I’m still a major noob without a doubt, but I’ve certainly gone a long way to discovering what works for me and what my tastes are since signing up here. In this three week period, I’ve also met my first fellow Snuffhouse resident in the form of @Firestarter0 and have since engaged in two other trades by post, sampled a wide range of other snuffs from home shores, on the continent and as far away as India. I cut my teeth with snuff on Sharrow Mills products and found several there which will be long stayers with me, but having recently been exploring the delights of Sam Gawith, I think the boys from my home town might have some serious competition for nose glory from the Lakeland chaps. Menthol leaves me cold (pardon the pun) and can be too overwhelming for enjoyment, but is fantastic for blasting open the passages for maintenance, so there’ll always be something close by for that. Hedges and Cherry Menthol by WoS and Jaxons have certainly met with my approval when brute force is needed, whilst WoS Menthol and Eucalyptus gives a gentler option when heavy handedness isn’t necessary. I’ve all but given up on the finer snuffs, which I liken to drinking a yard of ale. It’s a challenge, it’s highly amusing to see someone fail with it, and it does give a satisfaction when you finally find a way (even if it’s a fluke) of getting it where it should be without wearing it or choking yourself … but is it worth the hassle? For me, I don’t thinks so, and it’s not just the choking and other aspects of not getting it right. I really like a nice single malt whisky, but if I had to stand on one leg whilst balancing a broom on the bridge of my nose with my eyes shut in order to stop it choking me and get the most from it … I probably wouldn’t enjoy that either. The “drinking a Yard of Ale” experience is something to be tried, but not (for me) something to be undertaken with any frequency. Snuff taking for me should be a relaxed and easy affair, not challenging and needed skill and concentration to avoid coughing, crying and wearing it. The finer stuff I already have will probably either get mixed into some of the plainer coarse snuffs for a little variety of flavour, or used when my nose is crammed full of coarse stuff to act as a filter. After that I’ll probably just be sticking to the stuff I enjoy. This will mean I’ll have to turn my back on many of the snuffs available, but I have found enough that I enjoy to not feel I’m missing out too much. For example, I do like Toques flavours - but they’re just not particularly enjoyable snuffs to use IMHO (though I have some Berwick Brown inbound to try), and whilst the SG variants might not have such elaborate flavourings, they do sit so well in the nose and are very easy to take. I haven’t fallen in love with a fruity snuff yet though, so need to stumble upon something unmentholated with a medium or coarse grind. Maybe in time my tastes will change and I’ll be more receptive to the finer stuff, but until that I just plan on enjoying snuff and not letting it become a frustrating chore - I have enough of those as it is. The wide range of knowledge and opinion on offer here has helped me establish a “base” of snuffs I’d be happy to run with if I never experienced anything else. These include (but not limited to) Tom Buck, Grand Cairo, Jasmine, Macouba and Princes Special from the local boys, the moist coarse earthiness and subtle tones of so many of the SGs, plus (so far) Latakia 1860 and Anarkali from other lands. The SPs, Kendal Browns, and classic florals are a pleasure to use. Rum and Raisin, Rum and Blackcurrant, and Chocolate Orange are very pleasant “dessert” snuffs with a mug of hot coffee, but I’d still like to find a fruity snuff or three for light refresher during the day. Apologies for the wordiness of this post, and many thanks to all for the assistance and comments so far. You’ve all cost me a lot of money recently, but helped me find something that I hope to enjoy for many years to come. Cheers All!
Perservere with the finer snuffs. Don’t give up on them or you’ll be excluding yourself from enjoying a large number of snuffs. Just keep coming back to them, you’ll get the technique right eventually. Just takes practice.
OK, but I’ll certainly be having a pleasant break from them at least. Right now there’s still a myriad of other snuffs (not to mention the good assortment I’ve already acquired) that I can enjoy without any of the discomfort or frustration. As I said before, I’m not ruling out ever trying them again in future, but right now I’m going to settle in and enjoy the nice things I’ve found and keep on the lookout for an easy using non-mentholated fruity or three 
If I feel the calling to diversify at a later date I can go back to them and have another try, but right now I’m going to focus on the ones that aren’t going to fight back 
With the ones I’ve already found, the ones I’ve just ordered and am waiting to arrive, and all the others I still want to sample, there’s easily several months of wholesome enjoyment and gentle exploration to be had without making things more difficult than they needs to be 
I hated menthol’s for a long time, But over the years I found some I can take. and there are still some that clog me up like concrete. sure the first 2 minutes are great then I get stopped up. If you enjoy the snuff that is what it is all about. No sense to put yourself in pain. unless you like that sort of thing.
Well bugger me with a pint of milk! 
I’ve just taken two fine snuffs (McChrystals Mild Lemon and Toast and Marmalade) with no skill or concentration, and no pain and suffering … and it was a sheer fluke … but possibly repeatable. I had a sealed Mild Lemon tin waiting to be tried, and in my quest for an easy fruity I decided to give it a try. I opened it up and took a pinch between my fingers. I could feel this was going to be a tricky one, but I went for it anyway, and of course I felt the unwanted tickle followed by the predictable cough … and that was in my slow nostril. So I offered the pinch to the other side and decided to fill my lungs first, breathed in through my mouth and Mr Venturi carefully lifted the evil dust gently up into my nose No plugging, rubbing, yawning, ultra slow breaths with inadvertant problematic gulps, no reflex sniffs from an almost indescernible tickle, no intense concentration and waiting for nasty reflex actions … just both nostrils open, an inhallation through the mouth, an empty finger and thumb and a feeling of something light being in my nose that wasn’t there before. Tried it again, and same deal. But was the powder being sucked up my nose or just directly into my mouth? I reached for the Toast and Marmalade, and tried the same thing, and got the same result - empty fingers and nothing down my shirt. Unfortunately having smoked for so long my sense of smell isn’t really keen enough for me to say what went in my nostril or how much. I’m just about to try a different snuff which will tell me without a doubt where it’s going … time to break out the FireDrac … !!!
Hmmmm … there’s definitely some going in my nose, and there’s no hacking cough and spewed cloud. I’m pretty sure the lion’s share has just been carried by the airstream straight past the tickle spot in my throat (hence no cough) to the lungs though, as my nose isn’t burning as much as it “should be” and I can certainly feel that some hit the throat as there is a bit of a burn there. I think I’ll hang on to see what get’s coughed up tomorrow morning before I pass further judgement
@50ft_trad…I like the way your post read, besides being insightful into your experiences. I just tried my first fruity snuff that I really like ( I prefer naturals of any grind ) Its SG Rasberry ( this was at the recommendation of @basement_shaman in one of his posts ) As usual, he was correct. The Rasberry aroma is delicious, I swear I am eating it, not snuffing it, and like he said the aroma ( like true rasberries ) lasts a long long time. Longer than any other snuff aroma, I have experienced ( even longer than a sweet schmalzer ) I would suggest it, since its from UK.
YIKES!!! A minute or two in front of the bathroom mirror with a pinch and spoon to watch the mechanics of the situation, and then a good sized pinch for purely diagnostic purposes, and that’s DEFINITELY in the nose!! It’s high up in the nose - too high up - but there is at least some snuff in the desired area. Tomorrow morning I should have a better idea of how much went to the aesophagus/lungs. At the moment I suspect it’s way more than is desirable.
You Buggers!!! I only said a few hours ago I was going to stop teasing myself with the nasty stuff and stick to what’s enjoyable, and already I’m scheduled to be coughing up Tobasco flavoured lung oysters in the morning 8-| @AANYCAARDS Thanks for the comment. Before I torture myself further, how fine/dry is the Raspberry? Would you say it’s an easy snuff to take, or would you say it’s going to be one I’d fall out with (based on the OP)?
@50ft_trad If you’re looking for a fruity snuff that’s pretty easygoing, try SG Richt Kind. It isn’t one particular fruit and it has a hint of menthol (I don’t care for menthol either and this one is just right). It’s not coarse, but it isn’t too fine either. Well worth a go.
I think its pretty much impossible for snuff to reach the lungs, unless you spend your day unprotected in the grinding room of a snuff mill. As to fruity recommendations, I have disliked every Samuel Gawith fruit snuff I have tried except the Apple. The rest seem too artificial. For non citric fruit snuffs; I recommend WoS Strawberry or Apricot. I strongly (can’t emphasize this enough) recommend Toque Pomegranate. The other Toques are good too, especially Peach. For citrus: damn near any of them, they’re all pretty fantastic.
Many thanks for the fruit snuff recommendations guys :-bd I do have the SG Apple already which is nice but not quite “there” if you know what I mean. I need to spend a little more time with it to tune into the flavour though. I also have another couple of flavours I’m going to try tweaking it with too (McC Clove, WoS Cinnamon & SG Vanilla). I will be trying out other flavours too. I’m going to rule out the Toques at this stage, as they’re great flavours but just too horrible to use - yeah I know what you’re all going to say, “perseverance”, but we’re back to the “Is it worth the agro” Yard of Ale thing, and the way my throat feels this morning, the answer is no! I’m really not interested in persevering with (or spending money on) something I find horrible, I’d rather find something else instead. There’s far too many enjoyable snuffs out there to be tormenting myself with something that’s not user friendly I’ll certainly be checking out the WoS and Richt Kind suggestions though. I tried WoS Thyme and Lemon last night and found that rather nice as a light refresher
@50ft_trad. Pleased to hear you are enjoying yourself here. It’s a great place to be.
Call me crazy, but I actually LIKE the feeling of toasts that make it a bit higher in the nose.