I have always taken snuff from the back of my hand. I have never found any problem with this method, but I would love to learn how to pinch so that american snuffs will be easier to take. Can anyone give me tips? A step by step would also be amazing. I appreciate any help. Thanks alot. ~Snuffy
Snuffy i am fairly new to snuffing and have been snuffing from the back of my hand until recently, when i sussed out pinching. I take a small pinch with thumb and fore finger raise it to my nostril so they are touching my nostril lightly and gently inhale whist rubbing the snuff gently between thumb and fore finger. I usually do this at my desk or over a magazine and any spillage i scrape either back into the tin or into an empty tin for an interesting mix, this is done using my credit card. This is just what works for me but the result is different from snorting off the back of your hand and some snuff i prefer to pinch and some i will take off the back of my hand. Hope this helps
It seems like such a simple thing but the amount of people that struggle with this clearly proves otherwise. Its very much a feel your own way sort of thing and bizarrely quite difficult to explain, but here goes. 1. Most of us pinchers use an amount about the size of a pea, with half going in one nostril, the other half, unsurprisingly, in the other nostril. To begin with experiment with getting the quantity right. take a pinch and drop it onto the palm of your hand to see if you have got the volume right. 2. When you have the hang of that, which should take all of 30 seconds, go for it for real. Take the pinch and bring to your left nostril (a completely arbitrary point but its the law). 3. The tricky bit. You need to sniff half of the snuff up the left nostril with a short, sharp but relatively gentle sniff - just like the back of the hand thing. The trick is to slightly open your finger and thumb to release half the amount. This has to be co-ordinated with the sniff and I can’t think of any tips here apart from persevere. 4. Repeat with the right nostril. I think its the timing of the sniff with the release of the snuff that gets people, the only thing that will make it perfect is practice. This is by far the most elegant way of taking snuff. Hope that helps in some small way snuffy. Im sure the othee guys will have their explanations.
Snuffster, without thinking, I ALWAYS feed the left nostril first!!! My son, who does not and don’t want to snuff, often comments on this. He has often said to me: " You must change your habbit and be more fair to your nose" meaning I should sometimes feed the right side first. I just can’t do it, left first, that’s how I do it. With finer snuff, I take smaller portions, scared I might get some in my throat. When I take coarse snuff and especially if it’s moist, I take huge pinches because it won’t go the wrong way. It takes a bit of time to get it right. I still sometimes make a mistake and get some snuff right down into my underpants but that’s OK. It’s good to cough a bit from time to time and my wife washes the underpants. So, no problem.
I really appreciate all of the suggestions. I am going to try to take a pinch of Rooster right now, as I type. *Takes out tin, and gives it a shot.* A little too much coughing and not enough snuff went in. I think my problem is when I am moving my finger and thumb back and forth, I compact the snuff and make it sort of flat. This makes it harder to take in, so I try sniffing harder and it all goes in. Practice makes perfect, I suppose. ~Snuffy
Snuffy you don’t have to roll your fingers, i tend to do this with fragrant snuffs so as to increase the enjoyment of the fragrance, To start with just try holding a pinch and sniffing it you will get a little and can then gently open your fingers thus controlling the flow up your nose. I pinch like this with fine snuffs so i don’t cough my lungs up. Also the inhalation should be gentle prolonged and consistent no short sharp sniff and thats how i enjoy my american snuffs. I guess the way i do it is sort of like sniffing a flower and when i feel a slight eyewater i just move my fingers away from my nose.
Surely that should read “right nostril first”… 
Well, that’s what I do.
Strange really its a bit like walking we all do the same thing just differently. I am somewhat limited as to which nostril to start with as i often find one or another is blocked at various points during any given day therefore i hope you will excuse my bad manners.
Snuffy, snuff is like a lady, you must handle it carefully, softly, don’t squeeze your pinch, just hold it lightly between your fingers. Sniff gently, like smelling your lady’s hair, while holding your fingers lightly against your nose like touching your darling’s lips. That’s the way to do it and the reward will be…like reaching a climax, only nicer, more enjoyable!!! Have fun Pieter
lol… pieter i’m beginning to wonder if you like your snuff a little too much? 
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Ha. I always do my right nostril first. Whether I’m using a bullet, the back of my hand, or when I try to pinch. Pieter, that was the best description of snuff, ever. Not the way I would have put it, but definitely nice to hear the way other people see it. I’ll give it another shot in a little bit. All the tips are really appreciated. ~Snuffy
Snuffy in addition to all the excellent advise (and I’m a confirmed pincher who very rarely takes off the back of his hand) I’ve a hybrid method for taking toasts. Because toasts are so fine they are a bit hard to pinch. So I use my index finger to scoop out a pinch and treating my finger as a human snuff spoon, as it were, I snuff from the pad on my finger. I tried this after hearing a few people say how much easier they found taking toasts off a spoon, and considering how unlikely it is to go around with a spoon in your coat pocket in this age of metal detectors and wands detecting and wanding as they are. It really works in spades.
I do happen to have a snuff spoon/bottle. Perhaps I will give it a try with some dry snuffs. Thanks for the tip! ~Snuffy
Let us know how it turns out for you.
johndeere89, I don’t LIKE snuff, I’m IN LOVE with snuff!!! Best thing ever happened to me except being born. If I never was born, I would never experience the joy of snuffing.
I take a pea-sized pinch and hold it at the front of my nose inhaling gently and evenly. I find that holding the pinch towards the front of the nose helps with drier snuffs. I also inhale prior to snuffing to limit the force of my inhale.
The Wood, thank you!! I’ve tried it “your way” and it’s even better than “my way” !!! So, in future I’ll do it your way (don’t know if Frank Sinatra will like it though). Is that your nose in the picture? Must say, it’s a perfect snuffing nose.
Snuffbox, being a brand new newbie who has little idea what they are doing, I am finding that I often use your way. Use my finger like a little spoon. Seems to be working well enough, but I am waiting for a bullet now from Nicotinerush in a desperate attempt to not make nearly the mess on myself that I have been making.
No, Pieter, that is not my nose. But it is a great snuffing nose! I’m glad you like the technique. Happy snuffing.