I’m not ordering Wilson of Sharrow anymore. Their tins suck ass. This is the third tin that is damn impossible to open. I had to open my HDT #22 with a f$cking hammer. Seriously. I sent them a message saying I’m banning them until they make tins like Toque.

I only have problems with their tins if it’s a moist snuff, like Brunswick or Best Dark - the moistness of the snuff seems to stick the tin together. The lables are what I have an issue with - surely it must be possible for them to make labels where the lettering doesn’t wear off!

I agree too. Considering they make Fribourg and Treyer, you would think they would have a better packaging technique…

Yeah. Their snuffs deserve the same treatment as F&T. If I could be assured the snuff I was getting was fresh and the tin was easy to open I’d be a lot less hesitant to buy new WoS. I started out with WoS so I’m a little partial to them but now I’m gravitating towards SG and Toque since I know their snuff will be fresh.

i find the tins have a vacuum effect, a bit like a fridge, where its harder to open just after being closed, a bit like the sam g. also i have to keep the snuff out of the seal. my problem is (i have the same issue with mchrystals) no matter how well i tap it to level the snuff before opening, it still ends up nearly going everywhere. i cant understand it. im not such a fan of toque tins either, i think my favourite are the 25g sam g. easier to put lid back on one handed, and i dont mind keeping a coin handy to lever it off.

For me tins don’t matter much. I feel snuff boxes and smash boxes negate the tins.

I’m not ordering Wilson of Sharrow anymore. Their tins suck ass. This is the third tin that is damn impossible to open. I had to open my HDT #22 with a f$cking hammer. Seriously. I sent them a message saying I’m banning them until they make tins like Toque.

Your loss.

Their tins are a pain in the you know what. I just figured out how to open these things without the snuff flying all over the edge and now like you I have had these tight tins that make it even harder but I do like their snuff especially their peppermint I think like others say its time to invest in more snuffboxes containers to hold this stuff and just chuck these tins

Even smash boxes are good for this. And their cost is pretty low.

I understand that sometimes the tims can be ‘tight’, but then if they weren’t that would be a whole other complaint. I have dozens of the tins and have only had a bit of trouble with a couple of the little ones. On these just take the edge of a knife and pry at the edge by twisting. Works well. Have noted that if I have a tin that does this, it will always do this. So If I have not already repackaged the snuff, this is the perfect time to do so. LUCK… The only real persistent ‘complaint’ from me is that they are so full that when you open them there can be - slosh over - Far as that goes I’m ok with that as I figure I at least have full ones. If I rap the tin on a table just before opening the contents tend to settle out reducing this challenge.

I don’t see why people can’t open these tins. You gently squeeze the sides and the tins open right up, even my tin of Brunswick that was completely corroded solid opened this way, taking a hammer to one is just plain ridiculous. If anything they aren’t tight enough and that tape is useless since every moist 10g tin of WoS snuff I’ve ever gotten was completely dried out, the 25g tins seem to hold up better.

Hammering snuff tins remind of opening scene of 2010: Space Odyssey.

before i bought WoS i read they were hard to open. I didn’t spile the snuff but same problem with me very hard to open like McChyristals. The only way is to empty it a little bit to open easily.

A couple I have are already starting to rust. My Burgundy and the French Carotte I just received have rust all over the inside of the tins. And yes I think the labels need some work, but the few tins I have had open pretty easy.

Same here with the Burgundy. Having found a source of suitably sized glass jars I simply decant them as soon as I open them.

I’ve never experienced a WoS tin, but Snafu tins are the worst experience I’ve ever had. Those things are hard to open and reseal. The inside silicone slop-job doesn’t give me much faith that the snuff is going to stay fresh even if I can get the damned lid back on. Good thing I have two jars that the labels fit perfectly.

Just have to say that the title of this thread makes it look like WoS is getting into some strange snuff scents these days. “Anyone try wilsons new Crappy Tin snuff? Is it more crappy or tinny?”

Does anyone think that it is the age of the tins?

could be…

it’s been theorized before that wilsons has a stock of millions if not billions of these tins and the only way they’ll change is if we order more of their snuff.

That might work in reverse. They would think that everyone loves them and buy more. If it was me… I would write a pleasant letter with pictures of my order and ask them to look into it. I have done this in the past and have gotten great explanations to receiving samples or free product. Just a thought

I store all my snuff in glass jars, no problems best investment I ever made. Keeps the snuff fresh as the day I popped the lid. F&T being the exception,they stay in their film cans.

I won’t complain about these tins to Wilsons directly. They’re not the best but by far not the worst. I’d be afraid they’d go to horrible leaky plastic tapboxes if they got too many complaints about the tins. Gawith Hoggarth and Samuel Gawith both used to use the same tins, now they’ve gotten much worse. The WoS ones are actually not bad tins at all if you know how to handle them (dropping before opening). I tend to resuse them frequently to fill from bulk stocks. Once they get a little rusty they go in the recycling. I have plenty more.

I have never had one to make a personal decision on the quality of product or tin, that I’ll admit. They would more than likely say that your vendor isn’t keeping his stock fresh or improper storage.

When I get a stubborn, slightly corroded one I just use the dull blade of my pipe knife to gradually wedge the top loose enough to twist off- only takes a minute and a modicum of effort. Just be careful…

with finer snuffs wipe the edges occasionally and it will prevent the tin getting stuck. That seems to be what causes it is snuff particles getting stuck on it.

I reuse Wilsons tins like @Xander and buy those tiny 5g tins just for this purpose. Corrosion might be a problem, better check the tins regularly.

Maybe they should look at shoe polish tins for opening. I love the little lever on the side. Wouldn’t solve the rust issue

just tossed half a tin of Burgundy, too, very rusted, they should have a different container for this snuff.

I’ve been through a good few dozen WoS tins over the years as its my local brand but I’ve rarely had a problem with the tins other than when they’ve been squashed in my trousers. I’ve never had a tin rust and as @xander says, give it a tap around the rim and it should open easily. On the subject of crappy tins though, I’ve just had an 8g pot of 6 photo anarkarli delivered and the plastic pot is shocking! :(|) (like the monkey!)

I don’t order much of WoS because of those tins. I can’t even say that I’ve experienced much of the rust issue. I just loath the design, difficult to open and hard not to spill, for snuff it is just about the worst possible tin design I can imagine. I tend to reuse the tins of other brands in my workshop so maybe that plays into it, also I have old tins of tobacco I inherited from my great grandfather that are still more usable today than the WoS tin is new.

easy to open and easy not to spill. You just have to be smarter than the tin

I just had open a small WoS ,it would not turn ,So I squeezed it from the sides and it twisted right off. I guess I broke the rust seal. It didn’t look rusty but under a microscope I am sure that what was happening .

I’m amazed someone could take the criticism of a snuff tin personally.

snuff partilcles clogging the works.

@benzid No, nothing personal. I just hate seeing anyone selling themselves short by writing off some really awesome snuffs. The Wilsons tins have rarely given me any trouble opening unless they were really old or from a really moist snuff (rusted). Usually a twisting action while opening works. As for the spilling issues, I’ve said many times, maybe even this thread, that dropping the tin flat on a flat surface af ew times levels the snuff out very nicely. When opened it will be all centered and level.

Vac Tins FTW, as the young people say.

Hammers? Oh my. My fear with the WoS containers is that the tin will allow the snuff to dry out and lose their flavor. I’ve taken to re-taping them after opening. As for knives, well… “Will you be good enough to tell your friend that my snuff-box is not an oyster?” --Beau Brummell

I don’t see why people can’t open these tins. You gently squeeze the sides and the tins open right up, even my tin of Brunswick that was completely corroded solid opened this way

I say - do you know what? He’s right. Even my formerly recalcitrant tin of Best Dark, previously impervious to pleading, a well-intentioned swearword, twisting of the lid or tugging with the fingernails under the rim went ‘pop’ and opened up like an attractive young thing faced with the old Pufnsnuff charm. Top tip, my dear chap!

I have some that are nice and loose. I keep refilling them to keep on the mantle, the counter, etc. I like opening them w/ one hand.

I’ve always hated how hard the WoS tins are to open too. I just tried the squeeze method and I was quite surprised how well it worked. I should have thought of that years ago. Not seeing how they can be opened 1-handed though. The bad part, I just spilled like 1/4 of my 5g tin of Apple & Black Currant. And yes, I did tap it before I opened.

Tapping won’t cut it. You have to drop it on the table flat a couple times.

The tins I’ve had the most trouble with are SG 25 gram tins of moist snuffs like Black Rappee, London Brown and Kendal Brown.

For me, by far the most consistent challenge is with the Dean Swift tine. Have had to pry them off 100% of time…

The first time I tried to open a WoS tin I was appalled. Now I find them a breeze; I have an unusual short blunt knife type dealy that works great as a snuff ‘spoon’ and a little twist pries the tin open effortlessly. Sure, you need the focus of a Zen master to avoid spilling any but the gentle precision involved just makes me feel more sophisticated. That said, I have to applaud Toque for perfecting the snuff tin. I received about 10 different tins today and every single Toque was perfectly flush without so much as a spec out of place. Much like ring pulls on the top of tins, it makes you wonder why they haven’t all been made like this from the start.

proof you can’t please everyone which is why you should buy snuffboxes. I hate the toque tins. Now that I have a snuff box I may actualy buy more toque. If you look at a toque tin hard enough they will bend.

You guys got me hating tins and I don’t even own one B-)

Crappy tin is that bass scented? http://greatoutdoorprovision.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/alex\\_bass.jpg

Cut the tin open and decant. The worst thing about them is that if you get an old tin the snuff is often dried out, which means they are not 100% airtight. WoS clearly know this as their own advice is to store them in a fridge, which is pointless if the can is airtight. Better still buy in bulk because their bulk canisters are excellent.

Crappy tin is that bass scented? http://greatoutdoorprovision.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/alex\\_bass.jpg

No its obviously crappie scented, Black Crappie to be exact http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02\\_165687.html

i had 2 WoS 1 hedges and 1O&G 25g tins to open. I put a big paper and open the Wos tins on the paper easily but when it came to hedges i spoil 1/4 of it. Thanks to paper i fold it and put the snuff in the tin again after filling my snuff box.

Agree, just place fingers and thumbs at opposite ends of the tin and squeeze alternately. The lid will lift right off. I had the exact same problem with WoS Kendal Brown before I figured out the squeeze technique. It works great.

I don’t like the WoS tins, but I don’t have any problems opening them, and I decant all of my snuff anyway, except for the F&T. Also Brunswick or Best Dark are one of the many snuffs I like.

Bought a 4.4 g tin of McChrystal’s Violet - and the lid had no seal whatsoever. After CLOSING IT COMPLETELY -I accidentaly brushed it with my hand - it tipped over and the enire contents spilled out. I immediately transferred it to a plastic smash box. Makes WoS tins seem like vacuum packs

I put every WoS into the plastic tins, so I don’t have this problem anymore

Come on be a man, shake it well and squeeze it gently until it pops.

Bought a 4.4 g tin of McChrystal’s Violet - and the lid had no seal whatsoever. After CLOSING IT COMPLETELY -I accidentaly brushed it with my hand - it tipped over and the enire contents spilled out. I immediately transferred it to a plastic smash box. Makes WoS tins seem like vacuum packs

I just have to stare hard at my tin of Hopfen…

I’ve always hated how hard the WoS tins are to open too. I just tried the squeeze method and I was quite surprised how well it worked. I should have thought of that years ago. Not seeing how they can be opened 1-handed though. The bad part, I just spilled like 1/4 of my 5g tin of Apple & Black Currant. And yes, I did tap it before I opened.

Tapping won’t cut it. You have to drop it on the table flat a couple times.

i find shaking side to side gently-ish with the tin upright works best for me.

After CLOSING IT COMPLETELY -I accidentaly brushed it with my hand - it tipped over and the enire contents spilled out.

That’s the reason why one of my T-shirts smells like Tom Buck.

IMO, less is more when trying to open WoS tins. Twist the top with the lightest amount of pressure you can exert on the tin while still maintaining a grip, and it will open effortlessly. Squeezing hard to get a better grip actually keeps the top from twisting off.

I grip the bottom half with one hand and then use my thumbnail to work around the edge of the tin until the lid pops off. These tins have absolutely no merit as snuff containers. They are tricky to open, spill everywhere when you do get then open, rust, and allow snuff to dry out! Who was the genius that came up with the idea of using a thinly-plated steel container for a moist product?! I have had brand new, ammonia-reeking, fresh as a daisy WoS snuffs that had rust in the bottoms of the tins. I’d understand if the snuff was old and stale, but this rusting problem must happen very quickly indeed. The snuffs that I have had with this problem were mostly SP-100, which isn’t even a particularly moist snuff. The F&T tubes are my favorite (ironic since WoS make F&T). They are Aluminum so rust isn’t an issue, they are easy to open and close, and they seem to be airtight. It’s also good that they are tall and thin instead of short and wide; it exposes less surface area, thus slowing dehydration/staleness. WoS: See those boxes full of F&T tubes in your warehouse? Put all of your snuff in them!

I reuse the WoS 10g tins all the time. I refill a lot from bulk into them. I’ve had several for years, and a big box full of empties. Very few get rust. My daily SP one I just retired two days ago since it was starting to get a little rust on it after 3 years. I simply replaced it with one from my box of empties.

I just recently received my first WoS tin today, and on my way to find the “New tins you opened” thread I stumbled across this and I can’t believe the complaints this company is getting for their tins! I find the tin great… it seems to be the same one as Hedges and McC’s use… you just kind of screw it gently til it loosens and gently screw it while lifting it up somehow. It seems to vacuum itself naturally yeah, but just nudge it open with a screwing movement and there is not trouble. However, it is FAR beyond filled to the brim! The snuff towers about half a centimeter over the edge, lol, making it quite a task to take a pinch without loosing any. Lol… All in all I’m not complaining though.

I’ve ordered a LOT of Wilson’s of Sharrow tins, and I’ve learned that their quality is hit-or-miss. Most of the 25g tins and some of the 10g tins work fine, but I’ve had major issues opening and closing some of their 10g tins. One WoS Crumbs of Comfort was damn near impossible to open, I had to use a knife to try to pry the edges loose just to get the damn cover off, and of course it damaged the tin behind repair in order to open or close it again. Luckily I had an old empty tin of Crumbs of Comfort that I just transferred the new tin’s snuff into, but if I didn’t have that I’d be screwed. I’ve had similar issues with other WoS tins, like a 10g tin of Camphor & Mild and a 10g tin of Dynamite and a 10g tin of Tom Buck. Other tins open and close fine. So again, it’s hit-or-miss with the quality of WoS tins, some are good, some are really bad.

I’ve ordered a LOT of Wilson’s of Sharrow tins, and I’ve learned that their quality is hit-or-miss. Most of the 25g tins and some of the 10g tins work fine, but I’ve had major issues opening and closing some of their 10g tins. One WoS Crumbs of Comfort was damn near impossible to open, I had to use a knife to try to pry the edges loose just to get the damn cover off, and of course it damaged the tin behind repair in order to open or close it again. Luckily I had an old empty tin of Crumbs of Comfort that I just transferred the new tin’s snuff into, but if I didn’t have that I’d be screwed. I’ve had similar issues with other WoS tins, like a 10g tin of Camphor & Mild and a 10g tin of Dynamite and a 10g tin of Tom Buck. Other tins open and close fine. So again, it’s hit-or-miss with the quality of WoS tins, some are good, some are really bad.

Yup, I had a 10 gram tin like that, a PITA. Have not had a problem with the 25 gram tins, and having given up on ordering small tins, I guess that problem is solved.

Well, i guess that’s a hit/miss downside you get from their effort of make the tins as effective as possible, in regards to keeping the snuff fresh. However, it seems like the tins are intended to be decanted… can’t be expected to go around pinching from an overfilled tin at leisure anyway. I decanted half of it to tapboxes…

I used to decant tapboxes to WoS tins. I reuse mine when filling from bulk also.

I only had problems with the tiny tins. If I like the snuff then I buy the large tins and decant into glass jars. I buy and use snuff boxes. those small tins get me wondering if they would open in my pocket or get crushed to the point I can’t open them. They are nice to give samples to your friends and then they become their problem. Still easier to open than smash boxes. You need a full face shield when opening those.

Up until recently, WoS tins usually gave me a bit of a tussle in opening, but nothing I couldn’t handle - until I bought a classic 25g unopenable tin of Toast #20. I tried every trick in the book, but to no avail. No amount of shaking, squeezing, tapping or levering helped. The thing was just so jammed and rusted I had to fix it in a vice and apply a pipe-wrench to the lid, wrecking the tin in the process. In this case, it was a 25g tin and a dry snuff.

Lol xD

After figuring out how to squeeze these tins open, the suctioning problem remains, where you open the tin and it’s overflowing on one side.  I’ve started to pack down the snuff in my WoS tins.  This solved the problem, and now I don’t have to do anything to try to settle the snuff, and I just fluff up pinches as I go - similar to packed containers of Old Mill snuff.  Also, I thought by pressing out the air within the snuff, then maybe it’ll stay fresh longer…?

Similar to the topic, I’ve purchased a few new tins of WoS in the past month.  Maybe it’s a coincidence, but it’s almost as if they listened to complaints and got lids that aren’t as snug.  Two of these new tins spilled because the lid just fell right off when picking them up.  Boooo!  

I no longer use WoS or McC tins to pinch from. The factory tins are good enough to get the snuff to me and that’s it. I remove the tape, open it up, and tin it all straight into a clean recycled Toque tin or small glass jar. Job done!

I agree with the comments about the WoS tins being overfilled, but other than that I like them.  I generally buy at least the 25g size, but I have used the same 10g container for my daily pocket snuff for about a year now.  It’s dented now and has lost a little of its finish, but I like it as it’s easy to open and stays closed otherwise.  I have a few extra 10g tins on hand in case I ever lose this one.  

I’ve never had a problem opening a WoS tin and have bought many of them; I don’t know what that’s all about.

All of my WoS tins a very easy ( almost too easy ) to open except ylang ylang. That one is very very tight fitting. Accidental opening is not an issue for me because I electrical tape these shut anyways

The WoS tins do seem either loose or irritatingly tight. ive had several,usually the 5g, tins that i had to use the alternating sides squeeze trick with and several with rust but overall they are really no worse and look exactly the same to me as McChrystals, Hedges, JHWilson, which are all just as loose. i dont think its a problem unique to Sharrow at all. Yes they are filled to the brim, but i never complain about generous portions of snuff. i suspect we would be complaining if they were 3/4 full. I use the 5g and 10g tins as my daily snuffbox in conjunction with 10g Toque tins. ive always just stored my snuff in their original tins and replaced the green tape which does create a very nice seal. Hedges and McC i use electrical tape too or “pipe tape” which is identical to the green Sharrow tape. its used for sealing joints in metal pipes that contain gases (propane etc.). Yes, they arent as good as the twist off Toque tins, which have unique problems too(cross threading deformation), but better than tap boxes for sure or the plastic mini tubs FUBAR comes in, so im ok with Sharrow tins. I

I just automatically move the snuff to a rococo tap box. I put up with it simply because WoS is my favorite brand. Plus, I’m a tap box or snuff spoon kind of guy. I always get too much of a burn when I pinch it

I’ve only had a problem with their tins once. It was Best Dark and had eaten it’s way through the bottom of the tin in just one tiny spot. The snuff was still good. I regularly buy the 25 gram tins and they work just fine. I don’t understand all the bashing going on. If the tin sucks, then just put into some other container. I know they don’t keep the snuff as fresh as say, S.G. snuffs, but I’m okay with them, and I use the empty tins to store other herbs in.