Gentlemen's Essentials: Snus

[ClubmanRob]

Hiya everybody. I mention snus quite a bit here on B&B, and I get PM's from folks interested in it. Many of us here in America are in the dark about it, and only recently with Camel SNUS coming out here, have most of us even heard of it. I figured an in-depth look at Snus was in order.

This is a long article that tries to field every question I've ever had asked of me regarding snus, as well as every question I asked when I first started using it. I tried to cover as much as possible, so if you see anything I didn't include, or would like any more info, by all means mention it. I'd also like for my fellow Gentlemen snusers to chime in and let me know if I left anything out.

This article is split up into ten sections, written as follows:

I. Snus, what is it?
II. The History of Snus
III. Brands, companies, types and flavors
IV. Strengths
V. Where to purchase
VI. Lös (loose) vs. portions
VII. Baking lös snus
VIII. What to expect your first few weeks of snusing
IX. Storage and refrigeration
X. Miscellaneous



I. Snus: what is it?

Snus is a form of oral tobacco originating in Sweden. Snus is pronounced “snoose” and not “snuss”. It is one of the oldest, safest forms of tobacco consumption known to man. Starting in Sweden almost three hundred years ago, it has been primarily a Scandinavian phenomena until this last decade, where it has taken hold in Europe and America. It is smokeless, spitless, and relatively non-carcinogenic. It has been widely successful as a smoke deterrent and cessation tool.

Snus comes primarily in two forms: powdered and portioned. In its loose, or powdered form, snus resembles American smokeless “dip” like Copenhagen or Skoal. This is where the similarity ends. I’ll go into the differences later. In its portioned form, snus is packed into a teabag-like pouch that promotes more flavor and faster nicotine intake. For being a relatively new way to consume snus, portions are by far the most popular form of snus today, comprising 4/5ths of the total marketplace. Snusers are primarily males. Female snus use is steadily on the rise, however, and they account for one fifth of total snusers today.

Snus is not dip. American dip/oral snuff is fire cured and fermented, which causes the TSNA count (tobacco specific carcinogens) to elevate to an unacceptable degree. It also makes the run-off juice unfit to swallow, or “gut”. (It should be noted that American brands that air-cure their tobacco like the Swedes do have a significantly lower TSNA count compared to the leading snuff brands. These US based snuff brands that use the “Swedish Process” for curing tobacco include Timber Wolf, Kodiak, and Hawken.) Dip is thrown in the bottom lip, whereas snus is used in the upper lip.

Snus is pasteurized, which reduces the amount of TSNA’s to obscenely low levels. This also makes the run-off juice safe to swallow. It is perfectly acceptable to use snus however you see fit- you can swallow or spit the juice out and you can use it in the bottom lip if you so desire. I’d just like to point out that there is a reason that the upper lip is the preferred place for snus. Your salivatory glands are on the bottom of your mouth, which makes the juices run much stronger in your bottom lip. This is fine for longer cut American brands, but finer cut Swedish brands will come apart too easily in the bottom lip due to the excess saliva. This is what is known as a “mudslide”. Either way, the Swedes have been doing it this way for the last 300 years, so I won’t argue with success. I upper lip it like a mug. :biggrin:


II. Snus- The History

The 1700's:

Snus came to Sweden sometime around 1700. Tobacco was becoming popular in Europe, and pipe smoking and cigars were all the rage. In Sweden, nasal snuff was by far the most popular way to consume tobacco among the working class. Tobacco was hard to grow in Sweden, and what little that did grow was usually substandard. The Virginia tobacco imported from America came at a premium, and usually the only thing a middle class farmer could purchase was a Number Two or Three grade leaf, which didn’t lend itself to smoking very well. (The numbering system referred to the quality of the stalk. Two and three were considered substandard, often damaged by mold or improper curing). Therefore, the moldy, musty scent was cheaply masked with Juniper, Citrus and Lingonberry and the leaves were ground into fine cut nasal snuff.

Swedish farmers began wadding up a pinch of the snuff and placing it in their upper lip, so as to keep their hands free for work. This oral placement soon replaced nasal use as the preferred way to use snuff tobacco. Soon, companies began tailoring their snuff recipes with the oral “snuser” in mind, and a new industry flourished. By the mid 1700’s, Swedish snus was being exported to all of Europe. As a matter of fact, Röda Lacket debuted in 1753 and is still in production today.

The 1800's:

The man most responsible for making snus what it is today is Jacob Fredrick Ljunglöf. Ljunglöf tired of all the “No.2” and “No.3” grades of snus out there that were covering their natural tobacco taste with cheap flavorings in order to mask their unpleasant, often rotten, tobacco leaves. Taking a cue from Louis Pasteur, Ljunglöf applied the pasteurization process to all of his snus brands, including the best selling snus in the world, “JF Ljunglöfs Ettan”; a brand that debuted in 1822 and literally meant “Number One”. Ljunglöfs Ettan was made using only the finest premium Virginia tobacco, and it was by far the most popular brand available. The only ingredients in Ettan were water, tobacco, and salt. This was a ballsy move at that time, as hardly any snus maker had access to premium tobacco blends that they didn't have to mask under artificial fruit flavors.

Still, Ljunglöf was constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of his snus. He theorized that baking at a low temperature like milk would give all of his tobacco a pure, uniform taste that didn’t vary from batch to batch. Little did he know that the combination of air curing his tobacco as well as pasteurization of the snus reduced the number of (still unknown at the time) carcinogenic nitrosamines that could lead to mouth cancer in repeated use. In trying to make his product the best tasting, he also made it the safest way to ingest tobacco, a way that the rest of the world is only now starting to fully realize.

Today, Ettan is the second best selling brand in the world. The best selling brand is General, another snus that debuted about the same time as Ettan. Other brand names that debuted in the 1800’s that are still in production today include Grov and Gotebörg’s Rapé.

The 1900's:

Snus was still the most popular form of tobacco in Sweden and Norway at the turn of the century. Neighboring Denmark was more fond of pipes and cigars (which may have had more to do with a national dislike for all things Swedish rather than a dislike of snus.) Ettan was being shipped over to the United States for consumption by Swedish immigrants to the “new country”. In fact, a contemporary newspaper printed in Gotebörg summed up the main dilemma facing Swedish expatriates- “The real trouble for the Swedes is that tolerable snus can’t be bought for love or money.”

However, the economy of Sweden was nearly bankrupt by 1915 and the snus industry (the country’s biggest financial asset) was seized by the government in order to finance the country. All of the independent snus factories were absorbed by the government and merged into one company- the Svenskt Tobaksmonopolet or, Swedish Tobacco Monopoly. Production of all the major brands still continued under the new deal, but all of the proceeds went to the government. It was very similar to when Castro seized control of all of Cuba’s cigar makers in 1959.

Under the new economic crisis, Swedish immigrants began heading en masse into the US, and with them they brought their snus. In its heyday, snus was so popular in areas that had a large Swedish population that streets, political parties, and neighborhoods all carried names like Snoose Boulevard, Snus Junction, Snus Hill, etc. Chicago had a large Swedish population and housed the first American snus brands in the teens and twenties. They were all gone by 1940 (except for Red Seal, which is still around today, though it hasn’t been called “snus” since the thirties), victims of cheaper to manufacture, more popular names like Copenhagen and Skoal. With the death of snus in America, came the birth of dip.

Some early American snus brands like Seal, Anchor, Green Seal, Red Seal, and Svenkstsnus were all big in their day, but were expensive to produce. It was also becoming exceedingly difficult to import Swedish brands, so Swedish immigrants began trying to find cheaper ways to manufacture snus. Copenhagen and Skoal were the direct results of that tinkering. Using the techniques and ingredients available to them in this country, a substitute for snus had been created. Gone was the air cured, pasteurized tobacco of their homeland and in was the fire cured, fermented tobacco of their new country. Thus, the history of American oral snuff can be directly traced back to Swedish snus.

Over in Sweden, cigarettes were gradually becoming more and more popular as they were in the US, but a great many Swedes still took snus. In 1973, the Snus Monopoly was disbanded and renamed Swedish Match. Today, Swedish Match still commands 90% of the snus market, as well as a sizable chunk of the US smokeless market and cigar industry. Besides partnering with Phillip Morris Inc, Swedish Match also owns General Cigar and Cigar International as well as the Cohiba, Red Man and Kayak brands.

Today: Sweden and the EU

In response to a very public anti-smoking campaign by the Swedish government, many people “rediscovered” snus in the seventies. In 1977, Swedish Match introduced Tre Ankare, the first pouched “portion” snus, which was an immediate hit and was instrumental in converting a nation of Swedish smokers over to the world of snus, whose reputation for being a safer form of tobacco indulgence was soon put to the test by the Swedish equivalent of the FDA.

The Swedish FDA began a comprehensive thirty year study of the effects of snus on the adult male. This coincided with the regulation of snus as a food-grade product, whose ingredients and composition were now printed on the can itself. A preliminary warning that “snus may cause oral cancer” was later removed from all snus cans, as the thirty year study resulted in the finding that snus could not be linked to any form of cancer, oral or otherwise. The Swedish Government guarantees the safety of its snus and refuses to concede that it is a harmful substance when used in moderation, as there is no real evidence showing any link towards derogatory health risks. (Like all nicotine products, abuse of nicotine in the long term may lead to hardened arteries. Or, it may lead to softened arteries, depending on which studies you read.) Most Swedish health officials advocate strongly the use of snus to stop smoking- in fact, a recent poll suggests that the majority of Swedish health workers use snus.

Regardless of what you choose to believe regarding tobacco safety, the evidence speaks for itself. Sweden uses more tobacco per person than the US, yet has the lowest cancer rate in all of Europe. Smoking in Sweden is far from commonplace, banned everywhere except your own home and yard. Lung cancer is virtually unheard of. However, the EU banned all oral tobacco in the 1980’s, and lumped snus in with American style oral tobacco when comparing the risks of taking snuff, although no snus was even tested. This angered the Swedish government royally, and they refused admission into the EU unless the ban on snus was lifted. It took a decade, but the EU finally relented and Sweden is now a member of the EU. The snus ban is lifted at least in Sweden, though the unofficial Swedish position seems to be one of “we’ll back out if you cross us, especially regarding snus”. Truly, the rest of Europe has no idea how serious the Swedes are when it comes to their snus consumption. Wars have been fought over less.

Today: The USA

Here in the US, we have a smattering of companies making snus now, in an attempt to replicate the success that Sweden had in making smokers substitute cigarettes for snus. Most snusers are of the opinion that the stuff being made in the US right now is not representative of Swedish snus. At last count, the handful of companies making snus in America include RJR (Camel), Lorillard (Triumph), Leggett (Tourney/Grand Prix), Nordic American (Klondike) and a small company called Discreet. Phillip Morris attempted to sell a Marlboro-branded snus in a ploy that could only be described an engineered attempt at failure. (US Smokeless did the same with a Skoal-branded snus.)

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/025.jpg
[I]A sampling of American snus

Though some of these brands are actually made in Sweden, they are completely opposite of what you can expect from Swedish snus. The American brands, for the most part, suffer from an overly sweetened “candy” flavor and a lack of nicotine. These American brands should in no way hinder someone from trying the “real deal” Swedish brands, they’re basically alike in name only. Comparing domestic snus to Swedish snus is like comparing a fifty cent machine made Philly Blunt to a fifty dollar hand rolled Cuban Robusto- there is simply no comparison.



III. Brands, companies, types and flavors

There are many brands of Swedish snus out there, but you may be surprised to learn that there are only a few companies that make them. As previously noted, Swedish Match is the biggest and oldest of all the companies, comprising roughly 90% of the worldwide snus market. Their top seller is General, followed by Ettan, Goteborgs Rapé, Grov and Röda Lacket. The Catch line is popular amongst women, and their two “budget” brands, Kronan and Tre Ankare, have a small but steady following. They also manufacture Probe (a whiskey flavored snus), Nick and Johnny (a new “Gen X” styled brand) and Onico, a tobacco/nicotine free snus. That’s right- when you want to quit snusing, there are tobacco-free alternatives that are made out of spices, herbs and fruits. They are very popular with women who are pregnant and nursing, or people who otherwise can’t use tobacco.

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/029.jpg
The General brand

Most Swedish snus fall into the same flavor profile, which could be called “traditional”. Flavored snus is only now starting to become somewhat more accepted by snusers, but most all brands will be flavored mainly with salt, water, tobacco, and possibly bergamot. Swedish Match has a little of everything in their offerings, from the traditional (General, Grov, Ettan, Nick and Johnny, and Tre Ankare) to the slightly sweet (Goteborgs Rapé, Roda Lacket and Probe), to the outright flamboyant Catch line, which is full of sweet, minty, coffee and vanilla licorish flavored crap I could do without. Kronan is a unique snus brand that to me, tastes just like a pickle. For what it’s worth, I prefer brands that have a strong traditional flavor with just a hint of lemon, and General and Grov are my two favorites. Pictured below are some of Swedish Match's offerings:

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/035.jpg

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/026.jpg

Another company is F&L, (pictured above) which manufactures Granit, Metropol, Mocca and Retro. Mocca is a brand popular among women due to its mini size and fruity flavors, while the other brands fit the “traditional” strong tobacco flavor.

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/027.jpg

BAT, or British American Tobacco (above), makes Lucky Strike and Pall Mall snus. They both pretty much taste the same to me, and I believe Pall Mall has been discontinued. Same traditional tobacco flavors.

JTI is a company that manufactures more “traditional” flavored snus, with a specialty in acquiring cigarette branded licenses. They make a Camel, Gustavus, LD, and Level snus. All but Camel may not ring a bell for most Americans, but the other brands are well known budget smokes in Europe. Camel is their “premium” brand while the others should be considered mid and low priced. (For the record, Level is my favorite cheap snus even though it gets a bad rap from most people.)

Skruf is a popular new brand that makes strong snus and some fruit flavored stuff that I personally don’t care for. They also make Knox, which is more of a traditional taste and sold as a budget brand; and for the Canadian market, they manufacture Davidoff snus which is based on the cigar and cigarette line of the same name. They are the best selling company after Swedish Match.

My favorite “little guy” in the snus game is Gotlands. Gotlandssnus makes three flavors; Yellow, Grey and Green. Yellow tastes a lot like Taboca- strong fig and bergamot complexity, while the Grey is anise (licorish flavored). The Green is probably the most unique and complex snus I’ve ever tasted. Most people say it tastes like sour apple, but it’s actually flader (elderberry) which gives it its complex array. It takes you three or four cans of the Flader to truly appreciate its full flavor profile, and using it every day can dull its impact. Gotlands uses only locally grown premium tobacco and has the reputation of being a small mom and pop operation with ultra high standards of operation. The containers they use are of high quality plastic and come without a cellophane wrap (this always confuses most Americans who are used to everything arriving glued together and factory sealed, sanitized for their consumption). Gotlandssnus also makes the Jakobssons line which is a popular “beginner” brand of snus. Around the holidays, Gotlands releases a limited edition “Julessnus”, a Christmas themed limited release that tastes like nutmeg and eggnog. Very tasty stuff, despite the sound of it.

From left to right; JTI, Gotlandssnus, and Skruf AB:
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/044.jpg


My fellow Brothers OTL may want to make note of Taboca AB, pictured below, which makes Montecristo, Romeo Y Julieta, and Taboca branded snus. They have a traditional, yet unique flavor profile that comprises bergamot, tobacco, fig, and citrus (and in the R&J line, anise as well). Monte and R&J contain Cuban tobacco, which makes it illegal to import to the US. Taboca, however, is grown from Cuban seed in Norway(?) and is legal to import, and tastes enough like the other two brands to make me not miss being unable to order them.

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/020.jpg

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/023.jpg


With great sadness I must also bring up two other manufacturers of snus, Phillip Morris and V2 (shown above). Phillip Morris makes “1847”, a brand that comes in an awesome can that houses the most wretched ammonia scented dung I’ve ever tried. Ditto V2- which makes Thunder, Offroad, Phantom, Rothbrix, Odens, Nordströmmen, and an annual limited Christmas flavor. 1847 and V2 brands are the Lilac Vegetal of the snus world- you either love them or hate them. There is no middle ground. Most of the V2 brands are budget lines, and unfortunately most new snusers buy several of them in their first order and end up throwing them out, or worse, ditching snus altogether. They use a lot of humectants which impart a very “unique” chemical stench that can only be described as ammonia mixed with dirt and fruity pebbles. Horrible stuff. You have been warned.

Two more that are barely worth mentioning are Elyxer and Oomph. Elyxer is supposed to be an "energy" snus infused with taurine, but it tastes like toilet water to me. Oomph! is a house brand for the Northerner company (formerly known as Wise) and it's a gimmicky "purified" snus (and also claims to be an "energy" snus) that is supposedly even safer on the TSNA scale than most conventional snus. It's dryer than dirt and not something I would recommend to anyone I liked.

And that’s basically it. There are a few others out there, but not worth mentioning. These are basically all the snus brands you will ever be exposed to unless you go to Sweden, Norway or Denmark- and even then you won’t have as wide a selection as you do over the internet. Some stores offer samplers to get new users started up proper, and I recommend basically starting out with the best known brands first, before venturing into more exotic taste profiles. There’s a reason that the three “G”s (General, Grov and Göteborgs) are the best selling brands, because you generally can’t go wrong with those three. The other big seller, Ettan, is a very plain snus in lös (loose) form, with barely any flavor. The portion version however has a distinct coffee/chocolate/nutmeg taste that would probably appeal to a lot of cigar smokers. General and Grov have, in loose form, a lemony taste, while in portion form they exhibit more citrusy behavior. Goteborg’s Rapé has a very slight sweetness that comes from the lingonberry and juniper. I hear that it is very popular among Gin and Tonic drinkers.


IV. Different strengths, and comparisons to cigarettes:

There are different strengths of snus. Regular, average strength snus is 8 mgs of nicotine, and the minis are 4 mgs. Maxi portions, being twice the size of a regular portion, contain 16 mgs of nicotine. Slightly above average strength snus like Onyx, Grov Black, Montecristo, Romeo Y Julieta and Probe have nicotine counts in the 10-12 mgs range. “Sterk” brands (aka Stark or Strong) start out at 13 mgs and hover between that and 15 mgs. “Ekstra Sterk” brands like Thunder, Odens, and General ES have nicotine counts up to 17mgs. It’s safe to say that if you’re new to snus, you should stay away from the Strong brands at first, until you build up a tolerance for the nicotine.

The nicotine amount of a regular portion is akin to the nicotine you receive from smoking a cigarette, just spread out over the better part of an hour or two. A better way of stating that, is that if you use a regular 8 mg portion, your body is absorbing the same amount of nicotine that you would from a cigarette, but it is doing it more slowly, and the amount of nicotine you ingest stays in your bloodstream for at least an hour after finishing.

As someone who smoked usually four cigarettes per hour, one regular portion in a two and a half hour time frame leaves me the same nicotine “buzz” that I would have received from smoking a half a pack of cigarettes in the same amount of time. Snus truly is the most efficient way to ingest nicotine that I have ever encountered. Almost counter-intuitively, the effects are much more subdued and mellow compared to smoking. When absorbing a cigarette, the initial nicotine buzz is intense, but at best it only lasts about ten minutes before the body burns it off. The delivery from snus is not as initially intense, but much more long lived and evenly distributed compared to smoking.

I chain smoked Camels and Lucky Strike non-filters for a decade and have never felt the need to venture beyond regular strength portions. I generally use about seven portions in a 24 hour day. My girlfriend, however, prefers the strong brands. She only uses about three portions a day, though. To each their own, but I do not want to end up with a massive tolerance for nicotine, nor do I think former smokers “need” a stronger blend of snus. I like coffee, but I do not care for expresso super-jitter blends. That’s what I equate Sterk snus to, less a pleasant tobacco experience and more of a drug-induced speed high.


V: Where to purchase snus:

Ok, you know what it is, where it came from, and what to stay away from, now you need to know where to get it from, and if this is even possible in your state. As far as I know, the only three states that bar shipments of tobacco through the mail are Utah, Washington state, and Vermont. The other 47 states, you should be fine. As always, anything you purchase over the internet requires you to remit the sales tax to your home state- something I’m sure everybody here does each time they order something online, right? :001_rolle

Now, you can order either from Sweden or from the US. The US based store, www.getsnus.com, is my recommendation for the best snus shop online. They have the absolute best prices, quickest shipping, and offer a free sample of snus to first time customers. Shipping runs between 2.95-4.95. Orders over fifty dollars ship free. You get a free “mystery” can for every five cans you order. I can go on and on, but they are my primary provider of all things snus.

Having said that, there are a lot of brands that they don’t carry. Getsnus has everything you should need for your first several months of snusing, but when you want to branch out and try some brands that they don’t carry, you’ll have to order from Sweden. That’s where www.buysnus.com comes into play. It takes about a week to get here, and it costs about a dollar or two higher to ship, but buysnus is a great company and they’re the only Swedish store I deal with. I have ordered from other vendors in the past and their service/prices/selection/shipping were not up to par with the quality service I am used to receiving from buysnus and getsnus.

Special note for anyone living in Canada. Your government hates tobacco, and anyone that uses it. You will probably have to pay an exorbitant tax if your customs agent seizes a shipment. Be duly warned. As far as customs in the US, I have been ordering snus for quite awhile now from Buysnus and have never had to pay a customs fee. Keep your international orders fairly small, like ten cans and under, and always, always, ALWAYS avoid UPS when possible if ordering from Sweden. They absolutely will submit your package to customs and you will have to pay tax on your shipment. Stick with Swiss Post/USPS or Swedish Post/USPS. Do not let the United Parcel Service even come near your shipment.

As far as being able to buy it from a B&M (brick and mortar) store, I have yet to see a store sell General snus, which is as far as I know the only brand of Swedish snus that you can purchase in person in this country. General has a store finder on their website, so inputting your zip code into it may yield a few stores that are listed as carrying it. Call ahead, as none of the stores listed in my area have even heard of General snus, much less carry it. This seems to be a common complaint, as there is nowhere to buy it in most states. For the time being, snus orders are strictly an internet deal.

[Leche]

Wow Rob that was very in depth and very accurate account of snus. If only the mods would make it a sticky.:smile:

I'm a los guy, Ettan my number one (Suprise), Grov a close second, Gotlands Grey for dessert, and Julesnus a must when available. The Julesnus is the only one I prefer portions to los.

Also Roda Lacket can be added to that amongst the oldest list.

[ClubmanRob]

VI. Lös vs. Portions

Snus comes one of two ways- loose or portioned. Lös is snus in its native form, and is used primarily like American dip, that is, placed between the gum and cheek. Left alone once placed in the mouth, the flavor and nicotine is gradually released through the interaction with saliva and is absorbed into the bloodstream. Lös is prepared for use by a practice that is known as “hand baking”. This could involve something as slight as pinching an amount and tossing it in your craw or something as elaborate as baking a ball, a fancy method that is popular amongst younger users. Further on I discuss different methods for baking a pris of loose snus, as this is just a basic overview of how it is used. Length of time spent in the mouth can vary between just a few minutes to up to a few hours depending on what the user prefers.

Portion snus comes in two basic types- regular/original and white/vit. There are three basic sizes of portions, which range from mini, to regular, to Maxi.

Regular portions (AKA original portions) are the first type of portioned snus to hit the market back in 1977. They “juice”, that is, release flavor and nicotine, much faster than loose or white portions. When manufactured, they are given an additional spray coat of flavor that makes them moist. They come in plastic cans as opposed to cardboard containers (like most loose snus) to help seal moisture. Flavor and nicotine release is almost instantaneous, though the flavor does not live as long as it does in most white portions. This is mainly because it is expelled so quickly compared to the IV-drip of a white portion. For this reason, people that swallow the juice of their snus tend to stay away from regular portions. It can upset the stomach in such abundance.

White portions are made of the same material as regular portions, but they do not receive the additional spray coating of flavor that goes into regular portions. For this reason, the taste of white portions are not as “intense” as their original counterparts, nor do they drip as much or as quickly. They are in all respects, a much more subdued experience that replicates the use of lös much better than that of regular portions. They tend to last twice as long as regular portions, and I’ve sometimes surprised myself at how many hours I’ve squeezed out of some brands.

There is also what is known as “Black” portions, which are in all actuality nothing more than White portions dyed black. The only difference is in looks, they perform exactly the same as White portions.

Both white and regular portions come in mini, regular and Maxi size. A regular portion is one gram, and a mini is half the size of a normal portion (a half gram). Maxi’s are relatively new to the market, and have proven to not be very popular. They are twice the size of a normal portion, 2 grams to be exact. Only two brands are manufactured in the Maxi segment, General and Granit Maxis.


Difference in portions:
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/045.jpg


Minis are popular mainly with women who wish to conceal their snus habit in public. I personally use them at times since they don’t impart any kind of bulge to my lip, and as such, no one knows that I’m using tobacco. Very sneaky, but not enough nicotine for the average snuser.

Regulars, are for all intents and purposes, what most people have in mind when you mention “portions”.


VII: “Baking” Loose snus

Baking refers to the forming of the tobacco into a shape that allows it to be placed in the upper lip without the tobacco crumbling apart and coming loose in the mouth. Baking means a number of different things to users of lös, and I’ll go over a few of the major ones. The term “baking” in English usually refers to cooking something in the oven, but in Sweden it still retains its original definition, which is “to form or harden”.

The “Farmer” or “Hillbilly” pinch

This is the easiest, yet most rarely used of baking methods. It involves nothing more than pinching a clump of snus into your index finger and thumb and inserting it into your upper lip. This method does not compress the snus as much as a proper bake, which results in a faster juicing. It is also very messy. For the first several minutes, the snuser will spit “corns” (snus crumbs) out as the prilla (“big pinch”) gradually forms to the contours of his gumline. This method of baking and using snus is considered rude amongst mixed company and should only be attempted by someone who is comfortable with his experience level and public setting. The word “farmer” in Swedish implies a negative connotation that is more along the lines of “County bumpkin”, which is why it is more accurately called a “hillbilly” pinch in America.

The “pris” and the “prilla” and proper snus etiquette

A prilla (left) and a ball (right)
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/048.jpg

This is the most common form of hand baking. In simplest of terms, it involves baking a pinch (“pris”) or larger (“prilla”) into a semi compacted form that will not fall apart while in your gum. The size can vary from that of a penny to that of a quarter or larger. There is plenty of information on the internet that describes how to accurately bake a pris, but it basically goes like this:

1. “Pack” the can and remove the lid.
2. Grasp a decent sized amount with your index finger and thumb. Using your middle finger is ungentlemanly, but useful.
3. Begin to form the lump of snus into a ball shaped thing by kneading it flat into the palm of your left hand while your right hand forms, squeezes and generally compresses the pris. If your snus is not sticking together properly, it has probably dried out.
4. Once the desired shape and texture is achieved, slightly pull back your upper lip to allow room to place your pris into your gumline. Placement is wherever the snuser prefers it, generally slightly to the left or right of the front two middle teeth. It is not considered gentlemanly to place the snus in while facing someone. Usually the snuser turns around as he pulls his lip out and lands the pris, so his back is facing his company.

Here is an instructional video someone posted on youtube :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNiPqoJOCuI

That’s the most common way to bake a pris, but a newer, popular way to bake involves making a large, elaborate “ball” of snus that can sometimes exceed the size of a golf ball. This is popular among young snusers, but not something any self respecting gentleman should ever be caught dead doing (in public, at least).

There are also certain tools to aid in forming and placing a pris into the upper lip. They operate under the same principal as a syringe, in that they load, compress and release the pris with a minimum amount of hand contact with the snus. A Prismaster is the first option, and can be found for about a dollar through most snus retailers. A second, more expensive option would be an Icetool, which retails for about 40.00. Basic operation is the same, though an Icetool could be likened to a Zippo lighter while a Prismaster would be considered a Bic lighter. I personally don’t use either, but the Prismaster is lightweight and small, about 3/4ths of an inch wide and three inches long, while the Icetool is a bulky, heavy stainless steel affair. (One can be seen at the beginning of the video posted above). It must be carried in its own case and is of little use outside of the home unless used for show. Both are capable of delivering varying lengths of pris, and the Icetool is available in different sizes that vary the width of the pris. A 4ml Icetool is comparable to a fully-packed Prismaster. The pris shown below is the result of a half-packed Prismaster.

A prismaster, and the resulting pris:
http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/047.jpg

When finished using his snus, the snuser then disposes of it in the most sanitary means necessary. For portion users, the “catch lid” on the top of some cans provides an nice way to dispose of your used portion until it can be thrown away properly. It’s not quite so easy for loose snusers, who must excuse themselves to a restroom to spit their pris out. Usually a finger swipe removes any residual left on the gum or teeth, and a follow up swig of water gets those stubborn kernals washed away. Never, ever dispose of your pris in front of someone, as it’s considered one of the sickest, nastiest things a snuser can do in public. It’s akin to a cigarette smoker exhaling his smoke on a non-smoker and then stubbing his cigarette out on the plate that he just finished eating out of. Don’t do it unless you have no class.

More etiquette:

Don’t spit in front of someone. Don’t use your snus without offering it to the people around you first. Don’t make a big show of any aspect of snus use; it’s discreet for a reason. If you were trying to look cool you should have stuck with cigarettes. Don’t put it in while someone is watching you. After a meal, wait about five minutes before using your snus. It gives your food time to settle, and the snus juice is less likely to irritate your stomach if you give your gastric juices a head start in the post-meal affairs of the day. Don’t chain snus, about seven or eight portions a day should be your maximum.


VIII: What to expect your first few weeks of snusing:


So you have your sampler pack, and you’ve got a little of everything to experiment with. You also have the time and patience to get a taste for it. That’s true, snus is an acquired taste. Much more so than cigars or snuff. The main reason is the way it is flavored. See, in Sweden, they put salt on everything. Even candy. Snus is no different. It takes a good steady week of use before the subtle flavors of snus work their way out of the overly salty curtain that they are draped in. Please, my American friends, do not cut and run until you have finished off at least one can of General or Grov. By then you will have figured out what everyone else was talking about in regards to flavor. The first few times you use it, however, you will think everyone is crazy for making out any flavors in this mess of salt and tobacco. This is an especially bad curve to learn on if you have been exposed to American snus that is sweet as candy. Just stick with it and you will be fine.

A special note for those that are quitting cigarettes. Your body will be going through a lot of changes as it tries to reverse the damage that you were doing by smoking, and a lot of folks that use snus to quit cigs believe themselves allergic to snus once these changes manifest themselves in their body. These changes can include upset stomach, skin rashes, flu like symptoms and a sore throat coupled with a cough. This is always caused by the detoxing of your body in relation to just having quit smoking, not due to the snus. These symptoms can come and go for up to a year depending on how heavy a smoker you were, but generally they disappear within a week.

The smell of snus straight from the can will likely not smell too great to the virgin snuser. Especially if the cans are really fresh. This may give the snus an artificially chemical scent that will mellow after being opened a couple of days or refrigerated. Don’t inhale too deeply, and you should not be turned off by the scent. You will come to love it, no matter how hard that may seem initially.


IX: Storage and refrigeration


Snus is always sold cold when bought in public. This has a lot to do with freshness, but more to do with savvy marketing. It is recommended to give your snus at least a couple of days in the fridge to “mellow” out before using, but it is not necessary. Storage in the fridge is a good solution if you have several open cans that may take up to a month to finish off. If you have a crisper in your fridge, this is the ideal spot to keep your stash. You can also do like I did and pick up a 2.00 plastic desktop organizer from the dollar store. It has three drawers and holds fifteen cans:

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/019.jpg

For long term storage, up to a year or more, the freezer is your friend. Be sure to Ziplock (or even better, vacuum seal) your stash to prevent freezer burn. When ready to use, let it dethaw in the fridge for a day or two to let the moisture levels return to the correct level. I tend to double bag my stash and throw it in the freezer door where it doesn’t come into contact with food. I found that keeping it near a box of baking powder keeps it from absorbing any food odors.

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/018.jpg

If ever your snus tin seems a bit dry, sprinkle some water in it and shake it around. Snus is by composition almost half water, so you are not hurting it by bringing back lost moisture.


X: Blah blah blah


If you find you enjoy using snus, educate yourself on all matters regarding its use. It is misunderstood and demonized by a largely ignorant public and a hypocritical government. It is close to being banned by American legislation that seeks to keep us in chains by not being allowed to order snus online. There is a ton of good info online, and there are a few forums that are snus related (though I can’t say I really recommend any of the English language forums, all the decent ones are in Swedish.) Spread the word, and write your congressmen with some detailed info regarding the safety of snus over “accepted” forms of tobacco consumption and maybe we can get some wheels grinding in our favor.

Till next time,
Skol! (“Cheers!”)
Rob

[Leche]

And it just keeps coming. Damn Rob!:thumbup1:

[dpm802]

Quite a lot of info ... although I've been into various forms of Tobacco for nearly four decades now, I didn't know there was that much to know about Snus. I never ever heard the word until earlier this year, when a co-worker mentioned the new Camel product of that name.

Speaking of which, would you recommend this for someone (OK, not someone, I mean ME) who is trying to quit smoking cigarettes? I have a pack-a-day habit, Camel Wides, but its getting to be more than I can afford with all the new taxes. Even rolling my own isn't affordable anymore.

Would snus or some form of chewing tobacco help me to taper off and eventually quit?

[Jatte]

Might i just say rob, you have tried a tonne of snus.
i tried maybe 10 types in finland, i think most were general and ettan . but wow... thats a tonne

makes me jealous and a little sad lol


Also, on canadian and american shipping, a ggreat place to buy it is,
WWW.northerner.com
they have a usa warehouse, that shipps withing like 4 days or something.

also, i had 2 shipments come in to canada and get opened but not taxed , kinda cool :lol:

[Kratos]

Damn you Rob! You and all this talk of snus has driven me to try them. It began in the flavored tobacco thread, but I just got a can the other day. All that is available of course, is the chintzy Camel stuff, of which I tried the Mellow. Wasn't bad at first, but now I can't stand even the smell of them. Too sweet. As someone who's not had a milligram of nicotine in him, ever, it was a bit strong. If I decided to make it a regular thing I'd have to find something not so sweet.

[Leche]

Speaking of which, would you recommend this for someone (OK, not someone, I mean ME) who is trying to quit smoking cigarettes?

Yes. It will be a bit strange at first but you get used to it quickly. I used to smoke before snus, now the smell of a cigarette makes me feel sick. I would recommend portions for you, maybe a sampler from Buysnus.

[Leche]

chintzy Camel stuff,

American snus sucks!

[ClubmanRob]

Wow Rob that was very in depth and very accurate account of snus. If only the mods would make it a sticky.:smile:

I'm a los guy, Ettan my number one (Suprise), Grov a close second, Gotlands Grey for dessert, and Julesnus a must when available. The Julesnus is the only one I prefer portions to los.

Thanks! I researched snus quite heavily for the last few years, so I hope this was as accurate as possible. Ettan doesn't do much for me, but I love the Julessnus. I wish it was a year-round brand.


Also Roda Lacket can be added to that amongst the oldest list.

I mentioned Roda Lacket somewhere in there as being around since 1753. So far as I know, it's the oldest snus brand still in production.



Quite a lot of info ... although I've been into various forms of Tobacco for nearly four decades now, I didn't know there was that much to know about Snus. I never ever heard the word until earlier this year, when a co-worker mentioned the new Camel product of that name.

Speaking of which, would you recommend this for someone (OK, not someone, I mean ME) who is trying to quit smoking cigarettes? I have a pack-a-day habit, Camel Wides, but its getting to be more than I can afford with all the new taxes. Even rolling my own isn't affordable anymore.

Would snus or some form of chewing tobacco help me to taper off and eventually quit?

Yes sir. I quit smoking without even really trying. Eventually I found myself using more snus than I did cigs, and I finally made a conscious decision to quit the smokes. Snus was the only thing I ever used that gave me that opportunity. It's been several months now since I've had a cigarette, and I don't miss them in the least. The only time since I've quit that I wanted one, was when that lamp turned on all by itself. :lol:

If you're a Camel man, try the Swedish Camel snus but stay the heck away from the American Camel. There's just not enough nicotine in it for someone trying to quit the cigs.


Might i just say rob, you have tried a tonne of snus.
i tried maybe 10 types in finland, i think most were general and ettan . but wow... thats a tonne

makes me jealous and a little sad lol


Also, on canadian and american shipping, a ggreat place to buy it is,
WWW.northerner.com
they have a usa warehouse, that shipps withing like 4 days or something.

also, i had 2 shipments come in to canada and get opened but not taxed , kinda cool :lol:

Don't be hatin' on my snus habit. :lol:

A lot of folks have had good luck with Northerner, and they are a legit company. I'm personally not a fan, though, so they won't get a thumbs up from me. :smile:


Damn you Rob! You and all this talk of snus has driven me to try them. It began in the flavored tobacco thread, but I just got a can the other day. All that is available of course, is the chintzy Camel stuff, of which I tried the Mellow. Wasn't bad at first, but now I can't stand even the smell of them. Too sweet. As someone who's not had a milligram of nicotine in him, ever, it was a bit strong. If I decided to make it a regular thing I'd have to find something not so sweet.

Try the Mocca Pomegranate. It's lightly sweetened with pomegranate juice, and it has less nicotine than the Camel stuff. That's usually what I recommend for non-smokers or light smokers that don't need or want a nicotine buzz. It also comes in that awesome red metal tin!



Yes. It will be a bit strange at first but you get used to it quickly. I used to smoke before snus, now the smell of a cigarette makes me feel sick. I would recommend portions for you, maybe a sampler from Buysnus.

+1 on the Buysnus samplers. Their Swedish Match tasting kits (http://www.buysnus.com/Search.aspx?Category=3) are an excellent way to get your feet wet.

Getsnus also has Free sampler packs (http://www.getsnus.com/snus/sample_offer.asp) that are a good way to test the waters. They cost a whopping one whole dollar to ship, though. :lol:


American snus sucks!

+ 1,000,000. I really can't stress that enough. It's bad enough that here in the south, I offer Jim Bob or Buddy a pinch of snus, and they call me a slang term for female genitalia. All they know of snus is from Camel, and it's really hard to shake people's initial impression of what Snus means to them.

[TimmyBoston]

Excellent tutorial Rob!

[ClubmanRob]

Excellent tutorial Rob!

Thank you sir!

[spinyeel]

I'm so interested in sampling snus,but I think our goody two shoes government in Australia will put it on a par with importing crack.:mad::mad:

[thunderball]

Epic post Rob! :biggrin:

[Kratos]

You know how the South is. Change somes slowly there. "Whuh bou' chew? Snewes? Gitchoo sum man's chaw, bowah."

Excellent article, I forgot to mention.

[castlecraver]

I don't touch tobacco personally, but I have to give props to Rob for such a thorough and informative tutorial. Nicely done!

[FreezerBurns]

Great info Rob, all the info anyone needs about snus in one spot... if only this thread had been around when I first got into snus!

[ClubmanRob]

Thanks guys!

[Leche]

I'm so interested in sampling snus,but I think our goody two shoes government in Australia will put it on a par with importing crack.:mad::mad:

I haven't looked at it in a year or so but I remember some Australians being on a forum called Snus On (http://www.snuson.com/index.php). Take a look and you just might be able to.

[ClubmanRob]

I haven't looked at it in a year or so but I remember some Australians being on a forum called Snus On (http://www.snuson.com/index.php). Take a look and you just might be able to.

Even though I still refuse to give Northerner a "thumbs up" :001_tongu , I have a friend in Melbourne that has been receiving shipments from them with absolutely no problem for the last year or so. According to him, Northerner marks the customs form as containing "crafts", so I suppose it isn't under as much scrutiny as it could be if it was marked "snus" or "tobacco."

At worst, if they do intercept the package, they'll only make you pay taxes on it. You can either pay them or refuse the charges, at which they ship it back to the company. You won't be in any trouble either way.

[tsmba]

I really enjoyed reading that! My grandfather came to the US when he was five years old, and all of that part of the family is Swedish. Most still live there. I remember he always used Copenhagen and I had no idea there was such a thing as "snus". I always thought it was another name for snuff, although I always thought snuff was meant to be inhaled.
In my youth, I experimented with Copenhagen since Grandpa used it. That was a short experiment. I ended up smoking cigarettes for 20+ years before I was finally able to quit.

[toucanlamp]

They have something called "Snus" available now here in Canada but it's $9 for some tiny little can, just like Skoal is now $21.99 for a can.

I've slowed down on the dipping, I smoke a little bit here and there too, it's too expensive at home so I go down to the US every now and then and stock up a little bit. $3 per pack of cigarettes vs. $13.

A friend ordered snus from Sweden once and I can't believe it did, but it came through customs no problem and he got it, and it was not too bad.

People laugh when I say it, but I've kind of found over the past few years I've gotten into something of a routine, where I'll smoke a bit for a couple of months, then go buy some dip and do that for a while, then go back. I have to believe it gives your mouth and lungs a break and doesn't cause the same consistent stresses on a certain place.

But I've never managed to get really into either, for me when I am smoking I'll have maybe 3 or 4 cigarettes a day, couldn't imagine going through an entire pack each day.

But even though all the evidence points to it being a far healthier alternative, the government insists on putting HUGE warning labels on the cans saying "THIS IS NOT A SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO CIGARETTES!!!" They are like little children, - either you quit outright or screw you. oh I hate them.

[Houndawg]

What would you suggest for someone who dips nothing but Cherry Skoal?

[tsmba]

I asked my mom about snus as she has had far more contact with the Swedes in our family. I guess my grandpa used the term frequently referring to Copenhagen.

[82R100]

As someone who's not had a milligram of nicotine in him, ever, it was a bit strong. If I decided to make it a regular thing I'd have to find something not so sweet.

Kratos,

Why on earth would you want to start down this path as someone "who's not had a milligram of nicotine in him"?

You've got a lot going for you in all respects, as far as I can tell. Treat your body well.

- Chris

[ClubmanRob]

I really enjoyed reading that! My grandfather came to the US when he was five years old, and all of that part of the family is Swedish. Most still live there. I remember he always used Copenhagen and I had no idea there was such a thing as "snus". I always thought it was another name for snuff, although I always thought snuff was meant to be inhaled.
In my youth, I experimented with Copenhagen since Grandpa used it. That was a short experiment. I ended up smoking cigarettes for 20+ years before I was finally able to quit.

Thanks Tom! My background is similar. I'm of Swedish descent, but none of my people ever used snus. They knew what it was, but they all preferred cigarettes. Go figure.

"Snus" is literally translated as "snuff". The only thing I can piece together is that in the Olde English script of the day, many of the "s" and "f"'s were transposed, so a word like Sausage looked like Soffagewhen written. Many of the early imported packages of snuff that were being brought into Sweden were labeled Snuss, so somewhere the Swedes dropped the extra "s" and pronounced the "U" sound with a heavy "ooh" instead of a short "uh" (as the Swedes are wont to do :biggrin:).

So yes, snus does mean snuff, and it was meant to be taken up the nose. The Swedes started putting it in their mouths to get more longevity out of it, and so far as I know they were the first to do so.






But even though all the evidence points to it being a far healthier alternative, the government insists on putting HUGE warning labels on the cans saying "THIS IS NOT A SAFER ALTERNATIVE TO CIGARETTES!!!" They are like little children, - either you quit outright or screw you. oh I hate them.

Our government is the same way. The laws restricting the way tobacco can be sold or advertised are so stringent that even if there is proof that a certain product is safer than cigarettes, anything tobacco related has to be sold with a "This is not a safe alternative to cigarettes" or "This can cause mouth decay or gum disease." It saddens me so much when I see the General cans that are made here with those stupid, lying labels on them. That's why I call the government hypocritical, because in all their studies, different types of oral tobacco is shown to be a million times safer than cigarettes or cigars, yet they lie to you and tell you that they are not. That's BS, and hopefully one day we can overcome the nonsense. The Feds make so much money off of cigarette taxes, though, they're not going to let you quit them that easily. :wink:


What would you suggest for someone who dips nothing but Cherry Skoal?

Unfortunately there aren't any good cherry flavored brands out there that I know of, at least in loose. There is a company called Nordic American that makes a Wild Cherry (http://www.northerner.com/en/snus/Northerner_US_shipped_Snus-387/Nordic%20Ice%20Wild%20Cherry,%20Pouches-16299/) snus, but it doesn't have any kind of noticeable nicotine kick. The flavor kind of tastes like cherry cough syrup (which, oddly, I kind of enjoyed...) but I can't say I recommend it. They also have a Klondike Cherry Blast (http://www.northerner.com/en/snus/Northerner_US_shipped_Snus-387/Klondike%20Cherry%20Blast,%20Pouches-16437/) that has a little more of a nic hit, but I don't care for the flavor. If they could only combine the two...

If you like fruity, and like loose, the only one that I can think of offhand would be Offroad Cranberry (http://www.buysnus.com/snusbrand/Offroad_-_Cranberry_Loose.aspx), though like I warned about V2 products, you're either going to love them or hate them.

If you can deal with portions, and want something on the fruity side, there is Mocca Pomegranate (http://www.buysnus.com/snusbrand/Mocca_Pomegranate.aspx) (which is very mild in nicotine and has a slight pomegranate flavor), Gotlandssnus Flader (http://www.buysnus.com/snusbrand/Gotlandssnus_Groensnus_(Green)_Portion.aspx) (which tastes sort of like sour apple), Jakobsson Ice Fruit (http://www.buysnus.com/snusbrand/Jakobssons_Ice-Fruit_Snus.aspx) (which tastes like Juicy Fruit gum mixed with Doublemint), Skruf Tranbar (http://www.buysnus.com/snusbrand/Skruf_Cranberry_Portion.aspx) (Cranberry), and possibly Taboca (http://www.buysnus.com/snusbrand/Taboca_Snus.aspx), which many say tastes like an orange creamsicle (I don't personally see it, but hey :001_rolle).


Kratos,

Why on earth would you want to start down this path as someone "who's not had a milligram of nicotine in him"?

You've got a lot going for you in all respects, as far as I can tell. Treat your body well.

- Chris

I agree with Chris 100%. Stay away from that US junk! :lol:

Seriously though, I never recommend snus to anyone if they aren't already a chewer or a smoker. But at the same time I'm not going to wag my finger at a grown man. Andy, think hard before you take this path, and if it's one you choose to take, I'll support you either way.

[Norwester]

Also other than a few that General developed for the US market, you're not going to find anything that tastes remotely like Skoal or Cope in a Swedish snus. I'd be all over a Skoal Straight flavored snus! :w00t: General has a Wintergreen flavor that tastes like all the wintergreen dips I've tried plus a mint mini. Other than the ones mentioned above I'd also suggest Roda Lacket which has a taste that reminds me of strawberry jam.

Getsnus has some sampler packs that include a free General US sample and snuscentral has a big supply of sampler packs.

One thing to remember especially if your quitting smoking is that if you don't like a certain snus,don't toss it! Try it again a few days or a week later as your tastes are changing so fast you'll think your taste buds are schizophrenic. I quit a 40 year cig habit 8-9 months ago with snus and I'v recently revisited a few I liked at 1st, like Icefruit & Tranbar and discovered that they're just to sweet for me now. If you're a smoker that wants to quit I'd suggest along with whatever regular strength snus you get,pick up at least one "Sterk" or strong snus 12-14 mg nicotine for those weak moments while you're having your morning coffee or after dinner. The super sterks (up to 17mgs) aren't really necessary IMO.

[ryanl7640]

love it. thumbs up for buysnus. Also snuson.com is a good forum for more info

[ClubmanRob]

Welcome, Ryan and Norwester!

I wanted to also point out to the guys looking for flavored snus, Getsnus.com is now carrying the entire Discreet (http://americansnus.com/faq.html) line. There are five flavors- Peach, Strawberry, Full Flavor, Emerald Ice and Cool Mint. They are in the mini portion size (shaped like the US Camel snus) but supposedly have a decent amount of nicotine (unlike the Camel snus). I haven't tried them yet, but I wanted to post that for the guys that are hesitant to dip their toe in the pool of Swedish awesomeness. :biggrin: At .99 a pack, I'm going to give them all a shot on my next order.

[ryanl7640]

Rob-

Check out Discreet's webpage. Fill in the "contact us" and they will send you 2 envelopes of everything to try out. I was not much of a fan, but as they say- YMMV

[ClubmanRob]

Rob-

Check out Discreet's webpage. Fill in the "contact us" and they will send you 2 envelopes of everything to try out. I was not much of a fan, but as they say- YMMV

Thanks for the heads up, Ryan!

[Carlin]

Hey Rob, I went to this thread once you told me about it in the chat. Do you know where I can find any of the following:

* BaccOff (V2 Tobacco)
* Choice (Nicofree)
* EneRgy (Rebel Tobacco AB)
* Jakobsson's Nikotinfria
* Onico
* XQ´s

All herbal snus w/o tobacco or niccotine.

[ClubmanRob]

Hey Rob, I went to this thread once you told me about it in the chat. Do you know where I can find any of the following:

* BaccOff (V2 Tobacco)
* Choice (Nicofree)
* EneRgy (Rebel Tobacco AB)
* Jakobsson's Nikotinfria
* Onico
* XQ´s

All herbal snus w/o tobacco or niccotine.

Yes, Northerner (http://www.northerner.com/en/snus/Northerner_Tobacco_Free-277/) carries the Energy, XQ, Jakobsson's, Onico, and a new one called KickUp. They have the largest selection of tobacco/nicotine free snus on the web.

My favorite tobacco/nic free snus is the Onico Enbar (Juniper) but the only place I have seen it online is Snus Worldwide (http://www.snusworldwide.com/us/). Their shipping is a bit high so it's not worth ordering anything unless you get four or five cans total.

Choice I have never heard of, and BaccOff tastes like pure garbage, you don't want to try it even if you can find it. ;)

[BalthasarR]

I got some General Extra Sterk and Sterk earlier this week. Pretty great stuff. These portions pack a punch :w00t:

[johsa]

I got some General Extra Sterk and Sterk earlier this week. Pretty great stuff. These portions pack a punch :w00t:

I have never liked the extra strong brands for some reason. When I need the extra punch I just stack two instead. But then I almost always has a snus under my lip when I'm not eating or sleeping so it is also a choice to keep it down a little.

[BalthasarR]

I have never liked the extra strong brands for some reason. When I need the extra punch I just stack two instead. But then I almost always has a snus under my lip when I'm not eating or sleeping so it is also a choice to keep it down a little.

I use like 4 portions per day so stronger snus fits better for me. Fortunately these strong versions of General tastes pretty much same as the Original Portion which I very much enjoy.

[spinyeel]

My first order of 10 tins was intercepted by Australian customs.:frown:My $21 order is going to cost me $79.83.:mad::mad:What a bargain.:rolleyes:I feel like I've been bent over a large barrel.I suppose Australia is just becoming another police state,like Canada.:biggrin:

[ClubmanRob]

My first order of 10 tins was intercepted by Australian customs.:frown:My $21 order is going to cost me $79.83.:mad::mad:What a bargain.:rolleyes:I feel like I've been bent over a large barrel.I suppose Australia is just becoming another police state,like Canada.:biggrin:

I'm sorry to hear that! I would have refused the shipment, and then reordered it ad infinitum until it passed by undetected. :biggrin:

On the other hand, the cans with taxes cost you 8.00 a tin, which is roughly what a can costs if you purchase it in the store here in New Jersey or New York. Always try and look at the bright side. :lol:

[Lynchmeister]

I was reading through this thread when my wife started reading over my shoulder. "What's Sn.....snoo.....S.N.U.S?" So I started explaining and we discussed it briefly. I smoke cigars and a corn cob pipe every now and again and used to smoke cigarettes regularly, so she knows that I enjoy using tobacco.

Since the "it's easier to ask forgiveness later than to ask permission now" mentality hasn't worked so hot for me in the past :rolleyes:, I mentioned the $1.00 sample of General and expressed interest in trying it. She didn't object, so I've got a can of white portions on its way. :smile:

[ClubmanRob]

I was reading through this thread when my wife started reading over my shoulder. "What's Sn.....snoo.....S.N.U.S?" So I started explaining and we discussed it briefly. I smoke cigars and a corn cob pipe every now and again and used to smoke cigarettes regularly, so she knows that I enjoy using tobacco.

Since the "it's easier to ask forgiveness later than to ask permission now" mentality hasn't worked so hot for me in the past :rolleyes:, I mentioned the $1.00 sample of General and expressed interest in trying it. She didn't object, so I've got a can of white portions on its way. :smile:

That's awesome! Let us know how it goes.

[ClubmanRob]

:biggrin:

I got a message from someone a little while ago who was kind of miffed at the way I described an Icetool. I originally wrote:


while the Icetool is a bulky, heavy stainless steel affair. (One can be seen at the beginning of the video posted above). It must be carried in its own case and is of little use outside of the home unless used for show.

This was not to say that those that own or use an Icetool are trying to look cool or be pretentious. The Icetool can be a handy tool at times, but I always found it to be cumbersome and ungainly.

I found that I always had to carry it in its case due to the way it attracted pocket lint. It caused a severe pocket bulge and weighed down my pants something awful. Of course, I carry a ton of stuff in my pockets so a two pound piece of steel wasn't helping anything. Nor was the plastic case that I found necessary to store it in. I even tried wrapping it up in a handkerchief, but it would still attract dust and fibers in the snus chamber. For something that is supposed to make the task of baking a pris so much easier, I found it to cause too many headaches. The only time I ever found it handy was when my hands were too dirty to bake a pris and I had no sink nearby to wash my hands. These occasions are few and far between, though, and if I had my choice I would carry a weightless, tiny prismaster.

My statement that an Icetool is mainly used for show outside of the home is based on the few snusers I know here in the US and the many that I know in Sweden. Most Swedes I know that have an Icetool are younger folks who very much use the tool to "show off". I want to note that most lös snussers over there look at such tools with disdain.

Here, my friends that have an Icetool seem to thrive on the looks and questions that they get from pulling out what is in essence a stainless steel syringe full of tobacco. This goes against what I was taught concerning proper etiquette involved with snus use. To each their own.

So yes, an Icetool can be a handy tool for someone new to handbaking that doesn't quite have it down pat yet, but also I think it can hinder someone from getting really good at the craft. The great sage philosopher Timmy Boston once wrote that fancy cigar cutters were nice and all- but everyone still should know how to bite the end off of a cigar for those times in which a cutter isn't available. That's the way I feel about Icetools.

So don't hate me anyone! I had an Icetool myself and used it (tried using it anyway) for a while before I went back to handbaking. I wasn't trying to imply that everyone that uses one does so to be a poseur.

[Lynchmeister]

While we're on the subject of Icetools and Prismasters, I caught a couple videos on YouTube that got me curious. In one of the videos, a guy essentially put the prismaster under his lip, and inserted it much like it was a large hypodermic needle. Now after reading Rob's post above and his stainless steel syringe of tobacco metaphor, I'm wondering if this method of injecting the pris directly into/under the lip is the intended methodology? I guess, I just assumed that a person would use it to bake the pris, but then insert it with their hands.

[ClubmanRob]

You're correct, you use the Icetool and the prismaster to insert the pris under your lip. In principal they're designed to keep you from touching the snus at all, aside from compacting the load.

Basically you take your tool (either the Icetool or Prismaster) which both operate like a syringe- that is, there is a hollow chamber and a plunger on the end that compresses the snus inside the chamber. First, you pull back on the plunger to open the chamber up (the further back you pull the plunger, the more snus you load up).You're going to sort of stab the snus can with the tool until you fill the hollow chamber with as much snus as you want. Then you place the opening of the tool on the flat of your hand, and push down on the plunger until your load is compressed. Then you insert the opening under your lip and press the plunger down again until all the snus is released.

Here's a video that better demonstrates the use of an Icetool. The Prismaster functions exactly the same, just in a more basic fashion. The shape of the pris is also different between the two: the Prismaster pris is wider and fatter than the thin, cylindrical shape of an Icetool pris.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXw3Vld7Zgk

[sol92258]

dang that's a lot of information!

I've tried a few snuffs, the only one I could stand is Hawken, I actually like it quite well.
I'll get a can, but never finish it, since I very very rarely will use it.
I may have to give snus a try - with what I've said, what would you recommend?

[ClubmanRob]

dang that's a lot of information!

I've tried a few snuffs, the only one I could stand is Hawken, I actually like it quite well.
I'll get a can, but never finish it, since I very very rarely will use it.
I may have to give snus a try - with what I've said, what would you recommend?

Hawken is awesome! I don't use much dip anymore, but Hawken is one that I wouldn't hesitate to pick up every now and again. (Just for the record, Hawken utilizes the Swedish method of production, which gives it some of the lowest TSNA numbers out of all the American brands. It's not quite Snus-safe, but it is a damn sight better than Cope or Skoal).

Hawken is kind of unique due to its cut, which is pretty long for a snuff. It's almost like a cross between leaf and dip in its grind. The only Swedish brand I have ever tried that was even remotely close to that texture was Kardus (http://www.buysnus.com/snus-news.aspx?page=kardus%20premium%20blend&id=14), and unfortunately it has been discontinued in regular production. It was a premium brand, and it still gets released annually in limited batches. (Swedish Match keeps a stockpile of what it considers the cream of the crop in each year's tobacco harvest, and it all gets set aside for the Kardus brand.) It's probably the most unique snus product I have ever tried. It comes out so sporadically, though, it sells out quick, like in a matter of days. Really, it's considered the holy grail of Snus by many of us.

So unfortunately there isn't really anything else to compare Hawken to in the snus world that is more readily available, but I would think that you would probably like Grov lös or Goteborgs Rapé lös. Both are longer cut than average (though a long cut snus is still really fine compared to an American brand). They're both fairly mild in nicotine like the Hawken, and they share a slight similarity in flavor to me (maybe not so much the Grov, but Grov is a brand I always recommend to people that like American dip. Some say it reminds them tastewise of Copenhagen, though I think it tastes more like Hawken, personally).

[sol92258]

Hawken is awesome! I don't use much dip anymore, but Hawken is one that I wouldn't hesitate to pick up every now and again. (Just for the record, Hawken utilizes the Swedish method of production, which gives it some of the lowest TSNA numbers out of all the American brands. It's not quite Snus-safe, but it is a damn sight better than Cope or Skoal).

Hawken is kind of unique due to its cut, which is pretty long for a snuff. It's almost like a cross between leaf and dip in its grind. The only Swedish brand I have ever tried that was even remotely close to that texture was Kardus (http://www.buysnus.com/snus-news.aspx?page=kardus%20premium%20blend&id=14), and unfortunately it has been discontinued in regular production. It was a premium brand, and it still gets released annually in limited batches. (Swedish Match keeps a stockpile of what it considers the cream of the crop in each year's tobacco harvest, and it all gets set aside for the Kardus brand.) It's probably the most unique snus product I have ever tried. It comes out so sporadically, though, it sells out quick, like in a matter of days. Really, it's considered the holy grail of Snus by many of us.

So unfortunately there isn't really anything else to compare Hawken to in the snus world that is more readily available, but I would think that you would probably like Grov lös or Goteborgs Rapé lös. Both are longer cut than average (though a long cut snus is still really fine compared to an American brand). They're both fairly mild in nicotine like the Hawken, and they share a slight similarity in flavor to me (maybe not so much the Grov, but Grov is a brand I always recommend to people that like American dip. Some say it reminds them tastewise of Copenhagen, though I think it tastes more like Hawken, personally).
yeah, I really like the flavor and not-so-strong taste of Hawken, the others are just overpowering....well, I'm sure if I wanted all the side effects I could get used to them, but I like the flavor - and texture - more than skoal or cope that I've tried. Tried timberwolf, the wintergreen I think, it was okay, but still strong.
like I said, I'm not a heavy user, but once in a while guilty-pleasure type thing.
I'm thinking of trying the wintergreen pouch of the sample link you posted - opinion?

[ClubmanRob]

yeah, I really like the flavor and not-so-strong taste of Hawken, the others are just overpowering....well, I'm sure if I wanted all the side effects I could get used to them, but I like the flavor - and texture - more than skoal or cope that I've tried. Tried timberwolf, the wintergreen I think, it was okay, but still strong.
like I said, I'm not a heavy user, but once in a while guilty-pleasure type thing.
I'm thinking of trying the wintergreen pouch of the sample link you posted - opinion?

I'm not much of a Wintergreen guy, so I'm no good in that department. My fiancee, however, speaks very highly of it. It has a very pure Wintergreen taste from what I gather, and I believe it was the first snus product to have that flavor.

Another option for samples is the Discreet brand, which Ryan pointed out earlier. Fill out this questionnaire (http://americansnus.com/contact_consumer.html) and the owner of the company, Tom, will send you samples. (When filling out the questionnaire, just skip over the part about "where do you buy your tobacco/store name/phone number" as I did. Too much crap to fill out). He very promptly sent me eight packs of snus, (two packs each of four different flavors), and I was very impressed with the costumer service. The "Emerald Ice" brand has a Wintergreen flavor, and they're in the mini format which is pretty easy to work with for a new snuser. The other flavors are Peach, Cool Mint and Strawberry.

They're not really my thing, being the typical sugary sweet American style stuff, but I would heartily recommend them before I would the US Camel stuff. Discreet is very professional and courteous company, though, so I wish them the best in the future. (The pouches are really cheap too, .99 a pack.)

Oh, and one more, General's very own website ships out free samples as well, go to http://www.generalsnus.com/ and click on the "Free samples" button up top. It took them forever to ship me my can, but free is free as they say.

[FreezerBurns]

Hey Rob,
Since Red Man is a Swedish Match brand, is Red Man snuff made using the the Swedish method of production?

[ClubmanRob]

Hey Rob,
Since Red Man is a Swedish Match brand, is Red Man snuff made using the the Swedish method of production?

Yes sir, it is. Both the chew and the dip are extremely low in TSNA count. The same could be said for all of Swedish Match's North American brands.

Swedish Match really stepped up to the plate in getting all of their brands, not just their Swedish brands, down to an acceptable standard of safety. All of their products (Red Man included) fall into Gothiatek standards, which stipulate that the TSNA count can never be any higher than 5 ppm. Most snus contains less than 1 ppm, while the fermented American brands are around 3 ppm total quantity. In other companies, the TSNA count can reach triple digit levels.

What irks me about the American companies is that they have known for years the benefits of better processing, but they ignored it for sake of higher profits. Skoal for one has been processing their Bandits using the Swedish method for decades, yet their regular lineup contain some of the highest numbers of TSNA in the industry. (Compare 64 ppm TSNA count in Skoal with 3-7 ppm in Skoal Bandits.)

I'm not one for blind brand devotion or following or anything, but the Swedish Match logo is one I trust.

[Lynchmeister]

Rob, where do you find TSNA count information as it pertains to these brands?

[ClubmanRob]

Here is one study:http://www.starscientific.com/404/Foulds2.pdf

When this study was originally conceived, Swedish Match was still refining its Gothiatek process, and Ettan rated at 2.8 ppm. Ettan's TSNA count is now less than half that amount.

Here's a recap that puts the study into perspective: http://www.snus.name/snus-tsna.php

Brand Country TSNA count
Ettan Sweden 2.8
Offroad Denmark 0.7
Phantom Denmark 0.7
Copenhagen USA 41.1
Skoal, Original fine cut US 14.9
Skoal Bandts Straight US 8.2
Kodiak Wintergreen US 11.0
Hawken Wintergreen US 4.1
Skoal USA 64.0
Timber Wolf USA 7.5
Silver Creek USA 127.9



Recent studies have suggested that American brands are also trying to reduce the number of TSNA's in their products, but many question the validity of these reports being that they test the snuff in a way that is really not representative of the manner in which it is actually ingested. Even in these tests, Swedish brands still rank in the <2.0 territory.

[dwnwrdishvnwrd]

yeah, I really like the flavor and not-so-strong taste of Hawken, the others are just overpowering....well, I'm sure if I wanted all the side effects I could get used to them, but I like the flavor - and texture - more than skoal or cope that I've tried. Tried timberwolf, the wintergreen I think, it was okay, but still strong.
like I said, I'm not a heavy user, but once in a while guilty-pleasure type thing.
I'm thinking of trying the wintergreen pouch of the sample link you posted - opinion?

Rob may not be a wintergreen guy but I am. Generals wintergreen portions are great. They're not overpowering on the wintergreen and they are tasty.

If you're not too keen on something that gonna grab your upper lip and beat it into submission the Catch Eucalyptus is pretty good. It's a white portion snus (so it's dry compared to regular snus) but it moistens up pretty well and the eucalyptus flavor is nice. Goteborgs Rape is also pretty mellow to my tase. It's a juniper berry snus. A lot of snus can also be had in mini portions that are basically half a full portion and they won't knock your block off.

[Lynchmeister]

Thanks for the links, Rob!

[Lynchmeister]

Got my tin of General today! Haven't had a chance to try it yet (or even pop the lid and get a whiff), but I will later today while I'm putzing around on my Linux box with another project I've got cooking.

[ClubmanRob]

Let us know how it goes, Cory. Remember, the first few are the weirdest, it does get better. I promise. :biggrin:

Also, I've been reading this guy's blog lately: www.drsnus.com . It's pretty funny. If ever you wanted to know what Ettan and Hot Sauce tasted like, there you go. :001_tongu

EDIT: Damn it all! Looks like Lucky Strike and Camel won't be getting shipped to the US anymore. RJ Reynolds probably started pressing the copyright issues. RJ Reynolds owns the right to Camel and Lucky in the US, so the Swedish snus being shipped into the US probably violates their trademark rights.

Retro, for all intents and purposes, has been discontinued as well. Goodbye Retro, you were interesting.

Snus Rule #312: Always take many different lovers in the snus realm. Being monogamous to any one brand will only end in heartbreak. :frown:

[Lynchmeister]

Just cracked the can and took a whiff. Initial impressions: Copenhagen, black tea, some type of citrus, ammonia.

Confession time. While waiting for my General...yes...I broke down and bought a tin of Camel Frost. Needless to say, I'm excited that the General is here!

Ok. Here we go.

Hmm...taste is faint, but I'm guessing it will build with a bit of time as it moistens up. Again, I'm getting that straightforward tobacco taste (similar to Copenhagen), black tea...the citrus isn't there so much nor is the ammonia (thank God, haha!). I was also expecting a salty kick, but it seems to be lost on me.

Verdict: Enjoyable.

Edit: Ok. She's picking up steam now! I'm still getting used to the "gutting" it part of snus usage and it does irritate the throat just a little bit. Does that improve with time?

Edit #2: About a 1/2 hour in and it continues to evolve. The irritation has decreased significantly, the tobacco taste continues to dominate, and the saltiness is peeking its head out. I've also gotten sucked into Dr. Snus' blog. Great info and humor.

[ClubmanRob]

Just cracked the can and took a whiff. Initial impressions: Copenhagen, black tea, some type of citrus, ammonia.

Confession time. While waiting for my General...yes...I broke down and bought a tin of Camel Frost. Needless to say, I'm excited that the General is here!

Ok. Here we go.

Hmm...taste is faint, but I'm guessing it will build with a bit of time as it moistens up. Again, I'm getting that straightforward tobacco taste (similar to Copenhagen), black tea...the citrus isn't there so much nor is the ammonia (thank God, haha!). I was also expecting a salty kick, but it seems to be lost on me.

Verdict: Enjoyable.

Edit: Ok. She's picking up steam now! I'm still getting used to the "gutting" it part of snus usage and it does irritate the throat just a little bit. Does that improve with time?

Edit #2: About a 1/2 hour in and it continues to evolve. The irritation has decreased significantly, the tobacco taste continues to dominate, and the saltiness is peeking its head out. I've also gotten sucked into Dr. Snus' blog. Great info and humor.

Great write up! It pretty much mirrors the first time I tried snus- except I was more like "blarg! salt!" The throat irritation does go away over time, and I found that spitting it out initially instead of gutting it was a lot more preferable to swallowing the juice.

[Leche]

Snus Rule #312: Always take many different lovers in the snus realm. Being monogamous to any one brand will only end in heartbreak. :frown:

Exception; When Ettan is your horse!

[ClubmanRob]

Exception; When Ettan is your horse!

:biggrin:

Yeah, Ettan and General are probably the safest bets. Hell, Röda Lacket has 'em all beat.

Speaking of which, I love the new Röda Lacket design. Beats the pants of the old can.

New one:

http://www.snuscentral.org/images/stories/Snus/rodalacket_white.png


Old one:

http://www.snuscentral.com/images/90.jpg

[Leche]

:biggrin:

Yeah, Ettan and General are probably the safest bets. Hell, Röda Lacket has 'em all beat.

Speaking of which, I love the new Röda Lacket design. Beats the pants of the old can.

New one:

http://www.snuscentral.org/images/stories/Snus/rodalacket_white.png


Old one:

http://www.snuscentral.com/images/90.jpg

Much better. That last design didn't last very long.

[ClubmanRob]

Much better. That last design didn't last very long.

Something tells me that whoever designed that last can is still stuck in 1991. :lol:

http://www.exclaim.ca/images/up-vanilla.jpg

[Leche]

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[johsa]

:biggrin:

Yeah, Ettan and General are probably the safest bets.
Even though they are popular by many it is two very different flavors.

Many of the Swedish snus you could devide into two families, grov and general.
Grov has a more pure tobacco flavor and General has slight "perfumed" flavor and taste. Ettan belongs to the Grov family.

Most of the people I know might vary the brands but stays true to one of the families. I mostly buy Grov but enjoys and buys Ettan every now and then. I must be in a critical snus situation to go for General.

So if you are unfamiliar with snus and wants to try the Swedish brands make sure you try both General and Grov/Ettan. You owe that to yourself:biggrin:

[ClubmanRob]

Even though they are popular by many it is two very different flavors.

Many of the Swedish snus you could devide into two families, grov and general.
Grov has a more pure tobacco flavor and General has slight "perfumed" flavor and taste. Ettan belongs to the Grov family.

Most of the people I know might vary the brands but stays true to one of the families. I mostly buy Grov but enjoys and buys Ettan every now and then. I must be in a critical snus situation to go for General.

So if you are unfamiliar with snus and wants to try the Swedish brands make sure you try both General and Grov/Ettan. You owe that to yourself:biggrin:

Really? Grov and General taste almost identical to me. Ettan tastes nothing like either to me. I go back and forth between General and Grov, but if I dig into a can of Ettan it's because I'm out of everything else.

I always recommend that newbies try the four biggest brands- General, Ettan, Grov and Göteborgs. Out of those four, there's a taste for everyone.

[johsa]

Really? Grov and General taste almost identical to me. Ettan tastes nothing like either to me. I go back and forth between General and Grov, but if I dig into a can of Ettan it's because I'm out of everything else.


Ok, Ettan and General is not exactly the same taste but both offers a fairly clean tobacco taste compared to General which is flavored. For me Grov and General taste very differently.


I always recommend that newbies try the four biggest brands- General, Ettan, Grov and Göteborgs. Out of those four, there's a taste for everyone.

Always a good starting point. I would also recommend that you start on white portion if that is available. When you are familiar you can step up to the regular ones.

[krevo]

I've been working a can of General portion and General mini mint for the last couple of days.

I've smoked cigarettes since I was 14-15 and I'm 28 now. I quit cigs last year for 10 months cold turkey, but started back up after some stressful stuff went down at work with a buyout.

Everythings back online now, so I decided to drop them again. Rather than going the Chantix route (which did work for me) I've been popping a snus (or dip) before I found the General brand at my local liquor store. I'm actually quite impressed. I'm going on 6 days / no cigs right now.

[Lynchmeister]

I continue to work through my sample can of General and must say that I am really enjoying the Swedish Snus experience. Yesterday, I dove into uncharted waters and popped in a portion while my wife was around. I say uncharted for a few reasons since she a) despises the fact that I used to dip and finds the concept completely repulsive, and b) just hates tobacco use in general. To her credit, she tolerates my infrequent cigar and pipe smoking, but of course when she is around, it takes from my pleasure because I naturally feel bad that she has to endure the taste and smell of burnt tobacco smoke before and after.

Yes, she did roll her eyes when I asked her if she minded that I "pop a snus," and even cracked a few jokes that I was "high off of that stuff" when I made a few bad jokes, but all and all, she wasn't bothered by it. I even got a kiss after I took it out! Try that after smoking and I'm liable to get punched in the eye. :biggrin:

I completed a short survey at Northerner's website for a free can of General Onyx as well as sent in for the Discreet sampler line. Hey, free snus is bound to be good snus, right? Eventually, I hope to try out some samplers from Getsnus.com and get a feel for my preferences. I do know that General will be in there somewhere. Nice and straightforward.



I doubt I'll be trying this anytime soon, though. :rolleyes:

0ybp7gm80kQ

[sol92258]

I doubt I'll be trying this anytime soon, though. :rolleyes:

0ybp7gm80kQ
that might actually be pretty good with root beer

[ClubmanRob]

I've been working a can of General portion and General mini mint for the last couple of days.

I've smoked cigarettes since I was 14-15 and I'm 28 now. I quit cigs last year for 10 months cold turkey, but started back up after some stressful stuff went down at work with a buyout.

Everythings back online now, so I decided to drop them again. Rather than going the Chantix route (which did work for me) I've been popping a snus (or dip) before I found the General brand at my local liquor store. I'm actually quite impressed. I'm going on 6 days / no cigs right now.

Congratulations!



I completed a short survey at Northerner's website for a free can of General Onyx as well as sent in for the Discreet sampler line. Hey, free snus is bound to be good snus, right? Eventually, I hope to try out some samplers from Getsnus.com and get a feel for my preferences. I do know that General will be in there somewhere. Nice and straightforward.

I'm glad to see you enjoying snus Cory! (And your wife tolerating it :wink:)

When you get the Onyx, remember that it has a little more nicotine in it than the regular General so be prepared. Nothing massive, but it took me by surprise the first time I tried it. I had to sit down after a few minutes. :lol:

The flavor of the Onyx though can't be beat. Wonderful stuff. It's like General for millionaires. :biggrin:



I doubt I'll be trying this anytime soon, though. :rolleyes:

0ybp7gm80kQ

That guy creeps me out. Reminds me of Carel Struycken, whom you may remember as the guy who played Lurch in that Addams Family remake. :w00t:

http://www.iconsf.org/archive/icon22/images/CarelprtrtHi.jpg

[Lynchmeister]

Another question to pose to you guys more familiar with snus and Scandinavian culture. Does snus carry similar stigmas as smoking and other tobacco usage does here in America? I was reading on a snus specific forum and there were a few anecdotes of people reminiscing about sneaking snus when they were young and their parents not knowing about it, which of course they did. Reminded me of my youth with cigarettes substituted in.

[ClubmanRob]

Keep in mind that this is only my impression, and it has been many years since I've lived in Scandinavia, but snus does not hold the same stigma that cigarettes do. Pipes/cigars weren't as common as they are here, so really the only forms of tobacco I was around were snus and cigarettes.

There's just as much, if not more, animosity towards cigarette smoke there as there is here. They're very heavily regulated and smoking is pretty much banned anywhere in public. An average 14 or 15 year old can walk into the convenience store and pick up a can of snus, simply because people just don't look at snus the same way. I remember my brother in law telling me he got sent home from school for using snus in class (this would have been around junior high type age) but using it outside of the class on school grounds was permitted.

So yes, to a certain degree it is stigmatized but more along the lines of a "harmless" vice compared to smoking. You know here we have signs everywhere saying "No Tobacco Use", which covers everything from smoking to dip to snus, but I've never seen a Swedish sign that said anything more than "No Smoking". As it should be.

[johsa]

Another question to pose to you guys more familiar with snus and Scandinavian culture. Does snus carry similar stigmas as smoking and other tobacco usage does here in America? I was reading on a snus specific forum and there were a few anecdotes of people reminiscing about sneaking snus when they were young and their parents not knowing about it, which of course they did. Reminded me of my youth with cigarettes substituted in.

I think it depends on the situation. The last years they have been strict on the 18 year limit on buying snus and I think most parents feel the same way when they found out that their kids are using snus or cigarettes.

But if where are talking about using snus in public when you have the legal age it is generally not a problem. Smoking has been banned from restaurants, pubs, all workplaces and public buildings and use start to see non-smoking signs at public bus stops etc. So generally smokers have a tough time and it is getting tougher all the time.

On the other hand snus is normally accepted everywhere. I don't have a problem using a snus after a meal at a five star restaurant. Mostly because of it doesn't bother other people and low health risks.

Girlfriend / wife is still the number one reason people are quitting.

[1OldGI]

:


Old one:

http://www.snuscentral.com/images/90.jpg

Clearly the dip of choice on the Partridge Family bus :biggrin: I haven't dabbled in the European style snus as of yet but have had a life long addiction to dipping. I was a loyal Copenhagen user from 13 years old until about 3 years or so ago when it got ridiculously expensive. The silver top Grizzly is now my poison of choice, the only suitable substitute for Copenhagen I've found over all these years. In fact, I'd say this is probably better than my beloved Copenhagen.

http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv84/1OldGI/grizsnuffcan.jpg

Loading it in the upper lip seems to eliminate the need to spit and makes it much more discreet for public consumption. Also doesn't give me near the heartburn that Copenhagen did.

[Leche]

The silver top Grizzly is now my poison of choice, the only suitable substitute for Copenhagen I've found over all these years.

That is some good dip right there, quite comparable to Copenhagen (Real Copenhagen) IMO. I too find the flavors of Ettan, Grov, and General to be quite different. Honestly I don't really like General but Ettan is my go to and Grov when I want a change. Ettan is very clean, almost like an untouched leaf. Grov has some flavor to it and a very course grind.

[FreezerBurns]

How long does a can of snus last in the freezer? What about if the can has been opened? I got some 6 month old cans in there that i'm affraid to use, but I haven't tossed them yet.

[ClubmanRob]

Clearly the dip of choice on the Partridge Family bus :biggrin: I haven't dabbled in the European style snus as of yet but have had a life long addiction to dipping. I was a loyal Copenhagen user from 13 years old until about 3 years or so ago when it got ridiculously expensive. The silver top Grizzly is now my poison of choice, the only suitable substitute for Copenhagen I've found over all these years. In fact, I'd say this is probably better than my beloved Copenhagen.




That is some good dip right there, quite comparable to Copenhagen (Real Copenhagen) IMO. I too find the flavors of Ettan, Grov, and General to be quite different. Honestly I don't really like General but Ettan is my go to and Grov when I want a change. Ettan is very clean, almost like an untouched leaf. Grov has some flavor to it and a very course grind.


Did they change the flavor of Cope over the years? I remember taking the occasional pinch when I was a kid and it tasted much different than it did the other day when I tried a little pinch. Maybe it's my tastebuds. But I agree, Grizzly is a much better brand than I remember Cope being.

General and Grov are probably my two favorite lös brands. They taste fairly similar to me, but I can't do Grov all the time like I can the General because it seems to tear up my gums with repeated use. By the end of the can I feel like I've been flossing with sandpaper. General is the one I use the most, but Grov is probably my favorite all around.

[ClubmanRob]

How long does a can of snus last in the freezer? What about if the can has been opened? I got some 6 month old cans in there that i'm affraid to use, but I haven't tossed them yet.

Even if the cans have been opened, they should last at least a year in the freezer. I've pulled some out that were getting close to two years old and they were fine.

[FreezerBurns]

Even if the cans have been opened, they should last at least a year in the freezer. I've pulled some out that were getting close to two years old and they were fine.

Thanks, that's great news... Looks like I'll be revisiting Skruf and Odens Licorice this week.

[jzono1]

I'm kinda curious why snus is listed under gentlemanly essentials. I don't see it as gentlemanly in any way. I'm not deliberately trying to step on anyone's toes here, but let me explain - and don't shoot me;

As I'm from Norway, snus is pretty common here; my perception of snus is that it's a yucky nicotine fix for the low-educated rural working-men. I've worked my way up to college, and the trend in schools here is clear; the higher up, the less snus. At the local highschool snus useage is strong with the practical lines, mechanics, carpenters and so on, and virtually nonexistant in the lines oriented to higher education.

I say yucky, not because of taste or consistency, but because alot of the snus users here have a very bad habbit of improperly disposing of it. I.e.: Spitting it around where it doesn't belong; on the street, in beer glasses in clubs,bars,restaurants, etc, on mirrors, walls & floors of public bathrooms +++. Anyone with something between their ears can understand that nobody wants to touch your used snus, it's as disgusting as other bodily wastes.

I don't know about sweden, but this is just what it looks like for me, from my Norweigian view.

I'm against tobacco in most forms; I don't want a complete ban, I just want the regular smokers to avoid harming others. Snus is great when it comes to that, you only affect yourself.

Snus has a reputation. Do your part in shaping the future of snus; enjoy it if gives you pleasure, and try not to be disrepectfull to people who don't use snus. Only with respect use can I see it fitting in a gentlemanly setting.

Also, let me elabourate on the snus in beer glasses thingy; it basicly forces the serving place to toss away that glass if the care about what they do. It tains the glass, and it's unneccesary. You, a gentleman - wouldn't deliberately break a glass, would you?

[ClubmanRob]

Snus has a reputation. Do your part in shaping the future of snus; enjoy it if gives you pleasure, and try not to be disrepectfull to people who don't use snus. Only with respect use can I see it fitting in a gentlemanly setting.



If you had originally read the article in question, you would see that I very meticulously outlined what is expected gentlemanly behavior regarding snus. In fact, that's the main point in a Gentlemen's Essentials article, or so I've gathered.

This is the kind of post I was talking about here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1418910&postcount=154 and here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1420368&postcount=201

[Carlin]

That coke snus video was hella crazy, esp, the flowers o_o

[jzono1]

Ofcourse I read your article. It's deep and thorough. My intention was not to wag my finger, just give my take on snus. No offence meant. I'm interested in the culture, and what I've seen from it is negative.

It's an interesting phenomen, and a relatively nice sort of tobacco.

I remember a gym class back in 9.th grade. The gym teacher decided to do a unnanounced inspection for snus useage, given the school's anti-tobacco policy - and the majority of my class was busted.

Underage snus useage is way too common here. Kids get hooked in the early teens, and alot of them contribute to snus' bad reputation up here.

I'd like to see some perspective from a swede on snus useage in sweden.

[ClubmanRob]

Ofcourse I read your article. It's deep and thorough. My intention was not to wag my finger, just give my take on snus. No offence meant. I'm interested in the culture, and what I've seen from it is negative.


If you truly meant no offense, then I apologize. The first part of your post, you made it very clear that smart Norwegians don't use snus, only low-class rural workers with little education. That's definitely not the situation here in the States, and even less so in Sweden. You used this as the basis for questioning the legitimacy of snus as a gentlemanly endeavor, so I assumed that you were painting all snusers as similarly destitute and uneducated.

The few Norwegian snusers I know personally are University grads who make pretty good money doing fairly respectable work, so I'd have to say that not all Norwegian snusers are stupid or poor. It's been a good nine years since I've been to Norway so I can't speak for the rest of the population.

[krevo]

Just got some Skruf Stark, Onyx, and General Ekstra Sterk in yesterday.

I really like the Onyx and the Stark so far. Definitely stronger but it really reduces my nic fits.

[ClubmanRob]

Just got some Skruf Stark, Onyx, and General Ekstra Sterk in yesterday.

I really like the Onyx and the Stark so far. Definitely stronger but it really reduces my nic fits.

If you ever want to try a good lös, the General ES loose is one of the few strong bands I've tried that I really like the taste of.

[koso]

I just received a can of the Goteborg Rape (what an unfortunate name) and General. Both white standard portion.

I smoked mostly at work, and cut down to the occasional nighttime cigar since I was laid off in June.

I'm enjoying my second portion of the Goteborg now.

Rob, hats off. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

I used to get so sick from chewing tobacco from my baseball playing days I haven't touched oral tobacco in thirty years. But this stuff is the s**t.

Really, can't thank you enough. Also, a humble apology to my Swede ancestors for taking so long to discover their beloved national product.

[Jatte]

i think gote rape comes from rappe which was a snuff term for a very finely finely ground snus or snuff,

[Lynchmeister]

Just placed my first (large) order at GetSnus consisting of:

Gotlands Flader portion
Gotlands yellow portion
Skruf Tranbar portion
Goteborgs No 2. portion
Jakobsons Ice fruit portion

White Portion Sampler:

1 - Grovsnus White Portion
1 - General White Portion
1 - Goteborgs White Portion
1 - Roda Lacket White Portion

Loose Sampler:

1 - Grovsnus Loose
1 - Gotlands Classic Yellow Loose
1 - General Loose
1 - Offroad Original Loose
1 - Skruf Stark Loose
1 - Prismaster Portion Tool

Throw in a free mystery can and I'm thinking that I'll be good on Swedish snus for a while. :biggrin:

[ClubmanRob]

Now that's a man that knows how to order. :cool:

That White sampler just got back in stock- I order one about twice a month myself. Good way to save a few dollars on something I would purchase separately anyway.

[Lynchmeister]

Now that's a man that knows how to order. :cool:

Well...you know what they say. "When opportunity knocks, answer." My wife suckered me into buying her a Nikon CoolPix point and shoot camera for when we're "out and about with friends," (She's got digital cameras up the ying-yang) so I knew I could snag a measly $50 out of the budget for "more of that chew stuff" as she put it. :biggrin:

I just took another look at the order I placed...damn, that's a lot of snus! :w00t:

[Lynchmeister]

Speaking of the White sampler. Does it come in a box or something? Or were they just out of stock of one of the particular cans?

Twice a month? Damn! Are you stockpiling or just enthusiastic? :lol:

[ClubmanRob]

Speaking of the White sampler. Does it come in a box or something? Or were they just out of stock of one of the particular cans?

Twice a month? Damn! Are you stockpiling or just enthusiastic? :lol:

:lol: Well, you have to think, between me and my girlfriend, we use about eight cans a month. We've both been on a White portion kick lately so the sampler ensures we have enough variety. I usually hover around the General and Grov cans while she gravitates towards the Roda Lacket and Goteborgs Rap&#233;.

And yep, it comes in an actual box, and they also throw in one of those trial sampler packs (three portions each of General and General White, Wintergreen and Mini Mint). I got a free General pen with my last order, too. I think they were out individually of Grov and General White which would have precluded them from throwing the box together. I'm pretty sure it's packed by Getsnus and not Swedish Match. But it does come in the same box that they show on the web page.

EDIT: Here's what the box looks like:

http://i632.photobucket.com/albums/uu49/snusdaddy/005-2.jpg

[Lynchmeister]

Thanks for the insight Rob. In other news, I just received my sampler of the Discreet line. Hmm...sample might not be the right word...Tom sent me two packets of each flavor for a whopping total of 80 portions! I'll be sure to weigh in here on my impressions of each.

[gentlemanly]

Just found this thread, I have been a snuser for the better part of 2 years and go through a couple cans a week. I am a portions man, and have tried almost every kind on the market, save for a few of the newer ones. For those starting out, I would say that the best way to start is with white portions. Don't let anyone's impression of a certain snus sway you from trying it. Each person's tastes are different and one person's nasty snus is another's daily snus. The portion sampler that buysnus puts out is a regular buy for me, and having a variety on hand is essential in my opinion. Every brand is unique and has its own characteristics. The snuson forum has been awesome for information and it's good to see a crossover here.

My favorites:
Skruf Stark and Original
Gotlands Green
Jakobssons Original and IceFruit
Taboca
Roda Lacket
Thunder Frosted
LD Black (I hate black licorice, but love LD Black)
Phantom Blue

[kap49]

Jakobssons Original is one of my regulars. I am awaiting the arrival of the Ice Fruit which I ordered along with several others. Looking forward to trying it.

[krevo]

Don't forget to drop a email to the guys at Discreet Snus. I just landed 8 packs of 10 pouch samplers - 2 Strawberry, 2 Peach, 2 Wintergreen and 2 Mint. 80 white pouches for sending an email, yes plz. :lol:

[ClubmanRob]

I just came across this via Dr Snus's blog today:

Smoking is still bad, snus is still pretty safe (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016266038?Nicotine%20May%20Not%20Be%20Behind%20MS %20In%20Smokers).


Miami, FL (AHN) - While smoking increases a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis, nicotine may not be the culprit, according to Swedish researchers.

The scientists, from the University of Karolinska, said in a statement that male smokers were almost two times more likely than non-smokers to develop MS, and women smokers were almost one and a half more likely to develop the disease.

But the same does not hold true for users of a Swedish smokeless tobacco product, known as snus. This led the researchers to conclude that other factors in cigarette smoke may be behind the MS risk.

Snus is made differently than tobacco used in cigarettes and other types of smokeless tobacco, and research shows that snus users do not develop many ailments associated with tobacco use.

The researchers said in the study that smoking may increase MS risk because it increases the frequency of respiratory infections, or by causing autoimmune reactions in people genetically susceptible to the disease.

The study was published in the journal Neurology.

[kazeshini]

Hello all,

I have recently tried both the frost and mellow snus by camel. I got sick once, other than that I like the mellow and tolerate the frost. I'm not a cigarette smoker, but I do smoke cigars and a pipe. I only smoke occasionally, my favorite cigars are Erin Go Bragh Irish Whiskey Infused cigars. My favorite pipe tobacco is Peterson's Irish Whiskey. I'm thinking about trying Probe and was wondering if there is anyone who tried it and there thoughts on it. Also if there are any others I should try.

Thank you. :001_smile

[ClubmanRob]

Hello all,

I have recently tried both the frost and mellow snus by camel. I got sick once, other than that I like the mellow and tolerate the frost. I'm not a cigarette smoker, but I do smoke cigars and a pipe. I only smoke occasionally, my favorite cigars are Erin Go Bragh Irish Whiskey Infused cigars. My favorite pipe tobacco is Peterson's Irish Whiskey. I'm thinking about trying Probe and was wondering if there is anyone who tried it and there thoughts on it. Also if there are any others I should try.

Thank you. :001_smile

Kazeshini, I have tried the Probe, and I personally didn't care for it. It is very bittersweet and not really whiskey-like at all IMO. The lös version is substantially better, though still not very reminiscent of whiskey.

Nordströmmen came out with a limited edition Brandy Alexander flavor earlier this year, and I suggest keeping an eye out for it in case they re-release it down the road. It was a much better alcohol-flavored snus compared to the Probe.

[pocketwatch]

I've noticed a few flyers at the tobacco counters for Camel Snus, but I haven't seen any for sale around here. Thank you for the in-depth information.

I chew Copenhagen long cut, what would be the closest tasting snus? I really like the taste of Cope. I don't like any of the flavored stuff and the "traditional" chewing tobbacco tastes like molasses to me - too sweet.

So for a salty, ammonia-like flavor, what would you recommend?

[Lynchmeister]

I've noticed a few flyers at the tobacco counters for Camel Snus, but I haven't seen any for sale around here. Thank you for the in-depth information.

I chew Copenhagen long cut, what would be the closest tasting snus? I really like the taste of Cope. I don't like any of the flavored stuff and the "traditional" chewing tobbacco tastes like molasses to me - too sweet.

So for a salty, ammonia-like flavor, what would you recommend?

I'm sure Rob or Jatte will have more concise advice for you, but from an aspiring Swedish snus noob, I can tell you that General fits the bill nicely. It was my first Swedish snus experience and the second it hit my lips, I thought, "Copenhagen!"

As I worked my way through the can, I slowly started to become aware that while similar, they are not one and the same, but to your question of a recommendation, I think General would be a great place to start.

[joshmpdx]

I placed an order for a tin, and am excited to give it a go!

thanks Rob for a killer run down on something totally foreign!

[ClubmanRob]

I'm sure Rob or Jatte will have more concise advice for you, but from an aspiring Swedish snus noob, I can tell you that General fits the bill nicely. It was my first Swedish snus experience and the second it hit my lips, I thought, "Copenhagen!"

As I worked my way through the can, I slowly started to become aware that while similar, they are not one and the same, but to your question of a recommendation, I think General would be a great place to start.

+1. General and Grov los are both reminiscent to me of Copenhagen. It's hard to explain, because they aren't really flavored similarly, but the profile is similar (Ie, strong, spicy tobacco). But you won't go wrong starting off with either IMO.


I placed an order for a tin, and am excited to give it a go!

thanks Rob for a killer run down on something totally foreign!

Let us know how you like it!

[pocketwatch]

I'm sure Rob or Jatte will have more concise advice for you, but from an aspiring Swedish snus noob, I can tell you that General fits the bill nicely. It was my first Swedish snus experience and the second it hit my lips, I thought, "Copenhagen!"

As I worked my way through the can, I slowly started to become aware that while similar, they are not one and the same, but to your question of a recommendation, I think General would be a great place to start.


+1. General and Grov los are both reminiscent to me of Copenhagen. It's hard to explain, because they aren't really flavored similarly, but the profile is similar (Ie, strong, spicy tobacco). But you won't go wrong starting off with either IMO.

Cool, thanks guys. I think I'll try and track some down this weekend.

[kazeshini]

Kazeshini, I have tried the Probe, and I personally didn't care for it. It is very bittersweet and not really whiskey-like at all IMO. The lös version is substantially better, though still not very reminiscent of whiskey.

Nordströmmen came out with a limited edition Brandy Alexander flavor earlier this year, and I suggest keeping an eye out for it in case they re-release it down the road. It was a much better alcohol-flavored snus compared to the Probe.

Thank you for your reply. i think I'll still try it and I will keep an eye out for the LE re-issue. Hey Brandy Alexanders are the only alcoholic beverage my father would ever drink. Never had one myself though, I'll still give it a try. :tongue_sm

[Leatherneck]

Damn 'ye, Devil Man, and your wicked, coniving sweet talkin' ways!

I saw this thread last week and like the others, you and my curiosity have pulled me in for a taste.

I ordered the General and Discreet sample packs. Since I couldn't wait the couple of days for them to arrive, I stopped at a local tobacco store and bought a can of Camel Mild.

To me the Camel was not bad at all. Actually I kinda enjoyed.

I'll be opening some of the others this weekend.

As other have said, thanks for this thread and introducing us to something I'm sure most of us would never have heard about.

Kevin

[ClubmanRob]

Peer pressure's a heck of a thing, isn't it? :devil:

[Alacrity59]

ClubmanRob . . . what a wonderful writeup you have done on this Snus. I'd never head of this before and I'm a kinda trivia sponge. I smoke an occasional cigar when golfing with buds but other than that noting else. Always tempted by pipe tobacco . . . and here is another temptation. Sounds like something of which a gentleman could partake from time to time. Off to google snus Canada . . . ha.

[joshmpdx]

My Pack that cost ONE DOLLAR arrived in less than 48 hours!

[ClubmanRob]

ClubmanRob . . . what a wonderful writeup you have done on this Snus. I'd never head of this before and I'm a kinda trivia sponge. I smoke an occasional cigar when golfing with buds but other than that noting else. Always tempted by pipe tobacco . . . and here is another temptation. Sounds like something of which a gentleman could partake from time to time. Off to google snus Canada . . . ha.

Jatte would be the man to talk to about snus in Canada. As far as I know the DeMarier snus is in some markets, and Davidoff has some snus out, but I haven't tracked down a can yet.



My Pack that cost ONE DOLLAR arrived in less than 48 hours!

Getsnus really has excellent shipping. Most of my orders come in 48 hours, and it's cheap too! I like that it's in three stages (barring the sample can)- it's either going to cost 2.99 (all orders under ten cans or so), 4.99, or free (all orders over 50.00). I like knowing that I'm never going to pay more than five bucks for shipping.

Don't forget fellas, you're all cordially invited to join the Snuff Haus (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=74), our little smokeless tobacco group. Just bring some snus and I'll let you in. :wink:

[joshmpdx]

i have yet had the opportunity to pop one of these little suckers and just want to check in with one last question.

i understand that im not supposed to spit. is this going to be a significantly strange experience?

[ClubmanRob]

It shouldn't be too strange. And some folks do indeed spit. If it is too salty or makes you salivate too much, by all means- spit away! :smile:

[Lynchmeister]

i have yet had the opportunity to pop one of these little suckers and just want to check in with one last question.

i understand that im not supposed to spit. is this going to be a significantly strange experience?

This was quite the psychological hurdle for me and I'm still dealing with it to a small degree, but with a relatively short bit of time I have discovered (to my pleasure) that both the slight irritation from not spitting and the tender gums have gone away.

Curious to hear about your initial thoughts/reactions!

[joshmpdx]

Wow, i've popped a couple of these now.

the first was not very pleasant. the flavor was fine, however the sting in my throat and nausea was too much to bear for longer than just a few minutes.

my second go-round was much different: no issues with the throat, great flavor, and a very intense tobacco/nicotine feeling that lingered for at least an hour.

im looking forward to my third!

[Cains Boy]

I've just placed my first order at GetSnus.

I got the General original portion sampler, a can of Ettan lös, and a can of General wintergreen white portions...and my Mystery Can.

Don't know if this will be the "magic bullet" for a pack-a-day Camel smoker who wants to quit (yours truly), but we'll try it.

Thanks for the thread; I would have never even considered using this kind of tobacco otherwise (the U.S. Camel snus always struck me as really gimmicky and thus turned me off).

[joshmpdx]

Popped a couple General white snus yesterday, and am growing more and more fond of these little bad boys. the throat issue is a little weird, but goes away after 5 minutes, and im also starting to taste the nuances of the flavor. it's almost time for another order!

is it just me, or are they incredibly sleep inducing?

[Lynchmeister]

Popped a couple General white snus yesterday, and am growing more and more fond of these little bad boys. the throat issue is a little weird, but goes away after 5 minutes, and im also starting to taste the nuances of the flavor. it's almost time for another order!

is it just me, or are they incredibly sleep inducing?

Interesting that you say that. I've been sleeping like a rock lately and the occasional snus usage has been the only change in my lifestyle. Your comment is helping to confirm my suspicion.

[ClubmanRob]

I wish I could say the same. My sleep is just as erratic and short lived as it has always been. :001_tongu

[johsa]

Never noticed that I feel more tired from snus, but don't worry. Snus and coffee is the perfect combination.

Nothing beats the moment after a weekend breakfast when you have poured yourself a coffee and pop in a snus.

[ClubmanRob]

Never noticed that I feel more tired from snus, but don't worry. Snus and coffee is the perfect combination.

Nothing beats the moment after a weekend breakfast when you have poured yourself a coffee and pop in a snus.

One of life's greatest pleasures.

[Jatte]

Just a reminder to all,

Anyone interested in any way in snus or any other smokeless tobaccos are graciously invited to join, we need to get our membership and activity up

The Snuff Haus (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=74)

Just remember to bring enough to share :cool:

[joshmpdx]

i just placed a 7 tin order!

this stuff is totally unique!

[Lynchmeister]

Just cracked my first tin of Skruf Cranberry. First impressions were not good. The portions look exactly like those of the Jakobssons Ice Fruit, which, to be polite, don't look good at all. Looks aside, the taste wasn't all that great either. A bit artificial. I tried another one today and it was a bit better, but I think I'm starting to face the sad realization that I just don't care for flavored snus as much as I had hoped I would. For the record, though, the tin of Goteborgs Rape that I just finished off was great. Definitely be re-ordering that one!

[joshmpdx]

Just cracked my first tin of Skruf Cranberry. First impressions were not good. The portions look exactly like those of the Jakobssons Ice Fruit, which, to be polite, don't look good at all. Looks aside, the taste wasn't all that great either. A bit artificial. I tried another one today and it was a bit better, but I think I'm starting to face the sad realization that I just don't care for flavored snus as much as I had hoped I would. For the record, though, the tin of Goteborgs Rape that I just finished off was great. Definitely be re-ordering that one!

interesting! i just placed an order and the Skruf Cranberry is the only "flavored" tin in the bunch. would you say that it's better than other flavors you've tried? or stereotypical even?

what's your favorite can to date?

[Lynchmeister]

interesting! i just placed an order and the Skruf Cranberry is the only "flavored" tin in the bunch. would you say that it's better than other flavors you've tried? or stereotypical even?

what's your favorite can to date?

Of the two "fruit" flavors I've tried (Skruf Cranberry and Jakobssons Ice Fruit), the Skruf is definitely the better of the two. I would say, "Yes, try the Skruf, but pass on the Ice Fruit." I don't think I would call either one of these stereotypical, but who knows? I'm still relatively new to this game.

Of all the "flavored" snuses I've tried, I'd say the G&#246;teborgs Rap&#233; is my favorite so far followed by the Gotlandssnus G&#252;l (Yellow).

Still in the fridge, but unopened are R&#246;da Lackett, G&#246;teborgs No. 2 (lingonberry), and Gotlandssnus Flader (Elderberry, green can) portions. I have high hopes for these!

In other news, just cracked my can of Grov white portions today. Similar in taste to General, but a bit milder. While I prefer the General portion's shape and softness, the Grov's taste is slightly preferred over General.

Favorite can to date...G&#246;teborgs Rap&#233;.

[joshmpdx]

Rape is ordered! i can't believe i missed it in my last order...

thanks for your run down!

[FreezerBurns]

Of the two "fruit" flavors I've tried (Skruf Cranberry and Jakobssons Ice Fruit), the Skruf is definitely the better of the two. I would say, "Yes, try the Skruf, but pass on the Ice Fruit." I don't think I would call either one of these stereotypical, but who knows? I'm still relatively new to this game.

Of all the "flavored" snuses I've tried, I'd say the Göteborgs Rapé is my favorite so far followed by the Gotlandssnus Gül (Yellow).

Still in the fridge, but unopened are Röda Lackett, Göteborgs No. 2 (lingonberry), and Gotlandssnus Flader (Elderberry, green can) portions. I have high hopes for these!

In other news, just cracked my can of Grov white portions today. Similar in taste to General, but a bit milder. While I prefer the General portion's shape and softness, the Grov's taste is slightly preferred over General.

Favorite can to date...Göteborgs Rapé.


I'm a fan of neither the Skruf Cranberry nor the Jakobssons Ice fruit.... But Roda Lackett and Gotlandssnuss Flader are fantastic, I think you'll probably have a better experience with those.

[johsa]

Rape is ordered!

Sound so much better in Swedish than English:scared:

[joshmpdx]

Sound so much better in Swedish than English:scared:

how is this said in Swedish? ive been saying it with the same A as in "Austria"

As someone with a strong penchant for the traditional tobacco flavor, I was surprised how much i liked the cranberry and the Goteborg's #2 is also fantastic!

however, i can't really pop a snus without something to drink RIGHT in front of me.

lastly, i've been describing them as little tobacco candies with great success... these things are such a find!

[Jatte]

And rapee comes from a very fine nasal snuff that is very dark, it was made originally so that a king wouldn't get light brown stains on his black suits and clothing, since snuff dust is often dropped on oneself,

[johsa]

how is this said in Swedish? ive been saying it with the same A as in "Austria"

As someone with a strong penchant for the traditional tobacco flavor, I was surprised how much i liked the cranberry and the Goteborg's #2 is also fantastic!

however, i can't really pop a snus without something to drink RIGHT in front of me.

lastly, i've been describing them as little tobacco candies with great success... these things are such a find!

It is the é (ee) that makes it harder to confuse it with a very unpleasant experience.

[cyrefli]

Many thanks to ur post. I love it.
Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

[Angus Young]

I've tried a couple of portions and White portions and enjoyed them after the first few minutes when I had to spit out the juice. Do the mini portions produce the same amount of juice initially? I do enjoy this stuff but the spitting issue is preventing me from using it in public.

[johsa]

I've tried a couple of portions and White portions and enjoyed them after the first few minutes when I had to spit out the juice. Do the mini portions produce the same amount of juice initially? I do enjoy this stuff but the spitting issue is preventing me from using it in public.

White portions help and mini might help but I think it is more about upper lip control. Make sure you can keep it in place without it moving around. This way it could be kept dry without too much problems.

[Jatte]

as good of advice that is for keeping the portions dry, the most flavour comes as you slowly suck the juices out,

to start, don't suck the juices out, just let a little collect in your mouth, and let it dilute a bit with saliva, then swallow it, a couple days later you will be able to swallow the juice that comes from the portions straight, and won't even think about it,

it might suck for the first day or two, but once your body is trained,
i can CHEW on redman and swallow the juice off them without a problem now,

[joshmpdx]

Many thanks to ur post. I love it.
Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

Welcome to B&B!!

try ordering a free tin from GetSnus.com (http://www.getsnus.com) and post your thoughts, it's a really interesting and fun product!


I've tried a couple of portions and White portions and enjoyed them after the first few minutes when I had to spit out the juice. Do the mini portions produce the same amount of juice initially? I do enjoy this stuff but the spitting issue is preventing me from using it in public.

im a new snuser as well and to cope with the odd juicing effect i make sure to have a beverage at hand. Coffee, tea, beer, wine... and they seem to really compliment the snus.

the mini portions don't juice nearly as much. try the General mini mint, they are even advertised as "dry".

[Lynchmeister]

Welcome to B&B!!

try ordering a free tin from GetSnus.com (http://www.getsnus.com) and post your thoughts, it's a really interesting and fun product!



im a new snuser as well and to cope with the odd juicing effect i make sure to have a beverage at hand. Coffee, tea, beer, wine... and they seem to really compliment the snus.

the mini portions don't juice nearly as much. try the General mini mint, they are even advertised as "dry".

Good tip! I've found that a pris of Grov Lös and a can of Pepsi Throwback over ice is heaven.

[Norwester]

I've tried a couple of portions and White portions and enjoyed them after the first few minutes when I had to spit out the juice. Do the mini portions produce the same amount of juice initially? I do enjoy this stuff but the spitting issue is preventing me from using it in public.
And as much as I hate to ask...you are placing the portions under your upper lip? I've seen quite a few posts from others that have had the excessive juicing problem and then discovered it should be under the upper and not lower lip. Myself I usually slosh water,soda,tea etc onto the portion to kickstart the juicing. Stash has a ginger lemon herbal tea that goes perfectly with General White portions. The ginger/lemon is a perfect taste compliment to the peppery citrus snus and seems to intensify the flavor. In fact...time to heat some water. :wink:


Many thanks to ur post. I love it.
Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

And welcome cyrefli,don't forget to join the Snuff Haus.




http://badgerandblade.com/vb/group.php?groupid=74

[thermographer]

Great tutorial Clubman. I had never heard of this before and found your article interesting and informative.

Our instructor here in Norway was using it and some of my co-workers in the class was asking about it. I was able to participate in the discussion somewhat thanks to your writeup.

I don't use nicotine, and will stick to my poor mans Mickey D's caffeine habit.

[drunkentester]

I saw this on another forum site: Fill out the form and get some free snus samples from a company selling "Discreet snus" in the US. I think they're starting out distribution in the US and would like to get the word out. I got mine within 2 weeks. I'm not sure of the quality of the snus since it really isn't my thing, so I'll leave it up to you guys to decide..

They sent me sample packs with 10 pouches in each pack:

2x strawberry flavor
2x emerald ice flavor (assuming this is like a a spearmint?)
2x peach flavor
1x cool mint (assuming this is normal menthol)

http://www.americansnus.com/contact_consumer.html

--Dennis

[Norwester]

Compared to Camel Discreet is actually pretty good. The strawberry is a little too sweet for me but the Peach isn't bad. The Cool Mint is peppermint flavored and I taste more wintergreen in the Emerald Ice than spearmint. If Camel would have done this I may not have discovered Swedish snus. The owner posts at snuson occasionally and is still developing flavors. Offhand I can remember Grape,Pear,Orange,apple Root Beer mentioned that sound pretty good. 99 cents a pack at Getsnus if you don't want to wait,which also beats Camels prices all to ****!

[joshmpdx]

Im continuing to come back to this thread for info!

thanks again Rob for such a great write up!

[Norwester]

I've tried a couple of portions and White portions and enjoyed them after the first few minutes when I had to spit out the juice. Do the mini portions produce the same amount of juice initially? I do enjoy this stuff but the spitting issue is preventing me from using it in public.
Swedish Match has just released 2 new snus's ( 01 & 02) that are supposed to juice much less than normal. I think its a new type of portion material. I included a couple tins with my latest order and should see them in 7-9 days. I don't mind the juicing at all but the flavor sounds pretty good. I'll post about them in The Snuff Haus when they get here.

[swags]

I jumped on the snus bandwagon with Rob's initial post and have been meaning to join the discussion for some time, but other things always seem to come up. My long writeup of my experiences so far follows (TLDR summary at the bottom).

I had smoked cigarettes heavily for roughly 10 years and then quit about three years ago, with the occasional bummed smoke while drinking. I also smoke the occasional cigar, but the time required and my housemates' distaste for cigar smoke make that generally difficult. Stresses had been making cigarettes attractive again for some time when one of my housemates started using Camel Frost. The idea intrigued me, but the lack of both tobacco flavor and any real nicotine kick turned me off. Then along came this thread.

I started with the General white portion sampler from GetSnus and immediately took a liking to snus. I also tried the sampler from Discreet Snus. Discreet was awful for me, causing a lot of throat irritation and even occasional light swelling. :eek: My Front using roommate a similar reaction.

On my next order from GetSnus I went big: one loose sampler, one General original sampler, and a tin each of General Mini Mint, Oden's Classic Cinnamon, and Skruf Cranberry.

Loose has been a nice experience for at home on evenings and weekends. I like being able to control my portions, and I find that any irritation is generally milder. If not for the bit of messiness inherent with loose, I would probably stick with it solely. It will remain a part of the home stash though.

The original portion sampler was also a step up from white portion for me. I find white to be too dry and therefore lacking in flavor and effect. Original portion doesn't have the same problems for me. Ettan seems to cause a fair bit of irritation, but General and Grov play nice, and I prefer the flavor of them to boot. Nick and Johnny is as acceptable middle ground.

The flavors were a mixed bag for me. General Mini Mint is very good, and especially nice when I'm not looking from much of a kick from the snus. The mint flavor is not shy at all, but at the same time not overpowering. Skruf Cranberry is also good, but not usually something I want. I find it goes well with a pale ale but can sometimes be irritating. Oden's Classic Cinnamon is one that I want to like but just cannot quite get there. Sometimes the flavor is too weak and other times it is entirely too much for me. Similarly, sometimes it irritates me badly and other times it is completely fine. Maybe it was just a bad batch, or maybe Oden is just lower quality in general and prone to such inconsistency.

This evening I just put in my third order from GetSnus. Since I like General and Grov but still want to experience, I went for the Black on Black sampler: three tins each of General Onyx and Grov Black. I also ordered a few tins of General Mini Mint to share with my housemate since he agrees that they are what Camel Front ought to be. On a whim I also tossed in a tin of Jakobsson's Ice Fruit. I'd also like to try the Gotlandssnus Flader but that is on back order, so perhaps another time.

This has been quite a fun experiment so far and I look forward to trying more varieties. I particularly enjoy that I can be very discrete with snus and that it also is quite cheap at my rate of consumption. Thank you Rob for the wonderful initial information packed post and everyone else for sharing your experiences.

TLDR: In my two months so far, General and Grov are my favorite brands. Discreet made me sick. Loose is great but too messy for taking outside of the house.

[CzechCzar]

What types of snus would you guys recommend for a guy who is not addicted to nicotine, but can appreciate a nice pipe or clove cigarette?

[joshmpdx]

What types of snus would you guys recommend for a guy who is not addicted to nicotine, but can appreciate a nice pipe or clove cigarette?

Great question! i was in the same boat, and have ordered and tested quite a few now.

Id recommend:
General Original
General Mini Mint
Goteborgs Rape
Skruf Original

don't forget to try the free tin of General White from www.getsnus.com.

[CzechCzar]

Thanks very much! $1 is a great deal for just about anything!

[sol92258]

Update: found a convenience store that has the Camel brand SNUS...yeah, yeah, I know, but on sale for $1.99, I had to try it, and I actually like it!

thanks Rob for starting this thread, otherwise I would have probably just looked over the stuff...I'm not much of a tobacco user, but on some occasions enjoy a little bit every now and then...


...and only you guys in this thread know it!

[TheBigL]

Update: found a convenience store that has the Camel brand SNUS...yeah, yeah, I know, but on sale for $1.99, I had to try it, and I actually like it!

thanks Rob for starting this thread, otherwise I would have probably just looked over the stuff...I'm not much of a tobacco user, but on some occasions enjoy a little bit every now and then...


...and only you guys in this thread know it!


The various Camel flavors are the only snus I've had. I've had several tins, but most of them were free. At first I really didn't care for them, but I guess I've developed a taste for it.

I've been considering an online purchase of other brands, but I just can't commit to doing it right now.

[joshmpdx]

The various Camel flavors are the only snus I've had. I've had several tins, but most of them were free. At first I really didn't care for them, but I guess I've developed a taste for it.

I've been considering an online purchase of other brands, but I just can't commit to doing it right now.

Try commiting $1 for the can of General at www.getsnus.com

the salty citrus is really nice :smile:

[TheBigL]

Try commiting $1 for the can of General at www.getsnus.com

the salty citrus is really nice :smile:

That I could do!

[thanks]

Trying desperately to quit Camel Lights, I bought the Camel Frost snus yesterday and the stuff when it drips burns my throat. I have some General stuff on the way, but is it supposed to be this unpleasant when I swallow? I'm really not enjoying this side of it.

[jasonboyd]

I've been a long time chewing tobacco fan. Never been much on moist snuff though, always thought it was too strong. I picked up a can of the Camel Snus Frost 2 weeks ago, and I can't put it down. It's got a refreshing flavor, and I like the fact that I can put one in anywhere and not have to worry about keeping a bottle around to spit in the truck, office, house, etc. This is the only Snus I've seen in this area. I tried the "mellow", but I'm more of a "frost" fan. I ocassionally have the throat burn previously mentioned, but I usually keep something to drink around and just take a drink if I feel it. That's another plus IMO, I can put one in and drink anything I want.
I also like the fact that it comes in a metal can, not plastic. I've saved some of them, I'm sure I can find a use for them, the first thing that came to mind was Blade Bank!

[Angus Young]

Trying desperately to quit Camel Lights, I bought the Camel Frost snus yesterday and the stuff when it drips burns my throat. I have some General stuff on the way, but is it supposed to be this unpleasant when I swallow? I'm really not enjoying this side of it.

Try some loose snus. The flavour is much more subtle and you don't get much if any drip. It can be a bit messy but if you cut the end of a syringe you can use that to compress it before you pop it in your mouth. You still get a good nicotene fix and hardly notice it in your mouth.

[Jatte]

also, i fyou just live with the burn for a couple days it go's away, and then you can swallow anything :) that's what i did,

also, if you learn how to handbake, there's a video on the first page or so, you get a really smooth ball and it takes me about an hour if i'm not talking and 45 minutes if i am tlaking to get it to start dripping,

[thanks]

Well my order came in! I got the "get 10 cans of General Wintergreen white get 2 free" sale, plus my mystery can was Grovsnus white. I have a General sampler on the way as well.

12 cans might be too much for me. I had no idea how long a tin would last, but with the way I'm using them it seems like it might take a week for a single tin! I love this aspect of it. I found a way around the throat burn which is to just spit for the first five or ten minutes, and then afterwards it doesn't seem to juice at all and develops a really nice meld of flavors. Also if I can't spit for the first five or ten minutes like if I'm at work, then I just let it sit in my mouth for a little bit and swallow small bits at a time. If I'm not in the mood for that then I just drink some water and that seems to work too.

So far I'm really enjoying the General Wintergreen, as the wintergreen aspect of it isn't too sweet or powerful, and the actual tobacco and salt flavors play well together. I detect the tiniest bit of citrus, but that might just be my imagination. The Grovsnus is a totally different but enjoyable beast. It's a strong tobacco flavor with a little bit of smoke, more salt, and a definite hint of citrus. It's great, but it juices a heck of a lot more than the Wintergreen, so I find myself reaching for it much less than the General. I find that the snus is definitely kicking my urges to smoke, so it seems to be working so far, but I'm only on day two of no smoking so we'll see. Also, 8mg of nicotine is really strong for me, and I'm a guy who's smoked pretty much a pack of Camel lights for the last eight years. I personally don't see stark, maxi, or Onyx portions in my future.

[Jatte]

onyx and all the other "Svart" (black ) pouches aren't stronger, they are just the same as white portions, just made with black paper instead of white ones,

people like the cool factor of the color black or something,..

maxi's are stupid and annoying :) haha,
i did a big pris of oden's extra sterk, probbably 2 grams, at 19 mg/g nicotine,

about 10 minutes in i had to spit it out cause i was dizzy, and it gave me hiccoughs :) hahaha,

there's no rule against drinking water or spitting, also, i found, now maybe this is just me, but, i found that if i swallowed the juice from a different spot in my mouth , farther forward, something about the way the muscles move in your throat made it like , hop over the only spot that gets irritated, because there is only a small spot on your throat that gets irritated,

you will also grow a resistance to it,

i can practically dip a portion in coke, put it in my mouth, suck the juice out and swallow it with no ill affect, maybe a salty burp, but no pain or discomfort,

there's also swedish guys out there that will dip a white portion in water and squeeze into everything from, beer, mixed drinks, eggs, ice cream, or on toast, since they love the flavour of snus so much./.. kinda gross in my opinion, but obviously straight tobacco juice doens't bother them either

Hope you enjoy the general sampler, general is probably my favorite, and maybe after you can try los snus :) i find it more fun, roll it into a pris, place exactly where you want it, and it juices way less, and has a more crisp, original flavor to it,

[swags]

onyx and all the other "Svart" (black ) pouches aren't stronger, they are just the same as white portions, just made with black paper instead of white ones,

people like the cool factor of the color black or something,..

General Onyx and Grov Svart are about 11mg/g, compared to 8mg/g for the General White portions. They also have a heavier flavor.

[Pilky]

Just ordered the free sampler. Gonna try it everyonce and a while when i have a beer.

[Geo Dude]

For what it's worth, the General original and one of the flavors (I believe mint) are sold in all the Club Humidor locations in San Antonio, TX, in case anyone happens to be near the area or passes through.

[Yushiro]

Great post Rob. Imagine my surprise when I found a few cans of Catch in a 7-11 here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. However, they'll be expiring somewhere next week :mad3: Picked up a can of Eucalyptus. Having never tried it before, i tentatively put one under the upper lip. Slightly salty, slightly minty. Left my mouth dry but I felt the slight buzz of the nicotine. Stayed there for about 20 odd mins till i got rid of it. Very interesting experience.

I'm now rather motivated to order a couple of cans of the real stuff. As a 10-sticks a day smoker, this will be very handy for me to try quitting. All I need to do now is to figure out how to do a bank transfer to Sweden :lol:

[GoldenMonkey]

Snussin' right now with some Skruf, but I also enjoy Gottlandssnus Flader, Goteborg's Rape #2, General Wintergreen and regular ol' General.

[Mallardstacker]

Thanks for this post! New here, but I have been a regular copenhagen user for 20+ yrs. Just ordered a mixed sampler from buysnus.com.... shipping on 10 ass'd cans to my door via Swiss mail total cost of which will be close to $20 CHEAPER than a roll of Copenhagen at my local tobacco store down the road.


Just wanted to say thanks for the post again, and I will update after I've had a chance to sample the goods.

[GoldenMonkey]

Thanks for this post! New here, but I have been a regular copenhagen user for 20+ yrs. Just ordered a mixed sampler from buysnus.com.... shipping on 10 ass'd cans to my door via Swiss mail total cost of which will be close to $20 CHEAPER than a roll of Copenhagen at my local tobacco store down the road.


Just wanted to say thanks for the post again, and I will update after I've had a chance to sample the goods.

You're going to find at first that it is a god-awful taste, lol. After a can or two, though it is much better...salty, unbelieveably salty the first few times, and depending on what kinds you got, you may or may not be able to really get past that aspect. For some reason though you simply don't notice the salt any more, and your gums get used to being pickled (lol), and it starts to taste good. Unlike Copenhagen though, be sure you put it in your UPPER lip, just to either side of your front teeth...the big mistake I made was I was putting it in my cheek, further back. What happens there is it gets really wet and juices too much, and the nicoteine isn't getting absorbed into your gums, it is going right down your gut, and you'll get the hiccups really bad.

[Mallardstacker]

Thanks for the heads up on the flavor. I fully expect the need to "aquire" the taste... but I love salt, so maybe it won't be so bad :confused1 .

Copenhagen will give a NASTY case of hiccups when gutted as well... never noticed it much when I was younger, but now, it can get down right annoying.

About to leave on a business trip in the am, so hopefully the snus will be waiting in the fridge when I get back.

Oh, and I occasionally put Cope up top now, so I am familiar with the reduced "juciness"..


Thanks again.

[seabs]

Thanks for the informative first post. The only snus I've tried so far are the American Camel ones and they really didn't do much for me. I decided to give real snus a chance so I ordered the sampler pack from getsnus.com.

[Gaston]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Claq Qui (or maybe they have and I didn't see it), of all I've tried I keep coming back to it. Also, if you like the Goteburg Rape but find it just a little too floral, you might like Roda Lackett better. For someone who, as one poster commented, doesn't regularly use tobacco but likes an occasional pipe or clove cigarette, you might enjoy the General Mint Mini. Be forewarned that smokeless tobacco is, in my opinion, at least twice as hard to quit as cigarettes and I've quit both. I only started chewing again when I was forecast to die within a very few years and I thought "why not?" As it was with Mark Twain, they were wrong and I can't say I regret they were. :001_smile I found snus about a year ago when I noticed that my old favorite chew, King B twist, was ruining my teeth at a much faster rate. I'm afraid it's too late to fix the stains that are there, but at least I'm not making them worse as far as I can tell.

If you buy Claq Qui I'd suggest you keep all but a few cans in the refrigerator or freezer, in an order of 30 cans there were several that went sour and I believe that was my fault. Other than that particular brand, snus has been much less prone to spoilage than anything I've chewed other than the tightly sealed bags of scrap tobacco like Red Man (none of which I like much).

As far as public scrutiny and acceptance, as far as they know I have a mint candy in my mouth - no spitting, and it doesn't bulge my cheek much. If I need to get rid of a spent chew, I just walk to the wastebasket and spit it out or take it out with forefinger and thumb and drop it in, and in the brief moment it's seen it looks like gum. That's seldom necessary, though, as most of the snus containers have a little lidded recessed part in the lid that works well for this purpose - and if you've just put a pouch in your mouth and your food arrives early, you can use that compartment to store it until you're done eating.

[fishops]

While I'm extremely partial to a nice portion of Gotlands or Skruf, I'd have to argue that a pinch of snuff from a pewter tin is more gentlemanly, strictly speaking.

Snus is definitely good stuff. Except for that American disaster that Camel makes. I can't understand why anyone would willingly put that in their mouth.

[Mallardstacker]

Got back from the business trip this past Friday and the sampler pack was waiting for me. Only took about a week. I am thoroughly enjoying the different varieties. Goodbye American smokeless tobacco and hello snus!

[Norwester]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Claq Qui (or maybe they have and I didn't see it), of all I've tried I keep coming back to it.
Gaston as much as I hate to be the one to break it to you...Claq Qui has been discontinued. :crying:
Getsnus and buysnus still have some but you'd better stock up. When its gone its gone!

[Gaston]

Such is life. Especially mine - I seem to be the Joe Btfsplk of the New Millenium (look up the Li'l Abner cartoon characters if that name doesn't ring a bell). Just hope I don't start loving your favorite brand of blades, shaving soap, aftershave, ad infinitum.

Just for the record, I don't like the General mint white mini; in fact, I hate it, and I will never, ever buy any of it, and I don't care if they quit making it, etc., etc. There, I hope I saved that one for you guys. :wink2:

Also, for the record, I had nothing to do with Gillette stopping DE razor production, so no hate mail, please. :001_smile

[roffles]

Just popped a General Wintergreen.

I used to be a camel frost user but they don't pack the punch that they did when I started. I am lucky to have a smoke shop that carries General across the street from my work.

[Gaston]

Just popped a General Wintergreen.

I used to be a camel frost user but they don't pack the punch that they did when I started. I am lucky to have a smoke shop that carries General across the street from my work.

Well, just don't make the mistake I did and broadcast on the Internet that you like it. Oops, too late! :biggrin1:

[fishops]

I just got an assortment of new snus, thought I'd share.

Grov Svart: may well be my new favorite. I like it much better than General Onyx, and it's nearly a dollar cheaper per can. Kicks like a mule though, I can't do this stuff all day.

Nick and Johnny: The actual flavor isn't really remarkable as much as the intense nicotine insanity it causes. I believe it has around the same nicotine content as the Grov, but it all seems to come on at once in a ragged, brutal dose. I'll save this one for special occasions where I feel the need to run around like a lunatic for whatever reason.

General Los: I'm surprised it took me this long to try what is probably the longest running formulation of snus still in production. The texture is clay-like and very easy to hand bake. More flavorful than the portions, in a good way.

Oden Kanel: Not into it. The tobacco flavor is fairly nice, but the cinnamon doesn't compliment it at all. Plus, the portion material is the roughest i've ever tried.

Offroad Cranberry: Horrifying. Avoid at all costs.

Ettan: Rich and chocolaty. I don't see it mentioned, but I get a real cocoa flavor out of this. Definitely a solid every day snus.

[Leche]

I just got an assortment of new snus, thought I'd share.

Grov Svart: may well be my new favorite. I like it much better than General Onyx, and it's nearly a dollar cheaper per can. Kicks like a mule though, I can't do this stuff all day.

Nick and Johnny: The actual flavor isn't really remarkable as much as the intense nicotine insanity it causes. I believe it has around the same nicotine content as the Grov, but it all seems to come on at once in a ragged, brutal dose. I'll save this one for special occasions where I feel the need to run around like a lunatic for whatever reason.

General Los: I'm surprised it took me this long to try what is probably the longest running formulation of snus still in production. The texture is clay-like and very easy to hand bake. More flavorful than the portions, in a good way.

Oden Kanel: Not into it. The tobacco flavor is fairly nice, but the cinnamon doesn't compliment it at all. Plus, the portion material is the roughest i've ever tried.

Offroad Cranberry: Horrifying. Avoid at all costs.

Ettan: Rich and chocolaty. I don't see it mentioned, but I get a real cocoa flavor out of this. Definitely a solid every day snus.

If you like the Grov Svart, try the regular Grov which has a cleaner flavor IMO and obviously less nicotine. Ettan is very good and chocolate should be detected. The white portion is more nutty to me if you like that. Most offroad is just plain nasty, the chemical flavor is just way too much.

[Triple Beam]

I've been a snusser for five years -- used about every kind out there, in loose and portions. I lay off the loose mostly now -- used to be General loose all the time, and Skruf Stark. Got a portion of Ettan in my mouth right now, and some Catch Eucalyptus in my bag.
I have been ordering from getsnus.com lately, used to order from buysnus.com -- getsnus.com seems easier for me, and free shipping for $50+ orders.

[StinkyBunny]

Rob, you can add Maryland to that list of states that banned mail order tobacco. 2 years ago I tried ordering Skoal from a reservation in NY and the order wouldn't go through. At first I thought it was my card so I called. The lady on the phone said she can't ship into Md because of a new law. Nothing to do with anything but grabbing more money here in The People's Republic. :cursing: I need to look around for a wintergreen snus locally.

[fishops]

If you like the Grov Svart, try the regular Grov which has a cleaner flavor IMO and obviously less nicotine. Ettan is very good and chocolate should be detected. The white portion is more nutty to me if you like that. Most offroad is just plain nasty, the chemical flavor is just way too much.

I got the svart cause I already like the white, I'll definitely throw some regular portion into my next order.

[Geo Dude]

For those who may be interested, Sixty Minutes did a segment on Snus. I'll find it and link to it when I can, but based on the reports I'm hearing, it's standard American media fair: Ostensibly objective, but with plenty of bias hidden just below the surface.

[koso]

For those who may be interested, Sixty Minutes did a segment on Snus. I'll find it and link to it when I can, but based on the reports I'm hearing, it's standard American media fair: Ostensibly objective, but with plenty of bias hidden just below the surface.

What I was able to catch of it was below what I used to consider the standard for 60 Minutes, though perhaps the bar has lowered over the years. The segment featured some kid in L.A. who smokes a pack a day, plus a tin or so of snus - he even leaves the snus in while he brushes his teeth. Lots of raised eyebrows and "aren't you worried about your health?" from the reporter. I missed the interview with the Swedish researcher, so want to check the link but the section with the kid (well, I guess he's 32 but a college student) was stupid.

Going Smokeless (http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6362540n&tag=contentBody;housing)

[Leche]

For those who may be interested, Sixty Minutes did a segment on Snus. I'll find it and link to it when I can, but based on the reports I'm hearing, it's standard American media fair: Ostensibly objective, but with plenty of bias hidden just below the surface.

Hopefully the US will embrace that not all tobacco is bad. Snus is a good alternative to cigarettes and has been studied to death.

[koso]

Having now viewed the entire segment, they hammered mostly on 'dual use', smoking and using snus together.

Had I not been previously enlightened by Rob's research, the main point I would have brought away was why there was no need to spit with snus. That point is mentioned, but not explained.

I thought a little background on the science would have been nice, but that would have dovetailed into why snus doesn't entail the cancer risk of other tobacco products. Not what CBS was aiming for imo.

[Geo Dude]

Hopefully the US will embrace that not all tobacco is bad. Snus is a good alternative to cigarettes and has been studied to death.

I highly doubt it. Otherwise we wouldn't have to worry about pipe tobacco or cigar legislation or any other number of low risk tobacco activities. (Note that I'm not saying that either of these is as low risk as snus, just that the risk is still ridiculously low compared to cigarettes.) Granted, at least it will be difficult for the media to make up stories about second-hand snusing and the harm it's causing to children.:001_rolle

[Hogans1-Iron]

Very good job Rob.

Very interesting if snus will have an impact in US market.
Im from Sweden and i have used (snusat,pronounce-snuu-sat)
it for almost 40 years.I started in school when i was about 10 years old
It didnt have any good effect on me at all.
After 15 minutes i was very dizzy and i couldnt walk straight.
I took it out and soon i throw up.
After that i thougt NEVER again but 3 years later i started again,and i
have never stopped doing that since then.
I have smoked cigarettes from time to time,but never quit the snus.
I dont want to,i like it very much.Maybe there is a word for it, Addicted!

A few tips here if you want to try:

Dont bake a snus before putting in lenses!
If you do,friends will call you redeye and the word pain is a new meaning to you...so lenses on before baking snus.

If your not a smoker i advice you to not use the strong ones.
Start by using portion-snus(small bags with snus in it).
If your a smoker and wants to quit smoking you can start with portion-snus and if its not enough you can try the strong (lössnus).
When i bake a snus,i have my 4 fingers in and above the can so im
not spread it on the floor if you have children.
It takes 5 secunds to open and bake a snus and put it in,for me
so i advice you not to bake it like the video taught you.
I bake it with 4 fingers,my thumbs and index finger.
Some guys uses up to 6 fingers.
Dont swallow it,its really not the way to do it and it feels very bad.
Dont sleep with it,in case you swallow it.
Very soon (depends on how much saliva you have) the juice of the tobacco will come.Now there is different ways to do but i dont swallow it,i feel the flavour anyway.Of course i swallow little but its not my intention and i think my stomach dont like it.
For the dentalhealth: Its much better to snusa then smoking.
Snus promotes the saliva and smoking dont.
Actually,my dentist told me that those who use snus have much better dental health than smokers. He belived that smokers didnt rinse their mouth as much as those who use snus.

The best snoose time for me is on the evening when i have brushed my teeth and lying in the bed mmmm cant beat that!
I bring some napkin on the bedside table so i dont have to go up!

Sweet dreams

[joshmpdx]

For the most part i liked the 60 min segment.

It's unfortionate people can't seperate from the stigma that tobacco = cigarette and it's harm rate.

I liked how they found someone for every side of the discussion and i also liked that the majority of the snus users were using swedish snus rather than camel.

[Geo Dude]

They did ostensibly make it 'even', but in a rather slanted way. I'm pretty sure they had to work hard to find a person who consistently uses cigarettes and Snus and they made sure to put a lot of focus on him. I think this was intentional. Same with claiming that risk reduction is 'controversial' without explaining why.

[BCatl]

If any of you are interested, the Swedish snuff generally has lower nitrosamines I hope I spelled that right. It's supposed to cut down on the cancer risk. Someone might have already said that.

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the brand called "Grizzly Natural" moist snuff is a lot like a Swedish snus. I think its in a red and black can, and you can try to research it. I've tried it and it's not bad, it's flavor doesn't last long.

On the general subject of the moist stuff: I have to have a natural myself. None of this flavored stuff for me. Unfortunately, I've taken a liking to the Copenhagen Long Cut, which is not a snus in my book. From the whollop it delivers, my guess would be that it's slap full of nitrosamines.

Of course, I'm not suggesting that Copenhagen Long Cut is a Swedish snus. However, I have read somewhere that the Grizzly Natural is made to be more like a Swedish snus. Where is lost in the cobwebs of my brain.

[BCatl]

A word of warning: alcohol and tobacco don't mix. The combination is a recipe for oral cancer. Of course, being men, we ignore such things! What would a cigar be without some kind of libation?

However, it is probably not a great idea to use moist snuff, and then rinse your mouth out with Listerine or a Listerine-type product.

Just rinse your mouth out with water, and use brush & toothpaste only would probably be a better bet.

[Geo Dude]

A word of warning: alcohol and tobacco don't mix. The combination is a recipe for oral cancer. Of course, being men, we ignore such things! What would a cigar be without some kind of libation?

I'm not saying that you're wrong about this, however, do you have some links or something? This is interesting information and I've not heard of this before.:confused1

[Hansel]

Interesting write up! I'm not a tobacco user, and I don't intend to become one, but I have a pal who's been struggling with trying to quit smoking. I hear this stuff is a good replacement for cigarettes as it's, relatively speaking, safer.

[Hogans1-Iron]

A word of warning: alcohol and tobacco don't mix. The combination is a recipe for oral cancer. Of course, being men, we ignore such things! What would a cigar be without some kind of libation?

However, it is probably not a great idea to use moist snuff, and then rinse your mouth out with Listerine or a Listerine-type product.

Just rinse your mouth out with water, and use brush & toothpaste only would probably be a better bet.
I have never heard about that.
It seems rather unlogic that the mix of alcohol and snoose promotes
oral cancer. The Swedish immigrants mixed it almost daily.

[Snood]

Disgusting stuff.

Fair enough, it's not damaging in a way as smoking is, and even more importantly, a snus suer doesn't impose his habbit on those around hi. just by using it.

However: urban sweden is littered with disgarded snus. it's on the streets, stuck on walls.. i've even seen used snus stuck to a bus window before.

frequent users get discoloured teeth and quite frankly, look a bit stupis with a bulge in their upper lip.

Truly disgusting.

[Merkur25]

I just placed my order for some different types of Snus:

Ettan White Portion
General White Portion
General Onyx White Portion

Being a cigarette smoker i am excited to try these out. I have tried the Camel Snus but I thought it tasted disgusting. I didnt know there was so many different types out there, man was I wrong. Ill post once I receive them and write a mini review on each. :001_cool:

[MrLastway]

Great article on snus. :thumbup1:



A word of warning: alcohol and tobacco don't mix. The combination is a recipe for oral cancer.

The Swedish "Folkhälsoinstitutet" the institute of public health, ran a study on that and found it not true. I will post the link if I can remember where I saw it.



Disgusting stuff.

Fair enough, it's not damaging in a way as smoking is, and even more importantly, a snus suer doesn't impose his habbit on those around hi. just by using it.

However: urban sweden is littered with disgarded snus. it's on the streets, stuck on walls.. i've even seen used snus stuck to a bus window before.

frequent users get discoloured teeth and quite frankly, look a bit stupis with a bulge in their upper lip.

Truly disgusting.

What would the typical "fordonskillen" ~vehicle-guy (suggesting a study at a school for vehicle-mechanics) look like without a large snus bulge and a worn down Volvo 240 with 20" chrome wheels?


And just for the record a single box of snus is called a "dosa" and a pack of 10 wrapped in the plastic it comes with is called a "stock" or a log of snus. :001_rolle

[DarthFlader]

frequent users get discoloured teeth and quite frankly, look a bit stupis with a bulge in their upper lip.

Truly disgusting.

Well, I'm a frequent user and my teeth aren't discolored. I'm honestly not sure how "stupis" I look with a bulge in my upper lip, but I suppose it's no more stupis than somebody chewing gum would look.

Thank you for reminding me how disgusting I am. :sleep:

[Geo Dude]

Disgusting stuff.

Fair enough, it's not damaging in a way as smoking is, and even more importantly, a snus suer doesn't impose his habbit on those around hi. just by using it.

However: urban sweden is littered with disgarded snus. it's on the streets, stuck on walls.. i've even seen used snus stuck to a bus window before.

frequent users get discoloured teeth and quite frankly, look a bit stupis with a bulge in their upper lip.

Truly disgusting.

It seems to me that this indicates that Snus users who are inconsiderate enough to litter are disgusting, not Snus.

[BCatl]

The Swedish "Folkh&#228;lsoinstitutet" the institute of public health, ran a study on that and found it not true. I will post the link if I can remember where I saw it.

(Lastway was speaking of a study in Sweden on tobacco/alcohol use and whether it's related to oral cancer.)

MrLastway, I wonder if they only used Swedish Snus? As mentioned, Swedish Snus is healthier than the American stuff (fewer nitrosamines). My understanding is that the brand I prefer Copenhagen Long Cut (American) is one of the worst for nitrosamine content. What can I tell you? I still use it... I still think it's safer than smoking, and I used to smoke a pack a day.

To Geo: I can't point you to a specific study on the alcohol statement I made. However, I think there is some info on this if you do a google search (alcohol-oral cancer-snuff). I just avoid the Listerine type (high alcohol) mouthwashes when I'm using the Copenhagen.

[ratcheer]

I tried snus for the first time, yesterday. I was driving on a long trip, so all I could get was a very limited selection of American brands: Marlboro and Camel. I chose the Marlboro "Rich" flavor and the Camel "Frost" flavor.

Of the two, I much preferred the Marlboro. It had a somewhat natural tobacco taste plus something that reminded me of rum or brown sugar. It was certainly too sweet, but not awful.

The Camels were pretty bad. About all I could identify was peppermint and artificial sweetener. The peppermint was a lot like Altoids, strong and overpowering. I guess I could say, "curiously strong". Overall, the experience was not horrible, but nothing at all reminded me of tobacco.

I may try to find some good Swedish snus, later.

Tim

[ratcheer]

I may try to find some good Swedish snus, later.



And, today I found a good cigar store. They had a little refrigerator display of General snus. I asked if he could recommend some particular ones and he insisted on me just taking a free sampler pack and coming back to buy, later. Okie dokie.

Tim

[cmannen]

Nice thread. I'm Swedish and have been using snus for 15 year and did not know everything stated in this thread.

What can I say, snus is good stuff, I'm using a box per day which satisfies my need of nicotine:001_huh:

[ratcheer]

I opened and am currently using the first of my General sampler packets, this afternoon, a plain tobacco White Portion. It is both milder and much more natural tasting than the American snus I told about trying, above. Also, I was expecting it to be very salty from the descriptions in the above thread posts, but it is only slightly salty, which I appreciate.

The other three flavors in my sampler, which I have not yet tried, are mint, "dry mini mint", and wintergreen. Of the three, I am looking forward most to the wintergreen - I used to love Skoal.

Tim

[Lynchmeister]

I opened and am currently using the first of my General sampler packets, this afternoon, a plain tobacco White Portion. It is both milder and much more natural tasting than the American snus I told about trying, above. Also, I was expecting it to be very salty from the descriptions in the above thread posts, but it is only slightly salty, which I appreciate.

The other three flavors in my sampler, which I have not yet tried, are mint, "dry mini mint", and wintergreen. Of the three, I am looking forward most to the wintergreen - I used to love Skoal.

Tim

Tim,

Glad you're enjoying your Swedish snus! Of the General line, I've found that my favorites are the white portions (have one in right now) and the Mint (regular).

Using your reference to Skoal, i.e., American smokeless tobacco, I find that General Mint is a dead ringer for Mint Skoal, and the wintergreen to Kodiak.

[Pilky]

I don't use snus all that often (only when i drink) so buying it a can at a time can get expensive.

My question is, do you notice any difference when your store it in the fridge? I hate when you get old snus and its hard as a rock.:thumbdown

[DarthFlader]

I notice a difference if I take it in and out of the fridge over and over again. Dehydration + rehydration + dehydration etc can dry it out quicker. I guess that if I only used snus every once in a while I would probably try to keep it in the fridge as much as possible.

[ratcheer]

I had my best snus, so far, yesterday. It was the NEW Mint flavor from my General sampler. The mint flavor is nearly perfect and not overpowering like the Camel Frost. It also has a pronounced tobacco flavor, unlike the Camel.

Tim

[Pilky]

I notice a difference if I take it in and out of the fridge over and over again. Dehydration + rehydration + dehydration etc can dry it out quicker. I guess that if I only used snus every once in a while I would probably try to keep it in the fridge as much as possible.

Oh once it comes out of the fridge it wont go back in. I'm asking more along the lines of just being stored in the fridge.

[Geo Dude]

Should the expiration date on Snus be observed rigorously, or will it last longer? I ask because I have a can I plan on giving a friend trying to quit cigs, and will be quite embarrassed if the stuff is hard/unusable. (It's in a sealed, never opened can but is dated for April 28th)

[ratcheer]

Should the expiration date on Snus be observed rigorously, or will it last longer? I ask because I have a can I plan on giving a friend trying to quit cigs, and will be quite embarrassed if the stuff is hard/unusable. (It's in a sealed, never opened can but is dated for April 28th)

That is not so far out of date as to make much difference. Go ahead and give them to him.

What kind are they?

Tim

[Geo Dude]

The tin I plan on giving him is General White. The sample packs are individual packets of General White along with other General Brand lines. I don't recall what they are off the top of my head.

[CzechCzar]

Dang guys... I finally caved in and bought some minis just to try. The general white mint snus in white portion is quite good. Only problem? It's giving me the hiccups after about 10 minutes! Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

[ratcheer]

Heh, heh. Yesterday, I opened my nightstand drawer trying to help find a package of BB's for my 12-year old son. We didn't find the BB's, but my Camel and General snus were on top of the stuff in the drawer.

Later in the afternoon, I went to get myself one of the General snus. The Camels were gone. I searched through the drawer and could not find them. Around 6:30, my son came home and was all mopey and maybe kind of sick. He laid down for a while, which is highly unusual for him. I asked him if he was ok and he said, yes.

This morning, I opened the drawer and the box of Camel snus was right on top. :lol:

Tim

[Geo Dude]

It sounds like your son went through an ancient rite-of-passage yesterday! :lol:

Just make sure to hide the General so he doesn't decide that he needs a second try at that rite-of-passage.:tongue_sm


Dang guys... I finally caved in and bought some minis just to try. The general white mint snus in white portion is quite good. Only problem? It's giving me the hiccups after about 10 minutes! Any ideas what I am doing wrong?

It sounds like a classic case of the nic hics, to me! Over time your tolerance will adapt and you won't have that issue, hopefully. As a pipe smoker, I can say that General Snus is fairly strong. I took some along with me one day while antiquing and decided to use one (I believe it was the standard White portion) since I didn't have a pipe along which would have went perfectly with the rustic settings of downtown Boerne...and I must say, after one 'dose' I had a very strong need to go grab lunch. To be fair, I found myself chain-snusing the different flavors after lunch (about three packages, the mint was my favorite, if I recall correctly) and did okay.

[instyle]

Wow, amazing thread! Cheers. I was linked to this thread from another forum. Im from Sweden myself and i discovered this great new site about snus (in english) an easy way to understand the history and manufacturing of Swedish Snus, it may take a while to load but it's worth it.

www.thisisswedishsnus.com

For those with really low internet connection these youtube clips can be helpful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx8eD-GvFg4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLLmDw_Y5GE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvJvEOfoE10

Enjoy!

[The Expanding Man]

My question is, do you notice any difference when your store it in the fridge? I hate when you get old snus and its hard as a rock.:thumbdown

I keep a tin in the freezer at home, and another tin in the freezer at work.

[CzechCzar]

Well, I got four tins of snus to give it a try, and after the first week I was liking the flavor. I have all four tins at work. It has now been two weeks, and all I can say is I think I'd better throw the tins out before the addiction really takes hold, because I think about it about every half-hour! You guys weren't kidding.

[Azraelscross]

awesome article at the start. i recently started using snus to cut down on smoking and save the smoking for special tobaccos, my pipe and strong coffees.

favorite so far is general although my morning snus is Dry Catch Eucalyptus and mint. i'm not quite sure i like Goteburgs Rape but Grov snus is moving up the list

[fanman]

A good read. Never heard of snus before. I've went back to smoking cigarettes after quitting for ten years so I think I'll give this a try.

[Skrymr]

ClubmanRob, Great information!

I have been snusing for a few months now, and currently have 45 tins of Grov Black in the freezer, and 19 tins of OffRoad Coffee Vanilla. The Grov gets me through the day, and the OR CV is a nice evening snus before bed.


P.S. I also partake of snuff frequently over the course of the day.

[ratcheer]

P.S. I also partake of snuff frequently over the course of the day.

Heh heh. "snus" is simply the Swedish word for "snuff".

Tim

[Skrymr]

Heh heh. "snus" is simply the Swedish word for "snuff".

Tim

Yeah, I knew that. I meant Nasal snuff. :001_rolle

But then again, you probably knew that... :biggrin1:

[ratcheer]

I have never tried nasal snuff, just the Swedish portions, American portions (Bandits), and American loose, coarse oral snuff (Copenhagen, Skoal). I doubt that I'll try nasal.

Tim

[DarthFlader]

GIve the nasal snuff a shot some time if you want an instant nicotine rush similar to a cigarette.

[ratcheer]

Last week, while on vacation at a fairly remote beach, I could not refresh my supply of snus and bought a can of Grizzly wintergreen flavored long cut snuff. I really enjoyed it. While I could definitely taste the wintergreen, the thing that most came to mind when using it was bacon! What a strange, but wonderful flavor.

Tim

[fanman]

I'm glad I ran across this thread a couple weeks ago. The swedish snoose caught my curiosity so I ordered several different cans and really love the General mint so far. But I've never heard of snoose till I ran across this thread. I can snoose at work and my boss never notices it, they have a pretty strict policy on smoking or any tobacco products, still get my nicotine fix....cool!

[jswhitley]

Im trying to quit smoking and have started using the Camel Frost snus, any suggestions on some "real snus" to get me started?

[Leche]

Im trying to quit smoking and have started using the Camel Frost snus, any suggestions on some "real snus" to get me started?

Skruf Stark, good flavor and nicotine level. Comes in loose or pouches so you're covered.

[ratcheer]

Im trying to quit smoking and have started using the Camel Frost snus, any suggestions on some "real snus" to get me started?

I haven't been able to try very many, so far, but my favorites to date are General Wintergreen and General Mint.

At first, Camel Frost was barely tolerable. Now, after having some good ones, it is intolerable.

Tim

[blary54]

Im trying to quit smoking and have started using the Camel Frost snus, any suggestions on some "real snus" to get me started?

I too started with the Camel's...because of a buy one get one free coupon in my Rolling Stone magazine. :001_rolle...anyway I now order from this site.

http://www.getsnus.com/

Im not affiliated to the site in any way. Just a site that I have found the best snus selection and decent prices. Im a big fan of the General mint(or mini mints).

[jswhitley]

thanks for all the replies guys, ive noticed there is a montecristo snus, but none of the websites sell it to the us, bc of the pact act i guess, bummer....

[Skrymr]

thanks for all the replies guys, ive noticed there is a montecristo snus, but none of the websites sell it to the us, bc of the pact act i guess, bummer....

I think the Montecristo isn't available to the US because it's made from cuban tobacco. There are others that aren't available because of pact. Anything from V2 comes to mind, but that will/could change when/if they register their products with the FDA. As of 7/1 the only snus available for purchase in the US has to be registered with the FDA. Some companies seem to have little interest in it while others are just a little slow.

[Owens187]

Swedish snus is definately one of lifes finer pleasures. Have over 200 cans in the freezer - pact be damned. I spend most of my internet time over on SnusOn.com. You can find me there under the same name. Probably THE best source on the net for info on snus...

[DarthFlader]

thanks for all the replies guys, ive noticed there is a montecristo snus, but none of the websites sell it to the us, bc of the pact act i guess, bummer....

Montecristo and Romeo Y Julieta are banned due to utilizing Cuban tobacco. If you look really really hard, some shops will still ship it to the US.

Lucky Strike and Camel (Swedish version) are banned because RJ Reynolds owns the copyright to Lucky and Camel in the USA and they don't want infrigement on their trademark. Nobody will ship these to the US.

Skruf, BAT, F&L and Imperial snus brands can't be sold from the USA because they're not registered with the FDA. Part of this stupid Obamaplan to rob us of our freedoms. They can still be ordered from Sweden though.

In case anyone hasn't noticed, Getsnus is now owned by Northerner. Complete with trademark crappy Northerner service to boot!

[GoVegan]

Swedish snus is definately one of lifes finer pleasures. Have over 200 cans in the freezer - pact be damned. I spend most of my internet time over on SnusOn.com. You can find me there under the same name. Probably THE best source on the net for info on snus...

Howdy Stranger!

[Owens187]

Vegan! Good to see another SnusOn brother over here!

[Owens187]

In case anyone hasn't noticed, Getsnus is now owned by Northerner. Complete with trademark crappy Northerner service to boot!

Brother, you aint kidding. Made an order weeks ago, still sitting there saying "pending". They won't answer my emails, wont let me know whats going on, nothing. But the kicker - they deducted the money from my account the day I ordered it. $^&*(%$#@!!!

Buysnus, I just found out, is still selling snus tax free, guaranteeing you will get your product, including Skruf, duty and tax free, as they pay that for you. Check their site, and stay the hell away from Northerner!

[ratcheer]

Swedish snus is definately one of lifes finer pleasures. Have over 200 cans in the freezer - pact be damned. I spend most of my internet time over on SnusOn.com. You can find me there under the same name. Probably THE best source on the net for info on snus...

Thanks. I joined that forum and gave you as a reference.

Tim

[blary54]

Brother, you aint kidding. Made an order weeks ago, still sitting there saying "pending". They won't answer my emails, wont let me know whats going on, nothing. But the kicker - they deducted the money from my account the day I ordered it. $^&*(%$#@!!!

Buysnus, I just found out, is still selling snus tax free, guaranteeing you will get your product, including Skruf, duty and tax free, as they pay that for you. Check their site, and stay the hell away from Northerner!

Thanks for the tip I used to order from Getsnus all the time...too bad the Northerner bought them out.

[mkc1mjb]

Excellent overview of SNUS...very educational!

[joshmpdx]

Montecristo and Romeo Y Julieta are banned due to utilizing Cuban tobacco. If you look really really hard, some shops will still ship it to the US.

Lucky Strike and Camel (Swedish version) are banned because RJ Reynolds owns the copyright to Lucky and Camel in the USA and they don't want infrigement on their trademark. Nobody will ship these to the US.

Skruf, BAT, F&L and Imperial snus brands can't be sold from the USA because they're not registered with the FDA. Part of this stupid Obamaplan to rob us of our freedoms. They can still be ordered from Sweden though.

In case anyone hasn't noticed, Getsnus is now owned by Northerner. Complete with trademark crappy Northerner service to boot!


Howdy Stranger!

Thanks Fella's!

[thanks]

Quick, where is everyone getting their snus from? I just found out Getsnus is now owned by Northerner, and I'm outta Roda Lacket!

[ratcheer]

Quick, where is everyone getting their snus from? I just found out Getsnus is now owned by Northerner, and I'm outta Roda Lacket!

I buy mine at a local cigar shop, but all they have is a small selection of General brand. Not even other brands by Swedish Match.

Yesterday, I got two cans of Mint and one of Original white portion.

Tim

[koso]

Buysnus can no longer ship to US via Swedish Post, it must go UPS now :mad3:

[Owens187]

Buysnus can no longer ship to US via Swedish Post, it must go UPS now :mad3:

Yeah, but at least you'll get your product in less than 7-12 weeks......

[DarthFlader]

Yeah, but at least you'll get your product in less than 7-12 weeks......

Not to mention tax free!

[koso]

It seems that at this point Northerner is the only vendor with a US warehouse.

UPS shipping from there is 12 bucks and change, mandatory UPS shipping from Sweden is over 20.

From my reading at the Snuson board, the big problem with Northerner is that they will sell and collect on product they don't have in stock. That's where the long delays come in; and they won't respond to you because they'd have to admit they sold you a product they don't have.

My recent shipment arrived in timely fashion. PACT regs state tobacco shipments must be signed for. Luckily UPS came by after I was home from work and able to sign.

Thanks Uncle Sam, for saving me from myself once again. What would we do without you?

[Owens187]

But its for the children!

/facepalm

[blary54]

So is buysnus.com a viable option now? My friend placed an order at getsnus and they tried to charge him $22.00 in Tobacco tax(his order was 5 or 6 cans:mad3:)...needless to say he hit cancel button.

[DarthFlader]

So is buysnus.com a viable option now? My friend placed an order at getsnus and they tried to charge him $22.00 in Tobacco tax(his order was 5 or 6 cans:mad3:)...needless to say he hit cancel button.

If you live in most states, then Buysnus should be your only option. Standard order runs about 22.00 to ship, but look at Getsnus/Northerner- minimum 12.40 shipping plus all your state tobacco tax. You come out much cheaper ordering from Sweden.

PACT sucks, but at it's worse, you're still only paying about an extra 10.00 per order (if you stick with Buysnus). The days of buying five or six cans per shipment is over. You have to order two or three rolls to make it worth your while.

Also: Buysnus doesn't have to do the stupid FDA thing, so you can still get all the brands that are now banned in the USA.

[blary54]

If you live in most states, then Buysnus should be your only option. Standard order runs about 22.00 to ship, but look at Getsnus/Northerner- minimum 12.40 shipping plus all your state tobacco tax. You come out much cheaper ordering from Sweden.

PACT sucks, but at it's worse, you're still only paying about an extra 10.00 per order (if you stick with Buysnus). The days of buying five or six cans per shipment is over. You have to order two or three rolls to make it worth your while.

Also: Buysnus doesn't have to do the stupid FDA thing, so you can still get all the brands that are now banned in the USA.

Thanks for the info...That PACT act really sucks I used just buy only buy 2 or 3 cans and they would last me a couple months. Now it almost doesn't seem worth it. Ill check out Buysnus, Thanks. Snus really needs to catch on in the US because ordering it is a hassle.

[joshmpdx]

The $12 shipping via UPS is brutal.

What's the chance we'll get another carrier?