What is snuffing like?

[Langdell]

O.K., I'm probably not ever going to try nasal snuff because I already have lifelong sinus/allergy issues and between snus and pipe I have my tobacco bases covered, but I've always been curious about a couple of things and figure you snuffers are the ones who can tell me: 1. When you take snuff, can you taste the flavor, or do you just smell it? 2. How long does the taste/smell from a pinch of snuff last? As I say, just wondering.

[ratcheer]

"Taste" is mainly a matter of smell, anyway. They used to say that the only tastes that could be identified when the nose is blocked are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. In recent decades, they have come to agree that there is a fifth primary taste, "umami". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami Every other flavor comes via the sense of smell.

Tim

[Derg]

OK, so first off let me say I'm pretty new to snuffing, but here is an attempt to answer your questions.

1. You mostly smell it. But its more complicated then that. You know how when you are hungry and you walk into a kitchen and someone is cooking something delicious? Well you can smell the food, but you can also kinda taste it. Its like that. Smell and taste are two senses that are very closely linked. In fact a friend of mine fell off his bike, hit his head and lost his sense of smell. He can now hardly taste food and always complains about it. Another way of thinking about it is when you have a cold and your nose is blocked you can hardly taste anything. So yeah, I feel like you can taste it.

2. That really depends on the type of snuff and how much you use. A menthol snuff will often stay in the nose a lot longer as the scent is just that much stronger, but there are lots of scents that can surprise you and hang around. To try and give you a ballpark figure I would think about 2 - 5 mins on average.

Snuffing is more like smoking a cigarette then snus is. It's an intense short blast that fades away pretty quickly.

Edit: Man that post took me too long and ratcheer got in there first...

[WickedKitchen]

well that's a loaded question...

Snuff doesn't stay with me like snus does. It's a quicker hit of nicotine allbeit less. I can't take a lot of snuff though (only a few pinches a day is tolerated by my schnoz and only in summer/fall) so take that with a grain of salt.

How you take the snuff matters too, and of course how much. The scent doesn't last as long as I would like. It would be nice to just take more but my nose freaks out and I don't like it. I'd say 5 minutes or so. It gets revived when I walk outside though and that's pleasant. Even an hour later the fresh air brings it back for a second. The nicotine dissappears after 20 minutes or so for me, but again, I don't take much. I think you should try it at least so you know. It's cheap enough. Stay away from a US scotch for starting though...they're so finely ground they'll put you off of it from the first pinch. Mine felt like I stabbed my brain through my nose. It brought a tear to my eye. Don't snort it either...just coat the inside of your nose with it and let it seep in. It should not get so far as your sinuses. Also, get a neti pot...you'll use it.

You don't taste it in your mouth per se. If you put a lot in then some will drip back down your throat and then you can taste it...not always pleasant like snus though.

I've tried dipping the stuff too. It's not for me.

Some snuffs come in different intensities. Some last longer than others too. I think grind has something to do with it but not always. Check out Snuffhouse.org. The people are really cool there and there's a ton to read about it.

[WickedKitchen]

both of you posted as I was typing mine. Ha!

[bipolarbear1968]

Don't let the "sinus/allergy issues" stop you from trying snuff. That was my first mistake and the reason it took me for so long to try it. If anything, it helps with the sinus issues (for me anyway).

[LaZeR]

It's like smelling farts. Some are good, some are bad. Some linger, some are more subtle. Just like farts, there is a wide variety of nasal snuff to choose from. Sun Rasili <- I think I said that right, has a strong resemblance of a farty outhouse smell.

Wait! I've just totally lost what I was talking about or trying to say with this.... ^

[bipolarbear1968]

I'd say Toque's Spanish Gem is the one to start out with.

[Langdell]

Thanks for the answers, guys! That satisfied my curiosity, and the answers are about what I thought they would be.

Edit: I was typing while LaZeR was making his post about farts. Have to say that part went beyond satisfying my curiosity and was not really an answer I expected to get. Anyway, allergies and resemblance to flatulence aside, I might give it a try someday, so appreciate the advice on how to start. Thanks again, everyone!

[Boston Mike]

I tried snuff for the first time just the other day. Bought a few different kinds. I am thinking I really like it. The Ozona line from Poschl are super easy to take, not very strong, and my local tobacconist had plenty on hand. A good one to try first.

[c.nash]

I always said I would never do snuff, but the guys here got me interested and I now own 14 tins..

It's not something I do all day like snus, but I will take between 1-5 pinches a day.

[PipenSnus]

I was reading that a lot of the "medicated" snuffs were originally marketed as cures for sinus and allergy problems. I doubt too many contemporary doctors would agree, but I think the menthol/camphor/eucalyptus would definitely open up one's sinus passages.

[c.nash]

Some people claim menthol and minted snuffs clog them up.

But lately when I've had a stuffed up nose I've thrown some McChrystals Medicated up there, waited for a little drip and blown my nose. Everything comes out of there. :P

[EricHill78]

I just placed my first order for snuff with toque and was shipped today. I was curious about that too. One thing I was curious about too was nic content in a pinch of snuff such as toque. Is it equal to one cig or less?

[Langdell]

I always said I would never do snuff, but the guys here got me interested and I now own 14 tins..

There's something about this place. I was never too interested in trying loose snus until I started hanging around here and reading about the glories of it. And now have been using it for almost the last month. Peer pressure, I guess!