As I’ve mentioned in the past, I have a problem with some snuffs (particularly 6-Photo Kailash, which I otherwise love) being all clumpy and difficult to snuff. So I’m curious about the idea of an herb/snuff grinder, the kinda 4-piece grinder sets that seem to be mostly sold and used for grinding marijuana, though I only have interest in grinding snuff tobacco. Does anyone have any experience using these kinds of grinders? Do they produce a very fine grind, the way tobacco snuff should be, or would I be wasting money buying one of these? Any suggestions on a good one that would produce a very fine grind?
wasting your money, i have a couple, never going to be fine enough, they pretty much just shred/chop herbs. maybe look at a mortar and pestle or ball mill.
wasting your money, i have a couple, never going to be fine enough, they pretty much just shred/chop herbs. maybe look at a mortar and pestle or ball mill.
Thanks for the advice, I definitely won’t be spending my money one of these then. Thing that pisses me off is I used to have something I think was perfect for the job, it was a tea grinder imported from Japan for grinding green tea matcha into a fine powder. It was basically a container with a fine sieve and a flat spoon to sift the powder though, like this picture: 
The one I had got all rusted and had been to thrown out. Now I’m thinking I’ll order 2 of them, one for matcha grinding and the other for snuff grinding. I’ll report back here on how well it works for snuff grinding, if anyone is interested.
@DivinusSalviarum I know very little about matcha, and am not really a fan of green tea, but the matcha grinder is a good idea, and well worth a shot. I imagine it would be easier and quicker than a mortar and pestle and certainly food grade (wonder if you can get one made out of stainless steel so it won’t rust?). Definitely let us know how it turns out. This might be a long shot, but I wonder what kind of grinders are used in compounding pharmacies, and how they grind pills before, for example, converting them to liquid form for patients who cannot swallow pills.
@DivinusSalviarum I know very little about matcha, and am not really a fan of green tea, but the matcha grinder is a good idea, and well worth a shot. I imagine it would be easier and quicker than a mortar and pestle and certainly food grade (wonder if you can get one made out of stainless steel so it won’t rust?). Definitely let us know how it turns out. This might be a long shot, but I wonder what kind of grinders are used in compounding pharmacies, and how they grind pills before, for example, converting them to liquid form for patients who cannot swallow pills.
Well the matcha grinder I had was actually a very expensive one imported from Japan. I ordered a whole matcha tea set including the matcha grinder, whisk, bowl, bamboo spoon and handcrafted Tokoname tea pot and cups. It was just my luck that the tea grinder was the only thing that proved to not be durable and ended up rusted and having to be thrown out. But I’ve found some cheaper ones for $17 off Amazon which I’ve ordered, so I’ll see how well it will work for snuff-grinding purposes. I’m pretty sure, based on my experience with the previous matcha grinder, that it would accomplish my goal of eliminating clumps and producing a fine loose snuff powder that will be a joy to pinch.
Sad that your grinder didn’t work out, but glad you find another one to try. Not surprised that you found one on Amazon; my Prime subscription is a very dangerous thing to have. :0)
Sad that your grinder didn’t work out, but glad you find another one to try. Not surprised that you found one on Amazon; my Prime subscription is a very dangerous thing to have. :0)
Oh yeah, tell me about it, that Prime subscription really gets me ordering a lot of things I wouldn’t otherwise think of ordering, I hate having to pay shipping costs, part of why the whopping $240 shipping costs added on to my Mr. Snuff orders makes me try to load up on everything with each order. So free shipping- and free 2-day shipping- really makes it an attractive offer. (Although thanks to NY State suing Amazon, I do have to pay sales tax on Amazon purchases whereas I previously didn’t.) Unfortunately the tea grinders were only available via a third-party Amazon marketplace purchase from a tea company, so I had to pay $5.14 in shipping, but I literally couldn’t find these items in any store around here, like Teavana, and they were still a lot cheaper than the fancy one I ordered imported from Japan. (Though it was really cool receiving a package in the mail sent via Japanese mail service). But combined with the fact that I have an Amazon Visa that earns triple points back on every Amazon purchase (and the points literally convert to dollars to be spent on Amazon, earning 1000 points means you have $10 in credit to spend on Amazon), I am basically an Amazon addict.
@DivinusSalviarum Yup, I’m the same way. Love the free 2-day S&H on Amazon, plus the free 1-day S&H and free returns on Zappos (now owned by Amazon). Costco.com has free regular S&H with no minimums if you are a member there, and Target.com offers free regular S&H with no minimums if you have their store credit/debit card. As someone who hates shopping in most B&M stores, it’s amazing what you can get online. I recently needed Q-tips, but didn’t feel that they were enough to justify a shopping trip, or even stopping at a local pharmacy. Wound up ordering some from Target.com for $2 or $3 shipped. I figured that even if I paid an extra buck or two at Target.com vs in their B&M store, it was well worth my time and gas to put off a Target run for another 2 weeks, not to mention the potential for an impulse purchase in the B&M store. $240 S&H cost to NY you say on a Mr. Snuff order? Thanks, that makes me feel much better, both about the size of my recent order there and about the ~$91 I paid in S&H after the SNUFFHOUSE25 discount.
The tea grinder is a good idea. I have a Korean market close by that I like. They have a lot of Japanese things there also. I think I might get one. Anyway, in the mean time, this may help you with the tight packed snuffs: I use the spoon in the photo, third from left, chopper end. They used to carry them on Snuffstore, but anything like it will do. Scrape off a goodly amount of snuff into your snuffbox or an empty tin. Chop and chop, close and shake. Chop some more. After a bit of work they can get nice and fluffy.
Is this what your looking for? http://snuffgear.com/index.php?main\_page=product\_info&cPath=32\_73&products\_id=748
Is this what your looking for? http://snuffgear.com/index.php?main\_page=product\_info&cPath=32\_73&products\_id=748
That was the kind of item I was considering, but I decided against it based on advice here. I ended up ordering two of the matcha green tea grinders I mentioned earlier. I haven’t used them for snuff yet, but I did use one to grind up clumpy floury phenibut F.A.A. into a fine powder, so I think they will work in my goal of turning clumpy snuffs like 6 Photo Kailash into a fine powder that will be easy to sniff. I will report further details when I get around to trying to use them for snuff grinding.
I have an herb grinder for plug tobacco and thicker flake pipe tobacco. The bottom chamber fills up to a fine powder, but to grind snuff that fine. I would suggest a electric Mr. coffee grinder. They run about $15 then just run it through some panty hose to get the finest flour.
I have an herb grinder for plug tobacco and thicker flake pipe tobacco. The bottom chamber fills up to a fine powder, but to grind snuff that fine. I would suggest a electric Mr. coffee grinder. They run about $15 then just run it through some panty hose to get the finest flour.
Well a poster above had suggested I’d be wasting my money on an herb grinder because it doesn’t produce a fine grain, so I decided against getting one. Does yours produce a fine grain? An electric Mr. Coffee grinder sounds like an interesting idea, but wouldn’t that be a little overcomplicated for something simple like grinding snuff, requiring electricity? Also ground coffee is not a fine powder, so I’m not sure how effective it would be at producing finely ground snuff? The cheapest one I could on Amazon was $20 +tax and shipping. I guess maybe I’m just looking to create a much finer powder than you are, I like snuff to be completely fine and powdery and easy to slide a pinch into my snuff spoon. (Whereas right now with snuffs like Kailash, I get a clump that breaks all over the place rather than being able to sniff it, so that would definitely be my first big grinding test.) At this point I really would recommend the tea grinders I mentioned buying above, I’ve already used them to ground clumpy floury Phenibut F.A.A. into a fine powder, and I think I might try it out with snuff today or sometime soon. They were only 17 dollars, and for me they also double as being able to grind herbs and supplements like kratom and phenibut. The only thing I’m worried is cleaning them, I hope the snuff doesn’t stain or get stuck and prohibit me from using it for any other herbs. Also I’m worried about the logistics of grinding the Kailash and then somehow getting it back into the 45g tin. Anyone who’s grinded snuff have any suggestions of how to get the ground snuff back into the small tin without making a mess? So I guess soon I’ll test it out and report back my results here.
Herb grinders designed for weed sometimes have ‘pollen’ catchers- this will be what shaman is referring to. they are designed to collect the fine powder byproduct of grinding so it can be used later- shaken into food, or pressed into hash etc. the majority of the produce from a herb grinder will be too coarse. just clarifying.
Herb grinders designed for weed sometimes have ‘pollen’ catchers- this will be what shaman is referring to. they are designed to collect the fine powder byproduct of grinding so it can be used later- shaken into food, or pressed into hash etc. the majority of the produce from a herb grinder will be too coarse. just clarifying.
Alright but so then overall your suggestion that I’d be wasting my money on an herb grinder if I wanted to produce a large quantity of finely powdered snuff still stands?
yeah, youd end up with lots of shredded tobacco compared to a bit of finer shredded material that happened to be fine enough to fall through the built in sieve. i used to use one for herbs, just use a regular one now without the extra parts.
http://snuffgear.com/index.php?main\_page=product\_info&cPath=76\_80&products\_id=351 if filling vials or just use a piece of paper ,first fold it in half then open it and lay flat. do your thing and then fold the paper and slide the snuff back into your container. A spice grinder will give a finer powder .http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mr-Coffee-Electric-Coffee-Spice-Grinder-IDS55-White-CLEAN-in-Box-/111269810258?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item19e8329052 the longer you run it the finer the grind. I never had a problem with the kailash .You must had got an extra fresh batch. I been useing the 6P natural ,less messy and it is brown.
http://snuffgear.com/index.php?main\_page=product\_info&cPath=76\_80&products\_id=351 if filling vials or just use a piece of paper ,first fold it in half then open it and lay flat. do your thing and then fold the paper and slide the snuff back into your container. A spice grinder will give a finer powder .http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mr-Coffee-Electric-Coffee-Spice-Grinder-IDS55-White-CLEAN-in-Box-/111269810258?pt=Small_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item19e8329052 the longer you run it the finer the grind. I never had a problem with the kailash .You must had got an extra fresh batch. I been useing the 6P natural ,less messy and it is brown.
Yes, I was thinking something like a funnel might help me, thanks for the tip. Though it looks like Mr. Snuff doesn’t sell anything like that? 
Yeah I love the Kailash, to me it smells like a fresh meadow, I had a 6g sample packet included in my order once, and the next order I placed I threw in a 45g tin. But yeah clumpiness is a problem that makes it hard to enjoy. But I also ordered a 25g tin of Super Kailash and 30g bag of Super Chetak and they have the same clumpiness problem. To make it clear again, I love 6 Photo snuffs, but all the products do have a problem with clumpiness, which is why I was seeking a grinder. While nowhere near as great as Kailash, I had also enjoyed the Super Kailash, which I ordered a 25g tin of, but my enjoyment of the snuff was kinda ruined when someone told me it smelled like a urinal cake so now that’s what I think of when I take a pinch of it. X_X Thanks for the suggestion about 6 Photo Natural, there are only two reviews that describe it as “earthy” and “spicy”. Can you give me a better idea of what it smells like to you?
@DivinusSalviarum While nowhere near as great as Kailash, I had also enjoyed the Super Kailash, which I ordered a 25g tin of, but my enjoyment of the snuff was kinda ruined when someone told me it smelled like a urinal cake so now that’s what I think of when I take a pinch of it. X_X Non snuff users think everything smells like a urinal cake or cow dung…I truly don’t understand that, but don’t let comments like that prevent you from enjoying your snuff.
@DivinusSalviarum While nowhere near as great as Kailash, I had also enjoyed the Super Kailash, which I ordered a 25g tin of, but my enjoyment of the snuff was kinda ruined when someone told me it smelled like a urinal cake so now that’s what I think of when I take a pinch of it. X_X Non snuff users think everything smells like a urinal cake or cow dung…I truly don’t understand that, but don’t let comments like that prevent you from enjoying your snuff.
Well that’s not necessarily true, a lot of non-snuff users have complimented the scents of snuff I use, from menthol to fruits to floral scents. I once went down to speak to my mother with a nose full of 6-Photo Kailash, she picked up the scent (having no clue about me having snuff in my nose), and she said “you smell nice” and asked me if I had sprayed myself with my sister’s expensive new Marc Jacobs Ladybug perfume I spent $120 buying her for Christmas. Kailash is definitely a beautiful scent. Unfortunately Super Kailash, when you think about, does kinda smell like a urinal cake. Super Chetak is pretty similar too. While I still enjoy and use them, that thought is still in the back of my mind inhibiting my enjoyment somewhat. Urinal cakes are deliberately scented to smell pleasant after all, so it’s a pleasant smell, but I just can’t get the association with urinal cakes out of my mind. ~X(