kidding aside there are advantages to both los and portions. I would classify the advantages of los as aesthetic and the advantages of portions as pragmatic.

Most folks here at snuson (after a bit of time) use both los and portions. Most will tell you it is los at home and portions at work

The Advantages of portions-

1. Portions are more discrete than los and thus better for work and public (especially for those less accustomed to los)- this is the main advantage of portions for many

2. No danger of mudslides- again this is mainly for those newer to los. Regardless, there are no mudslides with a portion

3. Portions are neater- again for those not used to los, portions avoid the roaming stray bits of tobacco that you may encounter in your mouth with los.

4 (This is a big one) With a portion, inserting and getting rid of the snus is much easier and more discrete than it is with los. I say this is a main advantage of portions because no matter how good you get at los……..taking it in and out is still more involved than it is with a portion.

5. Variety. There is a much wider variety of flavors and brands with portions than there is with los


In the end, portions tend to be more discrete and easy to manage. Thus for many they are more practical in a public/work setting than los. On the other hand, los offers a more complete and full snus experience.

So my advice would be to try both…………fit each into the situation where it works for you

And like the88 so wisely said……………don’t look to find a wine to replace beer……………..let the wine(snus) stand on its own merits…………if you do………..I think you will find snus to be a distinct and superior product.

Hope this helps

[Snusdog]

From Another Thread

Okay, I've been an on-and-off dipper for some time now. I recently heard of snus and how much better it is for you than any other tobacco. Now, I'm a good ole' boy who loves nothing more than grabbing a pinch of dip and throwing it in my lower lip. I just picked up my first can of Sweedish snus (General Wintergreen) and I find myself missing the feel of long-cut dip, I never cared for the dip pouches either. Is there any kind of long-cut snus available? If so, what brands do you guys like best?

Welcome to the forum bro.....I too came to snus from dip (25+ years of dipping)

The best thing I can tell you is to approach dip as a related but different tobacco product. If you try to find a snus that is like dip you will either wind up with garbage or just be frustrated.

Second, there are two differences between dip and snus. The first is lip feel. At first snus will be a bit more soluble (for lack of a better word). The second is taste. Snus will be more subtle in taste. Therefore try stronger flavors and courser grinds at first.........Knox, Extreme, General ES (extra stark) Skruf, Grov, Granit, Gustavus, Phantom (Rothrox) Blue.

Third, there are chemicals in dip that are not in snus.....for the first few weeks I found my lip craving that "extra" in dip.....use a stronger snus and know it will pass (that extra is one of the good reasons to switch to snus)

Fourth, though snus is traditionally used in the upper lip, many (myself included) use it "dip style" all the time....sometimes a man has just gotta spit.......That said learning to upper deck it is good because it is more discrete, and the snus tends to last longer....at least at first.......eventually upper and lower will last about the same....plus upper or lower....spitting is an option not a necessity

Anyway....enjoy....and let us know what you find works for you

[Snusdog]

From Another Thread

Snus terms and vocabulary

OK - here's an attempt at a Snus glossary for you!

Snus comes in LÖS and PORTION varieties - Lös means loose as in just moist ground up tobacco and portions is where the snus is sealed in small teabags/pouches. Portion snus can be ORIGINAL PORTION (where the portions are moistened and brown with the tobacco juice) or WHITE PORTION (where the portions are dry and white). Occasionally you'll see it written is Swedish as VIT PORTION or just VIT.

A portion is easy, you just pop it under your upper lip and leave it there, but when you use lös snus you need to get it in to your face somehow ... First way to make a PRILLA or PRIS (these are swedish words for a pinch of snus) is to BAKE it sometimes known as HANDBAKING - this is where you take a pinch from the can (thumb and forefinger or thumb and first 2 fingers) and then squidge it together in your other hand to form a neat little elongated pill about the size of a portion and then you put that in your upper lip. Second way is to use a tool to do the work for you - you can either cut the end off an old syringe and use that or you can buy a specifically made device like an ICETOOL or PRIS-MASTER. The third way to use snus is the HILLBILLY PINCH where you take a pinch from the can and shove it straight up there ... this is tricky to do without mess - but is considered better by some as you get much more flavour and nicotine straight away as the snus is not compressed so much. If you're new to lös then you might experience MUDSLIDE where the snus gets moved too much and mixes with saliva before sliding down your teeth. Once you've been snusing for a while you will have developed a SNUS-POCKET which is where the constant presence of snus will leave a little indentation inside your upper lip and make it far easier to snus discreetly.

Other terms you might come across that describe the flavours of traditional snus are:

LAKRITS = Liquorice (the root of the liquorice plant - sweet and musty) ... not to be confused with ...
ANIS = Aniseed - often used in conjunction with liquorice sweets so easily confused Care needs to be taken writing both ANIS and SNUS as spellcheckers change it to something else!
FLADER = Elderflower - an aromatic wild flower
KANEL = Cinnamon
SALMIAK = Ammonium Chloride - a salt that is used far more in Scandanavia than elsewhere and has a distinctive ammonia type taste - often used with LAKRITS
TRANBÄR = Cranberry

Regular snus contains 8mg of nicotine per gram of snus. Stronger snus is called STARK and is in the region of 10-14 mg/g , EXTRA STARK snus is around the 18mg/g mark and the ULTRA STARK / EXTREME ones are in the region of 20mg/g or higher. In the past stronger snus was achieved by making larger portions and you used to be able to get MAXI-PORTIONS which were bigger. MINI-PORTIONS that are usually 0.4g of snus still exist and are marketed towards women mainly - however discreet, they are the most expensive way to buy snus.

Despite the plethora of brands and flavours - by far the most popular and numerous are BERGAMOT flavoured - Bergamot is a Mediterranean citrus fruit that yields an aromatic oil used also in Earl Gray Tea. Second favourite type is plain tobacco flavour like ETTAN the earliest snus brand still made today. Ettan literally means First - or Number 1 - and it was the highest grade of snus made by Jakob Fredrik Ljunglöf back in 1822. Other flavours are easily categorised in to traditional ones (herbal, floral, woody) or modern flavourings (mint, cinnamon, chocolate ... etc)

[chadizzy1]

As you know, we share this guide on Snubie.com - http://www.snubie.com/diptosnus.html

This guide has been invaluable for our readers. We have hundreds of readers a day, and many of them are former dippers. Thanks for continuing to update this and provide input.

[Snusdog]

I have a question.

what exactly is the oliver twist? im a bit curious.

The are small pellet like rolls of flavored tobacco (the ones I have had were licorice). They are about the size of a Tic Tac breath mint and similar in shape. They are also pretty low in nicotine. Most pipe stores carry them