You know…there are so many cigarette smokers, that they gather together in smoking areas outside of bars, work-places, etc.  There are enough dippers, that they tend to find each other in work-places and among existing groups of friends.  Cigar and pipe smokers tend to gather at specialty tobacco stores, designed specifically for them to gather, watch sporting events, etc.

But, us snuff-takers are sort of a lonely bunch.  While it is a growing segment of people, it is still a fringe activity.  I only know one other snuff-taker personally, and he lives seven hours away.

So, do some of you know other snuffers personally?  Where did you meet them?  I’m sort of a social creature, and it would be a lot of fun to know other snuff-takers personally, get together with them, exchange snuff pinches, etc.  Any suggestions?

Mark

Go to your local Starbucks, set out a tin and start taking pinches. 
Almost guaranteed to attract a crowd.   

Or better yet, head down to your local tobacco lounge, grab a cigar or some pipe tobacco and strike up a conversation with the folks there.  Perhaps you can find a fellow snuffer or maybe even bring a new member into the fold.

Good suggestions.  I don’t know if I’m dramatic enough as a person to pull of the Starbucks one though.  :-)

There is a tobacco shop here that sells a few snuff brands (Silverdollar and Wilsons of Sharrow) and the manager there is very snuff friendly.  I thought about seeing if he’d promote a snuff-night, and possibly bring together a few snuffers to meet each other.  We’ll see.

I went into another shop, a very popular tobacco shop here in town, and asked about snuff.  They sell cigars and pipe stuff, but I thought I might as well ask.  The guy gave me a seriously dirty look, and said with an immensely snobby tone, “We ONLY sell cigars and pipe tobacco.”  And then he walked away from me, like I was not deserving of any further attention.  I promise I was not being overly-sensitive.  I just sort of stood there shocked at the reaction, because they’ve always been very helpful when I have cigar or pipe questions.  It was weird.  Not a shop I will frequent moving forward.

Mark

A couple of maintenance people were in my apartment, which has guitars hanging all over the walls.  This is how much people know about snuff.   I had my stash out, and one guy was like “is that stuff for your guitars?”  They were asking questions about it and commenting on how much I had.  I thought for sure they were going to try some, but no such luck.  Maybe they were tobacco free folks, who knows.

I like this thread, and hope to hear some stories of snuffers introducing tobacco users to snuff for the first time.  

The one snuff-taker I know (the one that lives 6 or 7 hours away) lives is Minneapolis, MN.  I was introduced to snuff in a German restaurant up there in Minnesota.  After every meal in this restaurant, every diner gets a shot of apple schnapps and every diner is offered snuff from a snuff board.  I loved it.  The one snuff-taker I know personally, is part of a group of friends I have up there.

I would also love to hear some other folks stories of how they met other snuff-users face-to-face.

Mark

Okay.  WHY would I want to know other snuff-takers in my local area?

Well, there is the social aspect of snuff that is missing from many of our lives.  The offering of a pinch to another person.  The sharing of snuffs that we really like, and want someone else to try.  The whole camaraderie of it all.  Those social aspects are missing, if you don’t personally know at least one or two other snuff-takers.

Mark

I’ve only just gotten into it, trying to reduce my hefty premium cigar intake 4+ per day lol, but as of yet I’m the only person I’ve ever witnessed first hand take a pinch in person… But my best friend and girlfriend say they will give it a try I have successfully reduced to 2 cigars a day in about two weeks of starting snuff!

I know a lot of pipe smokers. We meet regularly in different settings. All of them are real tobacco enthousiasts and quite a few are interested in other forms of tobacco use like snuff. We write about our experiences with snuff on our pipe smokers forum and at the moment I notice it rises in popularity. Last weekend we even had a meeting totally devoted to snuff when we visited the Kralingse sniffmills.

Wow, that’s pretty cool.  I’m jealous.  :-)

Mark

add yourself to the Map https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zphm5EZTGfrs.k4rigX0IXiIs
 It be nice to add an email address so someone could contact you. Many snuffers on the map have not been on SH for some time and if you do PM one you may or not get a reply . Some goof ball thinks it is funny to move markers. I see three snuffers out in the Bermuda Triangle. Please don’t act like a 13 year old. 

I’m on there, with an email address. If someone from my area sees the map they’ll find me. Right now, the closest person on the map to me is 4 hours away. Mark

http://snuffhouse.com/discussion/6916/where-snuff-devotees-live/p1
I looked for markstinson there is a Mark S. in Kansas City.That must be you.

Yep.

I work at a full-service tobacconist in Reno, a franchise Tinder Box that’s been around since 1971.   The snuff crowd is pretty spread-out, but often the regulars there can be enticed to try a pinch now and again.  Much of the staff (including myself) have really taken a liking to snuff, and we’ll enhance our pipe/cigar sitting with a nostril (or two) full.   Granted, due to our low humidity, the snuff storage situation here makes for some dry and tingly experiences.  

Usually the snuff guys are cops and prison workers who cannot enjoy a smoke while on duty.  

I always promote supporting the local tobacconists in the area because it’s a dying breed.   Online sales and price-comes-first bottom lines for most people are tough on the B&M stores.   If you have a product you like, use it there, and encourage the management to carry your brand–even if you might have to pay a little more.   That way the camaraderie of tobacco’s less popular subgroups have a way to congregate. 

I converted my wife and a buddy at work over to the “snuff side”. So I get to socialize while bangin boxcars here and there.
As far as this forum, @Mouse lives the closest to me and I plan on visiting him next time on down by the Cape.
I think if I took more road trips I’d definitely seek a lot of people that are on here out. I believe it would be fun and interesting!
We are few and far between though.

@basement_shaman Would you mind marking me off the map (Rockford, IL)? I moved this weekend, so I’d like to update that.

@Hitsuzen it’s not my map; it belong to everyone ,do as you like.

My buddy at work is trying to stop using snus, so I introduced him to snuff and he is now hooked, and has been able to almost give up snus completely. But, the relevant part to this thread is that it is really fun to offer snuff to another snuff taker and be offered it in return. We have some stressful moments at work and we are both able to take a step back, have a few pinches, boxcars (taught him and seems to favor this technique for his favorite Kailash I just shared with him), and tackle the problem at hand with better insight and clarity after these snuffing sessions. So, I highly recommend either finding others who already do it, or converting the right friend to share your stash with, because it is pretty rewarding in the long run and worth the investment. Got my wife into it, as well, but not as much as my buddy…and she is still really only into dK Gingerbread even though I’ve amassed about 2 lbs of different snuffs now. Toque Pumpkin Pie is on the way, along with Christmas Pudding, so I’m hoping she takes to these autumnal/winter styles, too. Man, this is fun.

I personally dont understand why more people dont use snuff.  As many of us know it is the ultimate form of using tobacco for enjoyment. I personally encourage all smokers to use some form of smokeless tobacco.  Reducing your chances of cardiovascular diseases by 96%. How can anyone really argue with that statistic? But alas, screw it. Anything popular just gets ruined by the US government. No matter where you are, our government will some how fuck it up for the rest of the world. So. Be glad. It isnt popular, at least among our teenagers, or else you would probably see higher price, lower quality, fancier packaged snuff available. Kind of like Marlboros snus.  

@Trackerdex, so true!

To Mark Stinson — The Kansas City Pipe Club has a few snuff lovers in its membership. They are a great bunch of guys, and are well known for their annual pipe show. I have attended their pipe show several times and was even their guest speaker on one occasion. I have even seen snuff on one of the tables at the show. Attend a meeting and ask around about snuff. You will be referred to a few snuff lovers. Here is their link:

http://www.gkcpipeclub.com

Hope this helps.

I have many friends, who take a pinch when offered, but never carry or purchase their own. It’s nice to have a pinch with someone, but I long for someone with the same ethusiasm about snuff, sharing his/her knowledge while sharing a pinch. I also know some people who use snuff when in countryside. I have only once met a snuffer in a bar and I shared his Gawith Apricot. However, he was horrified by my dry english varieties. The Germans just always have to snort their snuff like cocaine no matter how careful I urge them to sniff

We snuff sniffers are few and far between.

I’ve only come across 5 or 6 in my travels over the last 10 or 15 years – not counting those I’ve introduced to it, of course.

This past weekend, I traveled up to Minnesota to spend some time with family and friends at a lake-house.  There were 3 or 4 people there that either use snuff or are willing to use snuff now and again, and I had a pretty good time introducing them to some snuff brands they’ve never tried before.  It was social, and fun.  A good time.

@fredh, I will check them out.  Thanks for the tip!

Mark

Mark et al are talking about incidents where people are willing to take a pinch of his snuff…

I am talking about how rare it is to come across somebody taking a pinch from their own snuffbox in public.

Definitely more rare. Waaay more rare. Mark

I’m sure that actually seeing someone at random enjoying a pinch of snuff out in public is very rare for obvious reasons:
1.  The act of snuffing is fairly quick.   Opening a small tin, taking out a pinch, snuffing and then closing the tin takes about 10 seconds.  This process is even quicker with a bullet or tap box.  
2.  As most snuff is light and powdery, it’s best to take while inside or at least somewhat sheltered from the elements. This adds an element of privacy.
3.  There are no additional characteristics of snuff that provide clues as to it’s nature for bystanders.   With other consumed tobacco products you have telltale smoke, odors or spittle.
4.  Most people are focused on their own activities while out and about.   Driving, walking, talking, listening to music or tunneled in on their smart phone (usually while walking or driving), etc.    So unless you were really observing someone closely, you would not know what they were doing.

I learned about snuff thru a good friend in the pipe smoking community.  I have shared the enjoyment with members of my pipe club.  Now we have at least 6 new snuff enthusiasts here at the Seattle Pipe Club.  Snuff is an excellent compliment to pipe smoking.  And the social aspect of any tobacco pleasure is a big plus.  Pipe smoking is the most social tobacco activity.  Snuff is a good accompaniment and conversation starter.   And many experienced pipe smokers have no real idea about the wonderful world of snuff.  So it’s a treat to share.

One challenge I see is the matter of time vs nic strength. Hang out and smoke pipes (or cigars) together, and you may get a few hours of thoughtful conversations. It takes some veteran snuffers to sustain a couple hours of steady snuffing (pity the neophyte). Naturally, due to the nature of snuff, you’d want to bring 20-odd tins of snuff to introduce to your fellow aficionado (share the joy!), but be sure to bring a full box of tissues, some food, and beverages to minimalize the N-strength. So the question is, while it may be okay to chill with just about anyone, even relative newbies, on the basis of a shared affinity for pipe/cigar tobacco, your all-night snuff companions need to be real endurance athletes of powdered tobacco. Would you drive 50 miles just to share 2 pinches? If I were to drive more that 30 minutes, it’d better be a snuff orgy.

Hm, maybe better a potluck/BYOB/BYOS thing with several snuffers, somewhat akin to a Pipe Club?

“If I were to drive more that 30 minutes, it’d better be a snuff orgy.”

I almost woke up my family laughing out-loud at this line.  :-)

You speak truth.  It would be good to know 3 or more snuff-takers that were able to go the distance and enjoy a variety of snuffs without blowing their heads off.

Mark

“Snuff orgy” sure sounds like an entirely different activity.  Y’all are sickos. 

(…I like that…)    XD

Hilarious.