Really Random Snuff Questions

[kaitlyn3837]

Here is a bunch of snuff questions I thought up while trying my new snuff. Answer as best you can!

Do you snuff everyday?
If so, how often do you snuff during the day?
If not, how many times a week do you snuff?

Have you ever used a snuff spoon?
If so, do you still use it now?
If not, what is your preferred method?

Do you open one tin and use it til it's gone or have multiple tins open at once and switch around?
How often does it usually take you to go through a 10G tin of snuff?
How quickly does snuff dry out/go bad?
Do you leave your snuff in the original tin or have a tin/dispenser you move it to?

Why do you personally do snuff?

That should be enough for now

 

[idbowman]

Well this seems fun. I'll play!


--How often depends on the mood I'm in, what I'm doing, and if I'm using other forms of tobacco. Like I said in your other post, I may take a few pinches a week, or I may take a few pinches an hour.

--I don't own an actual snuff spoon, but I've put the spoon from a Czech pipe tool to use for that purpose. I don't really like using a spoon all that much - I find it unwieldy. Plus, if it is a scented snuff, warming the snuff in a pinch/boxcar/back-of-hand helps bring out the essential oils and really "opens" the snuff up. But, if you have any artisan snuffs (Old Mill, Rodinski, Sir Walter Scott, Open Source, etc), it's best to use a tool if only to scoop the snuff out onto your hand. Artisans aren't usually subject to the same anti-microbial treatments that the big companies use, so not introducing new wee nasties into the tin is a good idea: clean metal > grubby digits.

--I prefer the boxcar method for courser, moisture snuffs; for dryer, finer snuffs I usually go with the old fashioned pinch.

--I usually have a few tins open at once. If I open a tin and realize I'm not going to use it regularly in the near future, I close the tin as air-tight as possible and put it back in the "snuff fridge." Off the top of my head, I have a tin in my desk at work, two open tins at home that I snuff from, and probably half-a-dozen tins that have a few grams missing sitting in the storage. It's hard to say how often I'd go through 10g - if I'm snuffing a lot and only hitting the one snuff, less than two weeks. If I'm snuffing more casually and not really going to the same tin over and over it may be a few months.

--How quickly a snuff dries is based on packaging. A metal tin with a good screw top can hold moisture and aroma for a long time (years), even after opening it as long as you handle it properly. For me, that means closing it up tightly and putting it in the fridge. Others, like the Sam Gawith 10g Tap Boxes dry out very quickly - they often arrive dried out when I order them.

--Air and light are not nice to snuff. If you can keep your snuff stash sealed (if unopened) or closed as airtight as possible (once opened) and in their original containers or an opaque glass vial/jar, you'll be fine. All of my stuff goes into the fridge - it solves the air/sunlight problem, and also keeps them at a consistent temp and helps retard microbial development (for artisans).

--Whenever possible I prefer to use the original tin. In some cases, that's not practical. Sometimes I'll move a few grams of an artisan snuff to a metal snuff tin to carry around - that way I can pinch without worrying about causing problems. Some of the larger tins (25g toque, for example) are a little to unwieldy; others (Wilsons of Sharrow) can just be a pain in the neck to open - so I'll move them to small snuff tins to carry around. If you can, avoid the plasic "smash boxes" you can buy on Mr. Snuff - the scent will ghost that thing like a Lakeland pipe tobacco in a briar. Use metal or wood (that's been regularly waxed).

Why do I snuff? A lot of reasons...it's convenient, it's inexpensive, and the range of scents are amazing. It can bring natural tobacco goodness like a good VaPer pipe blend, or it can make good on all the promises aromatic pipe tobaccos have made and broken over the years.

 

[idbowman]

Also: don't be fooled. It probably seems like I know what I'm talking about, but I've only been snuffing for a few years...thanks, in fact, to this board. I was curious about it and someone (Drums/Beer, I think) sent me a tin he didn't much care for - fell in love, jumped in with both feet.

 

[Richard Burley]

I think I would qualify as a light user, but there are times during the day when I need my face slapped, for various reasons. Snuff is a pleasant substitute, a wake up, a momentary escape from the banalities of the day. I like having some in my pocket, even when I don't use it.

 

[huffelpuff]

I don't snuff everyday most of the time but will go on binges that have lasted a few months where I snuff pretty much non stop.

More usual is 4-5 days a week with multiple hits per day.

I usually use a tool. I don't have a snuff spoon proper but have a surgical stainless cuticle pusher from a manicure set I use. I do so because I don't want to contaminate the tins with anything. I have some artisan snuffs and my own homemade snuffs and I don't want to lose them to something that is entirely preventable. I dont generally sniff it off the spoon though I usually use it to scoop out a bunch of snuff onto my thumbnail which I then sniff.


I probably have 20 different snuffs open and going. Lots of commercial stuff sure but homeblends are probably the biggest part of my rotation. It's not uncommon for me to have 4 different versions of the same snuff going so I can decide on a recipe.

A 10 gram tin will last me about 10 days but I will admit to killing a few in well under a week. Like I said I go through 50-75 grams a month on average so.

I usually keep the commercial snuffs in the original containers. My personal snuffs are a Hodge podge of old empty tins, glass vials, and other containers.

As to why I snuff. I had a dental procedure go very wrong and was unable to smoke at all for almost 2 years. Snuffing allowed me to continue to enjoy tobacco while I healed. Some blends are very in your face and do wonders for waking you up or keeping you up, others are just incredibly delicious sensory diversions. Literally food for your nose. I generally keep 3-4 snuffs on my person at all times. So I can enjoy whatever suits my mood at the time.

Jim

 

[kaitlyn3837]

Awesome replies! Thank you for taking the time to type out all of that info. Just did my second pinch of St. Clements and it seems even better the second time around. I put it in a sealed jar in a drawer for safe keeping too.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

I recently got into it a couple of months ago, and still have much left. Some is commercial and some is artisan. Wide tins I pinch up, tap boxes I tap out onto a thumb. I have no utensils to date. Some days I carry a tin, sometimes a week goes by before I think about it. The mentholish one scares me, unless I'm stuffy. All I can say is I have a lot to learn about it!

 

[kaitlyn3837]

I recently got into it a couple of months ago, and still have much left. Some is commercial and some is artisan. Wide tins I pinch up, tap boxes I tap out onto a thumb. I have no utensils to date. Some days I carry a tin, sometimes a week goes by before I think about it. The mentholish one scares me, unless I'm stuffy. All I can say is I have a lot to learn about it!  

You and me both!

For any of you, does it tend to dry out your nostril? Or have you never had that problem? You see, during the winter sometimes my nose will dry out and crack on the inside. Obviously I would never do snuff during that time. But I'm wondering if down the road snuff might contribute to this problem. Thoughts?

 

[idbowman]

For any of you, does it tend to dry out your nostril? Or have you never had that problem? You see, during the winter sometimes my nose will dry out and crack on the inside. Obviously I would never do snuff during that time. But I'm wondering if down the road snuff might contribute to this problem. Thoughts?

Yes. And No.

For me, it depends on the snuff. If I'm using a snuff that's on the dry and fine side (toasts, most of the Toque line, etc), then yes - it does seem to contribute to dryness (in the nostrils, that is...it doesn't seem to affect my sinuses).

Some snuffs really get my nose running - these tend to increase the overall moisture in the front of my nose - although if you're nostrils are already irritated, the added dabbing/blowing/wiping might be a bit uncomfortable. Schmaltzler's do the trick for me.

 

[huffelpuff]

Saline nasal spray is your friend Kaitlin. $2 at Walmart should get you a rather large bottle. Use it often it'll help keep things moving as it were. I have A deviated septum and lots of nasal problems it really does help.

Jim

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Saline nasal spray is your friend Kaitlin. $2 at Walmart should get you a rather large bottle. Use it often it'll help keep things moving as it were. I have A deviated septum and lots of nasal problems it really does help.

Jim

That is good to know!

 

[huffelpuff]

I forgot to mention that using a Netipot is also highly recommended for snuffers. They are also pretty darn cheap if you mix the saline solution yourself. If anyone needs to know the proportions it's 1/2 teaspoon unionized sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to 8 oz of warm water. Yes you can mix up large quantities and store in a waterproof container. In that case just scoop out 1 teaspoon of prepared mix for 8oz. Easy as pie.

Jim