this morning every pinch i’ve had has gone straight to my throat and last night and is starting to hurt a bit when it happens! have bumped the sizes of my pinches right down.
Have only been enjoying using snuff for about a month and a half and am so happy to have a fascination that isn’t illicit drugs and really expensive and dont want to give up, guess i feel im not doing it right and being quite hard on myself.
How do you guys take your snuff? would like to try out a few new different techniques as i love the smells and am so excited to try more the more obscure indian snuffs and german snuffs.
I usually take the pinch between my thumb and index finger and take it straight to my nose, then gently roll my fingers open while snuffing it. It seems to work perfectly for me since i can also warm the snuff and then snuff it as slowly or as quickly as I please.
My first 1-3 months of snuffing a few years ago resulted in a rhinitis because of the wrong technique and not being used to the menthol. Had to stop for 2 weeks and then switch to non mentholated, easy snuffs for a while after that, which I don’t regret at all because it introduced me to all the other varieties of snuff. Don’t give up too fast, it’s worth it!
I take from a pinch, and inhale lightly. Most people can make this work for them with a little practice, and you have the advantages of feeling the moisture and density of different snuffs, and being able to adjust how lightly you sniff accordingly. Also it lets you prewarm the snuff and control the rate at which the snuff is released into the nose. Not every nose is made the same though. I have difficulties taking many snuffs without them hitting my throat. Often, before I even reach for the snuff, I’ll take a little fresh air sniff, like a golf practice swing, to see how freely the air is moving through my nose. If it’s completely open, I know I need to be reaching for a coarser snuff like Berwick Brown or something by Samuel Gawith. If it’s a slightly restricted air flow (through congestion, or through snuff already in there) then I know I could use something like a WoS SP, or McC, or the finer Toques. I generally avoid anything finer than Tom Buck altogether. Sometimes, additional tricks like filling your lungs with a deep breath first, or kinking your nose with your free hand, to reduce air flow can help. Use what works to suit the conditions at the time, whether it’s being selective about the snuff, or about the technique used. You’re not trying to figure out how snuff works, you’re trying to figure out how your nose works
If you’re really having trouble with other methods then the bent straw method works very well. Simply cut a section of plastic drinking straw, including the kink, so that you have a ‘V’ shape. Load snuff into one end and it will rest down in the bend. Stick one end up your nose and the other end between your lips and blow. Since you don’t need to inhale any air it’s a pretty foolproof method. Although one might feel a little silly doing it lol.
I always pinch. but I tried this once after reading about it on here to see if it works…and it does.
I use the container lid to scoop out snuff. Tap it on to the back of my hand, getting the size of pile I want. Snuff. Repeat for the other nostril. I gently sniff. A guide I read said sniff like smelling a flower and that is what I do. This is what works for me. Many times my fingers are dirty from work but the back of my hand seems to stay clean. The only snuff that I have to really be careful with is White Elephant. It wants to get in my throat no matter how careful I am.
Depends on what you’re snuffing. I pinch when I have a tin and boxcar when I have a tap-box. But I cannot take a very dry and fine powder (like a scotch) without the plug method - and that method does take careful concentration as to avoid jettisoning a blast of powder into your throat or eyes.
I actually do just like the guy in the video does (between the thumb and middle finger, using the index finger to shut the non-snuffing nostril), with a few tweaks:
– When inhaling, slowly open the pinched fingers, so the snuff is slowly released bit by bit instead of all at once.
– If it’s a fine snuff, then fill your lungs first. This’ll make it so you can’t inhale with much force, and you’ll have no choice but to go very gently, minimizing the amount that gets to the throat.
– Sometimes I find that it works better to shut the non-snuffing nostril by covering the opening with the pad of my index finger, rather than pinching it shut from the side of the nose. Pinching it shut from the left side for some reason also closes up my right nostril. :(
I take a large pinch between my thumb and middle finger and blow off the fine dust sticking to the outside of my fingers. I bring the pinch to my nose and place my fingertips slightly inside the nostril toward the front. Then take a sharp but shallow sniff, half the pinch for one side half for the other. Wait 10-15 minutes and repeat.
It may be your not use to using snuff. adjust the flow of powder going into your nose. your not to snort snuff but smell it gently like smelling if something has spoiled with caution!
I use the boxcar method often. back of hand sometimes and a spoon with black oily Indian snuff. My pinch is reserved for fine snuff that can use a bit of warming to release the flavor better.
If your having trouble with snuff hitting your throat you can try hydrating your snuff, the extra moisture will swell the powder and make it easier to use.
Only the snuff that sticks to the moist parts of your nose is enjoyed the rest is wasted. You may have to drink more water to be properly hydrated. It is safe to say the finer the snuff the less force is employed,minimal at most. Some snuff is so moist and heavy you literally have to put it in your nose then pinch your nostrils so it don’t fall out. One day you will snuff without even thinking about it. you will automatically learn to close your blow hole like diving into water.End of throat hits no matter how fine the snuff. The drop the adams apple is a technique you don’t use your lungs and will draw most snuff into the front of your nose. Good luck on your journey! :-bd
Another method I’ve never seen mentioned is to wet your finger with saliva, coat the inside of your nose with said saliva, then take a nice big pinch of your fine toast. Naturally nobody has mentioned such a technique, it’s extremely ungentlemanly like…
I am not like other snuffers and I am jealous that I can’t pinch and sniff, although I am never going to give up… as I am sure once my nose eventually allows me to I can enjoy snuff like the old timers, At the moment I shove snuff up my nose, even then sometimes I sneeze… all other techniques make me sneeze violently, my sniffing is most probably far too hard no matter how much I try to smell it. I get the nicotine I want and I do not have to smoke so I don’t complain.
thanks for all of the replies guys. have perfected it slightly by reducing my pinch size but find having to put about 4/5 in each nostril to get a buzz, then i wonder how much is being wasted. am gonna go buy some gawith stuff and kendal stuff later on as have got through tapboxes of that fine! unfortunately i love the WoS range so is all quite fine as far as i’ve had
@tekno Samuel gawith is the way to go… almost all of them are on the moist and corse side, I would avoid gawith Hoggarth snuffs tho as they all seem very fine to me… the Viking range is also very good, the 6 photo range like the special and no.66 even though are medium grind I find them easy to take without sneezing. Some black rappee is most probably the best to start with… I get a very decent buzz with that too, London brown is another but I think that might be discontinued now.
Snuff filled a very similar void in my life too, @Tekno. I have friends who say the same. There’s something about the ritual, combined with richness of the experience and comforting clarity it brings.
There’s some good advice on this thread. I can’t really add much other than say that my technique has changed dramatically over time (in the beginning I would snuff as if I were railing). It’s also a case of finding the right consistency of snuff to match where you’re at with your technique. I found SG, Viking and Torque to be the easiest to begin with, though everyone is different.
Whatever the case, stick with - your enjoyment of it will increase exponentially over time.