Hi all, Im a 22 year old from England who having found quitting smoking too hard, decided to give snuff ago, having fond memories of sitting on my Grandad’s lap whilst he sniffed his snuff and read to me. Anyway off I went down to my local tobacconist, who has a handful of Poschl and Wilsons of Sharrow snuffs. Not really knowing what I wanted, I just choose one which sounded nice, Poschl’s Gawith Apricot (this one here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwoZm1tO6SY). Anyway after the first few sneezy attempts, I found I could manage the burn, and enjoyed the menthol and fruity flavours. I could get used to this I thought. Sadly my nose had different ideas! After a few hours, I was totally bunged up in one nostril, unable to even sniff up a crumb. At first I put it down to being new to the snuff, but this carried on, so I went back to the tobacconist who advised I might need an easier snuff on the nose. I bought a tin of Wilsons Vanilla snuff. This snuff was a lot easier, and to be honest a lot nicer. Although at times I did feel bunged up, this was usually after I’d been taking a lot. Anyway, sadly my tin ran out so back down to the tobacconist, determined to stick to the Wilsons snuff’s (after all what do those Germans know about tobacco!! Haha joke!). I choose the Wilson’s Aniseed extra. However once again Im feeling totally bunged up, only being able to breath/snuff through one nostril. So has anybody any input as to why? Are there certain snuff’s that do this to people? Am I allergic to certain tobacco’s/flavourings? Thanks a lot guys

menthol. avoid it for awhile see if it’s any better after that.

Thanks, I’ll give it a shot. The Aniseed extra idoes have a menthol kick. Just out of interest, why would the menthol do this? I’d have thought it would have the opposite reaction.

English, and German menthols tend to clog me up. I have to do a very small amount or I am wishing I had. I have found the 5 Photo snuffs, while mentholated, do not do this to me. The Blast Strong Menthol also does not clog me up. I find the UK snuffs have a sharp mentholness to them. My nose just doesn’t like it.

@Tom: Himalaya clogs me right up yet I find the scent itself to be divine. I think it must be one of the myriad of botanicals in there that doesn’t agree with me as menthol on it’s own has the opposite effect on me.

Medicated snuff clears the head initially, but with frequent use it has a tendency to do the opposite. Users then take more snuff to find temporary relief and the vicious little circle is only closed when the user is too bunged up to make any more. There are plenty of snuffs that are not medicated so use those instead.

I’m pretty new to this snuff thing - I used it to help me cut down the 30+ cigarettes (Taking out snuff instead of ciggies when I left the house etc) and finally quit with snus. I have tried quite a lot of the english snuffs, and found the following to be easy for the newbie nose. McChrystals Original and Genuine (easy to snuff and popular for many new and seasoned snuffers). Toque Pomegranete - easy on the nose easiest toque I’ve tried. McChrystals Raspberry - Does what it says on the tin. Fribourg and Treyer French Carotte - Very perfumey and although fine doesn’t make me cough or sneeze if I forget to snuff gently! Wilsons of Sharrow Crumbs of cumfort (A little burn but very morish) Hedges L260 The Snuff - BIG kick of menthol but satisfying and doesn’t usually cause my nose to react adversely - Most menthols do it for me although my friends who don’t snuff usually love it when I pull out my snuffbox and usually have a pinch for themselves:) I prefer to use snuffstore.co .uk for my orders, and would probably suggest you get 10 or 20 GBP worth of varied snuffs, and see where it goes from there. This will get you a good selection, some you’ll like some you won’t. Some I didn’t like 2 months ago are my favourites today so don’t bin any you don’t like. Also some will irritate your nose, some won’t so keep a note on the ones that agree with you. Good luck with the cigarettes this forum is a great place for any advice you need. Regards Steve

Thanks a lot guys, some good information. To be honest, quitting the cigarettes really hasn’t been a problem! I cut down initially to two or three when I really needed one, snuffing throughout the day, and now am just taking the snuff. Theres usually a few times a day when I really crave one, but I just take a couple of generous pinches of snuff and try to occupy myself with something. Well I’ve put in an order off snuffstore, tell me what you think. F & T High Dry Toast (granted, I’ve read its not one for a beginner, but i’ve also seen some of the best reviews on this) F & T Princes Special W of S Best SP W of S Tom Buck W of S Royal George Toque Coke (Ok, I must admit part of the attraction to snuff’s is the history of the whole thing, but curiosity got the better!!) Toque Bourbon

Menthol makes you feel clear, then a running nose. The small veins inside your nose swell, this then blocks you up. Remedy; take a fine dry snuff, say High Dry Toast, or American Scotch.

I think that I’ve either plain outright liked or could, at the very least tolerate every snuff I’ve purchased (probably over 50). So I guess, I’m trying to say that, you aren’t wasting your money, or taking that big of a chance, on trying new snuffs, it’ll keep. Now, Dental Sweet Snuff, for the record, will be the LAST snuff I finish off, when by some bad strokes of luck I find myself not being able to buy more snuff each month and my 2 year supply whittles down to none!

I’ve tried many snuffs I won’t buy again. I’ve only had a few that I felt were a waste some of the poschels they clog me bad and toque peanut butter that just was unsnuffable and smelled so terrible to my nose for some reason.

@danw 1988: First, welcome! You’ve come to the right place to learn about snuff. Besides participating in the forum, the best way to learn is to take lots of snuff! You have a very good first-timer order listed there. No menthols and a variety of grinds including SPs, Rappees, and Toasts. You will be impressed at the big differences in one snuff to the next. Good choices! Enjoy!

Generally, i can only breath(in turn snuff) out of one nostril at a time, most of the time. It alternates every few hrs or so. Perchance i have one of thouse deviated septums i’ve heard so much about.

@pot Poe Most people breath like that. There is an actual biological rythym that regulates which nostril you breath through. Some also believe this will change depending on your state of mind and what side of the brain you are operating from.

Yeah scotches definitely will clear you out. I find RR Mills Plain works the best for me among my stash. Ken

I love how many people discover the breathing diffrences after they start snuffing.

Ok a quick update, I’ve tried all the snuffs I bought, and Im still suffering with the blocked up nose. Its got so bad that from about half way through the day, I cant even smell the flavours of the snuffs! Back to the cigs it is :-l

At least go to snus, before back to smoking, that is if you wanted to quit cigs for health concerns. That way you can snuff once in a while. Maybe snuff smaller amounts less often. Go a few days without till your nose is clear again. Maybe certain snuffs afftect you more than others. There was a time I was about to quit snuff because I was always stopped up, but I took a break, used snus, now I am clear, and I snuff less often, but can enjoy it.

You may consider this a dumb question, but here we go, how often are you blowing your nose? I mean you gotta clean out some of the old before putting in the new, at least once in a while. Also consider Neti pot usage. If you have sinus issues once a day use of a neti pot could help a lot. Also I will recommend a simple salene nose spray which you can find at CVS or similar stores. It is a good way of maintaining good moisture in the nasal passages aiding your nose in cleaning itself out. Ken

Oh and what Tom said about trying snus. I use both snuff and snus and they do well keeping me away from cigs. You should note that when Tom and I agree on something, that the rarity of that occurrence rivals the deity of your choice coming down and telling you it is so. Ken

Even dip is better than cigs!

I’ll consider the snus, but I think I’d feel a little strange taking it, most people know what Im doing if I’m taking snuff. I’ve certainly never seen anybody takin snus! I blow my nose far too regular, its the natural thing to do when you’re blocked up! I’d say I take snuff every 45 mins or so. It doesn’t feel too excessive.

“I’ve certainly never seen anybody takin snus!” and in some ways therein lies the point of snus, discretion. You should try the salene spray, it might help. Blowing too much can inflame the passsages if they are getting irritated. Sounds like additional moisture might actually help. Ken

Yeah, people generally would not know if you have snus in, and you would not notice others. I snuff every hour or few hours. I can’t snuff too often, or I’ll get stopped up.

Never go back to the cigs! Try pipe smoking, it can be wonderful. If you have money try cigars. Then i guess you could do the odd snuff occasionally too.

Cigars and pipes are nice when I have plenty of leisure time, a rarity though. I have a cig on occasion, usually when gigging. Ken

Cigarillos are good Devillock76 when time is an issue!

They always just end up feeling and getting treated like cigs, to bad results. I just try to stick with snuff and snus as much as possible and if a cig happens a cig happens. Cigs are by far not the norm now, I can live with occasional indiscretion if I must, I have so few vices as it is. Ken

Okay mate, but you inhale cigarettes into your lungs not cigarillos - that’s the difference…

I inhale cigars and cigarillos.

@ danw Don’t give up on snuff! I’ve been using snuff for little over a year now and it’s finally become something I can do and enjoy everyday. I use to get a really stuffed up nose from it so, as suggested by members of this forum, I stopped using mentholated snuff like O&G or any of the Poshls because they just reek havoc on the sinuses (at least for me). I began assembling a collection of moist snuffs like Fribourg & Treyer that couldn’t get into my sinuses and as I started using them (very gently) I was able to appreciate all their smells and never get clogged up. What you need to do is try as many snuffs as you can to see how they affect you. Everyone is different and because of that there is no right or wrong snuff; it all comes down to how it works for you. This is all coming from a guy who had a deviated septum as the result of the broken nose and after having it all fixed and shiny new became horrified when I couldn’t breath out of my newly clear nasal passage ways. Turns out I was sniffing too hard because I wasn’t sure I was getting any snuff in my nose, the more perfumed snuffs fixed this because I knew right away that they were gettin in there due to their stronger scents. You’ll find what works for you and be happier than a pig in shit!

Some snuffs clog my nose as well, others clear me up every time. The latter are my daily snuffs, the goal is to find which snuffs are most agreeable with your bodies chemistry.

What I meant is that the cigarillos are so close to cigarettes that I end up inhaling them more like a cigarette. Ken

Okay if you are inhaling cigars/cigarillos i suspect they are much worse for you than the cigarettes…

ding ding ding. My best bet is typically to avoid all combustible tobacco wherever possible. Ken

Not to worry. When I first started snuffing I got cloged up easily. Now it’s rare and when it does happen I usaly realize I’ve got a cold or rememeber that I have allergies that used to be very severe. I really don’t know if that is because Iam better at snuffing or if my nose is just used to it now. I think it’s both. For one I always inhale almost fully before snuffing and that really seems to reduce any irritation. Keep up the snuffing it does get easier after a while.

I am one of those people who do not really get clogged up from mentholated snuffs, at least the ones that I have tried. It seems to do the reverse for me.

Ausnuffer; I agree with everything you said.

After trying so many snuffs there is no doubht that some are just down right disagreeable to my nose long term, menthol especially. That said I find the whole F&T line a challenge. They are such complex snuffs that some can just really put me off with way too much perfume, I find some disgusting. But I find that the underlying taste wonderful. Areal puzzle sometimes, I only wish I could get some of the granny smells out of it to enjoy the others present. I have more quarantined F&T cans than I would like, I put the ones I find horrible one a shelf by themselves, Its crowded there now, but I still pull them down and give them the old college try now and then, unfortunately They go right back into quarantine!

I love the high dry toast… It’s become my favorite snuff. The only other one I’ve tried is Macouba which I enjoy but not as much as the HDT.