From what I’ve read, it seems that almost everyone pinches their snuff. This does deliver a nice flow – but man, what a mess! It just happened to be a weekend when I first started snuffing that I noticed in the mirror the big brown mess around my nostrils! Holy crap, if I looked like that inadvertently at work sometime, I’d be the subject of many conversations… I’d have to learn to keep myself well cleaned up if I were going to pinch my snuff routinely. Anyway, I’ve found using a snuff spoon to be the favored way to take my snuff. Am I the rarity? How many of you folks use a spoon? They’re hard to find and often quite expensive (antiques) when I do, so I ended up making a few. I like being able to select a spoon size that reflects the character of the snuff I’m using, too. Small spoon for toast for example. Well, just curious. Anyone else take their snuff this way?

I did nothing but pinch for a long while but in the past month or so I’ve started back-of-handing (better name somebody?) because I seem to be getting more in faster and picking up nuances is the snuff a lot more.

SnuffGear carries a bunch of spoons, and other accessories.

I lost my spoon and it irks me something bad.

I’m a spooner and a tap box guy. The pinch method has never been agreeable to me. I managed to buy 10 Chinese bone spoons on ebay, got one with my Patrick Collins Tripletech box and also use a metal tool for pipe smokers (Czech pipe tool- $2 from smokingpipes.com) that has a large spoon to it - this one is for the schmalzlers!

I prefer to spoon my snuff and I find the best spoon is on a cheap Czech pipe tool that hooked mentioned.

i use a sawed off McDonalds stir stick…classy.

I use a wooden popsicle stick. I found ‘spooning’ Kendal Brown by WoS was alot easier then pinching. Pinching and back of hand being my prefered. Depends on the type of snuff is what I hear(read).

Me and my girlfriend “spoon”. If thats what you’re talking about then you are taking this hobby a bit too far.

Rdunnion you should post a pic . Lets see your technique. I joke I joke , I kid I kid.

I just found my spoon after months without it. In its place I used the corners of business cards, pen caps and (my girlfriend’s least favourite) butter knives.

Well I see that field expedients are alive and well! That’s great, now I’m loaded with new ideas for when I lose my spoon some day. I’ve tried it off the back of my hand, and that hasn’t worked all that well for me yet. I get more snuff on my face than in it. But I’ll keep trying. For a long time the only way I could take toasts or anything like it was to pinch and roll the powder into my nose. That still works very well and is my preferred way to take it. I haven’t tried a schmalzler yet but will start working on a bigger spoon for when I do! Everything I’ve read about them makes me think I’ll really enjoy them. You folks can all tell that I’m a total newbie at this. I love snuffing and can’t get through even a couple hours anymore without a snort. My wife makes disparaging sounds about the steady stream of new snuffs arriving at our house, but I keep telling her this isn’t like smoking – I want to change flavors often. There are only a couple of snuffs that have been all-dayers for me so far. I’m like a kid in a candy store sometimes…

@mmjkrm Ok you caught me! I don’t have a girlfriend. But if I did there’d be plenty of spooning’, yes sir.

spoon pinch back of hand ? get it in there!

I bet I can find that Czech pipe tool locally. Dang, I should never have looked at those pipes!

I bought a spoon, before I finished my first tin. Truly the best way to consume copious amounts.

@ddavelarsen, I can definetely relate to the wife situation lol. I’ve only places two orders already and she can’t understand I want to try them all! I just remind her how much cheaper it is than cigs plus the health aspect.

Everytime someone talks about their wife not understanding. I feel even luckier. My girlfriend makes sure I can order enough snuff. She likes the whole I’am not going to die from it thing. And that I don’t smell like shitty cigarettes.

My future wife doesn’t care at home, but if a in a tavern or somwhere else she get’s annoyed with me pinching ever couple of minutes. Back on topic, I’ve given my dad all my vials that include a spoon as he likes them more than I. He uses the back of hand, and bullet methods frequently, but never the pinch. When he spoons Dholakia White he sure gets the looks!

@Ausnuffer, you are brave or very steady! Nice knife though, I’m jealous. Haven’t seen that one before.

I know the situation with the big brown mess around my nostrils. That’s the reason why I started to use a small tube to sniff. I bought this in a Bong shop. When I asked if they got some tubes for snuff they looked at me like I’d be an alien, but finally I got my tube It’s some pipe stuff. Using this tube is very cool, because your nose (mouth, eyes) would not come in contact with the snuff. . On the other hand it is very uncomfortable to use it outside, because you woul always need a table or something like that. Even at work (where I’ve got a table) my colleagues would look kind of irritated, if I would start to sniff So, outside or at work I prefer the “normal” method, placing the snuff on the back of my hand.

@torgan Never tried a tube… Does it work with fine snuffs? I have this bad vision of trying dahlokia white with it and it going right to the back of the throat…

I also use a spoon, an ordinary teaspoon, to place enough snuff IN my hand (on the palm) and then pinch from there.

I’ve wondered about the tubes too. Maybe pinch a little into the tin lid and sniff from there? I’d think that would get some unwanted attention in public though. I might give it a try at home. So far though, the spoons are doing great by me. I found a tiny one on eBay that is perfect for toast – just the right amount. Also finally some schmaltzers came, and I know now I need to make a larger spoon for those… There’s no end to it! I always “need” something more… Someday I’ll have spoons in so many sizes half the fun will be picking which spoon to use.

@EricHill78 I’m quite new to snuff, so I don’t know if the snuff that I’ve got is fine at all. I have Ozona Rasperry Snuff Gawith Apricto Snuff Both of them are from Pöschl Tabak Germany (but these ones are not Schmaltzers). The look preety fine, like coffee, even a bit finer. With these snuffs a tube works pretty fine.

Nope torgan you got it backwards. They are coarse. Not as coarse as some snuffs.

My family’s shop used to have a mold that made two different size spoons for measuring small amounts of chemicals. I talked to my cousin over the weekend and they no longer have that particular tool. Otherwise I’d ask him to run a couple thousand of each to put up for trade. Now I’m dissapointed. They were made of thin polyethelene and I’m sure he would have used recycled plastic, possibly making them black.

Darn it.

They we’re actually pretty cool and extremely cheap. With re-grind we could have turned a profit at a penny a piece! Back in those day’s (14 years ago) I used to had them out to friends that used them for other purposes.

Dang, those would have been nice! Well, tooling these days can be made pretty cheaply, maybe this is an opportunity for an enterprising snuffer…

I’ve got an old pipe tool that I used for some of the more grainy snuffs like Wilsons Top Mill Menthol. As the weather gets colder and I smoke my pipe less and less I imagine the “coke spoon” will become a permanent snuff tool.

I use a metal baby spoon. It works fine for me. I just put the amount I want in it, and sniff.

@mcguyver75, I hope you get called back to work soon! I’m looking foward to your spoons. I don’t think a mirror polish is necessary, personally. I’ve polished the ones I’ve made out of copper and brass, but mostly just to blend the finish. A nice patina will take the polish down some over time and they’ll start looking more like workingman’s tools. Anyway, I’m looking forward to your manufacturing experiement and you can count me in for a few purchases. The pipe tool does work well, it’s pretty much just the right size for me too. But I’ve sniffed too large amounts too many times to risk using a very big spoon anymore!

I feel like a spoon should be somewhat posh. As much jewelry as tool. That is why I don’t like pipe tools for snuff. I don’t like pipe tools for pipes because I have fingers which work just as well for tamping stiring and scraping (though wash your fingers before you take a pinch or it’s kind of nasty).

I’ve looked at some old spoons on eBay that were really beautiful – silver and crystal, or cast or forged silver. They’re great and I’m safe saying I’ve bid my conscience on several of them. No winners yet though; I think there are a lot of snuff spoon collectors out there with deep pockets. Deeper pockets than mine anyway. That’s why I’ve gone the route of making my own. I can get something that’s obviously a snuff spoon for free aside from my time. I can usually make one in three hours or so depending how elaborate I do it. There sure has been a long learning curve though. I’m planning to buy some silver this weekend to see if I can make a decent one with nice material. Wish me luck.

When I get called back to my current shop, or a new shop, I will finish the mold inserts. The spoons will be finished only to an 800 grit emery. No need for diamond as they will be cheap and expendable. Once they are in production, (imagine 3 months or so) I will contact Tom and Roderick for bulk quantities for only the cost of shipping and my materials, I’m sure they will be give away’s. Like I mentioned, I have the electrode’s made already, I just need an old fashioned sinker EDM to finish them up.

I should note that the spoons in the “Triple-Tech” are VERY nice. However something I would probably lose if I used it more often. Anyone with a Dremel tool could fashion a spoon out of about any household product if they wish. If you don’t have access to carbide dental burr’s, just let me know, I’ve got hundreds available as you all probably know my dad is a dentist, and I use quite a bit of his equipment in the mold and die shop. I’ve got $3000.00 1mil plus RPM high-speed drills that I use for finish work that the companies won’t provide for basic tool-makers.

I use a bunch of cheap diamond burrs from Harbor Freight for small grinding jobs, and clean that up with Cratex. I’ve only used copper and brass so far but really looking forward to trying my hand with some silver wire.

as far as pipes are concerned. Well not really I just feel that my fingers can handle my pipe care.

Anyone care to shed some light on the spoon that comes with either Bernards Gekaltcher Virginie or Offenbacher Kardinal. I’m going to buy one of the two in my next Mr.Snuff order and the spoon is going to be the deciding purchasing reason as it’ll be my first time for both.

It looked like a shovel for a little person, if I remember right, when I got one a long ways back , (from Rajeks). I didn’t get a scoop the last time I ordered Bernards?

I use the pinch method most of the time. If you go to ebay you can find some nice silver spoons around $10.00 USC. Do a search under Salt Spoons.

has anyone else noticed the word rare means something diffrent on ebay then it does in real life?

http://www.lookintheattic.com/urac0019.html Spoon I just ordered. Been without a spoon for too long. Yes my favorite way to snuff is the spoon.

@ bob COOL SNAKE DESIGN 

Nice spoon Bob! I’d love to have a silver one, but they’re always out of my reach.

I used to have the fish one from that site and I loved it and lost it. I really like their salt spoons as snuff spoons. I like that they are fancy but don’t look cheap. When I say cheap I mean they don’t look like they are from a head shop.

http://www.lookintheattic.com/wg7615.html I used to have this one and you can not see how amazing it actualy looks when you look at the picture. It’s very finely detailed.

Man that’s sweet! I can see why you’d miss that. I’ve never seen anything like it at all, totally cool.

@ddavelarsen Depending on what snuff I’m using I will employ any number of methods. I have a tiny spoon I picked up from snuffstore and it’s really great for American Scotches, Schmalzlers and the F&T Tins. I love the way it delivers!

Yeah @thorgrimnr, I use a spoon for reaching into tap boxes, too. They’re great for many uses. When I started snuffing that’s the only way I took snuff. Now I mostly pinch though.

>:)

Also if one searches  for chemistry supplies, some basic steel and plastic spoons/spatulas/scoops will pop up here and there-often pretty cheap…

McDonalds stir stick, cut to fit into my 20g smash box.

I’m a spoon guy all the way. Since I was in college in the early eighties, I have a kit with a spoon designed for “something else.” I find it to be absolutely perfect. I have no idea whether you can still get these around college campuses or not.

@ddavelarsen You KNOW I like to use a spoon!
Dave Larsen made me one about a year ago and I use it DAILY!
It’s made of Brass or Copper, can’t recall which, and it fits PERFECTLY into my Tripletech.  PERFECTLY.
If he still made them I’d buy three more
It fits into my Tripletech like it was MADE for it.  Doesn’t bounce around or rattle at all. 
It’s one of my favorite Snuff objects! 
I also PINCH about half the time.  It just depends on what is more convenient.  When I’m out and about I tend to use the spoon more because pinching can be messy and I don’t like being covered in brown powder in public.  not that I care too much, but I do care about my appearance… and I don’t like to waste!
I’ll try and put a pic of it on here when I get the chance.

Cool Rob! I’m glad you like it and still use it. I use mine too, carry my tripletech every day. And you’re right; pinching can be very messy and uncool for one’s appearance… I went over to my brother’s house the other day and he thought my wife had slugged me because I had brown crap all over my face! So from now on, I’m looking in the mirror a LOT.

Got me new silver spoon. I swear something about silver enlivens the scents of snuff. I love the thing and I figured out the easiest way for me to use. Fill the whole bowl of the spoon with more snuff then you’ll probably sniff in two pinchs. Hold it just  under one nostril and breath in for about a second, switch nostrils repeat. The most important part is the breathing in for just a second and having a large pile of snuff. So happy to have my spoon back.

I have to admit to prefering a spoon, usually the one on my Czech pipe tool that hangs from my keychain… My pinch technique is no good, and with the spoon, I can get the amount I want, where I want it…  But I still try to pinch now and again, so hopefully I’ll get decent at it… But whadaya want, i’m a noob…

spoons are where it’s at. Or to be honest if someone can claim that pinching is all they do nothing wrong with just using a spoon. and if you’re using a pipe tool they are easy to replace.

how do you find the scent to be with a spoon

Scent is the same however you must insufflate lighter because you do not have the moderation control of a pinch.