Hey everyone, I wanted to ask, what's your approach when you're looking to buy a deck of cards and you're not sure about its quality? Is there a way to kinda tell its quality beforehand, like with this one?

Cheers,

Thanks

Hey there!

Quick question, is this deck good quality? It says it's from theory11, and I know they have other decks, but I'm not sure about the quality of this one. I also wanted to ask where you would buy it since Magia y cardistry doesn't carry it.

Hey everyone, I know this might feel a bit like I'm asking for trade secrets, but I'd really love to create my own custom deck, similar to the ones Julio makes. Can anyone tell me how to go about it?

Does anyone know if you can create your own custom deck, like Julio, and where to do it, if it's even possible?

Hey everyone! I'm looking to buy a deck with all different backs, like the one shown at the 1:50 mark. Can anyone tell me where to get it?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DXxq_YASsndc&ved=2ahUKEwiAhfvkrfGMAxWBVqQEHQntCGQQwqsBegQIEhAF&usg=AOvVaw34akearnYrjuzuTU8emJJI

I can never figure out which of these two decks is better. I'm always trying to find out, but no one ever tells me. If anyone knows, please speak up!

From all the magic videos I've watched, I still haven't seen any major magicians use Spanish playing cards or a Spanish deck. I haven't found any somewhat well-known performers using them on Google or YouTube either. This isn't a criticism, but I'd really like to know why they're so rarely used. I think they're beautiful decks!

Hey everyone, just like the title says, I'd like to know the difference. I recently bought some Bicycle Standard decks and was also given a Riderback. I'm not sure what the distinction is between them, or what specific things I can do with one that I couldn't with the other.

Thanks

I found the Stargazer and Foil Back Cobalt decks on Vinted and paid 18€ for them. They're my first good quality decks. Was it a good deal?

Here's another deck loader that's relatively easy to make.

Let's start with what we'll need.

Skills Required:

Using a utility knife.

Using a drill or hand auger.

*A note for younger folks: If you decide to make this, please ask an adult for help.

Materials:

Black craft board, "Chinese" A4 size, which comes out to about 20x30 cm (instead of the standard 21x29.7 cm).

3mm round elastic cord.

A good, large utility knife.

Cordless drill and a 4mm wood drill bit.

As an alternative, a 4mm wood auger would also work and be safer for younger folks.

Fine-grit sandpaper.

File and wood gouge.

Metal binder clips.

Safety pins (preferably black).

Permanent marker.

Let's start by cutting the board.

The board (which I bought at the dollar store) measures 20x30cm.

Therefore, 20 divided by 3 equals 6.667cm.

Make the divisions with a ruler and pencil, then with a lot of patience run the utility knife over the lines again and again, about 20 to 30 times (it's better to take your time and not press too hard).

Little by little, it will cut perfectly.

You'll end up with strips measuring 30x6.667cm.

Take those long 30cm strips and divide them every 10cm, repeating the previous cutting process.

Ultimately, you'll have pieces that are 10x6.667cm.

Using fine-grit sandpaper, sand all the edges until they're perfectly smooth.

Now, make some marks, roughly as shown in the picture.

If you look closely, I've lined up the board with the grid on the cutting mat to give you a measurement reference.

Using an awl, mark the four spots where we'll drill holes, then secure the board.

4mm wood drill bit.

Drill the holes.

Be careful not to drill too fast to avoid splitting the wood on the exit side.

It can also be fixed with a permanent marker.

Now, use sandpaper to start the grooves.

Wood sandpaper is better but in my case I didn't have such fine wood sandpaper, so I used metal sandpaper.

Then, use a gouge to complete the groove.

Now, using the permanent marker...

Grab the elastic.

And start threading.

Make a knot at the end. Tighten it well.

Then pull it taught so it acts as a stopper.

Measure it, more or less as shown in the picture, and then cut off the excess elastic.

You'll need to experiment a bit to get the tension you prefer.

Knowing the distance the knot needs to be at (where there isn't one right now, that's where you need to make it), pull the elastic to make it easier to tie the knot.

Once the knot is made, pull the elastic taut to where it should go.

Trim any excess from the knots, then tension the elastic as shown in the pictures.

Now we'll just need a safety pin and a binder clip to finish up.

I assure you that clip holds the deck's weight and handles tugs perfectly without coming undone.

At least for me, it works pretty well and doesn't come undone (sometimes it shifts a bit and I have to adjust it).

But to prevent it from moving or coming loose under pressure (if you yank on the deck like crazy 😅), you can secure it with polyurethane glue or cyanoacrylate (super glue).

And you're done!

It should be easy to understand.

However, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

All the best and happy magic!!!

One of the simplest and easiest gimmicks to make is the elastic band gimmick.

There's not much to it beyond a few stitches here and there, and they'll practically be ready to use.

First, let's go over what you'll need.

Required Skill:

Basic sewing skills (and you don't even need to be perfect at it).

Materials:

1.5cm sewing elastic (60 cents) and 3cm (60 cents)

Needle and black thread (which I already had on hand).

Contact cement (I had some on hand, but it typically runs about 3€).

A safety pin (for each gimmick)

I spent less than 5 euros on all the materials and can make about 7 gimmicks.

Pro Tip: I have leftover 1.5cm elastic. If I bought another 3cm piece (which would be 60 cents more), I could double the number of gimmicks I make and still keep the total under 5€. Even if I had to buy every single item, I'd probably only spend around 6€ to make 14 gimmicks.

Once you have everything, all that's left is to get going!

We'll cut the 3cm elastic to about 16.5cm in length, and the 1.5cm elastic to about 13.5cm.

On one side of the 3cm elastic, apply contact cement and let it "set" for about a minute.

Then, attach the 1.5cm piece. Press down firmly to ensure it adheres well.

Now, carefully sew the pieces together, being extra cautious not to shift the elastic bands as you start.

The contact cement will help a lot, and it will also prevent the elastic from fraying.

It should look something like this:

Repeat the contact cement process.

Glue the other side, press firmly to ensure the contact cement bonds it well, and then finish it off with some stitching.

Now we just need to repeat the process for the securing elastic.

Glue and sew.

Once all that's done, I recommend letting it sit for a few hours for the cement to fully cure, though you could probably use it right away.

And here's how it looks.

I hope this is helpful, and be careful with that needle! 😊

Cheers and happy magic!!!

Hey everyone! Currently, I don't own any marked decks, and I'm looking to get one. I'd love something easy to read, like the Bicycle Ultimate, but the price is holding me back on that one. I've seen the Phoenix is pretty similar and half the price, so I'm leaning towards that one, but I'd love to hear your opinions.

For my daily use, I typically use Bicycle Rider Backs, but it wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't a Bicycle deck, as I switch up my decks quite often.

If you have any recommendations, and it's not too much trouble, I'd love to see a photo of the marking so I can get a good look at the details. Thanks a million in advance! Cheers!