tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3602327651621111022024-03-13T07:20:14.178-05:00Modern Snuff BlogA blog dedicated to nasal snuff tobacco, snuff-taking techniques, snuff reviews, the history of snuff, and carrying the traditions of snuff-taking into our modern world.ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-54325012904848712972018-09-07T07:46:00.000-05:002018-09-07T07:46:13.828-05:00The Neglected Sense<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Modern life seems to focus on delighting our senses. How much time and energy and money goes into entertaining our visual, auditory, and taste senses? Movies with brilliant special effects. 700 channels on our television, and the world a click away on the internet. Music, audiobooks, and a cell phone with your 24-7. Food, snacks, restaurants, candy bars. Human beings spend most of their time immersed in sight, sound, and taste.<br /><br />But, what of the neglected sense? Oh, I suppose there are fancy candles you can light to give you home a certain smell. And pine-tree shaped air-fresheners you can hang from your rear view mirror. But, aroma therapy is hardly mainstream. Our sense of smell is given a treat mainly as an accident. Some cookies baking in the oven...or the smell of cinnamon rolls in a grocery store bakery. The smell of old books in a used book store. Rich scents steaming up from a fresh cup of coffee.<br /><br />But, snuff-takers are again ahead of the curve. The olfactory sense is a major component of our pleasant habit. We choose, mix, and use snuff products in order to maximize our pleasure. We connect certain snuff brands or scents with important moments in our life. We compare notes about our sense of smell experiences, and engage in detailed discussions of this or that nuance of a scent we experience while snuff-taking.<br />
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While the nose takes a backseat to the eyes, and ears, and tongue of most people, snuff-takers put the nose front and center. <br /><br />Mark Stinson<br />
<b><a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff</a></b><br /> ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-44351208927052134272018-09-06T10:15:00.000-05:002018-09-07T01:45:35.528-05:00Trick to Moisten the Inside of Your Nose <a href="https://storageexpress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/How-to-absorb-moisture-300x188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="300" src="https://storageexpress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/How-to-absorb-moisture-300x188.jpg" /></a>Many of you probably know this little trick, so I'm posting it for those that don't. There are times when you are snuff-taking where your nose gets a little dry. This could be due to not being properly hydrated (hydrate!), or it could just be that a sufficient amount of dry snuff has gone into your nose to sort of dry things up. If the inside of your nose gets particularly dry, then any additional snuff you take will have a tendency to go too deep into your sinuses, and if you like a good back-drip, having a dry nose doesn't help get that brewing at all.<br />
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When I find myself in this situation I simply moisten my fingertips with some water, put them up to my nose, and lightly inhale some water droplets into my nostrils. Instant moisture.<br />
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Personally, I don't limit myself to just water. If I'm drinking some coffee in the morning, I'll inhale some droplets of coffee off my fingertips. Diet Mountain Dew in the afternoon...sure, why not? Enjoying a mug of root beer...yep, that'll work. I look at this method of moistening the nose as just a simple and effective way of manipulating the environment in your sinuses, to maximize your enjoyment of snuff. <br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<b><a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff</a></b>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-32152509864126734452018-09-05T12:24:00.000-05:002018-09-05T16:21:17.960-05:00Still Snuffing!<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4FWjUNcIUb8/V_Eyz5nin7I/AAAAAAAAEFM/ZFsW7iVDBr0lqeQVcojH3i8n4e1lByLFQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/pinch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4FWjUNcIUb8/V_Eyz5nin7I/AAAAAAAAEFM/ZFsW7iVDBr0lqeQVcojH3i8n4e1lByLFQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/pinch.jpg" width="246" /></a>It has been a little bit since my last blog post. Life comes at a break-neck speed sometimes, and never-so-much as when you are a husband and father of three active teens!<br /><br />But, I'm still here. Still enjoying a pinch of snuff (or lots of pinches of snuff). And still interested in gathering and sharing information about our most pleasurable of habits...snuff-taking.<br /><br />I have a couple of goals in the short term. First, I want to up-date the <a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank"><b>Modern Snuff Website</b></a>. There are still 2 or 3 pages that are unfinished and a 1 or 2 pages I would like add from scratch. The goal being to make the website a go-to place for historical and present day information about snuff tobacco.<br /><br />And I would like to bring more content to the Modern Snuff discussion group. There is nothing like fresh content to bring a social media group alive.<br /><br />Mark Stinson<br />
Modern Snuff<br />
<br />ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-38502675612159416122016-10-02T15:04:00.003-05:002016-10-02T15:04:50.986-05:00We'll Miss Chef Daniel Richard...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Monday, September 26, 2016 Daniel Richard passed away. He was 60 years old and lived in Bethpage Tennessee.<br />
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To snufftakers, he will always be known as Chef Daniel, and his loss will be felt for years to come. First and foremost, Chef Daniel was a gentleman. He always comported himself with class and generosity, and though many of us never got to meet him in person, many of us hoped to one day do so. With his passing, we will never get this chance and we are poorer for it. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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Whether he was posting about his latest creation, sharing some obscure tobacco lore, or musing about his beloved guard-kitty, Chloe...he always managed to share, or educate, or bring a smile to your face.<br />
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Chef Daniel was also an artist. He created snuffs the likes of which have never been seen, and will never be seen again. His creations were in a category all their own. The patience, time, and knowledge he brought to snuffmaking produced artisan snuffs that surpassed all other snuffs in quality and enjoyment. Do not mistake this for hyperbole. I mean this quite literally.<br />
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We have a memorial page on the Modern Snuff website that talks about Chef Daniel's philosophy as a snuff-maker, shares some details about the pain-staking process of making one of his snuffs, and features a complete list of all the snuffs that Chef Daniel offered from Old Mill Artisan Snuff, along with his beautiful descriptions of those snuffs.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/chefdaniel/index.html" target="_blank">Chef Daniel Richard Memorial Page</a></u></b></span><br />
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Feel free to leave comments about the memorial page or Chef Daniel himself here on the blog. And if you have any suggestions for the page, please share them.<br />
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Thanks.<br />
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Rest in Peace, Chef Daniel Richard.<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-378430369851465822016-10-02T11:17:00.000-05:002016-10-02T11:17:02.152-05:00Spoon vs. Pinch vs. Back-of-the-Hand<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4FWjUNcIUb8/V_Eyz5nin7I/AAAAAAAAEFI/N2MPdzafP5c23y-qs7fsKeA4haidjF89QCLcB/s1600/pinch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4FWjUNcIUb8/V_Eyz5nin7I/AAAAAAAAEFI/N2MPdzafP5c23y-qs7fsKeA4haidjF89QCLcB/s320/pinch.jpg" width="246" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;">Some folks swear by the pinch. They get to feel the snuff. Warm the snuff between their fingers. Break it up as they snuff it, as they rub their fingers together. And they get to place the snuff where they would like. Its also convenient pinching your snuff...no tools other than your fingers needed. </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;">Other folks swear by the spoon. A few snuff off the spoon itself, but most spoon it onto the back of their hand. It feels like you can take bigger doses off the the back of your hand, and with practice you can place the snuff where you want in your nose and vary the strength of your draw. </span><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;">I think the longer you take snuff, the more likely you are to vary your technique depending on your situation. I work in small engine repair, and my hands get dirty. So sometimes that makes my decision for me, as to how to take my snuff. Sometimes I'm taking my snuff on the run, and a pinch is all I can manage. Its fast, simple, and get the job done. But, if I'm sitting around at home, I'd rather take a large amount off the back of my hand. That's what I'm doing today as I write this.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;">Anyway...the whole point of my post, is don't get stuck in one method. Keep trying different things, and be willing to vary how you take snuff depending on your situation, and what you want from the snuff at the time.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;">Mark Stinson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff</a></span>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-53594334477823904052016-07-18T20:44:00.000-05:002016-07-18T20:44:33.294-05:00Life Drags you Along Sometimes...But Snuff is There<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bmrL2m0YbdE/V42FeMpyPeI/AAAAAAAAEDQ/6J1MDt-clgQSU3KUOVehJTKNapbG23-ZACLcB/s1600/mcchrystals_anisette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bmrL2m0YbdE/V42FeMpyPeI/AAAAAAAAEDQ/6J1MDt-clgQSU3KUOVehJTKNapbG23-ZACLcB/s320/mcchrystals_anisette.jpg" width="320" /></a>A dramatic turn of events. Unexpected developments. Evolving and unprecedented circumstances. Life throws these at you sometimes. Well, to be honest...a lot of the time. Some you roll with, adapt to, and learn from...while others are worth fighting with everything to resist. You can control your own approach to life, your own decisions, and your own actions...but that's about all you control. Other people are out of your control. The decisions of others are out of your control. The goals and plans of others...also out of your control.<br /><br /><b>But, snuff is there.</b> <br /><br />The amazing smells and rich fragrances. The pleasant burn and tingle in your nose. The contrasting stimulation and relaxation that impossibly wash over you at the same time. These selfish, private joys accompany you on your journey. And so much better...so very much better...if you can share these joys with other snuff-takers that share your love of this ancient practice. Gentlemen and ladies well met, and sharing in your admiration for the leaf of wonders.<br /><br />About 4 or 5 months ago, I started a new job. It quickly turned into a new career. I've been working very hard to learn a new trade...a skill set that will keep me gainfully employed for my second half of life. It has been exhausting, fun, frustrating, rewarding, and I've been loving it. But, it took away a lot of my free time. I haven't posted on this blog in some time, or visiting the Facebook page, or adding content to the message board. Just too much energy taken for the new job...and the new direction.<br /><br />But, true to the premise of this post...snuff has been there. A pinch of Pure Virginia Toast at lunch. Some McChrystal's Anisette while resting in the evening. Some Viking Dark once the kids were put to bed. Some Silver Dollar Blueberry on a Saturday afternoon. And on occasion, when in the presence of other snuff-takers, legendary snuff binges that would make the Victorians blush.<br /><br />With the insane pressures of the new job having calmed somewhat, I'll be posting more. I'll be finishing up the Modern Snuff website. And we'll see what other surprises we can bring into being.<br /><br />Mark Stinson<br /><b><a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff</a></b>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-82003229061616924862016-03-03T09:39:00.003-06:002016-03-03T09:39:45.311-06:00Mixing and Layering Your Snuffs<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jGZBGQK8fo/VthaJB-T9tI/AAAAAAAAECA/aoc9wdo3MRM/s1600/pile%2Bof%2Bsnuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5jGZBGQK8fo/VthaJB-T9tI/AAAAAAAAECA/aoc9wdo3MRM/s320/pile%2Bof%2Bsnuff.jpg" width="320" /></a>There are a wide variety of snuffs available to the modern snuff-taker. Some snuff-takers embrace their inner mad-scientist and enjoy mixing and layering multiple snuffs to create new flavor/scent experiences. Here are a variety of ways that snuff-takers have been known to mix two or more snuffs:<br />
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<b>1. </b> Actually mixing up an amount of mixed snuff in a snuff box or jar. This involves placing two or more snuffs in one container in various proportions, mixing, and then taking them. Some will go as far as to re-grind the mixture (in a mortar and pestle) and then sift it before taking.<br /><br /><b>2.</b> Mixing them in your nose. You take one snuff, and then follow with the other. This isn't as much "mixing" as it is "layering" the snuffs in your nose.<br /><br /><b>3.</b> Mixing them on the back of your hand. If you don't want to mix up a whole batch, you an put a little of one snuff on the back of your hand, and then put a little bit of another, and take both snuffs at once in a mixture. This could certainly help one figure out the proportion of each snuff that works well together before making a larger batch (method #1 above.)<br /><br /><b>4.</b> One up each nostril is a technique I've heard used, but have never tried myself. You take one snuff up one nostril, and the other snuff up the second nostril. Reportedly this is enjoyable.<br />
<br />Personally, I tend toward method #2 where you layer multiple snuffs in your nose.<br />
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I tend to layer Viking Dark with a lot of other snuffs. There is something rich and smokey about it that works well as a layer with other snuffs. Especially sweeter snuffs. <br />
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Old Mill's Pure Virginia Toast has a nice balanced sweetness that layers well with stronger, less subtle snuffs. <br />
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And, when I'm looking for some nice burn and nicotine, I like to layer with WE Garrett Sweet Scotch snuff with other snuffs. When combined in my nose with a stronger scented snuff, WE Garrett's sweetness sort of falls into the background and increases the enjoyment.<br />
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If you have a particular method or combination that you enjoy, please feel free to share it in the comments.<br /><br />Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-62768604228082295042016-03-01T08:21:00.000-06:002016-03-01T08:21:34.263-06:00Strange Snuff Machines<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PmJqqUwiwdk/VtWj28BP-PI/AAAAAAAAEBc/FCclUyxf8hU/s1600/Snuff%2BMachine%2Bwith%2BMirror.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PmJqqUwiwdk/VtWj28BP-PI/AAAAAAAAEBc/FCclUyxf8hU/s320/Snuff%2BMachine%2Bwith%2BMirror.jpg" width="320" /></a>Have you ever used an odd contraption or machine to deliver snuff into your nose? I tend to see these snuff-machines as somewhat gimmicky devices mainly meant to cause a spectacle at a restaurant, bar, or party. I can't imagine someone using one for daily use.<br />
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I've actually gotten to use one at Gasthof's German Restaurant in Minnesota. Two piles of snuff are placed on the device under your nostrils, the waitress snaps the board, and you sniff right as the snuff is fire upwards into the air.<br />
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Just another quick personal story on this topic. I was having a big back-yard party and I wanted to entice some folks to try some snuff. And nothing entices people to try snuff like a weird contraption that fires it up your nose. But, I didn't have a snuff machine lying about.<br />
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So, I went and got two new paint stirrers out of the garage. Basically two flat thin pieces of board. I think rulers would have worked, but I didn't have any rulers. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-czLyNgrjuYQ/VtWj5uctxBI/AAAAAAAAEBg/dHZaWXzqq9c/s1600/Infamous%2BSnuff%2BMachine%2Bat%2BCanyon%2BLodge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-czLyNgrjuYQ/VtWj5uctxBI/AAAAAAAAEBg/dHZaWXzqq9c/s320/Infamous%2BSnuff%2BMachine%2Bat%2BCanyon%2BLodge.jpg" width="320" /></a>I placed two piles on the end of paint stirrer, placed the piles under a friend's nostrils, and told him to sniff lightly when I struck the paint stirrer. I basically just tapped the paint stirrer holding the piles of snuff with the other paint stirrer, and it fired the snuff upwards just like one of these snuff machines.<br />
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I would say about nine people at the party tried snuff, mainly because there was alcohol involved and a weird method of taking the snuff.<br />
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I've added a photo album over at the Modern Snuff website featuring some of these snuff-machines. If you have any photos to add to the album, please share them with me! <br />
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<b><a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/albums/index.php?album=Snuff-Machines" target="_blank">CLICK HERE </a></b>to view the album.<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-19928282081433173802016-02-28T23:09:00.002-06:002016-02-28T23:09:38.535-06:00The Mystery of the Garrett Snuff FortuneThe following article is archived from Delaware Today, located <b><a href="http://www.delawaretoday.com/Delaware-Today/July-2015/The-Mystery-of-the-Garrett-Snuff-Fortune/" target="_blank">here</a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Mystery of the Garrett Snuff Fortune</span></b><br />
<b>A fortune built on Red Clay Creek went mostly to lawyers.</b><br />
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BY MARK DIXON<br />
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Haven’t written a will yet? Then, you should know about the Garrett Snuff fortune—$30 million, most of which went to lawyers.<br />
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The story begins in 1930 when Henrietta Schaeffer Garrett—a childless widow and heir to a fortune that took 150 years to build—died without heeding her long-dead husband’s request that she write a will. By the time it was over in the 1950s, more than 26,000 self-proclaimed heirs had come forward to claim the estate.<br />
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“Like ants frenzied by a blog of sticky honey, the alleged heirs…converged on Philadelphia by bus, train and automobile,” wrote historian Clifford Weslager. Dozens misrepresented their own ancestry, accused their dead parents of having affairs and falsified official and family documents to present themselves as Garrett heirs.<br />
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In Germany, a man who shared Henrietta’s maiden name shot his aunt and uncle after they refused to fund his trip to America to claim the Garrett fortune. (In remorse, he then committed suicide.) In Philadelphia, “someone” slipped an entire forged page into the bound files of death certificates in the vital records office. Even Henrietta’s trusted business manager made his play.<br />
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“One searches the voluminous records of the Garrett case in vain to find an unselfish character to contrast the godly with the unrighteous,” wrote Weslager. “There was one wholesome, fine, upright person, and that was Walter Garrett, whose money was the cause of it all.”<br />
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Garrett was the great-grandson of John Garrett, who began making snuff in 1782 at what had been a flour mill on Red Clay Creek near Yorklyn. Snuff is a form of powdered tobacco inhaled into the nose by users. Natives of Brazil are the first to have used snuff, which was introduced to Europe by a Franciscan monk after he noticed natives using it on Columbus’ second voyage in 1493. By the 18th century, snuff was the tobacco product of choice among elite Westerners.<br />
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Garrett Snuff was long a leading brand, mostly because the family got into the business early and built a lead over other producers. Folk tales in New Castle County asserted that the water of Red Clay Creek conveyed special properties to the Garrett products. But, according to Weslager, the tobacco was grown elsewhere and Garrett manufacturing processes were nothing unusual.<br />
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It was a hugely profitable business. In 1850, Walter’s father, William Garrett, built what Weslager called “one of the most pretentious mansions in Christiana Hundred”—three stories tall with 19 rooms, oak floors, paneled doors, wainscoting, fireplaces with marble mantles and balustrade stairs. Locals called it the “snuff mill mansion.” And it wasn’t even William Garrett’s full-time home; he had moved to Philadelphia. William Garrett bequeathed the snuff mill to his sons, Walter and William Jr., the latter of whom died childless, thus returning his share to his brother.<br />
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When Walter Garrett married Henrietta Schaeffer in 1871, he was a 40-year-old bachelor—tall and heavyset, with a flowing mustache, who wore a frock coat, starched collar and silk hat. She was 22, and blond and had left school in the eighth grade. As one of the richest men in Philadelphia, Garrett had a wide choice of potential wives. According to Weslager, however, he was “smitten” when he saw Henrietta scrubbing the stoop in front of her parents’ house on South 13th Street.<br />
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“A latter-day Cinderella story” is how the newspapers described it. Walter bought her a three-and-a-half-story house on South Ninth Street. Then he bought the house next door for her family and connected the two so Henrietta could visit her family at will. He also provided a coach and horses, a coachman, a cook, a personal maid and a downstairs maid.<br />
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“To say that Walter loved his pretty, young wife is an understatement,” wrote Weslager. “He adored her, he cherished her and he became so devoted to her that he didn’t want to leave her side.” Henrietta didn’t like highbrow amusements such as the opera, so Walter stopped going. She did like sentimental sheet music, so he bought her a rosewood piano on which to play it. She also liked Atlantic City, so he built her a 10-room “cottage.”<br />
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But Henrietta was not dumb. After Walter died in 1895, she did not blow the $6 million he left her. She lived modestly—more so than Walter—and kept careful track of her investments. Her physician would later testify that he often found her reading stock reports when he made house calls. In the 35 years before her own death, the estate grew to $17 million and to $30 million by the time it was distributed in 1951.<br />
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Settling the estate took years because every claim had to be investigated. In 1937, Henrietta’s body was exhumed to confirm that no will had been secreted in the coffin. Genealogists produced a three-volume report dismissing relationships to all but three cousins. These were people Henrietta had never met, but to whom she was related through her mother.<br />
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Afterward, workers went to Henrietta’s house on Ninth Street with orders to smash everything, including the rosewood piano. Administrators had decided that nothing could be sold, lest some buyer later use an item to claim a relationship to the family and make a new claim on the fortune. The fragments were loaded into seven wagons, transported to a lot outside the city and burned.<br />
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Now, call your lawyer and make that will.<br /><br />--------------------------------<br />
--------------------------------<br /><br />I found this article interesting, because it refers to the Garrett snuff empire, and suggests how successful it was. It is sad to think that the fortune had no direct heir to go to, and that the whole thing ended in a huge legal battle and all the money going to lawyers.<br /><br />Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-40859373116634677762016-02-26T11:03:00.000-06:002016-02-26T11:11:09.228-06:00Famous Snuff-Taker - Samuel Johnson<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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Dr. Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. Johnson was a devout Anglican and committed Tory, and has been described as "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history." He is also the subject of "the most famous single biographical work in the whole of literature," James Boswell's <i>Life of Samuel Johnson</i>.<br />
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Samuel John spent eight-years compiling and writing his <i>A Dictionary of the English Language</i>, with 42,773 word entries, and approximately 114,000 literary quotations included to illustrate the usage and context of the words. Johnson had planned to complete the work in three years. In comparison, the Académie Française had forty scholars spending forty years to complete their dictionary of the French languate, which prompted Johnson to claim, "This is the proportion. Let me see; forty times forty is sixteen hundred. As three to sixteen hundred, so is the proportion of an Englishman to a Frenchman."<br />
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Johnson was a tall and robust man. His odd gestures and tics were disconcerting to some on first meeting him. Boswell's Life, along with other biographies, documented Johnson's behaviour and mannerisms in such detail that they have informed the posthumous diagnosis of Tourette syndrome, a condition not defined or diagnosed in the 18th century.<br />
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It is said that Dr. Johnson took snuff by the fistful and filled the pockets of his coats with the magic tobacco dust. Below is an image of one of his snuff-boxes. It is carved ivory in the shape of a gloved hand. It has a silver top that is engraved with, "Dr. Samuel Johnson, The Lexicographer, 1770, From a Friend." (Circa: 1770, Size: 4" H x 2 1/8" W x 1 3/4").<br />
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Mark Stinson</div>
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<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff</a></div>
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<br />ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-35390268052123061322015-12-12T11:11:00.001-06:002015-12-12T11:17:54.029-06:00The Dreaded Snuff-Binge<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qDRVKncX-5U/VmxU6TIfB3I/AAAAAAAAD7M/-_l6eJlqxPE/s1600/snuff_shovel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qDRVKncX-5U/VmxU6TIfB3I/AAAAAAAAD7M/-_l6eJlqxPE/s320/snuff_shovel.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm fairly sure every snuff-taker has done this at least once. I'm talking about the snuff-binge. Sometimes it happens when you find one particular snuff you really really like. Sometimes a snuff-binge is sparked by receiving a new selection of snuffs in the mail. Sometimes it happens after a busy week, when you finally have a whole evening just to relax. Whatever the cause, the occasional snuff-binge is sort of amusing.<br />
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We like to think of ourselves as discerning and sophisticated snuff-takers, enjoying the scents, flavors, and traditions of our age-old activity in a calm and reflective capacity. And most of the time we are. But, the snuff-binge is a little bit of our base nature peeking through the cracks of our civilized veneer. Just as some animals will eat lethal amounts of food before they realize what's happening, there is some needy animal part of our brain that takes over sometimes, and a full-on snuff-binge results.<br />
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I will admit to a snuff-binge last night. I received an amazing order of snuff. I told myself, "Hey, Mark...try these slowly. Control yourself. Just enjoy each new snuff at your regular snuff-taking pace, and spend the next couple of days trying each of these new snuffs." I was resolved to exercise a Gentleman's level of control. But, the <i>kid in a candy store</i> part of my brain took over, and four hours later I had taken copious amounts of every kind of snuff I had received. My nose was thrumming and felt heavy and a little numb. My eyes were dry in their sockets and red like a stop sign. Used kleenex littered my desk top. I was surrounded by a jumble of snuff tins piled here and there. I was happy as pie, but a little disappointed in myself!<br />
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I would love to say that I will never have one of these snuff-binges again. And you probably tell yourself, "Never again. I'm a sophisticated snuff-taker, and completely in control." But, odds are...some delicious selection of snuff is going to show up in your mail one day, and you'll once again fall prey to that grabby greedy part of your brain that can't have enough. When that happens, don't be too disappointed in yourself. It was only a matter of time..<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a><br />
. ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-2845111970015845682015-12-11T20:54:00.000-06:002015-12-11T20:54:07.809-06:00Sarsaparilla from Old Mill Artisan Snuff<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_cESfffNONY/VmuKoPyBkgI/AAAAAAAAD64/8gUIuhLYj7c/s1600/sarsaparilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_cESfffNONY/VmuKoPyBkgI/AAAAAAAAD64/8gUIuhLYj7c/s320/sarsaparilla.jpg" width="320" /></a>I started into the new Sarsaparilla snuff from <a href="http://www.oldmillsnuff.com/home.html" target="_blank"><b>Old Mill Artisan Snuff</b></a> today. And I thought I would post some of my impressions of it. Like all Old Mill Snuffs, when you open the tin you are immediately struck by how densely packaged the snuff is in the tin. It is packed to the brim with the finely ground tobacco, and its best to use a spoon (or other small object) to fluff it a bit in the center and portion out the snuff you are going to take.<br />
<br />The Sarsaparilla snuff is a medium brown color and has moderate moisture. It sticks together a little bit, and is moist enough to clump if pressed together. I usually spoon it onto the back of my hand, and then spread it out a little bit. You have to snuff it delicately, so you don't pull it too far into your nose. The moisture makes it much easier to take than an American Scotch, but the medium-fine grind requires you to go a little easy with it.<br /><br />Here is the description of the snuff from the Old Mill website:<br />
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<i><b>Sarsaparilla:</b> Stoved red Virginia, toasted St. James Perique and a small amount of dark air cured Burley are dressed with a cocktail of Jamaican sarsaparilla root, dandelion root, wild cherry bark, ginger root, juniper berries, cinnamon sticks, black malt syrup and vanilla beans then conditioned in toasted Colorado Blue Spruce crates. When fully matured the leaf is air dried and milled to a medium fine grind with moderate moisture for a snuff reminiscent of root beer, without the sweetness.</i></blockquote>
So, how's the scent/flavor? The short answer is DELICIOUS. The methods that Chef Daniel of Old Mill uses to make his snuff ensure that the scent is rich without any hint whatsoever of anything artificial. There is this spicy "root beer" flavor to the snuff, but its more than that. There is both a richness and a creaminess that is something beyond just a "root beer" flavor. I love blended root beer floats at Sonic, and this snuff reminds me of that combination of creaminess and spiciness you get with those. Chef Daniel says "without the sweetness" in his description above, but there is a subtle sweetness there, mostly likely from the way the tobaccos were prepared.<br /><br />In my nose, the snuff lingers quite well. It diminishes over time, and the spicy "root beer" flavor changes over time, revealing layers of complexity. It is one of those snuffs where you can sit and enjoy the changes in the scent over time. I snuffed up enough of the Sarsaparilla in a short amount of time, that I generated a throat drip. Much like Old Mill's Pure Virginia Toast, the throat drip has both a pleasant flavor and subtle burn. With moderate use, this would be unlikely to develop any drip at all.<br />
<br />Chef Daniel only sells to individual snuff-takers directly. So, if you are interested in getting some of the Sarsaparilla, simply go to the <a href="http://www.oldmillsnuff.com/contact.html" target="_blank"><b>Old Mill Website</b></a> and use the contact form to start communicating with him. He'll get you the price list and set things up with you.<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-41523286307020296022015-12-09T20:25:00.000-06:002015-12-09T20:25:24.332-06:00Scent-Track to Our Lives<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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I had a weird thought the other day. You know how people take their MP3 player everywhere? Its like adding a sound-track to your life. Or sometimes people joke about a signature theme song playing everytime they walk into a room, like what happens with heroes (and some villians) in movies and television. Music sets a tone. It adds flavor to life. It is mood altering, and adds extra layers of meaning.<br /><br />Snuff-takers have a SCENT-track to their lives. The world just smells better all the time when you are a snuff-taker. You can choose what the world smells like. Snuff-takers often take different snuffs in different situations. Snuff allows you to augment and take advantage of one of your five senses, and feed it with sensory input. Snuff sets a tone. It adds flavor to life. It is mood altering, and adds extra layers of meaning.<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-14834127317231698872015-11-26T19:54:00.000-06:002015-11-26T19:54:04.577-06:00The Creation of a Modern Shoe-Shaped Snuff Box<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There was a trend in Victorian times of making shoe-shaped snuff boxes. They actually made a lot of things in the shape of a shoe, for novelty purposes. It also had a good luck meaning, and shoe-shaped snuff boxes were given as wedding presents and to travelers about to head out on a journey. For more information about shoe-shaped snuff boxes, <b><a href="http://modernsnuff.blogspot.com/2015/10/why-some-snuff-boxes-are-shaped-like.html" target="_blank">Read This Blog-Post</a></b>.</div>
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A friend of mine in Minnesota is a wood-carver. His name is Joe Jarvinen. He recently began carving snuff box in the shape of a shoe. Below are photos showing his progress from the rough shape, to adding detail, to refining it, and finally adding an oil-rubbed finish. There will be a hinged lid for the snuff box, and Joe told me recently that he is working on the lid right now. Click on any of these photos to see larger versions. </div>
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When Joe is done with his project, I'll share photos fot he finished version. What a beautiful project. Even more so because it honors an old Victorian snuff-taking tradition.<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-25392176057723101062015-11-22T23:40:00.000-06:002015-11-22T23:40:06.515-06:00Types of Snuff Page Complete!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bjRElqvTGlM/VlKmiNV13BI/AAAAAAAAD5o/p9oRUvHYofc/s1600/Two%2BModels%2BTaking%2BSnuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bjRElqvTGlM/VlKmiNV13BI/AAAAAAAAD5o/p9oRUvHYofc/s320/Two%2BModels%2BTaking%2BSnuff.jpg" width="320" /></a>Well, it took a little while to get all the information together and finish it, but the Type of Snuff page on the Modern Snuff website is complete! <b><a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/types" target="_blank">Click Here</a></b> to access the new page.<br />
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We took the approach of listing categories of snuff based to some degree on flavor or scent. But, there is also information on the grind of the snuff, fermentation, tobacco varieties, etc. The goal was to give a new snuff-taker the tools to understand conversations that take place between other snuff-takers, and to give them a starting place when choosing the kinds of snuff they might like. Besides describing the snuff categories, six examples of snuff products were given under each category.<br />
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The page was just uploaded today. If you find any information on the page that is incorrect or that could be presented in a better way, please email me at mark@modernsnuff.com and let me know.<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-81312405718781646732015-11-14T10:48:00.000-06:002015-11-14T10:48:42.977-06:00The Modern Snuff Blog One Month In...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This blog has existed for a little over month now, having started on October 10, 2015. I thought it might be fun to report on the blog's progress thus far, and some of the blog's statistics.<br />
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In the first month of the blog there were 46 blog posts. During that first month there were 1552 page views by visitors. Those visitors were from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Spain, Germany, Canada, Italy, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Australia.<br />
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By and large, the majority of this traffic came over to the blog from the Modern Snuff website itself, followed closely by people who came over from Facebook. A surprisingly smaller number of visitors came over to the blog from the Snuffhouse message board and search engines.<br />
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I'm very pleased with how the blog is going, and I hope those of you visiting the blog are enjoying it.<br />
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:-)<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-77217069233064805212015-11-13T19:36:00.000-06:002015-11-13T19:36:04.498-06:00Continuing a Tradition of Enjoyment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When compared with other ways of enjoying tobacco, there just aren't that many snuff-takers. Especially here in the United States, it is possible to be a snuff-taker for years and not meet another snuff-taker face-to-face. That makes us a little unique. Many of us are a singularity in our lives. We exist on an allegorical desert island of snuff-taking, alone in our enjoyment of his wonderful activity.<br />
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Of course, it is easy enough to communicate with other snuff-takers on-line. There's discussion groups on Facebook, an active message board or two, and you can private message and email other snuff-takers that you meet in these on-line venues. Snuff-takers that have never met each other in person, do each other favors, trade snuff through the mail, and help each other get snuff that isn't available in some areas. This is a lot of fun, but still...in real life, in person, many of us are alone.<br />
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But that's alright. While in a literal sense we are isolated in our snuff-taking, we are continuing an age old tradition. A tradition that brings us comfort and joy. A tradition that relaxes us when appropriate, and stimulates and focuses us in times of need. A tradition that strikes at the very origins of tobacco use in the Western World. Tobacco lends itself so easily and perfectly to snuff-taking. The existence and attributes of tobacco ensures that there will always be snuff-takers.<br /><br />Just some random thoughts tonight, with my snoot full of snuff. :-)<br /><br />Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-86313740455028836512015-11-13T17:19:00.001-06:002015-11-13T19:36:29.436-06:00Misadventures in Snuff-Taking!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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There are times where things just go wrong. A little carelessness or a little bad luck, and the next thing you know snuff is everywhere. I thought I'd share three misadventures I've had with snuff...<br />
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I"ll start with what happened just the other day. I was working very hard at work, framing a house. Lots of physical activity, moving around, etc. When I went to lunch and pulled out my money to pay, it was strangely brown. Looked like I had gotten a whole bunch of dirt in my pocket or something. I didn't really investigate further. When I got home, I sat down to have some snuff and relax. I reached in my pocket, and the little metal pill bottle filled with Viking Dark had no lid! I pulled it out, and it was empty. But my pocket was far from empty. I had a pocket full of Viking Dark, and everything in my pocket was encrusted with it... change, bills, receipts, keys, bills...everything.<br />
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When I spoon onto the back of my hand, I hold the tin in the hand I'm snuffing from (left) and spoon with my other hand (right). I usually take snuff from the flat meaty part of my hand behind the thumb, and as I rotated my hand to take the snuff, I dumped the tin of McChrystal's Annisette I was holding onto the floor. It was like those people who dump their drink when turning their hand to check their watch.<br />
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Another time, we were at a Cross Country meet that my son was running in, and it was cold out. I had been snuffing, and the cold was making my nose run. There were people everywhere. My daughter looked at me with huge eyes, and said, "There's brown stuff running out your nose!" I had been running around for several minutes in this huge crowd with a big brown snuffy Hitler mustache.<br />
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I think stories like these are comparable with smokers dropping a lit cigarette between the seats while driving a car, or tobacco dippers accidentally drinking from their dip cup. LOL. If you like to share your own misadventure, post it in the comments. Or join us in the discussion over in the Modern Snuff group by <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/modernsnuff/permalink/191077657894869/" target="_blank">Clicking Here</a></b>.<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-62218226121350193662015-11-08T14:01:00.000-06:002015-11-08T14:01:10.982-06:00Frederick the Great Was Saved by his Snuffbox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Frederick the Great ruled Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. Frederick aspired to embody the Platonic ideal of a "philosopher-king." He was a poet, a writer, a musician, a domestic reformer and a brilliant military strategist.<br />
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Frederick led his nation through multiple wars with Austria and its allies. His daring military tactics expanded and consolidated Prussian lands, while his domestic policies transformed his kingdom into a modern state and formidable European power. He was an enthusiastic patron of the arts and sciences, and corresponded with the top minds of the Enlightenment. He had a long and sometimes contentious friendship with Voltaire.<br />
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Frederick The Great used snuff, especially under the stress of command. Once a musket balll hit a snuff box in his breast pocket, saving his life!<br />
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The cynical temper of Frederick the Great is well known. Once when his sister, the Duchess of Brunswick, was at Potsdam, Frederick made to the brave Count Schwerin the present of a gold snuff-box. On the lid inside was painted the head of an ass. Next day, when dining with the king, Schwerin, with some ostentation, put his snuff-box on the table. Wishing to turn the joke against Schwerin, the king called attention to the snuff-box. The Duchess took it up and opened it. Immediately she exclaimed,' What a striking likeness! In truth, brother, this is one of the best portraits I have ever seen of you.' Frederick, embarrassed, thought his sister was carrying the jest too far. She passed the box to her neighbor, who uttered similar expressions to her own. The box made the round of the table, and every one was fervently eloquent about the marvelous resemblance. The king was puzzled what to make of all this. When the box at last reached his hands, he saw, to his great surprise, that his portrait was really there. Count Schwerin had simply, with exceeding dispatch, employed an artist to remove the ass's head, and to paint the king's head instead. Frederick could not help laughing at the Count's clever trick, which was really the best rebuke of his own bad taste and want of proper and respectful feeling.<br /><br />Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-39789719032935411682015-11-06T21:30:00.000-06:002015-11-06T21:30:00.457-06:00Hitsuzen's Review of Pöschl Perlesreuter SchmalzlerThis is part 4 of a 4 part series of Schmalzler snuff reviews. This one is all about Pöschl Perlesreuter Schmalzler. Watch it, and if you like it, subscribe to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbJ_bbFyEFwLUSf8ymDaZUA" target="_blank">Inna Pinch channe</a>l.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GjHaSah49kg" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-36941638414062261842015-11-06T15:30:00.000-06:002015-11-06T15:30:00.887-06:00Two New Pages Added to Blog Menu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over time, my intention is to add key content from the <a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a> here on the blog as well. With the modern attention span what it is, getting a casual web-surfer from the blog to the website or from the website to the blog is a crap-shoot at best. So, the thought process is to make the blog as complete as possible and the website as complete as possible, so which every one is first encountered by a new snuff-taker...they will get useful information with which to work.<br /><br />I've added "How to Take Snuff" and "Snuff-Taking Tips" pages to the menu of pages at the top of the blog. Look up there...you'll see 'em. If you have any suggestions for either page, please contact me or comment on this blog post. Thanks!<br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-7154742199574280642015-11-06T12:00:00.000-06:002015-11-06T12:00:04.742-06:00Hitsuzen's Review of Pöschl SchmalzlerThis is part 3 of a 4 part series of Schmalzler snuff reviews. This one is all about Pöschl Schmalzler. Check it out. And if you like it, subscribe to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbJ_bbFyEFwLUSf8ymDaZUA" target="_blank">Inna Pinch channe</a>l.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zr09hLaP36I" width="420"></iframe><br />
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-37755977049670381012015-11-06T09:58:00.000-06:002015-11-13T19:36:44.047-06:00Snuff-Takers are Civilized and Polite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm in my later 40's and I've rubbed elbows with all sorts of people in my day. The poorest our country has to offer, the wealthiest you could deign to find, and everything in between. I've have multiple hobbies and interests, and as a fairly out-going social person, I tend to seek out people who share my hobbies and interests. The best of course is face-to-face associations and friendships, but in this day and age, the option to interact with others as a distance has never been easier or more available.<br />
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All this is to say, I am entirely impressed by the polite and gentle behavior of the snuff-takers I have interacted with thus far. The snuff-takers I've met face-to-face are always happy to have met a fellow traveler, and are quick to jump into conversation and to offer a pinch of their favorite snuff. Meeting a snuff-taking stranger, is like meeting a long-lost friend with all the attendant joy and need to catch up. <br />
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Online, snuff-takers are welcoming, humble, quick with advice, slow to deride or pass judgement, and show a calmness in their interactions that only confidence and a pinch of snuff could lend a person. Snuff is talked about, traded, gifted, and held aloft as an unbreakable common bond. Jaded by my interactions with the average person online, I find myself thinking it is too good to be true at times. I find myself bracing myself for the next attack. Watching for the knife stuck deftly into the shoulder-blade, as a well-practiced internet-warrior makes a cowardly attack from behind. But, the attack never comes...the blade is never bared.<br />
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If you have found yourself drawn to nasal snuff, and you are curious, or need advice, or simply want to interact with other snuff-takers, reach out. You will never find a more welcoming group of people. Feel free to join both of the groups below, and thus enrich your own enjoyment of snuff-taking. You will certainly find some fine acquaintances, and maybe a friend or two in the process.<br />
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<li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.snuffhouse.com/" target="_blank">Snuffhouse Forum</a></span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/modernsnuff/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Facebook Group</a></span></b></li>
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Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-64930247705373627522015-11-05T20:30:00.000-06:002015-11-05T20:30:01.235-06:00Redheart Double-Bowl Snuff Spoon - Hand CarvedThis is a double-bowl snuff spoon, designed to allow a bowl-full of snuff to go up both nostrils at once. I carved the spoon from beautiful redheart wood and this is its natural color and finish. This spoon was given a long and graceful handle to make it easier to use and maneuver. Double-bowl snuff spoons were very common among the snuff-taking Zulu tribes. The double-bowl on this spoon can be loaded from the smallest tin, smash-box, or snuff box. If you are interested in this spoon or others, visit <a href="https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/home/CarvingsbyMark" target="_blank"><b>My Shop</b></a>. Click on any of the images to see a larger version.<br />
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Mark Stinson</div>
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<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a></div>
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<br />ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360232765162111102.post-48780438933433709602015-11-05T06:30:00.000-06:002015-11-05T06:30:02.085-06:00The Marie Antoinette Most of Us Don't Know<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the 18th century giving a snuff box as a present became a sign of exalted gift-giving. Marie Antoinette had fifty-two gold snuff boxes in her wedding basket. While this may seem extravagant, it should be remembered that in the eighteenth century the snuff box was the equivalent of jewellery and not only did the snuff box change with artistic fashion but anyone who was anyone needed to have a variety of these boxes.<br />
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What most people think they know about Marie Antoinette is actually false. She was originally Austrian. She never actually said, “Let them eat cake.” She was a champion of the American<br />
side of the Revolutionary War, and without her efforts the war might have ended quite differently. After the French Revolution, none other than the American revolutionary Thomas Paine (at that time part of the French Legistlature, as strange as that sounds) advocated exile for the Royal Family to the United States, rather than death. Marie Antoinette was a loving dedicated mother, and she faced execution by guillotine bravely. Marie Antoinette also took snuff, though it is said she was more likely to carry a box of bon bons on her person, than a snuff box.<br />
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She may have also standarized the modern handkerchief as we think of it today. The handkerchief has a long history as a piece of cloth carried to clean one's nose. But, prior to the triumphant arrival of tobacco (specifically snuff tobacco) in Europe, the handkerchief had become an object of fashion. Snuff brought the handkerchief back to its original purpose, as it became indispensable for cleaning snuff-stained noses! White handkerchiefs were hardly suitable for this and people took to using large, coloured kerchiefs to hide the stains. Up until this time, the handkerchief had come in many shapes, such as round, square, triangular, etc. According to legend, one day Marie Antoinette at Versailles remarked that the square-shaped handkerchief was the most pleasing as well as convenient. This prompted Louis XVI to make it mandatory for all handkerchiefs produced within the kingdom to be square in shape. And the rest, as they say, is history...<br /><br /><b><a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/famous/index.html" target="_blank">Click Here</a></b> to read about more famous snuff-takers.<br /><br />Mark Stinson<br />
<a href="http://www.modernsnuff.com/" target="_blank">Modern Snuff Website</a>ghostvigil.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03643288508875275397noreply@blogger.com0