Hi all! I never really habitually used dip, but I always remember the way most dippers pack their tins. Middle finger and thumb wrapped around the circumference of the tin, and the pointer finger ‘whipping’ the top as they snap their wrists downward. It makes a distinct ‘thump’ sound as their fingers snap against the top of the tin. I’ve found that ‘dip packing’ my smashboxes before taking a pinch allows me to get a more accurate dose and cleaner, easier sniffs. It makes nice clean, neat corner from which to pinch from, allowing me to better to control how much goes to each nostril by ‘releasing’ my pinch. It helps most of all on the dryer, finer snuffs like scotches and Dholakia White. Anyone else do this? What are everyone else’s pre-sniff rituals?
haha, I had to laugh. I always joke about some really young kids I’ve seen who pack a tin of dip for roughly 20 seconds. I’m thinking, Come on, Son, you don’t have to stun it before you shove it in your lip!!! I actually pack smashboxes and especially Toque tins (I do pack dip as well ). I don’t do that to WoS tins or McC because the rounded edges make for over flowing snuff when you pop the top, as I’m sure you’ve seen. I usually hold the tin in my left, tilting it to the left as I tap it . Since I mostly stick my right thumb in to get a bump on top of my nail, it works out well tapping that way because there will be a void on the right side side of the tin I can get at, as you mentioned, PUFF. I guess it’s not necessary for snuff but I’ve kind of gotten in the habit.
I totally pack my snuff like dip. For the same reasons you do puffpuff. I take my Collins box, hold it lengthwise between the thumb and middle finger and wrap a few times. This gets the snuff along the edge of the compartment where I can grab a nice compact, full pinch. Works great except I haven’t figured out a way to keep the snuff from coming out into the groove where the lid slides when I get the pinch, so I just tap it back into the compartment which sort of serves to knock the excess snuff off the tip of my fingers. Makes a very nice controllable pinch. At first my finger would hurt, its a wooden box and not plastic after all but I got used to that quick enough. The smashboxes are fun to pack. They make a nice pop sound.
I do the the same with my PC boxes, with a less satisfying ‘pop’ than the smashboxes. And I also run into the same problem sliding the tin closed with a bit of snuff raised above the level of the lid. Anyone solve this with a tricky technique?
I actually prefer my snuff “fluffed up” which is why I prefer a spoon or knife for taking it (or a dollop to the top of my thumb, between the nail and knuckle), as opposed to a pinch. I shake my tins around in a circular motion to distribute the snuff more evenly before dipping into it with whatever implement is available. “Packing” my snuffbox would defeat the purpose, just like the strange process of “packing” cigarettes by beating the pack against your hand makes it more difficult to get a satisfying drag off the cigarette. With Natural American Spirit Cigarettes, the manufacturer actually recommends “unpacking” them by rolling the cigarette between your fingers to loosen the tobacco. Otherwise, it’s like sucking on a lead straw.
I sort-of do this w/ F&T cans because as you know when you get more than a third through them they’re not pinchable…at least not the medium size ones. I don’t pack it like a dip can yet I hold it horizontally and rock it to evenly distribute the snuff and then rap it against the table, dashboard, anything hard to pack it a little. Next you tilt the lid side up a bit and unscrew the top. You pinch off an even pinch from the edge of the snuff and like you said, it’s a nice even pinch.
Turns out I do this with all my snuff that’s in tins without even thinking about it. It’s just an odd habit that I developed subconsciously… I might see what happens if I don’t do it.
I don’t pack them, but I do shake them.