I was wondering which decks are the best for performances and practicing tricks, also which decks handle best, but also have a nice design ?
What decks are the best to get ?
What decks are the best to get ?
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Favorite decks? Which are the best?
- Thread starter MagicSleightly
- Start date
Yeah there has been a lot of threads about this over the last few months. But it's alright you're new here. Anyway to answer your question I like Split Spades cards and titanium playing cards. Also if you really are looking for quality cards I hear the monarchs are really nice!
For Crazy Cuts and Aerial Moves I Like Aladdins
For Fans and Spreads I Like Artifice
For Tricks I prefer Standard Bikes But I also Use Monarchs, Infinity and S&M V6
For Fans and Spreads I Like Artifice
For Tricks I prefer Standard Bikes But I also Use Monarchs, Infinity and S&M V6
They are all just pieces of paper held together by glue when you get down to it. Decks made by magic companies certainly tend to perform better than the cheap decks you can buy at the dollar store, but when you start comparing Bikes, to Artifice, to Monarchs, and even Sentinels there isn't that much difference. It really comes down to personal preference.
Now if you are practicing, or just learning I would highly recommend buying Bikes. They are cheaper, but still great quality decks. You're going to demolish cards while you are working on your slights and your moves. The money you'll save by buying bikes by bulk this way could be used to reinvest in more material to practice.
If you are already at the point to where you're performing for people then any deck that you feel you like the best would be perfect for doing magic with.
Now I will say this: I am not a cardistry person. I don't have that kind of skill, and it's not likely that I ever will. That being said I can not comment on the minute details that may or may not separate the decks from each other. I can only speak with experience from the realm of performing magic with cards.
Now if you are practicing, or just learning I would highly recommend buying Bikes. They are cheaper, but still great quality decks. You're going to demolish cards while you are working on your slights and your moves. The money you'll save by buying bikes by bulk this way could be used to reinvest in more material to practice.
If you are already at the point to where you're performing for people then any deck that you feel you like the best would be perfect for doing magic with.
Now I will say this: I am not a cardistry person. I don't have that kind of skill, and it's not likely that I ever will. That being said I can not comment on the minute details that may or may not separate the decks from each other. I can only speak with experience from the realm of performing magic with cards.
The Crown Deck. The Mechanic Deck. NOC deck. Monarchs. Charity:water. Great cards for performance.
For practice, standard Bikes.
For practice, standard Bikes.
I am going to part with most opf these guys and recommend a non-USPCC deck. For practice anyway. See if you can find Piatnik Clubs or Fournier 505s for a reasonable price($6.00 would be reasonable)
The reasons-
Piatnik and Fournier are stiffer, springier, and harder to use than Bikes. That means you learn better technique and strengthen your hands more when using them. They also last quite a bit longer than the off the shelf Bikes. Enough longer that it is actually more cost effective to use them even if they cost 3 to 4 times as much.
The exceptions are for practicing any overtly destructive effect, such as a TNR. Doesn't matter how durable if you are going to tear it up! Also, Don't mistake the Fournier 505 for the 605s. 605s cost a lot more and what you get for that are performance differences. not necessarily added longevity. Kind of similar to the quality difference between a Bee Stinger and a Bee Club Special. A beginner probably won't notice the difference.
Here is a link to my buyers guide:
Custom-Playing-Card
The reasons-
Piatnik and Fournier are stiffer, springier, and harder to use than Bikes. That means you learn better technique and strengthen your hands more when using them. They also last quite a bit longer than the off the shelf Bikes. Enough longer that it is actually more cost effective to use them even if they cost 3 to 4 times as much.
The exceptions are for practicing any overtly destructive effect, such as a TNR. Doesn't matter how durable if you are going to tear it up! Also, Don't mistake the Fournier 505 for the 605s. 605s cost a lot more and what you get for that are performance differences. not necessarily added longevity. Kind of similar to the quality difference between a Bee Stinger and a Bee Club Special. A beginner probably won't notice the difference.
Here is a link to my buyers guide:
Custom-Playing-Card
And when it comes down to it cars are all just bit's of metal, but there is a vast difference between Bentley and Skoda. I'm not a musician but I know enough to know that instruments produced at different levels of cost produce different kinds of sound. My point is that you're wrong, and the difference between cards is not minute.
Wondering how my name got into this. (YES that is my real name not just username). Anyways I LOVE Aladdin's but when my stash is gone (since they quit making them) I will use the NOC Decks and Bikes, and Tally-Ho's circle back and lastly Aristocrats! Loved the stingers when they were black and white but now they make red which are nice but I love a white deck. Monarchs are awesome but I don't use them much. Anyways Top two decks are Tally-Ho's circle back and the NOC Deck.
I believe that relies heavily on the perception. Some people can note the difference between Gibson's single coil pick ups and Fender's single coil pick ups. Others cannot. Does the difference exist? Yes. Is it minute? To some people, yes, to some no. Does one believe a card as a means to perform, nothing more and nothing less? Then one will perceive as such. Some may see it as tool to perform at one's peak, then yes, difference is no longer minuscule.
Another way to put into it is this. You take any deck of card, give it to the audience to shuffle it for you. For custom cards some may say it's cool, few said it shuffles nice, but not all will say anything at all. There are different decks with different papers and different finishes. If those things don't matter to you, then the difference is non-existent. You should accept some people will not notice differences between aristocrat and linoid and not appreciate them to the same degree as you. Just as I accept that my parents will never understand why I want Gibson rather than Epiphone and as my friends accepted me for not knowing difference between V6 engine and Turbo engine.
I agree that it is mostly perception when the primary difference is only color. But different stocks, finishes, and quality controls do make a difference. You may not feel it but most intermediate card magicians will start to feel a difference and I have yet to meet an advanced card magician who can't feel the difference. Two things to note....I qualified "Card magician" on purpose. Plenty of fantastic magicians who don't specialize in cards can't tell the difference. The second is that I know plenty of well advanced card magicians who still prefer to use Bikes or tally hos over high quality custom decks. That doesn't mean that they can't tell the difference. It just means that for whatever reason they prefer to go with the cheaper brands.
We are not talking about "Some people." We are talking about magicians. In particular, a new magician who has expressed in interest in card magic. Thus, in that context I think Formula's statement was justifiable.
Your belief is wrong. Just because someone can't determine the difference, it doesn't mean the difference ceases to exist.
MagicSleightly, I think you need to try one of each of the following;
Plastic coated cards like Fournier 505's, 605's etc...
Air Cushion, which is what most bicycle cards are
Smooth finish cards like Aladdin's (I think they're still air cushion)
I'd really like to get the Expert at the Card Table deck, but does anybody recommend it? Reason being, I like it, but is it a deck worth getting?