My thoughts on "artisan" snuffs

hgrissom

I have read on here a couple of times about people being negative towards artisan snuffs. Typically it had to do with price or has something to do with a perceived "elitism". This confuses me. As a fan of both artisan and more mass produced snuff here are my thoughts.

Artisan snuffs for me aren't an all day everyday snuff. I don't know that they were intended to be. I'll compare it to alcohol. Typically, I drink beer. Beer is my everyday drink, it's cheap and does the job. It has its place. My passion, however, is scotch. Particularly single malt. It is prohibitively expensive and isn't something you can pound down. But if I want to relax at the end of the day, nothing beats it.

Viking and WoS with a few indian thrown in for variety are my "beers". I take them to work and they are quick, cheap, and complex enough to keep my attention. Old Mill is my scotch. I only use it at night and all day on the weekends when I have time to stop and appreciate them. Neither type is wrong and I enjoy both greatly, but the quality and complexity of an artisan snuff can't be matched by the big guys.

Each have their place. Each ate wonderful. We are spoiled for choice. Just my thoughts.

hgrissom

Each are* wonderful

basement_shaman

I don't drink but I do enjoy desserts, sometimes I eat desserts first and save room for food. The whites and other rather strong snuffs have me spoiled for choice, every thing else is dessert :)>- Life is way too short, enjoy it while you're here. I have champagne taste and a kool aid pocketbook. Snuff is still cheaper than a smoking habit .Avail yourself some

hgrissom

@basement_shaman I never smoked, but I did snus. That stuff is pricey considering I did a can every two days at 6-7 bucks a can once you include shipping. This is a cheaper hobby and I much prefer it. There were times with snus I didn't want it (I never loved the taste),but I had to have it for the nicotine. Snuff has never been like that for me, they smell so good. I love my artisan snuff, but there's no way I can afford to do them all day every day. I'd love to do that with OM Acadia though. For me they just have to be more "special occasion". The variety available to us is just astounding. I doubt there was this much available to the average person at the pinnacle of snuff. We are all truly blessed

fredh

Personally, I don't give a rat's a$$ if a snuff is artisan made or mass produced. If I like it I will buy it and use it. But it just so happens that most of my favorites are made by individual small batch snuff makers, aka artisans.

But I am willing to bet that the major mass producers were once, perhaps long ago, artisan snuff makers themselves, and their efforts evolved into larger companies over time. And if so, it is important for us to take such a context into account here. In the end, I believe evaluating the product itself in all of its aspects is most important, and that takes precedence over fussing about who made the snuff or how much of it is made. But that's just my opinion.

For example, I believe that Dholakia FUBAR Shot of Rum is a world class snuff. Dholakia is nevertheless a mass producer. But to me, Shot of Rum itself is in the highest level of quality and stands right up there with the finest artisan snuffs. Is it artisan or mass produced that's important? Like I said, I don't give a rat's a$$, as long as the snuff continues to be available and the maker does not change it over time (in varying batches). And once again that's just my opinion.

JakartaBoy

If I had to pay fifty cents a gram for White Elephant, I'd still buy it. It's one of my favourites. I like Havana Toast, too, and it makes a nice break from the heffalump. That one you do have to pay a bit more for.

About half the really great snuffs are pretty cheap. If you don't want to pay for artisan snuffs, you limit the range a bit, but not enough to really hurt.

50ft_trad

I'm guilty of being negative about the artisan snuffs, because they don't work for me..... but in that vein, I'm guilty about being negative of other snuffs too. I'm hardly going to be positive about products I don't personally like. There used to be a lot of talk implying that people should like certain things, and they were using it wrong if they didn't. Thankfully, that's eased off recently and there's a bigger acceptance of varying tastes in moisture and grind as well as flavour. I rather like many of the GH snuffs, which some members here find unusable.

Use whatever works for you and gives you pleasure, and don't sweat it if a certain snuff pleases others but not you personally. There is no right and wrong as to which snuffs should be in your pocket.

chefdaniel

@50ft_trad Well said. This isn't rocket surgery we're dealing with here. It's not that serious and to belittle someone for their tastes in snuff are asinine. Snuff what you like and trade what you don't.

The term 'artisan' should not be construed as some sort of lofty, elitist thing. It simply means that the product is handcrafted in small batches; neither better nor worse than anything else. The added expense is usually a case of economy of scale and the time it takes to prepare. That's about it, IMHO.

I'm surrounded by snuff of my own making but I still enjoy a huge variety of snuffs from all the makers, be they big, small or medium...no matter. If I like it, I buy it and snuff the hell out of it. If I don't like it I trade it or give it away.

Thanks again @50ft_trad for putting it so very well.

n9inchnails

^ rocket surgery? Like hell I'd let someone use a rocket to cut me open :))

chefdaniel

@n9inchnails That would present an entirely new dimension to colonoscopy exams, eh?

hgrissom

I wasn't trying to imply that you should or shouldn't like any snuff. The opposite in fact. I was referring back to older posts where there were people ripping into artisan snuffs. My point was that all snuffs have a purpose and that we're blessed for choice. I'm sorry if that was in some way confusing

Banjo777

@hgrissom I don't think your point was one bit confusing. For me I want the best I can get but the definition of best is solely defind by me for my use. I don't care what the maker says or calls himself, if I like it I use it, and regularly. Let me put it this way if I could afford to smoke Opus X everyday then I would but since I can't I don't smoke a cigar everyday. I am sure there are other cigars out there that would do the job but what's the point if I don't enjoy each and every draw as I do with an Opus X? I hope I have added to the discussion now off for a couple of big pinches of Old Mill Dreamcatcher.

Banjo777

First attempt at attaching a file. Cigar-Opus X, Drink-Gentlemen Jack on the rocks!

chefdaniel

I wasn't trying to imply that you should or shouldn't like any snuff. The opposite in fact. I was referring back to older posts where there were people ripping into artisan snuffs. My point was that all snuffs have a purpose and that we're blessed for choice. I'm sorry if that was in some way confusing

Not confusing at all. I agree that some folks on anonymous forums put on their bully panties and act like a**holes purely because they can get away with it and not risk a proper ass kicking. You put forth some interesting thoughts in an articulate and gentlemanly manner.