Hello All How are you all ? I am new here and a been on snuff for dogged years. I am sixty, retired and live in India. I am into Indian Snuff only. My favorite is Madras Snuff which is pure tobacco, smells tobacco and tastes tobacco. This is strong stuff. You hit the roof after inhaling it. I can see that one of the hot topic of discussion here is the most sough after and the most Elusive White Elephant Snuff from India. This is great snuff but prohibitively priced. For the benefit of our members here I can send you the White elephant in small quantities…say two tins per package It will be moderately priced compared to the prices anywhere else, I can ship the tins directly to you from India. Please contact me for your requirements
Hello, I think I may be interested in your kind offer, I would though like some indication of price including shipping to the U.K and what payment method you propose. On another note, the world of Indian snuffs is still mostly obscure from my vantage point and I would love to read any reviews you might write of Indian snuff that I may not have come across.
I would second a request to try and see the world of Indian snuffs opened up some more. We only see a handful of Indian snuffs, and there are tons of different brands and flavours.
I would definitely be interested in a white elephant purchase! Please let me know your price and how to pay you. And welcome!
The Madras snuff you mention, there seem to be a number of manufacturers who have a madras snuff, which one are you referring to?
Khalid The one and the only ORIGINAL Madras Snuff is TAS Rathnam Madras Snuff. This is by far the oldest snuff manufacturers…over 115 yrs old.
@livemydreams I have seen this one mentioned a few times on this forum with very favorable reviews. I often find snuff for sale in Indian Grocers here in London, I will remember to keep my eye out for this one.
I found Madras Snuff at my local Indian Grocery.
I do like that TAS Rathnam Madras Snuff.
@Livemydreams: There’s more than one TAS Madras though, and unfortunately it can be pretty hard to distinguish between which one is meant online. Xander can tell you, I’ve got on that has only small external differences in packaging, but tastes a fair bit different from another TAS Madras.
Look for TAS Rathnam Madras Snuff manufactured by Jayaram Rathnakumar. Thats the original Madras Snuff. All the others are clones/duplicates
Jayaram & Rathnakumar is the brand that tom502 sourced local to him. Shree Arumugam Ramamurthy is the brand shikitohno found, although it also says T.A.S. Rathnam Brothers on the label. The trademarks are very similar. There would probably be a legal fight over the trademark if they were both based in this country. Both are clearly the same style of snuff, but are also slightly different, just as scotch snuffs are different from each other.
While I don’t dislike the Madras, I prefer the scented balanced mentholated medium grind snuffs, like 5 Photo Himalaya, Super, and Special.
TAS RATHNAKUMAR and TAS ARUMUGHAM are brothers. Ratnam inherited his fathers legacy while the younger son used his name ARUMUGAM with the TAS brand That’s the story for you in concised form.
Well, that makes sense, since in England there are two Wilson companies and two Gawith companies which both owe themselves to a brother striking out on his own.
Hi tom502 Snuff is best in it’s original form and taste. All others are only commercially inclined. There is no better experience than snuffing tobacco as it is meant to be. Flavored snuff is adulterated and not natural…believe me !!! Go for the original taste…not the commercially marketed cheap stuff Learn to adapt with the nature and you will be hooooooooked.
Anyone know where I can purchase Madras snuff in smaller quantities, online…can only find sources for bulk…thanks!
@Livemydreams: I beg to differ that flavoured snuff is in some way inferior to plain tobacco snuff. The grandfather of modern snuffs as we know it, SP, is a flavoured snuff. As for flavoured snuffs being “commerically inclined” I can’t help but wonder if you are delusional, ignorant or on Jayaram Rathnakumar’s payroll perhaps? Snuff is an industry, therefore every snuff that is manufactured, packaged and sold for profit is “commercially inclined” and that included the Madras snuff you are so fond of. I really don’t see or understand your correlation between flavour and commercial virtue.
@street carp: Don’t forget there is a language-cultural barrier here. Perhaps he meant “mass marketed” Also SPs can be unflavored, such as J&H Wilson Top Mill No. 1.
street carp…I can understand. But you must agree snuff was originally used without any flavorings or add-ons. Therefore when I say it is best in its original form I am only implying that it is best enjoyed the way nature made its flavor and smell. After all flavors were introduced to give variations and choices to the consumers. For your information Jayaram Rathnakumar also make flavored snuff like Rose, Clarified Butter and Cinnamon flavors to name a few. And sorry…I am a poor old retired pensioner and not in anyones parole…let alone Jay-Rath… Kindly erase the phrase “commercially inclined” from my post. That was a wrong phrase and I apologize for it. You are right with your comments on that.