More to come....

I had this blog set to private for a couple months while I pondered its fate. I may re-tool it, I may move it to an actual "dotcom", I'm not sure yet. But the show will go on. I've been busy with the knife and gear blog, work, and personal stuff, so there hasn't been a whole lot going on here lately. Just wanted to let people know what the deal is for now, and I'll be back with more snus and snuff news and reviews ASAP.
-take care and have a great summer, I'll be back soon.
-Aaron

Kniferights.org, please check out this link!

Kniferights.org promises to be a strong voice on behalf of we knife users, carriers and owners. The AKTI, or American Knife and Tool Institute was a step in the right direction, but they mainly act in the interest of knife manufacturers, not individual citizens. Whether or not you believe in organizations like the NRA, please just check these guys out and read what they have to say, then pass it on to a friend or family member. I'm joining tomorrow, when I get my paycheck.



The US Government is poised to demonize and eventually outlaw many, if not most common pocketknives, and redefine "switchblade" laws to include almost ALL ONE HAND OPENING KNIVES. It happened in the UK not long ago, those poor citizens can't even carry knives with LOCKING blades (a safety feature for Chrissakes!).

Whether you join or not, is up to you, but please visit this site by clicking on the above banner, and pass the word on to somebody else!!!!!!

Failblog has me ROFL

see more Fail Blog



see more Fail Blog

Updates on the way

Hey those who read this!
I've been working on SB&T (the knife blog) and spending time online on behalf of a company I work for, so I haven't had much time to do anything real here for awhile. I'm still stuck on Thunder Frosted portion snus, and I've been back into rolled tobacco ribbons like Piccanell and Oliver Twist. I've been practically pouring the De Kralingse/Dutch Windmill snuffs up my nose. Man that guy's chocolate snuffs are out of this world!

I've also had the opportunity to taste some of the new Samuel Gawith snuff flavors, so I'll report on those too, very soon. I've rediscovered my love for loose snus, and have been abusing good old General los pretty heavily, and I'm realizing that, allthough I'm not a huge fan of Grovsnus portions...the los is pretty damn good! Just when I thought General mini mint portions had worn out their welcome, I ordered another roll.
Anyway, in the Spirit of this 3 day weekend (for most of us), I give a hefty thank you to those who've served, including many family and friends. I hope everyone's weekend was unshitty, at the very least, and exciting and invigorating at best.

I leave you with an amusing, and no doubt copyrighted photo of some monkeys, in Japan, havin' a bath.

And in the words of Christian "John Connor" Bale, in the somewhat disappointing 4th Terminator film; "I'll be back".

Thunder Frosted portion

If you don't like this snus...YOU"RE INSANE!!!!
For a mega-sterk portion, it sure hits smooth, and is not accompanied by that irritated throat gagginess present in some super-strong snus. Thunder Frosted has the longest lasting flavor of ANY snus I have ever tried. V2's snus tends to be hit or miss, for most of us, and this one is a big, fat, tasty HIT. If you take a look at the snuson.com forums, you'll see that Thunder Frosted's popularity grows by the day. That's how good this snus is, IMO, I can't think of anything intelligent to say, you just have to try it. Thunder Original was just okay, and Wintergreen is decent, but Frosted is the Bee's Knees.

Camel snus redux; "mellow" is a flavor

So, like many people in America, I was introduced to the idea of Swedish snus in the early summer of 2008 by Camel's bastardization of authentic Swedish snus. Evidently 2 of the 3 flavors Camel launched beginning with their 2006-ish test marketing were not popular. I just registered on the stupid Camel snus site, actually hoping to jack an image of the new "mellow" flavor. I learned that there are now only 2 flavors available in Camel snus, Frost, and Mellow. I'm guessing 'Original' was gross-tasting to most people, the way it was sickening to me last summer. And Spice, well, who knows, I actually liked the Spice flavor, but my guess is that it was too "pumpkin pie" for most and didn't sell as well as Frost, which seems to be the winner here. Against my better judgement, and with a whole freezer and a mini-fridge filled with assorted brands and flavors of real Swedish snus, I just bought a tin of 'Mellow'. Mr. Kim's eldest daughter at the corner store and I have talked about snus before, she even showed her dad a couple of cans I left for him so he could get an idea of what else was out there, to satisfy his curiosity. I went up there to get a Rockstar to drink and figured I'd see how my opinion of Camel's snus might have changed, as a hardened and inveterate "Swedish" user since July 2008. She informed me that their distributor was out of Frost but that a new flavor called mellow had come out very recently. It must be very new because I can't find 1 single image of the mellow variety in an image search.

Mellow seems very much in between Spice and Original, almost as if they rolled the two defunct flavors into one new variety. The smell of the tin reminded me of those Springwater vanilla cigarettes from Germany that we used to smoke as teenagers. There's something very familiar about the smell and taste of Camel Mellow snus that I can't place. Original just tasted like sweetened tobacco, and Spice tasted like pumpkin-pie flavored candy, but Mellow is different. I'm loathe to say I like it, but I do. If the bastards would put 20 or 24 portions in a tin, I'd be more inclined to buy it again. $5-$7 USD for 15 little portions is out of control. I've been ordering the US-exclusive General Mini mint portion cans from getsnus.com. I avoided sweet snus for a long time after I started on the real deal from Sweden, but those General mini mint are great, and not too sweet.

If I'm not mistaken, the new Mellow portion pouches look bigger than the ones I was getting here near Tacoma, WA, before Camel Snus went nationwide. I think the website said .6 grams, and I'm thinking the old ones were .4 and the very first ones were maybe even bigger from what I remember reading on forums.

Anyhow, I'll continue to support Swedish snus retailers, but if I'm in the mood for something sweet when I roll by Mr. Kim's market or 7-11, I may buy Camel Mellow snus again.

Quick General Mini-mint review

I'll try to keep this short. ThatSnusGuy, my buddy over at Snustopia already weighed in on this interesting little snus. I just got 5 cans of this stuff from the good folks over at Getsnus.com. I was initially wary of ordering from this site, but their shipping is way fast, customer service is great and they seem like a nice group of folks. I just cracked open my 2nd order from them, and along with the General Mini-mint cans, they sent me a can of General Mini white portion [unflavored] snus as my free bonus can. I've had regular 'ol General mini white portions before, I remember because it was them that I showed to my cardiologist after a troubling experience in the ER, where I passed out and pretty much saw my life flash before my eyes. The doc was asking me how and when I had quit smoking. I conveniently had a can of GMWP snus in my pocket and I explained the concept to him. He'd heard of snus from a colleague and said "so...it's kind of the same idea as nicotine gum, right?" I said "yes, but more enjoyable IMO". He commended me for staying off smokes and said he didn't see any reason for me to rush to quit snus, if it was working for me, and I enjoyed it. I also briefed him on the whole "harm reduction" philosophy. We parted ways and the doc told me he'd look into some further snus research since I seemed so confident in it's effectiveness.

Anyway, with that long winded anecdote out of the way. General Dry Mini-mint portions are much closer to the snus that got many of us interested in snus; Camel snus. Yes, I said it. I hate the stuff, and I hate RJ Reynolds, but face it, if it weren't for Camel's wide test marketing of Camel Snus, probably 90% of us loyal Swedish users would never have heard of the stuff. That being said, General's mini dry portions are still nowhere near as dry as Camel's 'sawdust' as Mr. Unloadingzone once described it. They do look kind of similar to Camel's portions, but not as skinny. RJ @ Snustopia described the taste as an icy peppermint with very vague hints of another mint, like maybe wintergreen. I think he hit the nail on the head. I couldn't have said it better. It's also sweet, but not repulsively so, as Camel's knockoff snus. This would be an excellent snus for working say, a retail or in-person customer service job. The portions are very small, so they don't make any lump in one's upper lip, at least, nothing that would be noticed. The mint flavor is bound to freshen your breath, even if it's only slightly. I also like minis, because now that I've been snussing for so long, I have no need for mega-high-voltage nicotine content snus like Thunder or Oden, so the 4-5mg. of nic in minis works just fine, seeing as I can go without snus for at least a few hours before succumbing to the craving. Granted they don't have the brutal, nicotine mule-kick like Röda Claq Qui or General Ekstra Sterk, but these dry mint minis are dry to the point where the flavors last even longer than standard white portion snus. These sweet little portions should satisfy the basic nicotine craving in both veterans and beginners. General dry mini mint white portion snus would be an excellent starter snus for people who don't like the taste of tobacco, or those who find other portion snus too salty. It's good stuff, and I will order them again.

Oden's snus

What!? Mighty Oden has a snus!?
That's right, as if 13, then 16mg. of nicotine weren't enough in General Ekstra Sterk, then Thunder. Oden's Snus contains a mouth-blistering 17mg. The record for world's strongest Swedish snus has been broken twice in the last 6 months. Now, I love my Swedish snus, but I don't need, or want 17mg. of nicotine, I'm fine with between 7mg. and 11mg. Röda Lacket Claq Qui is 13mg. and that's about as strong as I need or want my snus. Thunder Original is enough to give me a headache, and I'm no lightweight or Newbie Snusman. I've been using Swedish snus since July 2008 when I quit smoking and I've tried nearly every snus variety in portion or white portion. I guess some people want more nicotine, maybe I'm in the minority of people who are trying to become less dependent on snus. The only thing about Oden's that appeals to me, is there's a cinnamon portion flavor, and the can just looks cool and reminds me of Amon Amarth or some other Norse Viking Metal band.

Dholakia Snuff Sample Packs

Dholakia is an Indian snuff company making waves, an upcoming leader in smokeless tobacco products. I got ahold of some Dholakia Swiss Chocolate from Tom at NicotineRush.com recently. It's excellent stuff. I'm a huge fan of Toque Chocolate snuff, and I had to try Dholakia's Swiss Chocolate. It's very good, and very sweet.

I remembered somebody on Snuffhouse.org mentioning Dholakia offering free sample packs. I contacted them and about 2 weeks later, received a small cotton bag in the mail, it appeared to have been hand stitched. Inside I found an insane amount of free snuff. A tube of Aniseed Menthol, Sparrow Cool, She Cherry Menthol, Medicated, and a bullet of Swiss Chocolate. There were also 3 other sample packets of Dholakia's more traditional Indian Line snuffs. This is good stuff. Order a sample pack for yourself, then go buy some more from Tom at NicotineRush!

NicotineRush

Dholakia snuff sample order form

General Wintergreen White Portion snus...and Thunder

Weird, General Wintergreen is made in Sweden, just like all other General and Swedish Match snus brands, but it's not available from Swedish web retailers. I had to try it, I love wintergreen flavor, it all started when, as a kid, my dad showed me how Wintergreen Lifesavers light up if you bite them with your mouth slightly open in the dark. That's cool, and the flavor is tops too. I got a half roll [5 cans, or a "log"] of General Wintergreen white portion from Getsnus.com recently.

Getsnus is actually an American Division of a Swedish Match company, and they have good prices, and much faster shipping than my favorite Swedish web retailer. I got my snus in 3 days, from Getsnus in PA, as opposed to waiting an average of 10 days for my snus to arrive on the slow boat from Sweden. I'll continue to order from the Swedish web retailer, Buysnus.com, who has been so good to me and other customers, but Getsnus ships USPS from PA. So if I have a snus emergency, I'll be ordering from them.

General Wintergreen is amazing IMO, sweet wintergreen, sweet like those wintergreen Lifesavers I loved as a kid. My Grandma always gave me, my siblings and cousins Lifesaver Storybooks for Christmas. I was the kid who liked all the fucked up adult flavors, like Butter Rum and Wintergreen. No Cherry for me, always tasted like cough drops. I always traded my fruity stash to my cousins for Butter Rum and Wintergreen. The white portion pouches of General Wintergreen seem silkier than most other Swedish Match white portions. They are very easy on the gums. I'm thinking the flavor and the softness of the pouches, and the US only availability were tailored to introduce us 'Ugly Americans' to the joys of snus. Most ST [smokeless tobacco] users in the US and Canada are used to Wintergreen of Mint flavors, and this makes it easy for Swedish Match to get a hold on the US market probably dominated by Camel's dry, shitty bastardization of Swedish Snus.
General Wintergreen is mild enough that I can pop in 2 portions, upper left and upper right. The portion pouches don't seem quite as durable as many other whites, if you poke them with your tongue or move them around too much they tend to tear, no big, I'm used to dip and lössnus, so I don't care. I'm through 2 cans of the 5 I ordered, and I'm still not sick of the stuff. My only problem is, going back to less-flavored snus, like Skruf Stark lös, or even Thunder Original portion...they aren't sweet or flavored enough! I can see than continuing use of General Wintergreen will spoil my fondness for more tobaccoey snus varieties, so I'm going to have to lay off GW for a bit, it tastes like candy, not that it's a negative. General Wintergreen is really good stuff, and I I'm glad I took the plunge and placed an order with Getsnus.com. Their prices are fair, shipping is fast, and they throw in a Mystery Can with each order, I got Nick & Johnny East, a white portion snus that I'm fond of, and have ordered in the past.

I've been Thunderstruck, Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na!
Now, the General Wintergreen is a US only Swedish snus, interestingly enough. We've been seeing more and more Wintergreen snus coming out recently, V2's Thunder Extra Strong Wintergreen is now shipping from Buysnus and other Swedish retailers. If Thunder Original is any indication, Thunder Wintergreen promises to be amazing. I'm somewhat of an inveterate snusser, I have been using the stuff daily for 8 months. But Thunder Original was the first snus in a long time to actually give me the "burn" in my lip, what snus manufacturers refer to as a "tingle". Thunder gave me a headache because it was so strong, but the flavor of Original is awesome, pure tobacco

Xobeloot, on Snuson.com forums, was a tester for V2's Thunder series, and it was his very descriptive review that encouraged me to order some Thunder Original. The nicotine content of this stuff puts General Ekstra Sterk's 13mg. to shame. Thunder contains 16mg. of nicotine per portion. It is not a snus for beginners. I know plenty of people who admit they puked the first time they dipped Kodiak or Copenhagen or whatever. I'd bet a thumb that thunder original would make a first-time snusser puke his or her guts out! I dig the palpable nic kick. Xobeloot is right, there's sort of a nutty overtone of Thunder Original after it's in your lip for a bit. I've got one in right now, and I can taste extremely subtle citrus notes, just barely, and since it's a "wetted" standard portion, the nicotine hits like bricks, immediately. A great "unflavored" snus for the AM,with a mug of coffee.

I'm about to place an order for a half roll of Thunder Wintergreen, which also packs a 16mg. nicotine punch. I'll report on my impressions asap.


GetSnus.Com

and Sweden's best web retailer, BuySnus.com

Toque Quit, elevated nicotine joy for the nose.

My dad purchased a wine-red version of this Bertazzoni Italian gas oven and range, and a stainless hood, the latter of which occupied most of my day, until I could fight temptation no longer, and hungrily ripped open the envelope from Toque snuff

This is the evil bastard known as the Zephyr Pyramid Hood:


Maxpedition 3x5 pouch in black, adorned with a Lanyard Zone Mummy lanyard in ACU camo with a glow-skull. General Sterk snus by Swedish Match, 10 gram Toque Quit, with a silver snuff spoon, and Dholakia Swiss Chocolate snuff creeping in on the right:

My newest order arrived today, from Toque snuff. The better part of my day was spent in the kitchen with my dad, installing his new stainless range hood, to match his new Italian stove. The man usually puts others before himself, a man of simple pleasures. I was glad to see that he and mom spent money on something for dad's enjoyment. The man loves to cook, and he'll get tons of use from his new Italian stove, which is adorned in paint straight from the facility in Italy that paints the Ferrari! So, after we managed to get the range hood installed and working, I tore open the envelope recently sent my way from England.

The first thing I noticed was an additional item that I didn't remember having ordered, a plastic vial, unmarked, filled with an incredible snuff. I can't place the flavor, or even begin to describe it in words. I'm guessing it's one of Roderick's newest creations, a top-secret flavor that will be out soon, all I know, is it's every bit as fantastic as the rest of his 20+ flavors. I've always said that Roderick is the Willy Wonka of English snuff, and the longer i use his products, the more true I believe that to be. He's part tobacconist, part alchemist. I refreshed my supply of Toque's superb chocolate flavor, with a 25g. tin, and got a 10g. tin of Champagne, which he introduced just in time for the new year [see my previous posts]. I also obtained a 10g. tin of Toast and Marmalade, as it was one of 2 or 3 flavors I'd had yet to sample. Quite simply, T&M is everything lovely about Whisky&Honey, coupled with the finer points of the citrus-heavy St. Clements, in a dry toast style snuff. I also got ahold of a tin of Bourbon, which seems to be similar to W&H, but maybe sans Honey. Either way, I look forward to spending more time with these superb snuffs, and seeing what else Roderick has in store for non-smoking nicotine users in the new year.

I took a chance on Toque Quit, ordering two 10g. tins. Quit is a higher nicotine blend that would be suitable for a heavy smoker seeking to quit by using snuff. Toque is always factory-fresh, indicated by the light ammonia-type scent that accompanies every tin, this scent is a natural by product of the manufacturing process, and eventually wears off, as the container is opened and allowed to air out. This phenomena is apparent in particularly newly manufactured cans of Swedish snus as well. My point; it was hard for me initially to detect the true scent of Quit, until I allowed it to "breathe" a bit. As far as I can tell, it's basically an enhanced version of Toque Natural. That is, it's essentially unflavored, but far from flavorless. The grind is similar to many of Toque's non-Toast varieties, finely ground, but not really dusty. Quit has a rich and pleasant natural tobacco aroma that keeps me coming back for more. I'm glad I got two tins!

It's getting hard for me to understand why people would continue to spend money on cigarettes when there are so many more enjoyable ways to get one's nicotine intake! Big American Tobacco must intentionally seek to suppress the popularity of alternative nictoine products. They knew that with cigarette sales, and smokers dying, that they had to get into another market segment. Enter Camel's candy-like bastardization of Swedish snus, with just enough nicotine to make you want to suck down another cigarette. I've said it before, and I'll leave readers to do their own research, but nasal snuff is likely the safest form of tobacco use ever. Period. Educated snuffers know that the only single reported case of nasal snuff causing cancer in the past 300 years, was discovered to be a total hoax. A poet in England who was pissed off at his local tobacconist over money, posed as a medical doctor and posted bills all over town proclaiming nasal snuff to be harmful. I encourage readers to do their own research, but it's true, and anyone who posts on snuffhouse.org can give you links to the full story.

I'm glad that Swedish snus saved me from further lung complications by allowing me to quit smoking. Snus has become my utility nicotine, usually white portions for work and when I'm out and about. Nose-snuff is my pleasure nicotine though. Some people prefer wine-tasting to unwind, I'm getting to the point where snuff-tasting while watching movies is my decompression time. If you happen across this post, and you know you need to quit smoking, I would encourage you to seek out some snuff. Toque takes the cake as my favorite overall brand, with the most diverse library of flavors, but there are also some very nice snuffs from Wilson's of Sharrow, Dholakia, and many others. I am glad I got ahold of two tins of Toque Quit though, it's very mellow and enjoyable, though the nicotine kick is definitely there.

Check out NicotineRush for a ton of brands at great prices, with fast shipping
and
Toque ships free worldwide

Where do we stop with the strong snus?

I'll admit I'm a nicotine junkie, I used English snuff and Swedish snus to quit smoking. But if anything, I'm tempted to cut my nicotine intake down now that I've been smoke free for nearly 8 months. Alas, I'm a sucker for packaging, and I'm a sucker for new snus brands and flavors. Just a few months back, maybe in October or November, buysnus.com and the Northerner, along with most other snus retailers began selling Swedish Match's General Ekstra Sterk. GES was, and still touted as "the world's strongest snus" with 13mg. of nicotine per standard portion. Now the crafty Vogel brothers of Denmark's v2 Tobacco, the folks behind the Offroad and Nordströmmen brands have come out with Thunder, a 16mg. portionsnus that will supposedly be available in different limited flavors troughout 2009. I waivered for awhile, but after reading some very positive reviews of the stuff on snuson.com forums, where I post as Ponysoprano, I went for it last night and ordered a couple cans of Thunder, the snus to kick the ass of all others, at least regarding gross nicotine content. I also ordered 2 each of Skruf's [that's "Skroof"] new white portion and strong white portion. I'll report back when these snus varieties have been sampled...and look for more reviews of Toque snuff's excellent offerings, included their high-nicotine "Quit" variety, intended to help people quit smoking by using snuff.


A higher nicotine Toque is quite welcomed by me, as I tend to enjoy most Toque varieties, and I can appreciate strong snus too. But I just wonder, where will it end? When I started snussing summer of 2008, it seems the strongest snus on the market was probably General Onyx, one of my favorites, with 11mg of nicotine per portion, with most standard snus coming in around 8mg. Now we have Röda Lacket Claq Qui [a Sterk variation on my favorite snus, Röda Lacket] and General Ekstra Sterk at around 13mg. of Nic, and Thunder now with 16mg. Will 2009 or early 2010 see portion snus varieties with as much as 20 or more milligrams of nicotine? And for that matter, will we Americans still be able to get real Swedish Snus sent to or doors from Sweden, or will the anti-tobacco gestapo have won?

6 months of snus orders

I have been a dedicated snus user for 6 months now. It seems like much longer. Just for fun I copied and pasted my order history from buysnus.com from July to December 2008. This doesn't include all the other snus I've had sent to me from friends and in trades or purchased from other online retailers or gotten for free from the good folks at buysnus!


HLN9532
2008-12-23
12/29/2008
2008-12-29
30.36 USD
Order sent to customer

HLI6465
2008-12-18
12/18/2008
2008-12-18
23.5 USD
Order sent to customer

HL92047
2008-12-09
12/9/2008
2008-12-09
21.06 USD
Order sent to customer

HKL3880
2008-11-21
11/21/2008
2008-11-21
19.38 USD
Order sent to customer

HKK8612
2008-11-20
11/20/2008
2008-11-20
52.96 USD
Order sent to customer

HJV3140
2008-10-31
10/31/2008
2008-10-31
19.16 USD
Order sent to customer

HIU2788
2008-09-30
9/30/2008
2008-09-30
40.39 USD
Order sent to customer

HIC3625
2008-09-12
9/12/2008
2008-09-12
32.81 USD
Order sent to customer

HI64547
2008-09-06
9/8/2008
2008-09-08
23.44 USD
Order sent to customer

HI44611
2008-09-04
9/4/2008
2008-09-04
21.71 USD
Order sent to customer

HI24991
2008-09-02
9/2/2008
2008-09-02
40.63 USD
Order sent to customer

HHS8676
2008-08-28
8/28/2008
2008-08-28
62.12 USD
Order sent to customer

HHL6400
2008-08-21
8/21/2008
2008-08-21
90.83 USD
Order sent to customer

HHD8786
2008-08-13
8/14/2008
2008-08-14
16.92 USD
Order sent to customer

HGV7393
2008-07-31
7/31/2008
2008-07-31
22.76 USD
Order sent to customer

HGK6424
2008-07-20
7/21/2008
2008-07-21
30.9 USD
Order sent to customer

HG78849
2008-07-07
7/7/2008
2008-07-07
14.2 USD
Order sent to customer


Here's to another year of reduced-harm Swedish tobacco! I'd like to thank Mr. Unloadingzone for his generosity with his knowledge about snus and also Airwoodstock [RJ] for all the great snus and snuff care packages. I also really appreciate the kindness and quick response to questions from the great folks at Sweden's premier online snus retailer, buysnus.com

Why I love the Surefire G2 flashlight

Ok, so this post probably belongs on my other blog, Sharp, Bright and Tactical. I don't really feel the need to go deep with the tech specs, but I simply wanted to express my fondness for what I feel is the best flashlight available, dollar for dollar. Surefire and many other manufacturers have dozens of more expensive flashlights available, but I'd actually rather have a couple $35 Surefire G2 Nitrolon flashlights than one $350 light. At around $35.00 USD, you get the same quality and brightness of light as Surefire's $70 6P light. The only difference is that the G2's body is a lightweight composite plastic. My G2 came in handy these last couple days. With all of the snow that fell, a large tree branch evidently fell also, snapping power lines down the road from where I live. My Surefire G2 was used during the subsequent power outage to great effect.

Here's my OD G2 with a chem-light and a Tactical Tailor multi tool pouch:

It's one piece of gear I liked well enough to buy a second one. Shortly after purchasing my olive drab G2, I bought a black one. They are o-ring sealed, so while they aren't dive rated or anything, they are very water resistant, and very light weight. In August on Ross Lake in the North Cascades in WA state, my G2 was able to light the way on the dark lake for the boat that carried my cousin and I, as well as 2 other boats. By sweeping the penetrating beam back and forth in front of our lead boat, I was able to watch for debris that could have easily damaged the small 9HP outboard motors. We were running full out back to home base after mounting a mini rescue mission in search of an elderly member of our party who went out fishing and got lost several miles up the lake at dusk.

Surefire makes a great product in general, but the nice thing about the G2 is the fact that if it gets lost on an outing, you won't be weeping for the loss of your $500 variable output digitally regulated tactical-cyber-machine flashlight! The OD G2 pictured here is still working after Jon and Joel used it in September 2007 to hand catch a fat salmon who was without egress from shallow water when the tide was going out at my folks' house. It's a long story, but they used only their hands, and flashlights to catch a nice salmon that would have likely died anyway. Jon went to change out the batteries in my G2 and dropped the butt cap in the sandy mud. It operated full of gunk just fine! I spent some time rinsing it out carefully and oiling it, and while I can't say the on/off tailcap action is as smooth as my less-abused black G2, it does work as intended. The action is just a little stiff from sand abrading the plastic inner threads of the tailcap. The 60 minute runtime of 2 lithium 123 batteries could be considered a drawback, but that goes for any high output tactical flashlight of this sort. Surefire does make the G2, and its 3 battery cousin, the G3 in LED versions too. Actually any incarnation of the Nitrolon G2 or G3 series is affordable, I just think the $30-ish pricepoint of the original Xenon bulbed G2 is what makes that particular model my favorite.

Here's my original G2 again, with its matching friend, the Timberline/Lightfoot Zambezi knife:


I actually bought my mom a yellow G2 when she was forced to park far enough away from her work building to make things sketchy. Downtown Tacoma is rife with homeless folks, many of whom are severely mentally ill. Mom had been non-violently accosted by these folks in the past and she's about the most anti-weapon person you'll ever meet. I suggested a flashlight for confidence and the ability to blind any asshole who had designs on her purse or jeopardizing her safety. Long story short, she was promoted, got a close parking space and my dad comandeered the G2. He says it's the single best flashlight he's ever owned. He always has it near, and has even gone out of his way to maintain it, buying spare batteries and bulb assemblies, should any of its replaceable parts become damaged.

My first Surefire was their original aluminum 6P, and it's a good light, though I traded it away as part of a deal in exchange for a cheap .380 caliber pistol several years back. They now make the 6P and many other models with what's called a "crenelated bezel", ie: the bezel resembles a cookie cutter. This is for the purpose of using your flashlight as an impact weapon, I would not want to be struck with the business end of an aluminum fistload with sharp edges, all while being blinded by brilliant white light! I may upgrade to the 6P Defender at some point, but I'm more likely to use my hands as weapons, if needed, than my flashlight. They could concievably make the plastic G2's and G3's with a crenelated bezel, but that would drive the cost up, and what would be the point?

Crenelated bezels make for mean looking flashlights!

Anyhow, I just felt like writing somewhat of a love letter to my favorite illumination tool! The Surefire G2 Nitrolon is where it's at for me. There are dozens of other great flashlights available, but for my needs, the G2 fits the bill. If you've never owned a Surefire, the brightness and quality of light will blow you away. You can find the G2 anywhere Surefire lights are sold. On the web, I think most knife sites carry Surefire lights and sites like Cops Plus and LA Police Gear generally have fair prices too. I think lapolicegear.com actually throws in free batteries with most Surefire purchases. Seriously, this is a flashlight that comes in handy year round. I keep one on my nightstand and one in my gear bag, now I just need a 3rd G2 for my glovebox...but that's what my Streamlight Twintask is for.

Surefire's site is HERE

12/27/08 UPDATE:
My god, what's wrong with me!? I just bought the Surefire G3 Nitrolon, the G2's longer cousin. It's brighter and a tad bit more badass. More to come later.

Finally tried Gotlandssnus Gul loose snus with recent order

Yes, I've been hearing snus brothers espouse the virtues of Gotlands Gul [yellow] lössnus for quite some time. My favorite lös is Röda Lacket, followed by Probe. Probe's whiskey flavor tends to disturb many snussers, but it was the first loose snus I tried and a fondness for the flavor has stayed with me. I'm REALLY enjoying both brands of Julesnus this year in lös and portion. V2 Tobacco's Nordstrommen Jule lös is outstanding and fruity, and their portions are very good too, if not a little wine-heavy. Gotlands Jule portions are more gingerbread and cinnamon with less fruit flavor. Out of the two companies' offerings, I think for me, the overall favorite is Gotlands Jule lös. It hand bakes nicely, smells divine, and what really makes me want to order another can is a very subtle vanilla scent, lying just under the cinnamon surface. I can't keep my nose out of the can, it smells wonderful.

Thanks to my blog-brother That Snus Guy aka:Airwoodstock, I now have ample holiday stock of V2's Nordstrommen Jule snus in both loose and portions. Seems he isn't as fond as I am of the strong-ish red wine flavor. Many thanks to the President of Snustopia, RJ, in IL, USA! How's that for a string of capital abbreviations, eh?!
Anyhow, as I realized I was getting near the end of my rapidly consumed can of the Gotlands Jule lös last week, I decided to place a new order. I wanted to save some of the V2 Jule offerings, so a couple of each went in the freezer, as I know I will crave them after the holidays. I wanted something I hadn't tried yet. I do love the Swedish Match manufactured Catch White Eucalyptus portion, so I ordered 2 cans, it's like Röda Lacket's sweet and minty third cousin! I also had to try a can of Grov Black, or 'Svart', it's chilling as I type and I'll blog my impressions of it later on. I'm a big fan of V2's Phantom Classic blue in both portion and lös, so I took the $1.89 USD plunge and ordered 1 can of Phantom Classic lös, as the standard portion is pretty good. These other cans from my small recent order are all well and good, but I think Gotlands is in the running to become an overall favorite snus maker of mine.


In one of my very first Swedish snus orders of any kind of size or amount of $ spent, I got a can of Gotlands Green portions. I fell in love with the crab-apple-esque bitter fruitiness, yet I haven't ordered them since! As I mentioned I've been hearing nice things about the Gul/Yellow for sometime, specifically the lös variety. I loaded up a Prismaster with it, and the same pris has been in my lip for nearly 2 hours. Gotlands Gul loose is mild, velvety and complex without being too "busy". The texture is similar to their Jule variety, but smoother. I'm not experiencing any mudslide effect either. The prilla has expanded only laterally on the left side upper lip, but it's staying put better than many portion varieties of snus!

I don't know how to properly describe the flavor, but it's excellent. I don't taste any bitter harshness that usually is present in snus described as "full bodied tobacco taste". There's a smooth sweetness and definite elements of mild citrus. I was going to liken it to some sort of citrus yogurt, but that would be misleading and do no justice to this fine snus. I'm liking this stuff well enough to get a full roll, something I have yet to do with any loose snus so far. I typically use approx. 1 can of lös for every 4 portion cans I use, but that just may be changing. I'm a big fan of most snus by Swedish Match, but I have yet to try anything made by Gotlands so far that I haven't enjoyed!. The Julenus is great, in both formats, and the portion-only Green is very good. Gotlands also makes Jakobsson's portions, of which I am a fan, particularly the Icefruit flavor.
I don't really know what makes many of these varieties of snus from Gotlands seem so good! It just seems like very high quality stuff, and the cans look cool and traditional also. The Gul is excellent, next I'll have to try Gotlands grey in loose and portion. The yellow is velvety smooth on the gums, and rather delicious.

Zero Tolerance Knives by KAI/Kershaw....Wannut!

As in "I want it!". My nephew used to say that when he was a baby "Wannut!" or "Havvut!" ['Have it'] as his little fingers grasped for a toy or a snack. When I look at these 2 relatively reasonably priced knives that's what I'm thinking. Especially the Strider-designed 0121 fixed blade here in OD green.

Zero Tolerance Knives is KAI/Kershaw's new company. They've only been out a year or two and they're already making a fresh name for themselves in military and LE circles. The top one is the 0121 fixed blade, you can see the interesting sharpened cord cutter ground into the choil. Below is the 0400 folding knife, designed by Kershaw/KAI's Ken Onion, the man that brought Kershaw back as a major cutlery player with his designs in the late 1990's. I understand Mr. Onion is also one of the driving forces behind Zero Tolerance Knives. The green fixed blade retails around $235, though I found it online for about $185 from knifeworks.com and the folder retails for roughly $150, but can be found as low as $119.

I'm up to my nuts in new knives, but that's never stopped me from wanting more. I think if I find the need to burn $175+ on a fixed blade at some point, I may get the fixed blade 0121, I like the green and I like the sharpened choil idea. I look forward to seeing what KAI's ZT Knives introduces in the new year.

My niece and her dog.

I took this un-posed shot of my niece with her dog today with my phone. She was rough-housing with Annie the dog, and I pulled out the phone and took it. I think it's very sweet.

Cheers! Champagne Snuff from Toque!!!

I know I tend to gush like a "fanboy" when I blog about many flavors from Toque Snuff. My adoration of Mr. Lawrie's ingenious snuffs is based upon the fact that they are truly distinctive and unlike anything I've ever experienced. I'll keep it simple this time. Toque Champagne is available now. I'm not really much of a drinker anymore, and I'd almost forgotten the scent/taste of champagne. I apprehensively took the tin out of its plastic bag, slowly unscrewed the lid. I smelled a freshly uncorked bottle of Bubbly! How the hell did this man manage to create a dry nasal snuff that smells exactly like real champagne!!? It boggles the mind! One of these days I'm going to have to get Roderick on the phone for an interview, or at least email him some questions about how he does what he does. I won't ask him to give up any trade secrets or anything, I'm just curious as to how and where his ideas come from and what motivated the man to become the Willy Wonka of English snuff.

Toque Champagne almost tastes carbonated, I don't know how that works, maybe it's just that the champagne scent is so authentic and wonderful that my mind is being tricked! I have a few favorites out of the diverse Toque snuff line; Menthol, Peppermint, Chocolate, Toffee, Whiskey & Honey. They're all really very good, the only one that's not really my cup of tea is Absinthe, but fans of anise/licorice flavors love it, it's just a tad too strong for me. The only Toque snuff flavors I have not yet tried are Original and Toast and Marmalade. Those two are next on my "to order" list. Toque Natural is surprisingly good too, it's just natural tobacco and it's mellow and good. Toque Natural is the snuff I keep in the car when I need a little pick-me-up.

I'm definitely going to ring in this Happy New Year with Toque Champagne snuff and maybe a few drinks. I've had a rough couple of years, but I'm learning who I am and what I'm made of...it will be a time for personal celebration, and I'll have my Toque Champagne on hand when the clock strikes midnight.

I hate to sound like an ad campaign, but this stuff really is great. I'm hooked on snuff and loving it.
One of my favorite recent activities is watching movies with my great old friend, my cat, Selby. We'll sit down with her Feline Greenies treats and watch a DVD. I'll line up various snuffs and take a pinch of whatever flavor fits my mood. I have plenty of clean and soft cotton bandannas at the ready for any nose-blowing needs between flavors.

Seriously, if you have been curious about English snuff, but have never had the opportunity to try it, Toque has something for every taste, from Peanut Butter and Cherry, to Peppermint or Champagne, this is a really great alternative to cooking your lungs with cigarettes. Nasal snuff IS confirmed to be a "reduced harm" tobacco, which contains little to no harmful TSNAs, or 'Tobacco Specific Nitrosamines'. I'm to the point now that I'm only using Swedish portion snus when I'm out and about, or working. When I'm blogging or relaxing, it's all English snuff [and some German and American snuffs] and lössnus like General or Röda Lacket.

Order Toque here with FREE shipping

Snus Central is GO!

My snus mentor, the man who was generous with his time and inspiration has launched his snus mega-site.
Mr. Unloadingzone's hard work is paying off. He launched Snus Central early. It promises to be AWESOME.

Click HERE to check it out

Toque Xmas Pudding Snuff!!! Sooo good!

Toque has become my preferred nasal snuff brand. It seems Roderick is always working on something new. Toque's growing list of flavors is by-and-large amazing, there's something for every taste, and many Toque flavors are mild and smooth enough to be enjoyed even by the most timid beginner. The nicotine content is strong without being overpowering, making Toque a good alternative for people attempting to give up cigarettes. I obtained 2 new flavors as soon as I heard they were available, Pomegranate and Christmas Pudding. Unconventional? of course. Wonderful? both of them. My favorites have been Toque's Menthol, Vanilla, and Peppermint, among others, but these 2 unique snuff flavors are in a class of their own. A friend sent me a sample of Bespoke Christmas Joy, and it's a wonderful spicy seasonal snuff, but as I've told people who've tried it, there's a lot more complexity in Toque's Christmas Pudding. There's a fruity undertone that mixes nicely with a clove and cinnamon scent that lingers and is sure to make you think of warm holiday memories. It's like Christmas, up your nose, in the most literal sense. I doubt that Roderick will offer this all year long, so if you've wanted to try nasal snuff but weren't sure where to start, Toque Christmas Pudding will kick your nose, and your ass, into the Holiday spirit. A great snuff.

The new Toque Pomegranate snuff is also outstanding. Toque's fruit snuffs are something to experience. My favorites in this category are Blueberry and Raspberry, and the Raspberry Menthol is incredibly true to it's name. I told a friend recently, I can't really recall what pomegranate tastes like, as I've only eaten it maybe half a dozen times in my life. Well, a sniff of Toque pomegranate brought the fruit back to mind immediately, unique, sweet and mellow. This is like fruit salad for your nose. I think though, out of the 2 new flavors, the Christmas Pudding might get more mileage from me. There are just so many nuances to this snuff. I'm still fairly new to snuff, and I haven't tried a whole lot of snuffs that I haven't found enjoyable, but Christmas Pudding is what's in my new snuff box, and what will be there to cheer me up until the holidays melt back into cold and boring winter.

For curious would-be snuffers, I'd recommend Toque's 10 gram tins. They are a great value, and the screw-top lid ensures you can pocket your snuff and go, without mess.
Click here to check out Toque's array of snuff flavors, shipping is free

General Onyx Carbon Limited Edition snus

I am pleased to report that I was chosen as a recipient of the very exclusive General Onyx carbon fiber edition. Swedish Match limited this special run to only 1000 cans worldwide. Buysnus.com sent me an email one day notifying me that I'd been chosen to recieve one of these numbered cans. They are not available for sale. Sites like Northerner and buysnus evidently had some to give away to customers, and AirWoodstock, by snus-blog-brother also got one sent to him directly from the folks at Swedish Match! There are just a handful of us loyal snus users in America who were presented with this very special gift. Buysnus.com has always been there for me for my nicotine needs, and I have previously sent them emails praising their reliability and service, I've also ordered Onyx in the past. Regardless, I'm not sure why I was chosen to get this prize, maybe it was random and I'm just lucky? Either way, I'm not going to question it, I'm just going to savor another 24 portions of General Onyx, by Swedish Match.

I got #0868 out of 1000. Each numbered can is a sleek testament to precision and technology. The bottom half is carbon fiber ringed by what appears to be either an aluminum or polymer band, on which the number is printed in silver, along with "General" and "Onyx". It comes in a silky drawstring bag, similar to the material used for eyeglass cleaning cloth. The portions inside are in Swedish Match's trademark star formation, fanning out in centrifugal fashion. The snus within is the same snus that comes in standard General onyx cans, wedgelike black portions. Onyx was accurately described by Thatsnusguy aka:Airwoodstock on the snuson.com forums. He describes a kind of lemon-peppery taste, I would agree. Onyx has been a favorite of mine since I first ordered a can to try many months ago. Onyx is a strong snus, with 11 mg. of nicotine per portion, making it a godsend when I used snus to quit smoking cigarettes.

Wow! I'm honored to have recieved this trophy of snus! I love buysnus.com for their service, selection and reliability, but it's little gestures like free gifts and contests that set them apart from other Swedish snus retail websites. Thanks buysnus!

I have a sickness....can't - stop - buying - knives!

I have a syndrome that compels me to spend money on knives regardless of my financial situation. I just recieved my Cold Steel Kudu from knifecenter, see Sharp, Bright and Tactical for details. I went to our little local podunk drugstore to buy deodorant and pick up some Airborne for cold season. Believe it or not, our little drugstore sells Benchmade's Red Box and NRA Orange Box series knives. The store is in a rural area and stocks quite a good selection of fishing lures and ammunition. I never would have thought that a stop for deodorant after work would result in adding another Benchmade to my ever growing collection. The Steve Fecas designed Gunstock folder, made by Benchmade for NRA Knives retails for about $30.00 USD, it's made in Taiwan, but experience has taught me that a Benchmade knife is a Benchmade regardless of where it's made or what organization puts their logo or name on it. The gunstock folder's handle looks like...well, a gunstock. Blade steel is AUS 8 and it came shaving sharp, right out of the box. I'm pretty sure this models is discontinued so I snatched it up, paying slightly less than suggested retail. Earlier this fall I got the Mini-Steigerwalt NRA lockback at a DEEP discount at a retail shop. It too is made by Benchmade, and distinguishes itself by being the one Benchmade NRA model that is American made, I thought it'd go nicel with my other 20-something Benchmade knives! I guess "wasting" money on knives is better than blowing it on drugs or alcohol. Buying knives is one of the only things that still gives me a rush. Maybe if the shit really goes down I'll be prepared, as things like knives or tools could well be worth more than cash if a true nation or worldwide emergency situation should arise in my lifetime.

Benchmade NRA Fecas Gunstock:


Benchmade NRA mini Steigerwalt lockback:


Both knives were incredibly inexpensive and the Steigerwalt is US made, how could I resist??
On the other hand, I know my affliction is bad when I quite literally have lost count of how many knives I've purchased in the last 6 months. Granted, a few were gifts, but most were gifts to myself, from myself. Beginning in August, when I started recieving regular pay again, is when it began. The Benchmade Rukus, then the Benchmade Rift, more recently 2 Blade-Tech folders, CRKT's ZillaTool, Leatherman Kick, Benchmade 8 Hook, Cold Steel Kudu...and the other day....I actually, and very impulsively ordered a Spyderco BaliYo butterfly pen! What do I need with a pen that flips like a butterfly knife?!
This is getting out of hand.

There's just so much cool and affordable stuff out there in the world of factory/production knives!

Tactical Tailor, Lakewood, WA

I finally got my ass over to Tactical Tailor in Lakewood. They are makers of high-quality tactical nylon gear such as packs and bags and modular pouches for military and law enforcement applications. Their factory retail store is massively stocked with both their own products, which are made on-site, and a good smattering of things like Adventure Medical Kits first aid products and Surefire lights, they are an authorized dealer for Pentagon Lights as well. I found exactly what I had hoped to find; a pair of replacement sheaths for my Victorinox Swisstool and my new Leatherman tool. I'll review those later on at Sharp, Bright and Tactical

The staff at Tactical Tailor is friendly and professional and there were about half-a-dozen customers browsing when I was in there this afternoon. Most of them were uniformed soldiers from nearby Fort Lewis, who I assume are TT's main clientele. The guy who rang me up asked if I was law enforcement. I'm probably their only customer today who said "no", when asked if they are military or LE. Tactical Tailor's prices are extremely fair for American made tactical nylon. Blackhawk! is a well known name in the military/tactical community, they make lots of expensive stuff and rumor has it that they make the bulk of their products overseas. 5.11 Tactical is another well known brand, but I can't find any info on where their products are made. Tactical Assault Gear is the only other similar company I'm aware of that offers 100% American made products. Tactical Tailor is about a 25 minute drive from where I'm at, and they'll be my first choice when shopping for new gear, like an emergency "bugout bag".


If you would like to receive a free catalog, email your name and address to: catalogrequest@tacticaltailor.com



Tactical Tailor's site is here

The Dog Bible

No, this isn't some new cult "religion" or "faith"...I bought this book because I'm a dog-owner in training. If I took on the responsibility of a K9 now, I'd be doing it [the dog/s] , and myself a massive disservice. I'm patiently waiting to get a dog until I get my shit together. My knowledge of these lovable beasts is more than it once was, with some vet assistant school under my belt, as well as working for a petfood company, but I can always learn more. This is what I'm reading, mind you, not a straight through read, not the way I read novels or comix or what-have-you. But I keep picking it up, a bit a day, even just opening it randomly and learning more about "dorgs" as Popeye used to call them in the classic comic strip.

Those who know me might wonder why a Cat Guy would drop $25 bones on a massive tome about Dorgs. Then again, maybe not. Any knowledge I might glean from this hefty volume will also be useful in my daily [well part time] activities for the company which employs me. I mean, I can sound plenty convincing about their cat products, since I am the human father to 2 cats, and I've fostered and housed plenty of felines in the past decade. I'm like the St. Francis of Assisi for Meow-kins, but I'd like to know more about dogs in general, as I felt I got shafted in VA school, it was like since so many of those catty little bitches at that school had dogs or already worked in the field, that nobody else needed to know about dogs...yeah, I feel kinda jilted and jipped by that school...fuckem, I still owe $9000 in student loans, and I have learned more about animal nutrition from working for 4 months for a petfood company than I did in 7 months at vet assistant school.

Anyway, if you have a dog, or want to get a dog, or a gift for a dog-person, this book would be good. It's heavy enough to fuck someone up with, probably, and it retails in the 'hood of $25, which is steep, for me, for a book, but it's chock-full of dog knowledge, yo.

"THE ORIGINAL DOG BIBLE
Author: Kristin Mehus-Roe

A whopping 752 pages, this indispensable reference is packed with hundreds of useful tips, facts, hints, and help, here is a canine reference no dog house should be without. Edited by Kristin Mehus-Roe, here is just a hint of the staggering wealth of information to be found in this one-of-a-kind resource:

Breeds: A thorough introduction (with photos) to more than 250 breeds with alternative names, country of origin, histories, physical description, average height and weight, characteristics, activity levels, ideal environments, special needs and possible health concerns. Includes all significant breeds.
A Healthy Life
Selecting a veterinarian: vaccinations and when to have them, how to spot signs of illness, basic home care, how to identify parasites, fleas, ticks, mites, mange, administer pills and other medications, assemble a first aid kit, and basic emergency treatments allergic reactions, bleeding, burns, choking, fractures, frostbite, heat exhaustion/heatstroke, poisoning, puncture wounds, shock, and spinal injuries. Treating your dog with conventional medical and holistic approaches.
Good Grooming: How to brush teeth, clip nails, clean out ears, wash, brush and trim and untangle a dogs coat.
Finding The Right Support Help: Locating pet-care partners, i.e., day care centers, boarding kennels, in-home pet sitters and dog walkers, and obedience training facilities.
Your Senior Dog: How to make an aging dog comfortable, when to say goodbye, euthanasia, burial or cremation, and creating a memorial to your beloved pet.
Activities you Can Do With Your Dog: Details for breed specific or universal ways to keep your dog fit and strong through agility courses, Earthdog Trials (for terrriers), dog sledding (for many Northern breeds), weight pulling and carting (for big dogs), dogs shows, obedience trials, field trials and hunt tests, herding, Frisbee or canine disc, and others. Plus information on how to start your own dog park, and games for dogs and kids.
Nutrition: Your dogs daily diet, the real skinny about commercial dog food (kibble vs. canned, organic and natural, homemade and vegetarian,), deciphering a dog food label, and dog food ingredients, understanding people food (and the potential dangers of chocolate, onions, garlic, raisins, grapes, and alcohol), and vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements, dealing with obesity. Includes recipes for healthy homemade treats.
Training and Behavior: The reasons dogs act the way they do, and how to cope with barking, noise sensitivity, chasing, unsafe, destructive or anxious behaviors. Here are solutions to teach dogs to behave in a way that suits yourself as well as your pet.
Dogs and Jobs: Complete particulars about dogs who work (police, military, herding, therapy, detection, search and rescue, and entertainment) and career opportunities from veterinarians, technicians and assistants, pet care workers, walkers and sitters; employment opportunities with animal control and government shelters, humane societies, and non profit shelters, education and advocacy, obedience training, animal behavior, show dog handlers, training and handling working dogs.
Pet Careers for You: From vets and veterinarian technicians, to assistants, boarding and day-care workers, protection and advocacy, training and handling, and groomers, the multi-billion dollar industry has jobs for any interest.
Job Opportunities for Your Dog: There are many jobs for dogs: shepherding herds and guarding livestock, helping people alleviate stress and boredom from long-term hospitalization, search and rescue, working in firehouses and police precincts, and starring in movies, TV programs and commercials.
Makes a great gift!

250 Breed Profiles
50 Careers with Dogs
600+ Color Photographs
1001 Training and Behavior Tips
50 Fun Activities for Your Dog
100 Grooming Hints
100 Health Remedies
25 Emergency Solutions
Over 30 Pages of Canine Resources

Format: Paperback with flaps, 752 pages,
7.5 by 9.5 inches, full-color photographs"

First Impressions: Böker Plus Los Banos Direkt Tactical Knife

My full review of this knife is coming very soon to Sharp, Bright and Tactical WebMagazine

I just felt the need [maybe out of Sunday night boredom] to lay down some first impressions.

For what I consider a "full-size tactical folder" the Direkt is light. In fact, it's just barely over 4 oz. I have noted as with other Chad Los Banos knife designs, the Direkt looks 'futuristic', but realistically so, I doubt that Chad's designs are going to look "dated" in 5 or 10 years. Clean lines and timeless futuristicness. I know to folks who know their knives, it may sound odd to say this knife reminds me of the original incarnation of Benchmade's Allen Elishewitz Stryker...but it does. Benchmade's Stryker design has undergone numerous material and design changes over the years, but the "hand feel" of the Böker Los Banos Direkt reminds me of the original Strykers, with basic-textured G-10 handle scales, pictured here:


It's not the shape of the knife but the physical feel. There are certain knives that I'll always remember the feel of, and the first series of Benchmade Strykers is one of those, as is the Los Banos Direkt, by Böker Plus. I had the plain edge tanto Stryker at one time, and the combo-edge BT2 coated one, which was a favorite. I've long since traded both knives away, one as part of an incredible deal for my Glock pistol, so while the Stryker has been a favorite, it's not as if I didn't get something fantastic in return, and Benchmade still makes the Stryker design, I think the new ones are functionally probably a tad better, but I still prefer the look and feel of the originals.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand. The Direkt is sleek, black, and practically begs to be used, "used" in the loose sense of the word, ie: thrust into something hard, slashed against something soft, stabbed into anything really. I found myself fantasizing ealier about mutilating a life-size human dummy made of say, wine-cork material. Oh how the Direkt could fly and sting in the hands of a trained user! Chad's "midway" serrations, which are actually forward, nearer to the knife's tip, give it a unique and aggressive look. The sub-hilt design is complemented by the 'flipper' which acts as a finger guard in the locked position. I think in an emergency/self defense type role, it would be nearly impossible for a violent attacker to disarm the victim. The sub-hilt style locks the handle to your hand and the unique texture of the G-10 would seem to provide a very secure grip, even with sweaty hands or in the rain.
I appreciate the open-back construction too, it makes a knife easy to clean with simple running water.


So, after my first full-day carrying the Boker Plus Direkt, I can say that Chad Los Banos is a designer who knows how to blend style and function. Keep an eye out for the full review and more at S, B and T

Takashi Miike dvd day

I'm all about Takashi Miike's movies, I'd love to watch all 70+ of them back to back, but that'd probably induce seizures, insanity, or worse. I'll take what I can get, I mean, his fanbase is clearly growing...has clearly grown since "Audition", years ago, when I sat with a horrified audience at the Seattle International Film Festival and Shauna and I laughed as roughly a third of the people got up and left when the needles-in-eyelids-closeup gruesomeness began after a slow Japanese-Drama beginning. Since then I've watched Visitor Q, Dead or Alive, Ichi the Killer, City of Lost Souls and several more. Today marked the US release of Sukiyaki Western Django, which I purchased today. I also found Big Bang Love, Juvenile A on dvd "used" for $5.00 USD, though the discs appear untouched. I also picked up Izo, brand-new. The man is a demented genius, from Ichi's violence, Visitor Q's corpse-rape and cartoonish-lactation scenes, to 'Mario', the Brazilian-Japanese Rogue hero fighting for love in City of Lost Souls. Miike's films aren't for everyone, but I'm looking forward to watching Sukiyaki, 'Big Bang' and Izo in the coming days. Next Miike collection purchase will be the "bloodbag" edition of Ichi the Killer, maybe later in the month, or whenever, now that it's clear that BestBuy stores usually carry it.



I'm stoked, and I'm starting to wonder why I haven't made a point of collecting his films on dvd. Maybe because I haven't had a whole lot of dough to spend in the last year or so. Maybe because I used to just watch Netflix dvds when Shauna and I lived together. Either way, I'll have Eric, who's far more knowledgeable about film and directors and entertainment in general keep me abreast of any new Takashi Miike US releases that may come down the pipe.

Riot pictures of the month, November 2008

Julesnus=joy in a can

Second longest wait EVER from buysnus.com, 8 days, but it was worth it. Sweet Röda Lacket Claq Qui arrived....I'm saving it until it's chilled in the mini-fridge. V2 Tobacco of Denmark released their Julesnus Holiday edition under the "Nordströmmen" banner, I have to say, it's excellent and tastes very similiar to spiced/mulled wine. I like it very much, the aroma was seeping through the sealed envelope. I have yet to try the lössnus, but the Julesnus portion is killer, I'm surprised, as an "on again off again" lover of V2's snus line. I will give v2 tobacco plenty of credit for trying new things, they are quite innovative and certainly are giving old Swedish Match a run for their money.

V2 Tobacco's Nordströmmen Julesnus

Julesnus @ buysnus $2.24 USD per can

Astonishing X-Men; Gifted and Ellis and Granov do Iron Man right

Last Sunday's poor financial decision to drop $85.00 USD on comix and graphic novels resulted in all of this week's paychecks, both my PT job and my partial unemployment check going to overdraft + fees from those bastards at the bank. Do I regret it...ummm kinda, but not really because I get paid weekly through my job, and it's only fucking money. Anyway, along with the better-than-expected recent issues of "Hulk", wherein an unsavory and evil Red Hulk, aka:Rulk, is introduced I was jonesing for some X-Men [and women...especially X-Women].
I picked up the trade paperback Astonishing X-Men; Gifted, collecting the original 2004 6 issue Joss Whedon story arc. Ashley at Atomic Comics and myself have pretty much identical taste in comics, so her recommendations are usually exactly what I buy. I probably have more of a taste for super-female tits and ass than she does though. Anyway, it was well worth my $14.99 and I think this is the way to go for reading story arcs involving established big name [Marvel or DC] characters. It's plain to see that the 3rd X-Men movie, Last Stand was it? draws from this storyline. Whedon is a master, Buffy or not. John Cassaday's art is rad, in the netherworld between realism and cartooniness that suits my comics-eye just fine. For example, here's a Cassaday example of his take on The Avengers:


Anyway, as a place to continue my sporadic, but lifetime followship of Marvel's X-Men, "Gifted" is spot-on and reminds my why I've followed these charming mutants since I was 10 or 11 years old.

Bosnian-born Adi Granov is my age, according to his Myspace. He also happens to be a badass conceptual designer and amazing artist. He teamed up with legendary Brit storyteller Warren Ellis for last year's new Iron Man series. Granov also worked as an artistic consultant on the blockbuster Iron Man film, he designed the armor, no small feat. If the picture below from Iron Man; Viva LasVegas is any indication, I'd guess Granov either watches more porn than I do, or just has a good grasp on sexy females in next-to-nothing. I did find an image-search picture of Adi Granov with a smoking hot brunette on what appears to be a train or a subway, so, you never know.



Iron Man Extremis is the trade paperback of issues 1-6 of last year's new Iron Man series, it echoes pieces of the new film, but doesn't follow that plot. It's an excellent read, and more than made up for my purchase of The Invincible Iron Man dvd animated movie, which was cool, but lackluster and kinda boring.

Anyway, 2 trade paperbacks, of 4 and some assorted Hulk issues that mean that I have no money to eat anything but what's in the fridge until at least next tuesday or wednesday...oh well, I guess it was worth it.

Obama For The Win!!!

Yeah, I went all the way up to my old stomping grounds in King County to vote today for the Black Communist. This just goes to show that geriatrics just don't have what it takes to lead, regardless of their history of service to Our country. I was on the fence for awhile because paranoids [I may be one] had me thinking mistakenly that if elected, Senator [PRESIDENT] Obama would work immediately to rob us of our sacred Gun Rights. Not only are those kooks wrong, but does anybody really think that a man with so much fucked up shit to fix is going to concentrate on demonizing sportsmen? No.
I voted so either way, when the bitching starts, I can say at least I voted. May Obama change the USA for the better, I no longer have a fear of anyone failing as completely in life and politics as George W. Bush. That's simply not possible. May Bush burn in "hell" for his ignorance and failure to serve his country [remember...he was the guy that avoided VietNam because of Daddy.] On Sharp, Bright and Tactical, I avoid politics because it's a joint-effort, and it's focused on knife and gear reviews. Here, I say what I want, and I look forward to seeing what President Elect Obama has to offer our great country.

Marvel Campaign Buttons

Marvel teased me. I searched for 10 minutes on Marvel.com and on the web and it would seem these images were just created as reminders to vote for people visiting the website. If I'm wrong, and they are actually manufactured and for sale, I want all of them. Can you imagine how collectible these would be if they mass-produced them as pin-style physical buttons!?!?

Marvel's Secret Invasion

I've been on a Marvel kick lately, though I've generally preferred Marvel Universe character's over DC since childhood. I've recently been noticing how heavily Marvel is promoting their Brian Michael Bendis written Secret Invasion series. In a post below, I've embedded an amusing promo video involved in the marketing of the series. Here's a scan of a Secret Invasion ad from Captain America #43 [December 2008] and almost every other monthly or One-Shot Marvel issue lately.

The little Skrull girl is the cutest of the three!

I'm going to wait until the series ends and is inevitably released in a single, or series of graphic novel/trade paperback. I understand that ONLY purchasing comics in trade paperback format can hurt some titles, as new stories and characters can be cancelled if the fan sales support is not there. I'm not worried about a Marvel series, as they have always brought themselves back from the brink and Marvel obviously has made obscene profits from films like Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk and the Spiderman trilogy. I would encourage comics fans to buy individual monthly issues featuring fledgling writers, characters and stories though, as that could help ensure that a series you're fond of will continue. Brian Michael Bendis is a living legend in comics, and that alone is probably enough to make Secret Invasion a success. I'm sure animation and videogame licenses will be here shortly, whether Secret Invasion is a critical success or not, it's just the way these things go.


Here are some more Secret Invasion images to whet your comics appetite:





I don't give a shit if you read Secret Invasion or not. Understand though, that comic art and storytelling has come a very long way in the last 50 years, especially the past 20. If you haven't picked up comics since you were a kid, whether you're 60, or 25 years old, I encourage you to visit your local independent comic shop and have a look. If you do, I guarantee you won't leave empty-handed. Hell, even if you pick up comics at Borders or Barnes and Noble or whatever, you're still supporting a rare and time honored tradition, and an industry boiling over with raw creativity...bordering on genius.

Monster-Size Hulk from Marvel

GUISSEPPE CAMMUNCOLI's wicked-sick cover art for Monster-Size Hulk; released by Marvel on october 15, 2008

According to Marvel's website:
It's a knock-down, drag-out fight between the Gamma-powered Hulk, and the original science project gone wrong, the lightning-born Frankenstein's Monster! The science-spawned beast of the Victorian Age meets the modern menace of the Nuclear Age, and when these monsters mash, forget the torches and pitchforks… just run! Guest starring a hoary host of Marvel's scariest creatures and bogeymen smashing and terrorizing their way through this Monster-Sized issue!

I dropped about $80 bones at Atomic Comics in Tacoma this afternoon. I was seriously jonesing for some superhero stuff, after watching Gotham Knight and Invincible Iron Man last night, followed by the recent dvd release of the great Iron Man movie. I picked up trade paperbacks of DC/Vertigo's 'Manhunter' #'s 1 and 2. Ashley at Atomic also recommended an Iron Man book, and I was in the mood for some X-Men, so she pointed me to a TPB that has a great story arc. I picked up a few issues of the new hulk series, featuring Red Hulk, and picked up the Monster-Size Hulk pictured above. My scan makes the colors look drab, but on the physical paper issue, the cover pops like an old-school comic cover.

BTW; Check out Marvel's promotional vid for Secret Invasion!

Conversations with Hunter S. Thompson

I had to meet my boss the other day for a training sesh held at a Starbucks inside a Barnes & Noble, I got there early, as last time I took the wrong exit and arrived late. I perused the media/journalism/current events section, as I always do in such stores. I found a new entry to the Hunter S. Thompson section; 'Conversations with hunter S. Thompson'. It's published by
University Press of Mississippi

It's the first printing, 2008. It's a collection of interviews, and it's pretty fucking awesome, and a good companion reader for Cleverly and Braudis' 'The Kitchen Readings' which came out last year. This is swiped from the press release for the book:
"Conversations with Hunter S. Thompson is the first compilation of selected personal interviews that traces the trajectory of his prolific and much-publicized career. These engaging exchanges reveal Thompson's determination, self-indulgence, energy, outrageous wit, ire, and passions as he discusses his life and work."

This book has to do with one of my personal favorite writers/pop culture icons, so I was sold immediately, and I knew it must be new, because I had never seen it before. As if that's not enough, one of the editors is named "Beef Torrey", which I find hilarious. I assume that's this person's real name, or maybe "Beef" is short for Buford, or Byford...I mean, how did "Dick", become short for "Richard"?
Beef Torrey sounds like a porn star name, but bless him for being involved in an HST publication.
'Conversations...' is totally worth a read, even if your knowledge of Thompson goes no further than having seen Johnny Depp play him in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas".
Kevin Simonson, the other editor, actually conducted a number of the interviews in the book, as a writer/contributor for magazines like Hustler, Spin and Rolling Stone.

One of my favorite HST quotes:
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
-Hunter S. Thompson

Check out Conversations with Hunter S. Thompson




Amazon has it much cheaper that what I paid for it

Toque toffee is amazing snuff. Smastes delicious

"Amaaziing snuff! How sweet the smell! That saved a former smoker...like meee!!! I once was lost, but now I'm found, thank you Mister Law-rie!"
Toque toffee is one of those flavors in their diverse snuff line that's easy to overlook. I ordered one lone bullet of toffee a few weeks back, and it was gone in less than a day. It's a perfect snuff for any time, particularly after dinner, in conjunction with a light dessert of say, ice cream or some candy. It's sweet. How the hell can a snuff taste sweet? I mean, are you really "tasting" it, or are you smelling it? The senses of smell and taste are so closely linked, they might as well be referred to as one sense, "Smaste". Toque toffee "smastes" just like English toffee, it reminds me of the flavor of the toffee crunchy inner portion of a Heath bar, which is one of my favorite candies to mix into ice cream, being the fatass that I am. I have been simply refilling bullets from my newly recieved 25 gram tin of Toque toffee and I spent last night watching superhero dvd cartoons, all the while snuffing Toque toffee like a cokehead might snort cocaine. I love Toque, favorites are peppermint, menthol, peanut butter, vanilla, chocolate and raspberry menthol...oh, and Whisky&Honey too. Toffee has real staying power, i have yet to "give it a rest", as I just don't get tired of it. Even peppermint, one of my faves, needs a rest sometimes, as does chocolate, but the toffee is so mild and perfecltly flavored that I can't see myself getting tired of it any time soon. If you have not yet tried Toque snuff, toffee in the 10 gram tin would be an excellent choice, as it's fairly mild, and very easy to snuff.

Animated Superhero fix, and girl superhero fetish

I haven't yet blown any money in the last few months on comics, with the exception of some for a friend who was in the hospital. I have the widescreen Iron Man dvd, and I will watch it soon, though I saw it in the theater the day it was released. After work today I went to Target, as they frequently have sales on dvds and I'm trying to re-build my dvd library, after some poor decisions and trades diminished my movie collection to only a handful of titles. I really don't want to get a bunch of new stuff, as I'll probably get a Blu-Ray player eventually, most likely a PS3, if [when] the next price-drop happens. Anyway...I felt an extreme need for comic/superhero media today, so I picked up DC's animated Gotham Knight Batman dvd and Marvel's Invincible Iron Man dvd. The 2 discs were under $25 USD total, after WA state sales tax, not bad. I'll probably watch them a few times and give them to my nephew, who carries the family's love of comics and superheroes for the new generation thanks to his dad, and myself. My brother-in-law has an obscene amount of comics and graphic novels from a literal lifetime of collecting. My comic-buying is more chaotic and sporadic, and lately I've taken to buying trade-paperback style comic collections, as I enjoy reading through an entire storyline without waiting for the "next issue" to be released.

Anyhow, I'm going to sit down with Selby and watch these two discs here in a few minutes. I have my Toque toffee snuff, and some Reese's peanut butter cups, and she has her Salmon flavor Feline Greenies treats and a bowl of fresh water...I think we're ready for some animation representing high profile characters from both Marvel and D.C.

Gotham Knight got great reviews, many compared it to the stellar "Animatrix", which I still need to get on dvd. Invincible Iron Man got mixed reviews, some applauded the animation but knocked the lackluster storyline and lesser-known villains. Both pieces of animation ar rated PG-13, which gives me hope for some good cartoon violence. The Batman disc is the Target exclusive version which includes the Batman Beyond "movie", which sounds like it's actually just the first two introductory pilot episodes of that animated series, still, I think both discs were worth my money, considering the no-frills widescreen version of The Incredible Hulk was $20 bucks by itself, I think I'll check Costco for that one, or put it on my Christmas list, it was decent and far better than Ang Lee's convoluted 2003 'The Hulk'.
I may just have to go to Atomic Comics in Tacoma on payday and pick up some new reads. I love X-Men, Hulk, Punisher, Captain America and the new Deadpool series, of which I presented issues #2 and #3 to my friend in the hospital recently. He said it's a strong story, and I always appreciated Deadpool's dark humor and his fraternal relation to Logan/Wolverine. In the DC Universe, Batman is always cool, and DC's Vertigo label does some good stuff, though I'm not too big a fan of other classic heroes like Superman and Aquaman, though they have camp-value, as classic do-gooder dorks. I prefer flawed characters, or at least ones suffering internal emotional anguish, or a blighted past. Give me The Punisher and Wolverine over that jerkoff in a cape and tights any day. I guess that makes me a Marvel fan from way back. I've always preferred the Marvel Universe I suppose, I'm not an X-Men freak, but I always enjoy the stories and I know character histories well enough to surprise even myself when i pick up Marvel comics.



Maybe i'm just stuck in pubescent-mode, I'm a sucker for huge tits in spandex.


I had an X-Men poster when I was about 11, with Rogue as a prominent part of the collage, in her spandex bodysuit, I loved it. At least I don't take my love of ridiculous bodied heroines to the extreme that fanboys do with "Hentai", the phenom of anime school-girls and beastly tentacle-rape. It's odd, people say that comic book art objectifies women, but hey, it objectifies unrealistic visions of masculinity also, and most of the female comic book heroines from ANY generation, are strong women, maybe even role models. I wouldn't fuck with Lady Deathstrike, if she were real, I'd fear and respect her!!




I think my favorite comic book sex-object women are:

*Caitlyn Fairchild of Gen-13

*Jean Grey of X-Men

*Abbey Chase of Danger Girl

*Emma Frost of X-Men/Marvel Villains

Christmas snus!!!

A myspace snus-buddy sent me a message today informing me of the Sterk [strong] version of my favorite snus, Röda Lacket being released today at Northerner and Buysnus. Needless to say, as a huge fan of both Röda lös and white portion, I ordered a few cans of Claq Qui, aka: Röda Sterk. I also ordered a few cans of V2 Tobacco's Julesnus, limited edition Christmas snus, which supposedly tastes like mulled Christmas wine/cider and cinnamon. Julesnus is priced more-than-fair, at around $20 USD per roll, and if I like it, I'm sure I'll order a roll before Christmas rolls around to get my nicotine-addled friends into seasonal-cheer mode. I'm stoked, I have plenty of snus to get me through winter, but nothing exciting really, just a bunch of General Onyx, assorted Offroad and some Taboca. Swedish Match's General Ekstra Sterk is now available too, which should be good, and is said to be the most potent snus ever made, with 15 mg. of nicotine per portion. Next on the "to try" list is Gotlands yellow and grey lös and portion. A snus-buddy across the country is sending me a bunch of snuff, along with some assorted Offroad lös, I'm excited for that too. Grovsnus black/strong portion was also made available by the 2 biggest online snus sites, but my extended experiences with 2 cans of Grov white portion literally left a bad taste in my mouth. I know it's popular stuff, and while I liked it at first, the tobacco-only taste wore thin quickly, and as I mentioned in my review down the page, all I can think about now when using Grov, is dill pickles.

Comics still kick ass

I usually spend about $50-$150 on comics about quarterly. On Sunday I went to Everett Comics on the way to see Bauer who's stuck in the hospital, I got him some cool zombie shit like Walking Dead and Zombie Tales and some more traditional Marvel stuff like Thor and Deadpool. I found this online and it reminded me how much I love comic art. It's obviously a promo-piece for Marvel's 3 most recent successful superhero movies, meant to get kids interested in seeing their heroes on the printed page. But it's cool. I'm glad traditional paper comic books aren't dead. It seems the reason that is true lies with people from my generation though, in the 25-45 age range. My nephew is going to be 13, and he loves tech and movies and stuff, but he simply doesn't have the patience or attention span for "real", ie:old school comics.

Iron Man Spider-Man Hulk cool animation
by RenaudMan

Comics fucking rule.

WASP Injection knife video

The WASP knife was featured in the new "JAN 2009" Tactical Knives magazine. It's a knife ideally suited to underwater tactical applications. When the blade is plunged into living tissue, the user then depresses the CO2 release valve, which jets freezing, pressurized air into your target. This would be ideal to have on one's person in a shark attack.

Repost of Benchmade 8 Hook article from S, B and T blog

I think Benchmade Knives' American made 8 hook rescue knife is so cool that I'm reposting an article I posted on my other blog a few days ago. I just got my 8 Hook and I'm pleased with its simplicity and potential versatility. I'm certainly no Emergency Response Professional, but if I'm glad I have Benchmade products in case of emergency:



I was trying to think of a useful birthday gift for my sister last month, her birthday is close to mine. I ended up ordering her a Houdini keychain auto escape tool, the Houdini tool company is an offshoot of Benchmade, as they are the official distributor/marketer as I understand it. I placed the order on knifecenter.com and figured I should get myself something too. I have put Benchmade's original Model 5 rescue hook to great use when fishing in past summers. It's been a mainstay of my toolbox usually for cutting leader and line and even to zip-gut trout once their cloaca has been poked. I figured I should keep something in my car to use in case my EDC folding knife becomes unavailable in an accident. Benchmade's Model 8 rescue hook retails for around $30 USD, I got mine on knifecenter for about $21 + shipping. It just dawned on me a few minutes ago that aside from being a well-designed seatbelt or clothing cutter, the thing has self-defense potential too. It could theoretically be used as a karambit/impact tool. It has a finger-ring with a seperate hole for lanyard attachment and could be held "upside down" and used for hammer blows to the temple or hands of an assailant. Here are the numbers:

Blade Length: 0.50"
Blade Thickness: 0.115"
Blade Material: 440C Stainless Steel
Blade Hardness: 58-60HRC
Blade Style: Hook
Clip: No Clip, but included was a MOLLE compatible sheath with an elastic band that further secures the tool while attached to gear
Overall Length: 6.50"



The uses for such a unique and inexpensive tool are limited only by your imagination. I plan on purchasing another one for my dad who spends most of his day on the road in a company truck. Benchmade could have easily have these made in any of their Chinese or Taiwan associates' factories, but they didn't. I think $20-some dollars for a USA Made Benchmade product is more than fair. The 8 hook is a 1 piece [+sheath] design that is pretty much foolproof. If you ever have to free yourself from a wrecked vehicle and you don't normally carry a folding knife, an 8 hook tucked into your car's visor could well save your life or someone else's and allow you to get free before emergency professionals arrive. I'm excited to show this piece of gear to my neighbors, who are an EMT/firefighter and a former ER nurse. I think they'll both be impressed with Benchmade's 8 hook. I'll keep readers updated on any other non-emergency uses or ideas I have for this impressive and inexpensive Benchmade design.

Toque raspberry menthol snuff now available

Just when you though the English snuff man had no more flavours up his crafty sleeve...Raspberry Menthol offers the best of 2 seemingly unmatched flavors. It works though, as do most other flavors in Toque's line of English nasal snuffs. Some of history's best combos are "opposites attract" scenarios though, Sesame Street's Ernie and Bert for instance, one's happy and dopey, the other is cynical and grumpy, but they're best pals!

When it comes to snuff flavours, raspberry and menthol were made for each other, Toque married them and presents them to you in your choice of sizes. I like my 10 gram tin, but it's going fast. I was fortunate enough to get ahold of a sample in a previous order and it's been a favorite in the last several weeks. Even if you're a beginner or have never experimented with snuff, this flavor is for you. The raspberry is ripe-tasting and authentic and the menthol is eye-opening and only slightly subdued compared to Toque's regular menthol. I love it, and you'll love it, as long as the combination sounds good to you. And it does, it sounds very good to you, the potent and delicious combination of ripe sweet raspberry and cooling menthol blended as a tobacco sniffed through the nose sounds very good to you right now. LOL Jedi mind tricks aside, go order some Toque and try this new flavor. Cherry menthol and blueberry menthol are also available, and I can speak to the "deliciousity" of both cherry and blueberry Toque snuff on their own, so I'm sure their fraternal methol twins are great too,

S'nuff's enuff? More commentary on snuff flavors...

Could it be that I'm getting tired of Swedish snus???

Naahhhhh....never.

I've just had the opportunity to spend some more time getting acquainted with Toque's snuffet...er, snuff. buffet.

When I'm not working, I find using snuff to be relaxing and it really puts me in a mellow mood.
Snus is great but I feel it's good to mix things up a bit, and snuff has been my go-to nicotine fix recently. Toque mini-bullets contain a gram of snuff. For proper function, three-fourths of the packed snuff in the bullet should be emptied back into the bag. The bottom of the bullet unscrews for easy refilling and inspection. Toque bullets are a discreet way to get a dose of snuff while driving, out in public etc. They are really inexpensive, so I just ordered a bunch more to turn friends on to what I believe to be the future of smokeless tobacco.


I tried Toque's Absinthe flavor, which is extremely potent! OMFG! I like licorice/anise flavors in small amounts but absinthe was just a bit much for me. My SB&T blog co-pilot Aeric though really loved the stuff. He's a big fan of the menthol also.


Toque's new "toasts" are the talk of snus and snuff forums. I have yet to try the Toast & Marmalade, but the Whisky & Honey is very interesting. I'm still new when it comes to snuff. Initially the whisky & honey smelled like tanned leather, and as with the Wilson's Irish High Toast, at first I wasn't a fan. After some experimentation and time with this snuff with clear sinuses, I can say it's really growing on me and I'm eager to try the toast & marmalade flavor next.
Menthol has been a favorite, and I had the opportunity to try the new Raspberry Menthol. It has the best of both flavors, prominent ripe raspberry fruitiness with a smooth sinus-clearing menthol burn. Most excellent! Surely it'll be a part of future orders.
I'm still a fan of the richer flavors like peanut butter, vanilla and chocolate, which has a cool hint of citrus flavor.
On the topic of citrus, Toque's St. Clements has been a topic of web forum controversy, some love it, and some insist that it has an unsavory musty aftertaste/smell. All I smell and taste is oranges and lemons, but after repeated use the St. Clements does seem to start smelling a bit off. It's not at all bad IMO, but others find it unusable.
Toque would seems to have a nack for nailing berry scents and flavors, as the raspberry is awesome, and the blueberry has grown to be a favorite of mine when used with peanutbutter in the other nostril. Cherry is really good too, mild and sweet but tastes like the real thing.
As far as these snuffs go, I really don't think you can go wrong if you choose flavors that sound good to you. I have found that experimenting with different combos yields interesting and positive results. I polished off a gram of raspberry in bullet form. i refilled that bullet with vanilla, and there's still a dusting of raspberry, the combo is really pleasant. Mixing chocolate and vanilla is what I might call "sinfully indulgent" to quote icecream commercials aimed at women watiching their weight.



So, after some more time with Toque, and after trying new flavors...I can say that Toque's willingness to try new things is bold and innovative. I can't leave out the Espresso flavor. Initially I expected a strong smell of ground coffee beans. When snuffed, it's very mild, after a minute or so, at least in my nose, the flavor starts to reveal itself and you can taste a complex coffee flavor.

Some top recommendaions for those new to nasal snuff:
[in no particular order}

Toque Raspberry, as I've said it has an authentic ripe-berry taste and the smell lingers nicely.

Wilson's of Sharrow Crumbs of Comfort, it's great by itself and even better mixed 50/50 with Toque peppermint.

Toque Vanilla, it's mild and soothing and all around good.

Toque Peanutbutter, it really smells/tastes like peanut butter and has to be tried to be believed, very cool.

Pöschl Gawith's Apricot, I'm personally not a huge fan, but many newbs and snuff veterans love it and it comes in an easy to use "shaker box" type container.

Again, if you're already into the idea of snuff, diving in and just trying everything is not a bad idea. Nasal snuff is inexpensive enough that you could realistically try a handful of flavors and brands on the cheap. It's a fun way to get your nicotine and a great way to unwind. I'm excited to see if snuff catches on here in the US due to the rapidly increasing number of states with smoking bans.

Daniel Hickey Sr.'s Obituary

As I posted a few days ago. We are all mourning the loss of my eldest sister's father-in-law, Dan Hickey Sr. My sister is married to Dan Jr. a great man in his own right. I just posted on the funeral guestbook something to the effect of: "words to not do justice when a man of Dan's caliber leaves this life." It's true, when anyone dies it's tough. But when a man as great, funny and compassionate as Dan Hickey passes on...I don't know....I remember when my sister and Dan Jr's young son Kieran died in 2005, I cried with Dan Sr. at the funeral. I just remember him weeping, all of us weeping for the loss of a 2 year old boy. Hopefully Grandson and Grandpa are together, playing in Elysian fields or something. My most recent memory of Dan is from a year or so ago, when he and his wife Peg came to Seattle. Dan and I played DC superhero action figures with my nephew Brendan. Dan took Superman and zoomed around the room with the toy making explosion sounds and panicking when Brendan brought an enemy figure near. Here was this man in his late 60's playing with the raw enthusiasm of a child. It was sweet and funny at the same time. Here's Dan's obit from the Stamford Advocate, in CT:


DANIEL THOMAS HICKEY died peacefully at his home in Stamford on Friday, October 10, 2008. He was 68 years old. He was born in Ardmore, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1940 and was the son of the late Joseph and Regina Hickey. Dan grew up in West Philadelphia, graduating from West Catholic High School in 1957. He received his undergraduate degree from St. Joseph's University in 1962, went on to receive a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965 and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1967. He worked for the Small Business Administration from 1965 to 1969. He worked as a Foreign Service Officer from 1969 to 1978, stationed in Washington, DC, Caracas, Venezuela and Hermosillo, Mexico. From 1978 to 1981 he worked for the Department of Energy. He finished his career as Manager of International Relations at Texaco, Inc. from 1981 to 2003. Dan enjoyed traveling with his wife, family and friends. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand. He loved taking his boys to the Pennsylvania mountains to camp and fish. He enjoyed reading the New York Times and the Economist, watching the New York Yankees, Notre Dame football and the St. Joe's Hawks, and eating ice cream with his grandson Brendan. He was an active member and supporter of youth sport programs, particularly baseball and ice hockey. Dan was predeceased by his cherished grandson Kieran Patrick Hickey. Mr. Hickey is survived by his beloved wife of 39 years, Peg Hickey of Stamford, CT; four sons: Daniel A. Hickey and his wife Tara Lee of Seattle, WA; Jack Hickey and his wife Nova Soraya of Jakarta, Indonesia; Michael T. Hickey and his wife Emma of Stamford, CT; and William E. Hickey and his wife Tara Boland of Boston, MA; four brothers: Joseph P. Hickey and his wife Kathleen of Wilmington, DE; Thomas Hickey and his wife Marsha of Ardmore, PA; and Robert Hickey of Philadelphia, PA; two sisters: Sister Mary Hickey, IHM of Philadelphia, PA; and Jeannie Maxwell and her husband Jack also of Philadelphia, PA; and two grandsons: Brendan Hickey and Darren Hickey. He was predeceased by his parents. Family will receive relatives and friends on Sunday, October 12th from 2pm to 6pm at the Bosak Funeral Home, 453 Shippan Avenue, in Stamford, CT. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Monday, October 13th at 11am at the Our Lady Star of the Sea, 1200 Shippan Avenue, in Stamford, CT. Burial will be private. The family has entrusted the funeral arrangements to the Bosak Funeral Home, 453 Shippan Avenue, Stamford, CT. If you wish to make an online remembrance please sign our online registration book.

I hope you're at peace Dan. Much respect and love.

RIP Daniel Hickey Senior, you will be missed...

My brother-in-law's father, Dan Hickey Sr. died today surrounded by family and friends in Connecticut. Dan's passing was due to prostate cancer, which he'd been living with for many years. My own father is a lung cancer survivor currently battling prostate cancer. The two men were on seperate sides of the country but stayed connected through phone and email and were great friends. But Dan is at peace, and I know for certain that is there is a "Heaven" that Dan is either there, or well on his way. Dan's passing is a reminder to me, to be aware of prostate cancer, as it, like other cancers, seems to run in my family and many others. Much has been done to promote breast cancer awareness, as it is a serious issue. It seems though that only recently prostate health has been talked about.

Brothers: most of us are young, but get that shit checked out regularly. I know it's uncomfortable, but early detection was the key to my dad's survival...and the extension of Dan's life.

I will forever remember Dan Hickey Sr. as one of the kindest, most generous and humorous men I have ever known. He was all spirit...is all spirit. Take care my man, maybe I'll see you again someday.

snuff's relation to cancer?

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EDIT: SURPRISE, I"M WRONG, and to a degree, so is the information below. John Hill, referenced below, was not a doctor at all, but a POET and writer of farce. Hill apparently had a falling out with his local tobacconist over his tab, or a similar money issue. This guy fabricated a bunch of bunk about snuff to sort of, "get revenge" on his tobacconist.

Let me quote a well-informed friend who knows snuff's history far better than I:

"John Hill was exposed as a hoax. After an argument with his tobacconist
about his bill, John Hill, an 18th Century poet and writer of farces,
released a public notice. Under the guise of a Doctor, he proclaimed that
the overuse of snuff could lead to nasal cancers, which has since been
(fortunately) disproved by the Royal College of Physicians. The likely cause
of the rise in nasal cancer at this time has been attributed to the period's
smokers blowing smoke through their noses. This was done to cover the
horrendous smells caused by the build up of rubbish in the streets of cities
and towns all over Britain. Interestingly with better sewage systems smokers
stopped blowing smoke through their noses and nasal cancer ceased to be."

so, DISREGARD the following report for the most part, but I believe the information about South Africa's Bantu tribe is correct, as I've read similar things from many sources. I also believe that the Indian sub-continent cancer info is accurate. It's simple though...English snuff is pretty much as dangerous as coffee. There are some *very* small risks, and everyone is different, and everyone's usage is different. But there is very little info pertaining to nasal snuff's relation to malignacies.


Titre du document / Document title
Snuff-induced malignancy of the nasal vestibule : a case report
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
SREEDHARAN Suja (1) ; MAHESH CHANDRA HEGDE (1) ; PAI Radha (1) ; RHODRIGUES Shobha (1) ; KUMAR Rajeev (1) ; RASHEED Anwar (1) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) Department of ENT, Pathology and Prosthodontics, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, INDE
Résumé / Abstract
The association between nasal snuff and malignancy is not well established. There is epidemiological evidence suggesting that oral tobacco when mixed with lime and betel leaves causes oral cancer in the Indian subcontinent. Similarly, snuff spiced with dried aloe has been reported to cause upper jaw malignancies in the Bantu tribes. The last reported case of nasal snuff causing cancer of the nose was described by John Hill in 1761. We describe here a case of a 69-year-old woman who developed a nasal vestibular malignancy after 30 years of snuff usage, and this, we believe, is the only reported case of nasal snuff causing cancer in the last 2 centuries.
Revue / Journal Title
American journal of otolaryngology ISSN 0196-0709 CODEN AJOTDP
Source / Source
2007, vol. 28, no5, pp. 353-356 [4 page(s) (article)] (17 ref.)
Langue / Language
Anglais
Editeur / Publisher
Elsevier, New York, NY, ETATS-UNIS (1979) (Revue)
Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords
ENT ; Case study ; Vestibule ; Nose ; Malignancy ; Malignant tumor ;
Mots-clés français / French Keywords
ORL ; Etude cas ; Vestibule ; Nez ; Malignité ; Tumeur maligne ;
Mots-clés espagnols / Spanish Keywords
ORL ; Estudio caso ; Vestíbulo ; Nariz ; Malignidad ; Tumor maligno ;
Localisation / Location
INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 18867, 35400017343428.0140

October riot pictures of the month, humanity at it's most-batshit

More on Toque and nasal snuff in general

There are many who would argue that there IS no good tobacco, only bad tobacco. That would seem to be the case, but good and bad are subjective, and I don't think there are any absolute blacks and whites in life. It's true that moist snuff, ie: American "dip" has caused many an oral tumor. I met a gentleman the other day with significant facial deformities from what appreared to be numerous surgeries due to a lifetime of constant American chewing tobacco use. I feel comfortable though recommending Swedish snus to people as a reduced-harm alternative to cigarettes, at least in the short-term. Swedish snus has been studied extensively and is factually found to contain significant, if not shockingly lower levels of TSNA's or, tobacco specific nitrosamines than cigarettes and other tobacco. I'll leave interested parites to their own research on snus, as info is all over the web.

Nasal snuff seems to have been less-studied, but possibly because it is less used in our day and age. I've had serious trouble finding any hard evidence linking nasal snuff usage to any illnesses or conditions. In fact, there are a growing number of doctors who admit nasal snuff is one of the best reduced-harm alternatives to smoking cigarettes.
Good info on nasal snuff's relation to health can be found here

The following is an excerpt from Snuffbox UK's site, which was founded by a doctor:

Professor Martin Jarvis, of Cancer Research UK, says that the health implications surrounding snuff use are significantly lower than smoking. He explains:
"Studies show that the health hazards surrounding snuff are much less than cigarettes, and the risk is approximately one per cent compared with the
risks associated with smoking, The reason for this is that by smoking you are setting fire to the products which causes their combustion. Snuff doesn’t have the combustion products which are carcinogenic and all the user is getting is the nicotine."

I personally began daily use of a neti-pot, a teapot-esque device used to irrigate nasal passages. I found that neti-pot use helped me recover from what seemed to be the onset of a bad head cold contracted from a group of friends who were very ill [all 4 people, 2 women and 2 men, are pack aday, minumum smokers btw].
The neti-pot also maximizes my enjoyment of Toque's extraordinary snuff flavors. For snuff-sampling, the practice rinses out any residual scent or taste and almost "cleanses the pallette" before trying a new snuff.
I placed an order last night for more Toque, some as gifts for interested friends, and some just for me! :)