As I mentioned in the mailbox thread, I have been noticing changes recently in what snuffs I can take. For a long time I have been completely unable to consume fine/dry snuffs irrespective of technique, and have steered well clear of toasts for that reason. Other snuffs such as WoS grinds have been challenging at times too. However, that was as an occasional snuffer. Recently snuff has been becoming a higher percentage of my overall nic/baccy intake, not tremendously - but enough for my nose to react differently it seems. As a result of this I decided to try some toast, and picked up a couple of 10g tins from Toque, natural and lime These were really lovely and on first pinch not difficult to take like many in the past. No change in technique either, just a change in how my nose receives it … but not every time. It really seems my nose has to “be in the mood” for fine snuff, but I always have some coarser options on hand anyway, Berwick Brown being a snuff that never fails to hit the spot in every respect. Taking snuff regularly as I have been doing of late, rather than intermittently in the past, seems to have made a far greater impact than technique over what snuffs I can take, and I no longer feel “stupid” for “not doing it right”. For any newcomers … by which I mean snuffing less than a year… who are struggling taking finer snuffs, I’d say don’t worry about it. Stick to the snuffs that work for you, there are a myriad of options out there and plenty of things you’ll be able to comfortably enjoy, and do not feel bad or excluded if your nose limits you to certain products or certain mills. There is a good chance that your nose will change as to what it is happy with over time, and what grinds/moisture contents work for you, is just as personal as what flavours you will prefer … and just as likely to evolve over time Just my experience …
also, recently ive been having trouble taking finer snuffs, which i generally preferred the past few months. im back to where i started- but atleast i have my GH Cherry, Firedrac and Viking Dark.
I try to not just have an assortment of flavours on me, but also of types. Last night I was getting a nasty throat drip from KB Special which doesn’t normally happen with me. Same again this morning So far today I’ve mainly been hitting the Berwick Brown, Jocks Choice and SWS FoJ because they’ve been sitting very well (yet last night Jocks Choice was being awkward)
ive just been rotating cherry and firedrac, since im in sheffield away from home, i brought snafu plain, HDT, toque bourbon, toque almond toast, and a couple of dated samples taken from my tops and dregs (equivalent of your granny’s stew) and those two. notice not a single proper menthol, had trouble with those too so took a break. perhaps its the time of year- my first snuff, GH Cherry i used all my first winter snuffing. last winter i used firedrac all the time. this time both are going well. i must get this cherry in bulk…
I’ve not tried the GH Cherry yet … isn’t that one slightly mentholated? Most GH I find to be quite easy taking, although I was getting a real evil burn of Ambassador the other day. Noses are such temperamental bloody things aren’t they …
nope, GH Cherry isnt mentholated. its my go-to easy taking snuff, and the only fruit (not counting citrus) i have that i really like on its own. i guess its the snuff equivalent of my first love.
Not another one for the wishlist … #-o It’ll have to wait! I’ve got way too much new stuff in recently already :@)
if i get bulk before you get any, ill be happy to do another trade. cant say how long itll be though.
Sounds good to me mate :-bd Depending in the lay of the land, I might even be tempted to do a pub in York next time … although the Kings Arms in flood might not be best idea for a snuff trade :))
well atleast itll keep it moist if you are into cocktails i know a great place, and theres plenty of pubs to choose from. tobacconist isnt too bad either.
Sounds like I’ll be needing to find a cheap B&B for the night, or catch the train I think I can get a return ticket for about £20, so that would probably be best bet. Just making a fleeting visit back to the topic I’m having a Toque evening, trying out several flavours I got recently in Roderick’s standard grind. Up until a week or so ago, every single one of these would have had me coughing, but this evening they are all going down very well indeed. It’s nice to have a legitimate “excuse” to take snuff at a higher regularity
@Firestarter0 has your problem with the fine snuffs started since you gave the menthols a rest? Is it the lack of rebound that’s causing/allowing a faster airflow, or did it start before that?
im not sure. ill experiment with a menthol for the next few days.
maybe not, just did toque menthol and i cant see. wow.
=))
i think it started when i stopped using menthols and toque quit regularly, because one morning they started burning terribly, so i cant say if its because of the lack of menthol, or if my inability to tolerate menthol and fine snuffs are from the same cause.
Interesting … I’ve been experiencing a strong burn from snuffs that never did that before, right about the time I could start take fine snuffs. My tub of GH Ambassador has been giving me a killer burn lately
im wondering if its the air this time of year, i didnt really mess with many fine snuffs this time last year and my main snuffs were soft or poschl.
… and tonight toasts are choking me again. Then again, I’ve not snuffed much today with having visitors in the office … :-?
this is definitely more relevant than it seems at first, at least it was for me - the climate of your nose has a larger effect on your snufftaking than you might think. you notice this more and more over time as you realize you have days when certain snuffs are more palatable and easier to take than others. that doesn’t just hold true for the finer ground snuffs, but for the entire range of different grinds and moisture levels.
I am sniffing my finer snuff snuffs with so much ease lately… I think it’s a technique ive managed to master subconsciously.
If I am using moist snuff for some extended period when I go back to the finer snuff they make me cough until I get use to them. My nose just has to gradually adjust to the finer grinds.And sometimes when I do moist snuff I will get clogged up, then have to employ a medicated snuff to clear the blockage when blowing nose is not enough . So technique is helpful but even a veteran snuff users have issues with change,weather, temperature,moisture level,climate, altitude. barometric pressure.and personal hydration.
I agree with this. You see so much blame assigned to technique when a ‘noob’ has difficulty, but I believe technique is only part of the picture. I remember that I nearly coughed out something important the first time I smoked a cigarette. Why can’t the same logic be applied to snuffing? Your nose is a sensitive organ, and it’s not surprising that someone new to snuffing would have a sneezing fit. I’m still trying to get my nose accustomed to it myself, and I’ve been snuffing for quite a while. I think I still need to get used to it by doing it more frequently, but it seems as soon as I get close to being ‘hardened’ to snuffing, something happens to interrupt my usage (such as a cold) and I end up back at square one. I find that one snuffing (technique) mistake messes me up for the whole day, but when I was snuffing more frequently, my technique seemed to matter less. I remember accidentally snuffing a load of HDT to the back of my throat with little to no discomfort. Gotta get back on the wagon…
I live in Middle Tennessee, USA. Cold & Dry Winters, so a medium moisture medicated takes center stage, along with a few other standards-SG Black Coffee, HDT, etc. Summers are hot & humid so toasts seem to work well. I agree with The Shaman on this. My pipe tobacco also reflects the seasons; Virginias in Summer, Balkans and English in Winter.
For me I’ve been paying more attention this winter (only been snuffing ~3 years) and I think nearly all snuffs suffer in the cold dry weather. I don’t know that it’d be an exaggeration to say they’re half as complex as they are in warm, moist air, at least for me. Some snuffs are more effected than others but I think all of them do better in warm air. I might be noticing it more than most because I’ve been very conservative with the heat lol.
I’ve noticed that about the weather, too. I don’t know if it’s the snuff, or maybe the cold dry air causes the nose to get less sensitive in self defense? Am I abnormal in that my nostrils seem to be asymmetrical somehow? I can take a pleasant pinch of anything from the coarsest moistest snuffs to HDT in my left nostril, but I have to be more careful with my right. For years now, every time I have carelessly snapped a big pinch of Highland Ice directly to the backs of my eyeballs it has been in my right nostril. It doesn’t seem to matter which one I do first. Just wondering…
@Java I suspect you might have a deviated septum ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal\\_septum\\_deviation ) - it’s quite common, and would explain the difference between nostrils. @horus92 Interesting what you say about cold dry air. I have noticed that when I go outside on a cold day that snuff scents become more complex rather than less. Odd!