In my limited snuff experience, I think the key is to master the sniff. I often find myself with an amount on the back of my hand(that’s how I have been taking it), and then maybe over analyzing how to approach the sniff. I sometimes just wave my nose over it and sniff lighly, but too light and you don’t get the mist of it in, and too deep takes it too far, and still trying not to snort it. I guess it’s all about practice, and from what I hear(or read) I’m not the only one. In fact I just did a sniff of WE Garrett, and I think I did it too deep, as I am feeling a bit in my throat. It’s so light and dry, it doesn’t take much, and that fine line of not enough sniff to too much seems easy to cross. Any other’s comments on mastering the sniff? Tom
I have found it helpful with fine dry snuffs is to put my nostril flat on the snuff. Then, as I gently sniff i roll my hand away. This seems to help keep it in the front of my nose. I have also tried exhaling on the snuff first to add a bit of moisture. I have had mixed results with that. The first one worked better.
Jarhog, that sounds as though it would work - but, I never ‘sniff’ from the back of my hand, so don‘t know for sure.
Tom, I either ‘pinch‘ or use a ‘bullet‘, but anyway, here is how I ‘pinch‘ - some of the things might help with ‘back of the hand‘ sniffing too.
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I get my pinch (good sized one)
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I breath in until my lungs are near full of air {THIS STEP COULD HELP WITH THE BACK OF HAND METHOD TO PREVENT ‘OVERSNUFFING‘}
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I then go to one nostril and ‘whiff‘ like three times - then to the next nostril and do the same - back and forth until the whole ‘pinch‘ is taken
ALSO - this is the way I ‘sniff‘ F&T, HDT - somehow this method (at least to me) gives me far more flavour from the snuff. Maybe it is the volume of air mixed with it, or the tiny ‘whiffs‘ I take in a row (I have tried a bullet and a spoon with the HDT) - but anyway this method is the way I prefer with HDT, Apricot, and American Scotches.
I hope some of this helped!!!
Thanks for the comments. I’ll try both of the methods. I have yet to use the pinch method, mainly as the container I have been using is a flip top, and more for tapping out. I haven’t had any bad sniff experiences, yeah, sometime a bit in the back of the throat, but no full on lung snort. I did try the breath in well before taking a sniff, that seemed ok, though I don’t know if it was comfortable, as I was sorta holding my breath, and then sniffing. Thanks. Tom
I pretty much do it the way SnuffyPM describes. I find I get a lot more control with a pinch. I use the thumbnail method if the type of contianer makes me pour it, and a spoon if its really course. You have to learn different sniff strengths depending on the type of grind, and also depending on how blocked a particular nostril is at a given time. Practice makes perfect! Read the FAQs and also research some past postings on this. Troutstroker has a nice description he reprints from time to time.
Thanks Xan. I did read the FAQ and articles. I opened up my can of Bruton last night and did a few pinches. I do agree it does seem like you get more control that way, though I found my pinches maybe too small, and had to do a few. I think I’ll be pinching the Bruton all day today. Tom
Alex, thanks for the +1. And may I say, you are exactly right also - different snuffs actually dictate different type sniffing methods, and even then, different from user to user!!!
Tom, glad you tried the ‘pinch method’ and even more glad it yielded success for you. It is hard to get a large pinch of the very dry/powdery/fine snuffs (like BRUTon), but just like at the Thanksgiving Meal - go back for seconds, and thirds, &c…LOL!!! Soon you will be an old hand at ‘Sniffing Snuff’ - practice makes perfect - and really, isn‘t that a good thing!!!.. ;^)
Can one master taking a shot of bourbon or tequila? Sure, you can sip it and some are made for sipping. You can slam it like a glutton no matter what type. Usually the second shot will be easier than the first. There is nothing like a coughing, gagging, spitting, tear wrenching snoot of a fine snuff. In the end the snuff masters you not Vice-versa.
JustaP: “Can one master taking a shot of bourbon or tequila? Sure, you can sip it and some are made for sipping. You can slam it like a glutton no matter what type. Usually the second will be easier than the first. There is nothing like a coughing, gagging, spitting, tear wrenching snoot of a fine snuff. In the end the snuff masters you not Vice-versa.”My Dear Fellow, it is obvious you have the premise and agenda of the forum here confused - we are out to invite and persuade people to try snuff, also to help those who have taken up the hobby to master and become expert with the use and enjoyment of this dusty baccy substance which we lovingly call ’Snuff’ - NOT run people off screaming from it!!! Please Kind Sir, refrain from such philosophy as:
“In the end the snuff masters you not Vice-versa."…
…even though it is true…….
:^O
ROFL!!!
It took me a long time, but I finally learned to snuff without using the lungs at all. Try it, hold your chest still, don’t breathe in, just snuff with your nose only. It sounds impossible; it takes some practice, but it’s possible, and it works. A large pinch will take several sniffs to finish. Before, I would dust the back of my brain, and get snuff behind my eyes. It hurt, and I’d pay with coughing and hours of sinus disturbances. But now with this method I can take huge pinches of the finest of finely ground snuffs, and not over-shoot.
Sniff and inhale both involve the nose and lungs, but sniff stops short. It’s a fine line, and easily crossed. I think I am getting better with time. Tom