I just got a shipment in of this snuff, and it’s very very coarse. I can’t get it to stay in my nose, lol. It tumbles right out. Any tips on what I should do? Perhaps I could pour it out onto a plate and grind it up so it’s a bit finer? I mean, comparing the appearance between this snuff and Viking Brown, the VB looks powdery when compared to the SG London Brown. I’m new to snuff, so I want to make sure I’m using the terminology correctly. By “coarse,” I’m referring to the texture of the snuff right? For instance, Dholakia White is very fine and powdery, so it’s not coarse at all. Whereas the SG London Brown is chunky and not fine at all. So am I correct in my understanding of the terms, that SG London Brown is very coarse? Thanks in advance troop

Hi @troop111 Hmmm… Rappee’s (of which SG’s London Brown is one – and also one of my all-time favourites) are indeed rather course in texture. This texture mimics the early snuff rasp’s which give these snuffs there name. These, along with some of the coarsely ground artisan snuffs, can be a little tricky for the beginner – No shame there, everybody on the forum has experienced this at some point Regrettably, some ‘fallout’ or ‘nose crumb’ it to be expected with these types of snuffs; all part of the fun, plus people can find you by following the trail! These snuffs are pretty tricky to get right with a pinch, though you can get this down with practice. With this style you want to try and get them to settle in the front lower portion of the nose, avoid sniffing them back (the back-drip from these types of snuff isn’t too nice). I’d personally suggest the use of a snuff spoon for course snuffs; it makes the whole process much easier and more controlled. The other trick people use is to gently press your nostril (a little like pinching your nose) immediately after insnuffalating a pinch/spoon, this should reduce the amount of crumb (but make you harder to follow! :)) ). Alternating with another snuff that makes your nose run a little in a rotation is also a good call. Rappee’s hold much better in a damp nose. Although this might sound a little fiddly, it’s well worth the effort with Rappee types, and SG London Brown in particular; the coarseness of the grind gives a long scent trail that develops nicely over time and changes in intensity/flavour that’s really enjoyable – Good luck dude; have fun with it

I normally just squeeze my nostrils with heavy snuffs that falls out. It packs in place.

Even after squeezing my nose I feel like I’m wasting too much when I take this type of snuff and I’ve decided it’s really not for me. If you keep at it though you may end up really liking them as many others do and if not there are so many other types out there to try.

I decided long ago that London Brown and Black Rappee (RIP McCombie) were too wonderful to waste. So I grew a big mustache.

With coarse snuffs like this I just take a pinch and cram it up there then quickly pinch my nostril closed

With very coarse snuffs, I find taking a smaller amount of snuff and doing a strong, deep sniff and squeezing my nostrils helps, but some of the snuff falls out no matter how hard I sniff. Also, try other techniques than the pinch. I think it compresses the snuff, making it even harder to sniff.

I use the pinch to take all my snuffs. With potentially clumpy snuffs like this, I take a modest sized pinch to start with, and unlike with finer snuffs, I start with my lungs fairly empty and use a kind of rapid fire of small sniffs. I “roll” the snuff between thumb and finger as i’m snuffing to loosen any clumps, switching between nostrils as I do to get an even spread, and then pinch both nostrils closed at the exact same time I stop snuffing, and hold for a couple of seconds while the snuff gets seated. After a while the juices start flowing, and then you can add a second layer, knowing the snuff will be landing on a sticky base coat. It still needs a light pinch of the nostrils again to bed it in though. Do I still lose crumbs? Of course I do, but the vast majority goes in and stays in. I do find however, that I can sometimes be prone to spontaneously losing a mini clump of snuff after a couple of minutes, and the very coarse rappee style snuffs are ones I tend to use at home rather than out and about. Don’t wants any mini snuff rocks dropping out whilst engaged in polite conversation, or even unpolite conversation for that matter.

you can always run it through a fine tea strainer. or let it dry out and regrind then hydrate.

I like coarse ground snuff, it doesn’t seem to fall out of my nose, but I do keep it moist

Push it up and pinch nose.

Great timing on this thread! I j ist placed another order with MS and included Black Rappee and two Schmaltzlers. Will the Bernards require the same technique as the Rappee? I’ve been working from the opposite direction, starting out with every fine snuff and gradually working my way towards the coarser grinds.

Will the Bernards require the same technique as the Rappee?

Yes if not more so

Alright, so my understanding of “coarse” snuffs, as I laid out in my original post, is correct then? The chunkier the snuff, the more “coarse” it is? Just trying to get my lingo down Yes, I always pinch my nose after I snuff. That’s a good thing to do with all of them isn’t it? I found a trick for fine snuffs like Dholakia White - I snort a little bit of water up my nose to dampen it up … that seems to help a lot with fine snuffs. But yes, I do pinch the nose, it still tumbles out. I’m using a snuff spoon, not sure what to do

@troop111 yes, you are correct about coarse snuff The only advice I have for how to take any snuff is practice. Even similar types are different, and all of our noses are different. You’ll just have to see what works for you through trial and error

Sniff with gusto

I sometimes spray saline solution in my nose before I take that snuff, or any other SG rappee style. It helps keep it in your nose, but its still necessary to pinch your nostrils together for a minute until it presses into the nose. I was doing that very procedure just last night so I know it works… Don’t sniff too hard or it will be very nasty at the back of your throat.

Aah, HERES the thread I couldn’t find So in the order I got in yesterday was a can of SG Scotch Black. I was able to figure out the Black Rappee, but this stuff is WET. I can’t GET it in my nose, let alone get it to stay there. Anyone had this stuff? Any suggestions?

@Hitsuzen use a spoon or let it dry out some. put a day’s worth amount on a piece of paper and spread it out. If it is wet it will stick to the paper. let it air out 30 minutes it should be dry enough ,load your snuffbox. if it still too coarse put it on a plate and take the razor blade to it. If it is too dry just add a little moist snuff to it and give it a shake. Or you could mix it with a dry plain snuff like D. White

@basement_shaman Thank you, I’ll try that.

London Brown, Black Rappee and Scotch Black are some of my favorite SG’s despite the steep learning curve associated with them. I do miss McCombie in that general category. Great natural “plain” unscented snuffs. I also like their KB collection but I detect scenting in all of them, to one degree or another. GH KB is my favorite of that genre as I detect nothing in there but tobacco.

My GH KB is as old as dirt and dry as dust but still has a “real” tobacco scent. One of many I have in this category of true tobaccos.