Bulk Vs. Tin

I've never bought a bulk tobacco, aside from small quantities. But I have noticed from my time on the forums that it seems the general consensus is that jarring is superior to aging it in a tin. As the seal on a tin can crack, so it seems most people that have a favored tinned tobacco just buy loads of it and empty out the tins into a jar and jar. Just like you would a bulk, I think the biggest difference is price and shipping. I would imagine bulk tobaccos may dry out while try are being shipped because a ziploc bag isn't really air tight. But even at that they may have a way to send it so it doesn't dry, but like I said I've never ordered any so I don't know. If you do get it and it's dry you can always out it on a moist paper towel or something like that (there is a method floating around the forums somewhere on reviving dried out tobacco). Also tinned tobaccos would be easier to gift to someone and feature nice little artwork. A 2oz tin of Nutty Irishman from Cornell & Diehl runs about $8+ (depending where you look) but the Nutty Irishman Bulk, also from Cornell & Diehl will run you little over $4 for two ounces. Sorry if I'm wrong about anything, I'm even newer to all this stuff then you are , however I'm sure if I've spoken wrong another forum member will correct me. I just wanted to make sure you got some answers (even if they were rather uneducated). There are some questions I've asked on the forums that have gone unanswered at it would have been nice to get someone else's opinion before I acted.
Hope this helped,

Shayde

You mileage may vary, I don't find a difference from bulk to tin in the few that I get both of. The tobacco starts out in a bulk pile before they put it in a tin for sale...In the few days it takes for transit, the tobacco in the bags really does not dry out that much.
"MY" bulk goes straight to jars when it arrives. The tins stay in the tins until opened then go straight to jars.
Try getting an ounce or two of the bulk MacB #1 just to test.

Haha I try :rofl:

Some people seem to find a difference. I have surmised that it relates to top dressing blends rather than those that tend to rely on earlier processing. I'm guessing you won't find significant difference between the tin/bulk with Va#1 for that reason.
I think you'll be quite pleased at not having to pay the added packaging cost

I don't have any issue buying bulk, its preferable to me if there is a bulk of the same that comes in a tin I'll buy in bulk to save money especially since I'll throw it in a mason jar soon as I get it.

As a member of the "Variety is the Spice of Life" club... Along with a lifetime membership "Moderation in All Things"... I buy alot of tins across a wide range of "styles". And, generally, enjoy them all.
Bulk, however, is alot less expensive though. So, when I can take advange of larger tins, and bulk, I do. But my bulk buying is fairly well restricted to those tobaccos that I would actually repeat frequently enough to be worth the effort.
So, to make a long winded reply even longer, it really depends on you, what you like, want, desire, and if it will work out better for you to go more bulk than tins.

I buy both bulk and tin's. I think tobacco ages better in the tin but that's just me. Also I think I've only heard of square tins losing their seal. I'll buy bulk over tin as it's almost always less expensive as you're not paying for the fancy packaging.
My bulk goes straight into mason jars. I've seen crystals on my bulk tobacco in jars(in a relatively short time) so there is definitely some aging going on despite not being in a sealed tin. I try to fill the jars so there is as little air as possible in the jar.
I know Brian Levine has mentioned on his radio show that he thinks some manufacturers use an inferior product in bulk but I know that Hearth & Home for example uses the exact same tobacco's in bulk as in their tins.
Oh and Roth is right you'll see more shake in the bulk. Also with stuff like Anni Kake it will be more broken up than in the tin usually. But who really cares it's still the same tobacco.

shayde,

But I have noticed from my time on the forums that it seems the general consensus is that jarring is superior to aging it in a tin.

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I will respectfully disagree with that statement. Most of the people I know and I happen to agree with them believe aging in tins is better than aging in jars. There is nothing better to me than cracking a decade old tin, hearing the woosh and seeing a once brown and blonde blend turn jet black and smell heavenly. I should add that all of my tins are flake tobacco and are all either VA, Vaper or Vabur blends which age brilliantly in their tins.
Luckily most of my favorites come in tins. The only bulks I do stock that are also available in tins are my 3 Samuel Gawith Flakes ( Best Brown, FVF, St James). I tried all three in the tinned version and found there was no difference in flavor in comparison to the bulk version. I also liked the fact that the SG flakes come very uniform with absolutely no shake. One blend that I could buy in bulk but buy in tins is Hamborger Veermaster. When I got a pound of that in bulk, it was full of broken flakes and shake and was totally unacceptable.

I enjoy both equally well. Lately I've been buying more bulk than tins. The way I look at it, if it's available in bulk and the price is substantially less than the tinned version, then I'll buy bulk. Some brands, like Mac Baren, have very reasonably priced tinned tobacco, but are also available in bulk. But with Mac B, the price difference is not huge, so it makes more sense to me to buy those I tins. Some things I smoke only come in bulk, such as 1Q, while others only come in tins, such as a lot of the McClelland blends I smoke. I guess 90% of the time, I just go with whatever makes the most sense economically.

The blends that I buy for long-term storage (my cellar) are Virginias, which, as Harris pointed out above, age brilliantly in tins. Several blends I cellar are available only in tins. For those reasons, I don't buy bulk for long term storage. (By long term, I mean 5 years or more.) For blends that I am going to smoke in a shorter time frame, I will buy bulk.

I buy mostly bulk blends to save money.

P.Stokkebye, MacBaren, Lanes, C&D, SPC, GH&CO,

McClellend, and Samuel Gawith are some of the

tobaccos offered in bulk at SP.

Pretty good selection.

I put them in mason jars as soon as they arrive.

Most of the tins I buy stay tinned.

I like both really. If I want to cellar a bunch then I will buy some bulk. I usually buy bulk about once a month to stock up for the apocalypse! haha but other than that I usually buy tins.

I enjoyed the tins of the 7 Seas blends from Mac Baren so I ordered them up in bulk as well. I didn't notice any difference in flavor from the tins to the bulks. The flavor, moisture level, aroma, and burning qualities were all the same.
Definitely make sure you have some jars with a solid sealing on them. Typically the Ball mason jars work very well and I've had good success with the plastic hinged candy jars with the rubber seal.
Finding a blend you like in bulk can be a blessing. It can save a lot of money.

Lord,

hinged candy jars with the rubber seal.

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I would be very careful of using those for long term storage. I have had similar type jars with the rubber gaskets go bad on me, which is why I only use ones with silicone gaskets. The rubber will dry out and crack around the 7-10 year mark in my experience.