Revved Up: Energy Boosting Dip

Revved Up is a new smokeless tobacco product invented by two ex-Marines. When on the job, they noticed that soldiers would constantly be buying Red Bulls and tins. That was when Cpl. Mathhew Doran and Cpl. Steven Rundell had their big idea.

Returning their bunks, they immediately called a patent attorney and secured the rights to an energy boosting chew.

After unsuccessfully lobbying for US Smokeless Tobacco to market their product, Doran liquidated his cleaning business and headed west to Vegas for a chewing tobacco trade show. There he met Soo Baek, a representative of Southern Smokeless, who immediately fell in love with the idea.

The two men have kicked off their new brand by selling the product in two blends: Straight and Wintergreen.

“We do not look at it as trying to convert people to chew tobacco,” Doran said. “What we’re doing is giving our fellow troops … when they’re in combat, they’re doing it anyways because they’re not smoking as much. We’re giving them a better product that will keep them more alert, and may ultimately save their lives. They need this, and they want this.”

Their product also contains 65% less carcinogens than regular chew, which means less poisinous chew for the consumer

Read more about these two legends at MarineCorp Times, or check out the Revved Up website at Southern Smokeless. Thanks to James Garrett for the tip!

What happened to Skoal Frost?

We received a question from a reader yesterday who was wondering:

Hey,
Do you guys by any chance know why skoal frost was discontinued?

Unfortunately, none of us here at RipDips.com can tell you exactly why it was discontinued, but it seems that some dedicated dippers have put together a petition. It is addressed to US Smokeless Tobacco, the company that makes Skoal and Copenhagen, requesting for them to bring back Skoal Frost.

You can sign the petition by following this link.

Have questions or comments? Feel free to write us at ripdips@gmail.com.

BlendTalk: Vint

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Blend: Skoal Cherry and Skoal Vanilla

Recipe: 1 part Skoal Mint, 1 part Skoal Vanilla

Rating: [4 stars]

Mint and Vanilla, affectionately known as "Vint," is a random, yet delicious blend sent to us from Andrew Bobas of Bownmanville, Ontario. The most interesting part about this blend is that it combines two very different flavors -- mint has a very distinct bite to it and vanilla is flavorful and soft on the mouth. When combined, however, the two create a very pleasant experience. Put simply, this blend of chewing tobaccos gives you the famous flavor of mint, but its much easier on the mouth in terms of sting and sharpness. So, Vint delivers the famous buzz of Skoal Mint, but the easing packing of Vanilla. With this combination of features, I would recommend this blend for all dippers, new and old. Especially those looking for a new blend to shake things up from the classic Mint and Straight Cut staples.

Have a suggestion for a future BlendTalk topic? Email suggestions to ripdips@gmail.com.

Could it get any sweeter...

It isn't often that you stumble upon a piece of nostalgia this cool. Fit for any tin of any brand. While I couldn't find  the specific model (pictured below) anywhere on the web, I did stumble across an eBay auction for a Skoal branded holster. Pretty cheap too, only $11 including shipping. The seller has 100% feeback on over 150 auctions as well, so it appears to be pretty reliable. See that auction here.

Choosing a Dip: For Beginners

In most situations, the first dip is out of a friends tin, with little prior knowledge of the many brands and flavors of chewing tobacco that exist. My first lip was a mouthful of Mint Skoal in my dorm room, and for the beginning of my life as a dipper, I too packed Mint Skoal.  ITs natural. We stick with what we know best and first.  However, if you take a step out of the norm, you might just find your new favorite blend. Here are my recommendations for you, the readers, depending on what you're looking for in a new dip.

Earthy Flavor: Skoal Straight, Copenhagen Long Cut

Fruit Flavor: Skoal Citrus, Skoal Apple, Skoal Cherry

Strong Buzz: Anything from Grizzly, Skoal Mint Variations

Priceline: Red Seal (only if you really, really, desperately, absolutely must)

If you have any suggestions or additions for any of these categories, send an email to ripdips@gmail.com.

BlendTalk: Cherries n' Cream

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This is the first edition of BlendTalk, a weekly post reviewing blends for quality of chew and flavor. The goal is to get adventurous and seek out unconventional, but surprisingly delicious blends. Every blend will be rated on a 5-star system with the potential for half-stars.

Blend: Skoal Cherry and Skoal Vanilla

Recipe: 1 part Skoal Cherry, 2 parts Skoal Vanilla

Rating: [4 stars]

Cherries n' Cream is a bit of an interesting blend. This is mostly becasue Skoal Vanilla has a very subtle vanilla flavor, so it isn't exactly the same as having a mouthful of whipped cream or frosting. Cherry, on the other hand, has a pretty strong flavor that is easy to taste. I played around with the blending a bit, and I found that a 1:1 mixture was just like packing a lip of cherry. After adding one more part of vanilla, the cherry became a bit more subtle, and you could actually taste the mixture pretty clearly. If you don't mind a flavorful blend, I would definitely recommend this. However, if you're a Cope or Skoal Straight sort of guy, this might taste a bit fruity and strange. Overall, I would say it is definitely worth a taste.

Have a suggestion for a future BlendTalk topic? Email suggestions to ripdips@gmail.com.

RipDips.com featured by Lijit

Just the other day, Lijit featured us as one of the blogs that joined their service. Lijit is the company that provides search capabilities on this site, and it was awesome to see them recognize us as one the unique blogs they serve. (Click to enlarge)

It was funny, though, because a few days earlier they had featured another blog about the fight against tobacco. I chuckled. Chew on!

Dip of the Week: Ken Griffey Jr.

Everybody knows Ken Griffey Jr. He currently sits at number 6 on the all time home runs list, just behind Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa. Since he started with Seattle in 1989, he's smacked 603 baseballs over the fence, putting him just 6 homeruns shy of overtaking Sosa for fifth on the prestigous list. Griffey Jr. was a Mariner for most of his career, staying with them until 1999 when he was traded to the Cincinatti Reds. Not only is he one of the best fence-swingers in the game, but he also holds one MVP award (1997), 10 Gold Gloves, and 13 All Star selections. Considering he's only had a 19 year career, that's pretty damn impressive. Griffey Jr. also appeared in several baseball video games for the Nintendo consoles including Ken Griffey Jr.'s Major League Baseball, which I played religiously through my childhood and teenage years. He was born in Donora, Pennsylvania on November 21, 1969. His father is the ex-MLB ballplayer Ken Griffey Sr., who played for the Reds, Yankees, Braves and Mariners.

Got a suggestion for Dip of the Week? Send ideas to ripdips@gmail.com.

How a True Chewer Recycles

When a boy becomes a man and finishes his first can of chew, he is often confronted with the difficult question of: "What do I do with my tin?" The average chewer would just throw it out, but here I have found a select few who treasure every tin. A select few who see there tins as spoils of a hardfought battle. These men have taken their duty of recycling to a whole new level. (Click images to enlarge)

The Beer Pong Table: Derek Mott of British Columbia, Canada, built this beer pong table out of wood, glass, and used tins of chew. You can tell from the images that most of his stuff is Canadian because of the tin design. It appears, too, that the table is at least two tins deep. The color coding and design is pretty cool, props to Derek and his friends. More from the builders themselves after the jump.



The Pyramid: When asked the question, "What are you going to do with all of those tins?" the typical answer is, "Build a pyramid." Not just any conservation-minded dipper can build a pyramid, however; it takes determination and most often a team. When a whole crew of guys get together and chew, the damage can be mindboggling. I would just recommend that you make your team as big as possible, so that you still have a mouth to brag about your creation with.



The Dipper's Cup: After tins have been used to build a pyramid, one of their common fates is the Dipper's Cup. A sign of dedication and triumph, the Dipper's Cup requires patience and skill, as well as a huge amount of planning. But when executed correctly, they can truly be a thing of beauty. I had to include Brett Trask's absurd penis cup. Yes, its exactly what it sounds like.



The Wall: I saved the best for last. Sometimes, a dipper will take his empties and stack them up against the wall of his dorm or house, to display his manliness and skill. Ryan Tierney took it to the next level. His wall is made up of thousands of tins, organized into their rows by brand and flavor. These pictures will make your jaw drop (just don't let your dip fall out).



So, while a dipper can't throw his tin in a recycling bin, he can most definitely use a whole bunch of them to build something cool. As we've seen, the possibilities are endless. Gather up the boys and get to packing. Do you think you've made something just as cool, if not cooler? Say so in the comments or e-mail ripdips@gmail.com.

A Travelers Guide to Dipping

You're faced with a dilemma. Let's say, for instance, that you're taking a trip to Canada. Obviously, you need to have a tin. But who wants the smaller, pricier tins that they sell up north? No one does.

So what do you do? Here's what I would do.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) controls all regulations regarding what can and can't be brought on board an airplane. Within the last year, they craeted a new regulation stating that all liquids must be contained within one, quart-size, clear plastic bag. Also, the liquids stored in this bag must be in containers of 3oz or less. An Skoal tin is only 1.2oz. So when I travel, I put one tin the clear bag with all of my liquids, and another few tins in my checked luggage. That way, I have a tin for the plane and tins for the trip.

Rememer that there is a small chance of anything on the plane being served in bottles. And while it is not permissible to bring a full water bottle through the TSA checkpoints, you are allowed to bring an empty one. Perfect spitter.

Now if the flight is short and a lip on the plane will not be necessary, consider packing all of your tins in checked luggage...