Snuff-Taking Tips

Once you've learned about the various techniques of snuff-taking, the following tips will make your snuff-taking more successful and satisfying.  So let's get right into some tips for enjoyable snuff-taking.


A Sniff, Not a Snort

First of all, every technique for taking snuff involves sniffing the powdered tobacco into the front portions of you nose.  This usually takes just a light sniff.  If you snort the snuff, and pull it too deep into your nose, it will hit the back of your sinuses and throat and cause a very unpleasant burning feeling and sometimes an unpleasent "drip" in your throat.  Pulling the snuff in too deeply will burn, cause coughing, watering eyes, and just an all-around unpleasant experience.

It can take some practice to know how hard to sniff.  So, start with the lightest sniff that still pulls the snuff into your nose, and work your way up from there.  Very fine snuffs go into your nose with the lightest sniff, while courser snuffs take a little more drawing power with your sniff.  When in doubt, sniff lightly.

Other Adjustments You Can Make

There are a number of ways to adjust how the snuff goes into your nose, how fast, how far, etc.  Especially with the finer dry snuffs, you'll need to make adjustments to your snuff-taking techinque.

One major adjustment is the distance the snuff is from your nostril when you sniff.  If you are pinching, then you can vary how quickly you release the tobacco you are pinching as you sniff.  Leaving the other nostril open while you sniff can help the snuff not enter your nose so deeply.  And of course, you can reduce or increase the amount of snuff you are taking at one time to adjust the impact as well.

Another little adjustment that has worked well for me involves considering how you prepare a pile of snuff for sniffing.  For instance, when placing a little pile on the back of your hand, you can flatten that pile out to about the size of a watermelon seed rather than leaving it as a little cone shaped pile.  Something about the flattened pile of snuff makes it go in different directions when it enters your nose, and this helps it not go so deep.

The bottom line here, is that if you are having trouble taking a particular snuff, make adjustments in your technique until you figure out what works best for you while taking that snuff.

Blowing Your Nose

Snuff-taking does change what's going on in your nose.  Depending on the kind of snuff you are taking, the frequency with with you are taking it, and even depending on the humidity around you, snuff will do different things in your nose.  Some of the finer snuffs just seem to go away.  But other snuffs can cause your nose to drip or feel "full" or obstructed.  In those cases, simply blow your nose.  There is no tried and true rule about how often to blow your nose.  But, if you feel like you need to blow your nose, you probably should.

Blowing your nose can have another purpose as well.  If the inside of your nose is lined with a fine layer of snuff, subsequent snuff-taking may give you less enjoyment, because the new snuff is falling on old snuff and not up against the tissues inside your nose.   In this situation, blowing your nose "clears the stage," in a sense.  Some people carry colored handkerchiefs in their pocket for this purpose.  Napkins and kleenex work just as well, but perhaps with a little less flair than a snuff handkerchief.



Taking Care of Your Nose

Usually the steam from a hot shower once a day will help clean out your nose and keep things moving up there.  Some snuff-takers will spray saline solution or use a Neti pot once in a while to clean their sinuses.  Others will wet a q-tip and clean the inside of their nose that way. You'll hear different approaches to this but, for the most part, my nose takes care of itself.  A hot shower is all I need to feel like my nose is starting from scratch.  If you nose gets irritated, feels bad, or has a chronic burning...its time to take a break.  Listen to your nose!

Some Snuffs Aren't for You

As odd as it sounds, some snuff types, brands, or flavors just aren't going to work for you.  They might work well for others, but everyone's nose is different.  Perhaps menthol opens your nose up, but then shuts it up for three days afterward.  Maybe dry snuffs irritate your nose, and cause you hours of discomfort.  It could be that you just can't adjust to certain grinds of snuff.  It doesn't matter if every other snuff-taker you know loves a certain snuff, it is very possible that a certain snuff just doesn't get along with your nose.  So, be aware of this and don't get frustrated about it.  It is what it is.

All that being said, sometimes you will not react well to a snuff the first time to you try it, but when you come back to it later everything goes well.  So, when a snuff causes you problems, set it aside and consider coming back to it later to see if things have changed.


Know of any snuff-taking tips not included here?



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Modern Snuff © 2015 by Mark Stinson

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