Bad Samuel Gawith?

[RRK]

I got some Apricot and some London brown in my shipment today and they seem like they are not right. The London Brown rattles around in the container and sounds like pebbles and the Apricot is also a bunch of big clumps and a hard block. They are both bone dry and I thought they were supposed to be moist. Has anyone else seen something like this? I came down a little hard on the guys at Nicotine rush after they insinuated that it was supposed to be that way. I think they are going to send me replacements but I sure hope that this isn't actually the norm for these types of snuff.



Here is the email conversation we had. Regrettably I started getting mad after his first response.

Thanks Tom. Sorry for bitching about the shipping and I hope I'm not making a fuss over this if it is actually supposed to be like this, but it is unlike any other snuff I have received.

On Dec 7, 2009, at 6:48 PM, Admin wrote:

Ok, I'll ship tomorrow. I'll put 3 bucks in the package. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Tom

Ryan Krammes wrote:
Thanks, I would prefer replacements since I got recommendations to try these. I can send you pictures or if you can help me out with shipping I will send them back to you. I think with the package and shipping it would be about $3.

On Dec 7, 2009, at 6:37 PM, Admin wrote:


I wouldn't expect you to pay to ship them back. I'll just send you replacements, or I can refund for those items. Your call.
Tom

Ryan Krammes wrote:

Well, from the reviews I thought these were supposed to be moist snuff and they are both completely dry. I will send them back to you if you send me a postage paid envelope but I don't think I should have to pay even more shipping for something that I already payed $8 shipping for. I understand that the post office may be taking more time but my order already took 5 days since I got the email that said it was shipped.

On Dec 7, 2009, at 5:49 PM, Admin wrote:


I have a huge turnover with both of the items you mentioned. Both the London Brown and the Apricot are no more than 3 1/2 weeks from the manufacturer. Snuff is not measured by volume, but by weight. The Apricot, due to it's moisture, will look as if there is more than the LB. The London Brown is a coarser, less moist snuff than the Apricot. The Apricot, due to it's moistness, will tend to clump. I have snuff here that's sounds like boulders inside the tin. (and feels like it going in your nose!) LOL. Bottom line, how do they taste? Tell you what, I'd like to see the actual snuff. Send it back to me. I'll replace.
Tom

rkrammes wrote:

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E-mail::
Question::
I received an order today that contained some Gawith apricot and London brown that I think has gone bad. The london brown actually rattles around in the container and sounds like little pebbles. The apricot is also hard on the inside. I can send you some pictures if you want to see. When I opened the little boxes the apricot is also much more full then the London brown.

[tom502]

Ask this question at the snuffhouse. But I think they are supposed to be like this, and while I am not very familar with them, I was a part of a box pass that had a Kendal Brown, and it was as you described. I could be wrong though.

[lxskllr]

Apricot is medium dry if memory serves. I haven't had the London Brown, but going by the name I'd expect a slightly damp snuff.

Edit:
See here...

http://www.samuelgawith.co.uk/defaul...geId=2&CatId=6

Brown should be Moist and coarse
Apricot should be medium moisture, and fine ground.

Edit2:
I'd expect the apricot to clump like that due to traveling around, and a bit of age. It really doesn't hurt it. If the Brown sounds clattery in the box, it's dried out too much, and isn't as good as it should be. I'd blame the plastic containers more than anything.

[RRK]

Apricot is medium dry if memory serves. I haven't had the London Brown, but going by the name I'd expect a slightly damp snuff.

Edit:
See here...

http://www.samuelgawith.co.uk/defaul...geId=2&CatId=6

Brown should be Moist and coarse
Apricot should be medium moisture, and fine ground.

Neither of these really have any moisture To use them you would have to crush them again and I don't think much of the apricot would even come out of the tap box without opening the container.

[lxskllr]

I generally stay away from moist English snuffs. They tend to be delicate, and time isn't kind to them. I make exceptions for snuffs that come in solidly closing tins(F&T, Toque). They don't suffer as badly. The German snuffs use oil for moisture, so they hold up much better to time and travel.

[kjoerup]

This public airing of private correspondence strikes me as unseemly. I know from experience that Tom goes out of his way to satisfy his customers, and he doesn't sound at all unreasonable in the emails you posted.

I've had many Samuel Gawith tins, and the snuff did not look too different from what I see in your photos.

Samuel Gawith is not an extremely moist snuff, nor is it a bone dry one. What do you mean by "bone dry"? Dry as a Toast or an American Scotch? If that were the case, you wouldn't have those clumps. Clumps of snuff are an indication of moisture. This is not unusual. Take the end of a chopstick and break them up. That is a perfectly natural phenomenon.

What's more, the Samuel Gawith tins are not optimal, i.e., they are not exactly airtight. Blame Samuel Gawith for that one.

[tom502]

I got some Magnet Peach snuff one time, and it was full of little balls and clumps. I took a little knife and just chopped it up.

[RRK]

This public airing of private correspondence strikes me as unseemly. I know from experience that Tom goes out of his way to satisfy his customers, and he doesn't sound at all unreasonable in the emails you posted.

I've had many Samuel Gawith tins, and the snuff did not look too different from what I see in your photos.

Samuel Gawith is not an extremely moist snuff, nor is it a bone dry one. What do you mean by "bone dry"? Dry as a Toast or an American Scotch? If that were the case, you wouldn't have those clumps. Clumps of snuff are an indication of moisture. This is not unusual. Take the end of a chopstick and break them up. That is a perfectly natural phenomenon.

What's more, the Samuel Gawith tins are not optimal, i.e., they are not exactly airtight. Blame Samuel Gawith for that one.

These are hard clumps like it was once moist then dried out and became hard. When I shake the container it goes chinga chinga. If this is really the way they normally are then I will never order Samuel Gawith again and I am surprised that no one has remarked on this before since it is so different from any of the other snuffs I have gotten.

...and I only posted the email so that tom would not be unfairly represented by my post about his product.

[lxskllr]

Samuel Gawith is my favorite English snuff maker. Like I said, I stay away from the moist snuffs, but they have many of my favorite blends.

[Premium Parrots]

Tom @ NicotineRush is a stand up guy. Most of the suppliers that post here are. But Tom is more likely to give you his personal attention in resolving an issue. Even if he is 100% correct and you are 100% wrong he will make sure you are happy with the transaction. Just give him a chance to deal with it.

I can't say whether thats the way those 2 snuffs are supposed to be or not. I stay away from moist snuffs.

[RRK]

Tom @ NicotineRush is a stand up guy. Most of the suppliers that post here are. But Tom is more likely to give you his personal attention in resolving an issue. Even if he is 100% correct and you are 100% wrong he will make sure you are happy with the transaction. Just give him a chance to deal with it.

I can't say whether thats the way those 2 snuffs are supposed to be or not. I stay away from moist snuffs.

Yeh, Tom was totally nice and is totally trying to help me out. I didn't want anyone to think he wasn't thats why I posted our conversation. I'm not bashing Nicotine Rush I'm wondering about the snuff.

[RRK]

Ok look, I pried up a chunk in the top left of the apricot so you guys could see how this stuff is.



Could that be normal? Using the little hole in the side to tap this stuff out certainly wouldn't be very functional.

[lxskllr]

I think it might be the nature of the beast. The plastic containers are new for SG snuff, and I really don't think they're generally appropriate. The older steel tins would rust with the moist snuff, but I think they kept them in better shape.

[kjoerup]

@RRK: Have you tried to break up the clumps? Use any tool you have at hand –- chopstick, mash with a small fork, what have you. It is just sometimes necessary to do that with certain snuffs. Try that and see if the snuff seems OK to you.

I agree that the Samuel Gawith plastic boxes flat out suck. I really dislike these; they're without a doubt one of the worst designs out there. I was never that enamored with Samuel Gawith anyway, but if I were really into their snuff these new boxes would definitely cause me to hesitate over buying them again.

[tom502]

Get a sharp knife and just chop it all up. I've does this a few times.