Negatives or Hazards of Retrohaling?

[derekflint]

What I do is a combo...smoke is in my mouth and I let some of it gradually go out thru my nose, but some is still in my mouth........It's coming out of both at the same time.......I'm not getting rid of it fast, but really slow !! ::

 

[mawnansmiff]

In my old RYO days (Drum, Sampson, Old Holborn) I would often let the smoke just trickle out of my mouth whilst inhaling through my nose......got a huge blast of flavour doing that!
Regards,
Jay.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Some I inhale (most), some I retrohale and some I French inhale. I think the real impact on taste with the retrohale comes from simply having to bring the smoke in deeper and on the roof of your mouth.

 

[sablebrush52]

The benefit I get from snorking (otherwise known as retrohaling) is a much increased experience of a blend's nuances. But like everything else connected to pulling every bit of flavor from a blend, that snork is gentle and slow.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

I don't put a t-bone steak up my nose to taste it better.
I'm not convinced of the added flavour, having tried the technique myself, but we're all different. I am completely convinced that it is a much more effective way for delivering nicotine to your body though. It was very noticeable to me that nicotine was entering at a much more rapid rate than if I had kept the smoke to my mouth only. I did not enjoy the added nicotine hit.
I wonder, out of the people who snork, how many used to smoke cigarettes and were accustomed to nicotine delivery? Maybe that accounts for some of the popularity. And others probably do get some added taste out of it. But, I don't stick food up my nose, and I can taste many nuanced and interesting combinations of that. It was the same with tobacco smoke. Just lucky, I guess.
Personally, I wouldn't regularly put tobacco smoke into my sinuses for exactly the same reason I don't put it into my lungs. Seems like a good way to cause trouble. Not to knock anyone who does, it's just my personal experience that the risk is probably not worth whatever supposed heightened sensation of taste there may be. I didn't find it.

 

[oldtoby]

^^^ Try eating your meal with completely blocked sinuses.
Maybe you can taste it, but it's completely a waste to me. As I've said, taste is subjective.

 

[cigrmaster]

I grew up as a cigarette and cigar smoker. I started smoking when I was 12, Tijuana Smalls was my first smoke and then came the cigarettes. I learned how to french inhale and blow smoke through my nose at an early age. I have always used my nose while smoking anything and I don't even think about it. I don't french inhale my pipes as I no longer smoke cigarettes so nothing in the lungs anymore.
As with all things pipes and tobacco, the right way is the one you enjoy and don't let anyone tell you any different.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Harris, your account is nearly identical to mine. And thanks for mentioning Tijuana Smalls, forgot all about those. No longer smoke cigs or french inhale but always use my nose, it's not second nature at this point it's just natural.

 

[derekflint]

I don't put a t-bone steak up my nose to taste it better

Of coarse not, just like no one would put tobacco up there nose either. Now.... when your chewing your t-bone steak ( with your mouth closed I trust ) your breathing in and out thru your nose. As your breaking it down in your mouth all the aroma's from the steak and those wonderful juices are going thru your nostrils and you pick up all the nuances. Hence.... retrohaling !!

 

[cigrmaster]

theloniousmonkfish, I also went through a phase of smoking Wolf Bros. Rum Soaked Crooks, those were the bomb back in the day. I remember me and my friends(13 years old) sitting in Fenway Park smoking our stogies and all the older people looking at us like we were delinquents ( which we were). If we didn't bring our own we could always buy White Owl Invincible's for like a quarter at the park.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Bless the delinquents. I would flirt with some of the other cigars like Black and Mild but always came back to unfiltereds, Camel or Lucky Strike. Wasn't above bumming off adults and at the time they weren't above giving them away, or I was intimidating. Found Stokkebye and started rolling. Then I got older and found Arturo and enjoyed them, then had some cubans and enjoyed them, then cigars got pricey and I went back to rolling before switching to the pipe.

 

[stearmandriver]

Thanks guys. It sounds like what I was guessing, that there's not a specific additional risk but just additional exposure. That's certainly a consideration, but at least I wasn't blissfully unaware of a whole separate risk (actually, that doesn't sound like the worst state...)
I fall in the camp of definitely getting extra flavor from the snork. I never was a cigarette smoker and don't believe I'm looking for nicotine (and don't much enjoy the nic hit from the few blends I've felt it from) so I don't think that's my motivation. Also, I can see how accidental inhaling is possible but I don't think I'm personally doing that either. I was always the guy who couldn't even inhale a short puff from a Marlboro light without choking up a lung, so I figure it's unlikely I'm inhaling latakia without knowing it. ;-)
Interesting point about aromatics, as well. I've noticed that the one tobacco I don't tend to snork much is the one aromatic I smoke - MacBaren's Scottish Mixture (love that stuff). I couldn't have told you why, but it must have something to do with the flavor, as suggested.
I hope it goes without saying, but since I'm new I'll say it - absolutely agree this is subjective and the last thing I'm doing on this topic is suggesting that there's a "right" way. I wholeheartedly agree that the right way is whatever YOU enjoy. I was just interested to hear different perspectives, which you've all provided a wealth of. So, thanks!

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Of coarse[sic] not, just like no one would put tobacco up there [sic] nose either."
Derek, with all due respect, what of the snuff users?
Regards,
Jay.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

I've noticed that the one tobacco I don't tend to snork much is the one aromatic I smoke - MacBaren's Scottish Mixture (love that stuff).

I snork the bejesus out of Mixture. I don't get nearly as much sweetness or the "honey" notes without blowing it out my nose.
As for those who claim they don't get an increased sense of flavor from a retrohale, I don't understand, unless your sniffer is broke, or you're doing it to some degree subconsciously and doing it consciously isn't changing much for you. It's what noses do. They make things taste better.

 

[jpmcwjr]

In my old RYO days (Drum, Sampson, Old Holborn) I would often let the smoke just trickle out of my mouth whilst inhaling through my nose......got a huge blast of flavour doing that!

Quite! But isn't that what we Yanks call French inhaling? Is there another term for it on the island?

 

[thomasw]

I find a soothing and slow retro-inhale fits well with breath smoking: obtaining the most flavour out of the tobacco.

 

[derekflint]

Jay..

[/quote] what of the snuff users?

Damn, I forgot about them.......LOL !!

 

[aldecaker]

I like my steak with a bit of ground horseradish, and I know it would not be nearly as good if my nose didn't get involved. And just to stay in line with the discussion, I am a constant retrohaler.

 

[derekflint]

All Hail The Retrohale !!... ::

 

[Chasing Embers]

Perique and the grassiness of Virginia blends are lost without the retrohale.