Hey guys - so I've been playing around with my new Smoke and Mirrors decks for a few days, and I thought I should record some thoughts. When I say some thoughts, I do in fact mean a lot of thoughts. I'll go over some of the important aspects of the cards, and then some. It will be formatted like a review at first but then will contain just my thoughts. Please keep in mind that the following is my personal opinion owing to any number of factors.
Alright, let's go over design first. The back design has been the most controversial aspect of the decks since its release, but there are some other things to note also. Some have also noted that they are printed crooked - I've opened one Smoke, one Mirror, and the former is cut, well it's not crooked as such, but it's not centred, and the latter is printed perfect.
Backs - I know that a lot of people didn't like these, but honestly, I did. I think that they look better in person than on pictures, but more specifically, they look better the closer you actually look at the individual swirls and circles, that is when they are at their most beautiful. I wouldn't have been disappointed with the artwork on the back of the box as the back design - but not even the DD's bother me - I've played with these publicly a fair bit these past few days and no-one's questioned them, I don't think that they are a problem. Furthermore, I think that the design wouldn't work without them - empty without, and the design would be far overcrowded with more intricate design replacing the large figures.
Faces - This was the design aspect I felt I would dislike the most, the court cards. In fact, having performed with them now, I have come to like these quite a lot, the simplicity for me has been very nice. If you don't like yellow, you probably won't like these - but I think that as far as its simplicity goes, it works well and it fits the back design better than I thought it would.
Jokers - the DND shape is nice - though I still think the D's are dubious here. However, I love the design of the man, again it embodies the feel of the backs. I would've liked them to be larger though, but the design is nice.
Ace of Spades - Beautiful. Again, I would've preferred them larger - Masters size perhaps, to bring out the intricacy - but this is just beautiful. Fragile yet perfect.
Box - Smooth! Graphically impressive, not much else to say but very nice, my favourite box.
Second, we have feel - and I never doubted this aspect of the cards. The finish is lovely, different from me, used to Air Cushion, they're springier, thinner than Masters, and fan well. They begin a little bit slippery - but not as slippery as new regular Bikes. After breaking in, they hold together decently. For magic, I can't complain at all - as I said, they have a nice snap to them and their smoothness is great for sleights and so forth. Of course, they won't make you a better magician - but if you know your stuff, the decks will do the job well.
Now, some thoughts. The design of these cards are incredibly elegant. The feel is great, but what sets this deck aside from other custom cards for me is the design. Centurions, Guardians, etc. will all do their job in terms of feel. So what is it about tihs design? When these decks were called "luxury decks", it was a message.
Just as Gucci and Armani are amongst the forefront of haute-couture fashion design, so too I feel are these cards. This elegance forms the uniqueness of this deck. If you appreciate beautiful things such as a nice vase, a modern sofa, you will like the design of this deck. If you go out to perform in a hoodie and shorts, I would not recommend buying this deck. There's nothing wrong with that of course. However, I feel that these decks should not be bought by the masses - the feel of the decks can only be carried by a certain type of person. It has the mood of a lounge suit/black tie event, cocktail dresses, finger food, something James Bond would attend in a tux and a stunning lady. Which is not to say that you have to perform in a tux.
But if you would not be comfortable in this scene, if you would not look at home at such an event, I do not think you can bring the most out of the deck.
As I previously said, these cards will not of course make you a better magician. If you do not have that style, these cards will not ruin your magic. Your magic will be as strong (or weak) as ever. However, if you do possess this style in performance and in personality, the cards will add to your performance. They will help in creating an atmosphere, a mood which will define and characterise your performance, and the cards will shine. In regular hands, they'll do their job, but in these hands, they'll shine.
In my personal opinion, if you do not carry this style, you'd be better off finding other cards which have a negligible difference in handling, but all the difference in design. In saying this, I think that the majority of magicians do not have the qualities necessary to make these decks shine.
Which is not a bad thing at all - people are different after all possessing different qualities. These decks however are not mainstream decks.
Last point. I have spoken extensively on design regarding these decks - as I mentioned, their uniqueness lies in their design, in their air of elegance, another term I have repeated. I cannot stress this enough.
When I think of cards, they are tools. They are tools for our magic, for us to create disbelief and amazement, but they are only as good as we are, and they are the same as coins or ropes or silks or anything else you can perform magic with. They are almost completely separate from skill. A good finish augments the ability to perform sleights - but it will not cover a weak sleight. Just as we may be asked to perform with a deck in any state of disrepair, we can perform with any design. Design, however, can augment something else - performance.
This is why I have focussed on design in this thread. The real skill lies in performance. Decks alone cannot change our skill - but they can change the experience of the spectator through the effect they have on our performances. In a subtle way unique decks can speak about what sort of person and performer we are.
They don't have to, of course. They certainly don't have to, they won't say anything at all for the hoodie-wearing teenager in shorts.
They won't speak on webcam, or on YouTube. They probably won't speak at school if you are lounging in the corridors.
For the performer who carries elegance, they can however represent one more way to make each performance more enchanting and more memorable - and more personal - by building on the mood of performance, and reinforcing identity, and creating an experience of magic, not something they can see from watching an amazing effect on YouTube, but something they can only see from you.
When I have described the qualities for this deck, if you do not have these qualities, I have at no time meant to imply that this is a fault. Again, as I have said, different people are different - which is completely fine. In the context of this product, these two decks, I do not feel that it is ideal.
To close, I repeat perhaps the most important part of the post, given everything I have written about the cards.
These cards are reminiscent of James Bond at a dinner party, tuxedo and everything, beautiful girl by his side. Smooth. Suave. If you would not blend in at such an event, if this does not describe you, I do not think you can bring the most out of these decks decks - they'll serve their purpose well, but they will not shine as they will for others who possess this quality.
Alright, let's go over design first. The back design has been the most controversial aspect of the decks since its release, but there are some other things to note also. Some have also noted that they are printed crooked - I've opened one Smoke, one Mirror, and the former is cut, well it's not crooked as such, but it's not centred, and the latter is printed perfect.
Backs - I know that a lot of people didn't like these, but honestly, I did. I think that they look better in person than on pictures, but more specifically, they look better the closer you actually look at the individual swirls and circles, that is when they are at their most beautiful. I wouldn't have been disappointed with the artwork on the back of the box as the back design - but not even the DD's bother me - I've played with these publicly a fair bit these past few days and no-one's questioned them, I don't think that they are a problem. Furthermore, I think that the design wouldn't work without them - empty without, and the design would be far overcrowded with more intricate design replacing the large figures.
Faces - This was the design aspect I felt I would dislike the most, the court cards. In fact, having performed with them now, I have come to like these quite a lot, the simplicity for me has been very nice. If you don't like yellow, you probably won't like these - but I think that as far as its simplicity goes, it works well and it fits the back design better than I thought it would.
Jokers - the DND shape is nice - though I still think the D's are dubious here. However, I love the design of the man, again it embodies the feel of the backs. I would've liked them to be larger though, but the design is nice.
Ace of Spades - Beautiful. Again, I would've preferred them larger - Masters size perhaps, to bring out the intricacy - but this is just beautiful. Fragile yet perfect.
Box - Smooth! Graphically impressive, not much else to say but very nice, my favourite box.
Second, we have feel - and I never doubted this aspect of the cards. The finish is lovely, different from me, used to Air Cushion, they're springier, thinner than Masters, and fan well. They begin a little bit slippery - but not as slippery as new regular Bikes. After breaking in, they hold together decently. For magic, I can't complain at all - as I said, they have a nice snap to them and their smoothness is great for sleights and so forth. Of course, they won't make you a better magician - but if you know your stuff, the decks will do the job well.
Now, some thoughts. The design of these cards are incredibly elegant. The feel is great, but what sets this deck aside from other custom cards for me is the design. Centurions, Guardians, etc. will all do their job in terms of feel. So what is it about tihs design? When these decks were called "luxury decks", it was a message.
Just as Gucci and Armani are amongst the forefront of haute-couture fashion design, so too I feel are these cards. This elegance forms the uniqueness of this deck. If you appreciate beautiful things such as a nice vase, a modern sofa, you will like the design of this deck. If you go out to perform in a hoodie and shorts, I would not recommend buying this deck. There's nothing wrong with that of course. However, I feel that these decks should not be bought by the masses - the feel of the decks can only be carried by a certain type of person. It has the mood of a lounge suit/black tie event, cocktail dresses, finger food, something James Bond would attend in a tux and a stunning lady. Which is not to say that you have to perform in a tux.
But if you would not be comfortable in this scene, if you would not look at home at such an event, I do not think you can bring the most out of the deck.
As I previously said, these cards will not of course make you a better magician. If you do not have that style, these cards will not ruin your magic. Your magic will be as strong (or weak) as ever. However, if you do possess this style in performance and in personality, the cards will add to your performance. They will help in creating an atmosphere, a mood which will define and characterise your performance, and the cards will shine. In regular hands, they'll do their job, but in these hands, they'll shine.
In my personal opinion, if you do not carry this style, you'd be better off finding other cards which have a negligible difference in handling, but all the difference in design. In saying this, I think that the majority of magicians do not have the qualities necessary to make these decks shine.
Which is not a bad thing at all - people are different after all possessing different qualities. These decks however are not mainstream decks.
Last point. I have spoken extensively on design regarding these decks - as I mentioned, their uniqueness lies in their design, in their air of elegance, another term I have repeated. I cannot stress this enough.
When I think of cards, they are tools. They are tools for our magic, for us to create disbelief and amazement, but they are only as good as we are, and they are the same as coins or ropes or silks or anything else you can perform magic with. They are almost completely separate from skill. A good finish augments the ability to perform sleights - but it will not cover a weak sleight. Just as we may be asked to perform with a deck in any state of disrepair, we can perform with any design. Design, however, can augment something else - performance.
This is why I have focussed on design in this thread. The real skill lies in performance. Decks alone cannot change our skill - but they can change the experience of the spectator through the effect they have on our performances. In a subtle way unique decks can speak about what sort of person and performer we are.
They don't have to, of course. They certainly don't have to, they won't say anything at all for the hoodie-wearing teenager in shorts.
They won't speak on webcam, or on YouTube. They probably won't speak at school if you are lounging in the corridors.
For the performer who carries elegance, they can however represent one more way to make each performance more enchanting and more memorable - and more personal - by building on the mood of performance, and reinforcing identity, and creating an experience of magic, not something they can see from watching an amazing effect on YouTube, but something they can only see from you.
When I have described the qualities for this deck, if you do not have these qualities, I have at no time meant to imply that this is a fault. Again, as I have said, different people are different - which is completely fine. In the context of this product, these two decks, I do not feel that it is ideal.
To close, I repeat perhaps the most important part of the post, given everything I have written about the cards.
These cards are reminiscent of James Bond at a dinner party, tuxedo and everything, beautiful girl by his side. Smooth. Suave. If you would not blend in at such an event, if this does not describe you, I do not think you can bring the most out of these decks decks - they'll serve their purpose well, but they will not shine as they will for others who possess this quality.
