I was hoping to hear from some of the more experienced members here as to your thoughts or any concerns you might have regarding the safety of sniffing old snuff… Say, snuff from the 40s or 50s that hasn’t been opened. The reason is that I’ve just come into some Honest and Square snuffs that are unopened and in their original tins, but I’m worried that sniffing these might not be the smartest idea. Hopefully your input will eliminate my concerns, as otherwise I’ll have to get rid of them…
As long as there is no corrosion from lids of that era present in the snuff itself, I would have no issues whatsoever with putting it in my nose.
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I’d say if the seal is still there, snuff is visibly consistent with the norm and scent is appealing, rock on and enjoy. Scotch snuff if stored reasonably well should last basically forever.
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If it weirds you out though I’ll call dibs and take it off your hands:)
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If you open a tin and there does not appear to be any rust or mold, nor any unpleasant smells like mildew, but just smells like regular tobacco, then it’s fine. The seal was good and no moisture or spores got in. Take a tiny pinch, and if it seems like a scotch, then you can assume it’s safe to use.
If you are still nervous about it and don’t want to take a chance, try selling them on ebay (as collectible, not for consumption). Vintage unopened snuff tins fetch good prices.
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@snuffsahoy I’ll keep that in mind! I can just imagine some mutant bacteria lying dormant for fifty years waiting to infect my brain like a neurax worm or some such… Eh. This isn’t going to work methinks.
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@Tobe Keep in mind that tobacco is a natural antibiotic, so the likelihood of that is nil. That said, an enjoyable avocation should not cause you to lose sleep, so by all means, offer them in trade here or sell them on ebay.
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@tobe OTOH, imagine it as a time capsule full of the greatest snuff made to exacting standards during the snuff tobacco heyday in the US. If you were in front of me I’d smack you for not already sampling it lol
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Moisturize that there snuff.
I would say that the less moisture there was in the snuff to begin with, the better the chances its still good. I’ve actually had a tin of SWS Thrice Brewed sprout mold, because of my own mishandling, but so far as scotches… 100 years after the nuclear apocalypse, there will be two things left in the world- cockroaches and Scotch Snuff.
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I’m going to look it over very closely as has been suggested, and if it looks alright, I’ll have someone sniff some and see what happens. If they suffer no ill effects, then I will try some myself and let you all know how it goes. If their face goes all “Large Marge” though, it’s going in the trash.
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@Tobe “Large Marge”!!! =))
For those unaware of the reference, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjL7NoWiwd8
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Depending on your experience with American Scotches, your face may do that anyway. I’ll never forget my first shot of Rooster. I was sure my face was going to explode.
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Send it to me I’ll pick up the shipping. I love Honest Scotch.
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I broke open three tins that were NOT pristine. Lids had sealed shut. Rust was the next step up from surface rust, with good pitting evident. Snuff was carefully removed to intermediary container and examined. I left the snuff clinging to the wall of the tin, just tapping it out. It came out with a great smell, color was consistent with no contamination. The first pinch was sublime. After testing each and finding the contents perfect they were added to a glass jar, and the best label added to the jar. And that’s how you do old snuff:)
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