After doing extensive research on this site, it seems that there is an overwhelming consensus that ordering Wilson’s (and by extension, F&T) in bulk is the way to go–for both quality and economy–once you’ve settled on a few favorite varieties that you use on a roughly daily basis. I’ve already got 200gs or whatever the bulk container size is of McC O&G and Mild Lemon, and am in the process of budgeting enough to allow for 6-8 bulk containers of my favorite Wilson’s and F&T varieties. As of now, I think this would be: Wilson’s Best SP Wilson’s Irish DHT #20 Wilson’s Strasbourg Wilson’s HDT #22 F&T Santo Domingo F&T Macouba F&T HDT F&T Old Paris I currently have between 100g and 200g of all of the above in smaller tins, and already have about 100g- 200g of my favorite Toques, Dholakia’s and other brands once I gather up the containers and transfer them into Mason Jars. I have two questions: 1) The price difference in the US between the 260g and 450g tubs is only about $10 per container for the super bulk amount, which is 25% more money for 75% more snuff. But 8 pounds of snuff seems like an insane amount that would take me the better part of the rest of my life to use up. Is it worth spending the relatively small extra amount to get the super bulk amount, or would it be likely to fade significantly if kept for over a couple of years? 2) Does it really make sense to get the F&T varieties in bulk in the first place, in light of the superior environmental protection that the screw top aluminum tins offer and the relative infrequency with which one uses more heavily scented snuffs, or is there as significant a quality difference as has been generally reported with the Wilson’s? My favorites are fairly moist except for the HDT, so maybe I’d be better off going for maintaining the interesting variety I have in all the F&T scents, all of which I love except for the Morlaix. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I’ve never made a bulk purchase like this.

why no Grand Cairo? Make sure you put your snuff collection in your will.

1. You did the math already. Seventy-five per cent more snuff for only 25% more cost outlay makes inarguably sound sense. When – not if – the PACT Act becomes law, how easy do you think it will be to obtain those Wilsons and Fribourg & Treyer snuffs? (It will not be impossible; as with heroin and other illicit goodies, one is going to have to pay through the nose for it.) 2) Properly stored snuff will last indefinitely. A properly sealed glass container stored in a relatively stable environment is all it takes. (Some will say that plastic will work just as well, but I do everything possible to eliminate plastic containers and their leaking toxins from my life – especially if we are talking about long term storage solutions.) I have about four pounds of IHT No. 22 in my closet. I’m sure that my nose will fall off before that is ever exhausted.

plastic alone= so-so plastic+heat=bad, bad, bad

Where does one find these airtight glass containers? I spent an hour searching on the internet last night, and the best I could find was Mason Jars, which don’t take kindly to being constantly opened and closed. One of the main reasons I’m considering the bulk buy is to get the containers it comes in. Evidently other peopls have had similar problems bassed on my search last night. Even Mason Jars are virtually impossible to find in your local stores, unless its canning season, whenever the hell that is. And I live in a big city.

Many of the ‘dollar’ stores seem to carry canning jars, if not now , then very soon with Spring. I don’t like the fact that it’s CLEAR glass, though. Would be nice to have blue or cobalt colored glass with a nice screw top. I have a couple aqua ATLAS STRONG SHOULDER mason quarts I’m reserving for some special snuff.

The containers the bulk Wilson’s comes in are air tight and as long as they are being kept at room temperature there should be no worries about the snuff going stale. The same goes for SG’s bulk packaging. Stefan

Bulk is better because the container is filled fresh and the quantity itself is the protecive agent, ie the snuff is surrounded by snuff (the same principle as filling a snuff box to the rim, it will last more than filling it half full). I wouldn’t consider bulk on that basis to be anything less than a half pound jar - not lots of tins. The WoS cannisters are perfect and can be used ad infinitum. Glass peanut butter jars, thoroughly scoured, are just as good and free if you eat peanut butter.

“But 8 pounds of snuff seems like an insane amount that would take me the better part of the rest of my life to use up.” Not at all. Snuffy Charlotte (wife of George III) bought Marrocco (not Morocco) in 10 pound jars and Masulipatem in pint claret bottles. Napoleon reputedly used seven pounds a month, which was loaded into the ‘fausses pattes’ of his clothing. George IV filled an entire room at Windsor Castle with snuff in jars, bottles and canisters in the same way that the cellars were stocked with wine. He had hundreds of bottles of Martinique alone that retailed at 21s. per lb. Compared to the several tons of snuff in George’s collection eight pounds is quite a modest undertaking.

Snuff used to be sold for long-term storage in claret bottles that came with a skewer to extract it. You might want to take a cue from history and store snuff in wine bottles like vintages. The veteran snuff aficionado Leonard Fox recommends this method for keeping large quantities. Antique long-handled spoons made from lignum vitae for extraction of snuff from wine bottles are still occasionally seen. I decant snuff from an opened drum into 2oz F&T tins and can testify that the snuff keeps in good condition for at least several decades.

And F and T sold ‘prince’s’ for many a year after his death - the bulk was sold back to them. Claret bottles would be very elegant but anything, if it’s airtight, will last as long as you do, if not many years beyond. I too have FandT that is decades old and in perfect condition. I have some Macouba and Dieppe that is at least 30 years old and in excellent form.

Glass-lidded, rubber-sealed bail closure jars work best. They are readily available in just about any size you want at any kitchen supply. World Market and IKEA are good sources as well. Opaque porcelain wire clasp jars can be found at places like Crate & Barrel.

Weck jars are the most elegant, I think: [url]http://www.weckcanning.com/index.htm[/url]

Snuffster - I bought my last tins of F&T from an outlet in Piccadilly that took much of the stock after the business folded in 1981. All gone now, alas! Rummaging around in my loft a tall tin of Gold Label Vintage was discovered. No idea where or when it was bought, but probably dates to the 1960s or 70s. Owing to a loft being a poor environment for storage the snuff is in poor condition.

@PhilipS: This is no longer true. Mr. Snuff has made an arrangement with Wilsons to supply him with F&T in bulk.

Bradmajors - I removed the last post as Wilsons just informed me (quite literally) that drums are a special order with the price being a whopping £40.00 plus postage and packing. Several times in the past I enquired about drums of F&T and was informed that under license Wilsons do not distribute F&T varieties beyond the 2oz tin.

PhillipS - my two oldest can are that era - the eternal quandary now; use it or hoard it like a miser. There is so little pre WoS FandT around now that I don’t really want to do anything but look at it! The Gold label sounds tantalising - could it be re-hydrated? My last can of vintage GL went last year.

I have a very small amount of pre-WoS F&T left. Mostly I just look at the tins but very occasionally I have a pinch.

@PhilipS: That’s the price I was quoted too when I enquired a few months back. In fact, at the time Carol wasn’t aware that Wilsons were supplying an American retailer with F&T bulk and had to call me back with the price once she had confirmed that they were indeed available. At that price, it’s not significantly less than buying 2oz tins at a time with free postage so there’s little point in buying bulk. And at the current exchange rate, Mr. Snuff is managing to import it to the States, turn a profit and sell it for less than £40. It’s a strange business.

Based on the prices of the F&T bulk, it doesn’t make economic sense to buy the 260 gram size, since the tins would cost only a few dollars more. Likewise with the WoS. The only argument would be in favor of the freshness, but based on my research on this forum, that can make a considerable difference. I think I’ll start small and just buy 3 pounds and see if I can detect a strong difference. I thank everyone for their helpful advice so far.

Its not possible. That myth was busted about 6 months ago with another historical article. An eyewitness said that Napoleon usually just smelled the snuff and then let it drop to the ground. Someone will hopefully remember where it is hidden in the snuffhouse archives and bump the thread which lists the source.

And as head of state, I would guess that quite a bit was given away - it was after all the pre-eminent form of tobacco use and doubtless favoured generals and the like were given it. Queen Victoria is on record - a few decades later - of giving snuff as gifts to visiting statesmen so it was clearly the done thing.

@Xander: I believe that you are thinking of this thread: [url]http://snuffhouse.org/discussion/1002/[/url]

I have a question (and I don’t want to hear about napoleon or anybody requiring roman numerals after there names, I mean people here or at least anyone you have personally known) has anyone here actually ever so far really used up any one 2 lb tub of snuff? how about a 250g tub? or even 100g or a 50g tub? how many here have actually even used up a whole 1.15 oz American Scotch (or what ever that slightly smaller but close F&T HDT can size is) just by sniffing it (not oral dipping gobs from a lid, tasting it etc are allowed but I mean really by just sniffing it)? and if you have used up even one, or more than one, then how many of these have you used up? Seriously.

Well, of course. I’ve gone through many 1lb tubs (I don’t think 2lb tubs exist) and I’m sure there are several others who will have done so too. PhilipS for instance recently said that he goes through four and a half pound tubs in eight months.

Fred Stoker’s smallest quantity for sale is 2 pounds. They also offer a 4 pound (though it may just be two 2 pound tubs). If they had any clue that their snuff is being used nasally, they might sell it in smaller units.

Hmm, at 5 grams / day, I could consume a pound of snuff in 90 days.

All the time. I buy snuff in half pound tubs from WoS, use it all up, buy another. I never noted how long it takes, but probably something like Xander - or a touch longer given that I will be using other types as well. I remember thinking it would be impossible to use one of those little top mill tins because the pinches I took were so imute when I started and the level just never seemingly went down. I could without any trouble at all empty one of those in a day now.

I use about 25gto 30g a month because I use several other forms of tobacco, but that means I use about 350 grams a year. 450g is a pound, so yes many people use pounds.

this (what everyone is saying) is very helpful actually… including the ‘450g is a pound’ information (I was wondering, that puts it in more perspective)… and… I’m not nearly as ready for “Tobaccogedden” as I thought I was…

I think I’m ready for “Tobaccogedden” even if we aren’t threatened by those sorts of laws in the EU. At least not yet.

I’ve always figured that if society crashes (not just tobaccogedden but arrmogedden) my lack of nicotine combined with everything else would definatly put into a feral head space. Which would probably help my survival. I’am not kidding at all when I say the following when people talk about geddens my first thought is what will I do for tobacco???

@ermtony I wonder if you might be effected… what if you want American-made tobacco, but America is no longer allowed to send any out? are the days of Brits (etc) sniffing Rooster (etc) also in danger from this too?

@bob you know I’ve been doing very very good at not falling into 'stress-induced smoking as a result of this or that personal catastrophe ’ (the thing that has tripped me up usually was about every week or two, but lately I’ve had a few weeks and even a few personal catastrophes and I’m STILL not smoking, even wearing off the snus)… but I think the world ending, a bright light and a lot of rubble etc… well that might be the stressor that does me in, and makes me smoke, at least one… (THEN I hope I’d go back to what I HOPE by or before then will be a sizable stash of snuff!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3CmXGKXOmk

Quite possibly we may be unable to buy American snuffs any more, but I much as I enjoy them I think I can live with that if it happens. BTW, I’m sure it’s still an option for you lot to reaffirm your allegiance to the crown and then all the bollocks will probably just vanish!

I admit a few years back used to fly the British flag on the fourth of July just to annoy people (and because I a huge Beatles fan and as a result sorta love all things British). I would not mind (especially with the way things are going) becoming part of Britain again (but as long as law abiding people can carry guns, I don’t have one but I am coming to understand much better in these later years why that’s very important that we be able to) I also think you guys get taxed to death too over there but it seems at least you guys are using it more wisely than we are and maybe just aren’t so… nutty as we’re getting to be here.

@ Walrus1985, snuffster, et al Anyone who argues that Wilson’s 450 gram containers are airtight and will keep snuff fresh indefinitely has never seen one, at least the ones they use nowadays. The look nothing like they do in the pictures. They are large, thin plastic containers with flip tops on them, unlike the much more robust 260 gram containers. All the bulk snuff I bought in the large containers will have to be transferred to something else suitable for long term storage, and airtight storage containers aren’t cheap. Not good.

ermtony@ I can drive 3 miles to my local grocery store and they have 11 varieties of American scotch snuff in the 5+ oz containers for under $14 dollars each. Granted no Rooster, or Levi, but If I can buy it, I can ship it. Rest assured that our fellow ISTA members will always have access to American scotches, just a whisper away actually. No worries.

@Ermtony: LOL, no thanks. As much respect as I have for your country, I love my own too much. I personally, as a son of veterans, would NEVER fly any other flag. If I were to do that I might as well spit on my heritage.

@ Whalen Good to hear!

@LHB: Don’t worry, they’re airtight enough to keep the snuff fresh for a long time. My oldest is about 15 months old and the snuff in it is absolutely fine.

You think we might be able to be come sometime of snuff refugees? That would kick ass.

I doubt the Queen would accept a renewed pledge of allegiance by America to the crown after Obama gave her an iPod loaded with his favorite songs instead of an actual head-of-state type gift.

What do you get for someone who has everything?

@Chris: Some Indian snuff

iPod > Framed Picture

Intensely curious about the wine bottle idea ever since I read it–does anyone here do this? Does one acquire a supply of real corks or should I use the modern “corks?” I imagine I’d have to take precautions against the real corks drying out and compromising the fit–it would seem I couldn’t prevent this by storing the bottles in a tilted fashion, since the snuff itself would do no (or very little) work in keeping the cork moist. I store my canning projects and homebrew in one of the murder rooms in my Michigan basement, and I think it might make a good place to store numerous wine-bottles filled with snuff. I’d appreciate any observations on this.

I just use jars like this. They’re cheap enough to buy if you go to a store that stocks herbs and such, and they have an airtight seal due to the rubber bit on the lid. It just seems to me as if the wine bottle method might be more trouble than it could possibly be worth.

I’ve heard on an “herb” forum that a banana peel stored in a well sealed mason jar with a screw on, three part lid will not go brown. They are very cheap, replacement lids are readily available, and while the wine bottle idea sounds cool, I agree with shikitohno that they would probably be more trouble than they are worth. At least in the DFW area, Krogers seems to stock mason jars and other canning supplies year round. Walmart, for one, does not.

With regards to Her Majesty, someone once said she has a very discreet snuff habit - can anyone shed any more light on that? Any Royal butlers here?

…No traces of brown dust here LOL!

Wow, has she aged!LOL!

Well she is 83!

Well,… I will say, sleeve-less quilt coats are STILL in style…

@LHB: three-part lid?

Metal rim, glass inner and rubber seal??

Comimg back to snuiff in wine bottles: Fribourg and Treyer, in the 1800’s sold ‘Masulipatam and Macouba…in bottles, not unlike pint claret bottles with narrow necks, from which the snuff was extracted with the aid of a long spoon or skewer’. Another oddity from that period was ‘Spanish Bran’ which was sold with a small bottle of scented vinegar called vinagrillo, which was used to restore and flavour the snuff as it dried out and became stale. (source: McCausland, London 1951)

Apart from factory-freshness another - overlooked - advantage of buying by the lb is that you always get more than 16 oz. Unlike modern packaging the drum is placed on a weighing machine and filled by hand by someone who always errs on the generous side. I’ve never had less than 17 oz. If anyone has the book ‘The Manufacture of Snuff’ 1981 there is a picture of a rather doddery old gentleman (who might have been a veteran of the Boer War) doing just that on page 8. Until relatively recently all the tins were filled by hand as well. Each person would fill three tins held in one hand and use a spatula to smooth it off.

@SlobandTom - Before going down this route I’d check that you have the means to extract the snuff, otherwise you may end up with the proverbial bottleneck. The original extractors were made of wood, but the stainless-steel Vollrath 47026 1/2 tsp. Long Handled Measuring Spoon might suffice with some types of wine bottle. The only person I know of who uses this method is/was an inveterate snuffer and hoarder. He also used to sell snuff bought in vast quantities in the UK to customers in his baccy shop in the USA under new names and his own packaging.

For those that like the idea of storing snuff in wine bottles, but wonder about how to close them up, I offer you another option: beer bottles. Grolsch (Dutch) sells some of their beer in glass bottles with a plastic/rubber o-ring cap with one of those metal lever locks/clasps. I don’t know the name of it in English, but in German it is called a “verschluss.” They are definitely air and water-tight, yet are easy to open and close. The bottles themselves are dark green and nicely decorated (not just smooth glass). Here’s a picture I found: http://www.beerstore.com.au/beerstore/uploads/beerImages/Grolsch\\_Large.jpg The label soaks off easily. Pros: * easy to open and close * airtight * look pretty * can shop for them in the manly liquor store, rather than the girly canning shop * you get to drink the beer Cons: * only come in 450 ml (about 15 fluid oz) size, while wine bottles come in 750-1000 ml sizes (about 25-34 fluid oz). I have seen other microbrewery beer with those resealable tops, but I don’t know how widely available they are. As far as the taste of Grolsch - it’s pretty good, although I prefer the dark beers like Guiness or McNally’s XO. Obviously you need to be sure you can get the snuff OUT of the bottles, but at least they have a shallower neck than wine bottles. Just a thought.

LOL, girly canning shop. That and the wonderful “craft store” ahhhhhh! Run!

You’d be suprised at the useful things for snuffing an imaginative fellow could find at the craft store. I have an old Grolsch beer bottle around here someplace, and maybe a few like it. I doubt if the rubber gasket is still good. That’s always the weakest link in those types of jars/bottles. Perhaps the craft store sells replacements…

My great grandfather was a veteran of the Boar war. Well sort of… sailing off from Canada his ship got turned around as the war was already ended before they got there. Still he was a sickly son of his mother, that bugger was. On topic… I would stick with jars for storage but for service bottles are quite nice. I’m talking mini bottles though.

I get lots of useful things at craft stores. They are very nice indeed.

I wish I could spit on heritage and move to Britain. The air probably smells way bets there. Probably feel like I wus nuthin but 6 years old.