Great story, Jaap!Thanks
Jaap, that is a very inspiring story. I hope you are training some apprentices to keep this project going long into the future. If not, Bart will volunteer.
Jaap you’re a true hero of the snuff world.
Thank you all for these kind words. For a more elaborate history of the mills see the article in volume two of The Snufftaker’s Ephemeris. Jaap Bes.
I read it last night. Good show, Jaap!
Hi all! I made it to Rotterdam today, and got an amazing tour! It was really incredible to see the operations, smell the tobacco, and to learn how the snuff we enjoy is made in the traditional ways. Jaap is a fantastic tour guide and I was really impressed by his knowlege of snuff and of milling in general. I learned a lot, and have much more hope for my home grown tobacco, after having spoken with him. It’s late here tonight, so I probably won’t get a chance to post my pictures until I get home, though I didn’t really take that many. I was too busy taking it all in! Thanks again, Jaap, for your hospitality and for sharing your information with all of us! It was an incredible experience that I’ll long cherish. Pictures to come.
I’m very jealous! Looking forward to the pictures!
@puffpuff: Thanks for your kind words. It was a pleasure for me showing you around. Jaap Bes.
Great, do tell us more about your visit!
That is so awesome bro!! I’m glad you got to experience that!!
Please forgive me for my newbyness… but is this the factory that makes the molens line?
Yes sir…you would be correct @EricHill78
Glad you made it, Puff! I am jealous as well!
I really only got about 4 good photos at the mill. image 1 - De Ster, from the outside 
image 2 - Jaap working tightening the rope over a karotten 
image 3 - a karotten about to get re-wrapped in a fresh piece of cloth 
image 4 - if I remember correctly, this is a large sifter, to separate the snuff by how finely it’s ground. 
If you’re really interested in great photography of the mills, check out the pictures taken by Wired Magazine’s photographer when they wrote their article:http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/06/gallery_snuff
Awesome…Thanks, Puff!!!
I have to say, though, my favorite part of the place wasn’t the visuals. It was the scents. Jaap had fresh new bags of Virginia and Kentucky Dark fired, plus a few specialty tobaccos like cyprian Latakia and VERY dark rope. Plus, the karotten were fermenting in a container on the side, and a fresh batch of tobacco was undergoing fermentation in a bin. All in the room where all our snuff is ground. AND sifted. It just smelled wonderful. 
At the end of the tour, we went down to the sampling room, where Jaap had a tray of most of the snuffs and we were allowed to sample at will.
And the crocks full of beer…and the old dog???
I saw a dog. But not an old dog. And we had some coffee, but no beer. I had been drinking beer for like 3 days straight, and had skipped breakfast so we could get to the mills and back in time to try to see a local dutch street market in Amsterdam. So I didn’t need the beer just then. It was a good time, none the less!
Wow!! That’s just awesome!! made me break out my Molens and start resampling all of em! Thanks for sharing man!
Cheers!