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BooRadley
Regular user
Houston Area
176 Posts
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Posted: Jun 9, 2006 11:50am
Just curious if there is a recommendation for the best stripper deck? I'm not experienced at card tricks, but have been getting requests and thought I'd try to get going with a stripper deck. My concern is that the standard Bicycle brand has a white border and that the "shave" might be pretty noticeable. Perhaps I'm worried over nothing, but thought I'd double check and see.
Recommendations?
BooRadley
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silverking
Inner circle
4375 Posts
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Posted: Jun 9, 2006 12:12pm
It's not really something that is easily seen.
I like to cut my own decks, which give me the option of sorting through the deck to get all the wide margins on the side to be trimmed.
After re-rounding the corners, it's impossible to see the trim.
A pitch deck that's been trimmed on the narrow margin, and hasn't had its corners re-rounded is the one you want to stay away from for serious use.
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Julie
Inner circle
2298 Posts
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Posted: Jun 9, 2006 12:33pm
There's a factory made Bicycle Stripper Deck with rounded corners that has been sold on one of the auction sites for $4.95. I bought a couple and they're actually pretty good and certainly worth the asking price.
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Rennie
Inner circle
Manteca, California
1853 Posts
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Posted: Jun 9, 2006 1:01pm
BooRadley,
Trust me know one will ever see the difference. Most laymen do not even know a stripper deck exists let alone seeing the shaved sides. I have a stripper deck at home that has the short (top & bottom) sides shaved. I have no idea where they came from and I never tried using them..Just use them with all the confidence in the world...
Rennie
The effect is the important thing, how you achieve it is not.......
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Dave V
Inner circle
Las Vegas, NV
4698 Posts
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Posted: Jun 9, 2006 2:10pm
The best stripper deck I've found is the one I made for myself. You can get a 5x7 size print trimmer for about $10 at most office or photo supply stores. Corner rounding is still a hassle though...
This way I can custom make narrow decks, side stripped, end stripped, belly stripped, etc... as needed. Making up multiple "sets" of stripped cards all out of the same stock means I can mix and match any combination I like.
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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Jaz
Inner circle
NJ, U.S.
6113 Posts
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Posted: Jun 9, 2006 2:43pm
Cards by Martin makes a few different types.
Fine, medium or deep cut. End or Side-cut.
I have a deck that I believe is a fine cut.
Not real easy for me to get the feel for this.
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MagiCanada
Regular user
Vancouver
140 Posts
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Posted: Jun 10, 2006 11:31am
I prefer the Bicycle made stripper deck. There's no hassle in making it myself. Always using Bicycle brand cards allows me to switch it for another deck if I really have to. Your audience is NEVER going to know the difference though - even with the cheapest stripper deck you can find. Just act like you know exactly what you're doing and the deck isn't important - they'll be impressed by YOU!
www.omnimagic.com
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Pete Biro
V.I.P.
17740 Posts
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Posted: Jun 10, 2006 12:19pm
Boo... you say you are not experienced with cards... MY SUGGESTION... don't mess with gaffed cards. Learn to do the basic handling and get comfortable with cards first.
STAY TOONED... @ www.petebiro.com
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silverking
Inner circle
4375 Posts
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Posted: Jun 10, 2006 1:05pm
Quote:
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Your audience is NEVER going to know the difference though - even with the cheapest stripper deck you can find.
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Without the corners re-rounded and on a no-name bridge stock you pretty much scream "magic deck".
With high quality Bicycle stock available for between $10.00 and $15.00, it may be unwise to reccomend a $2.00 deck to a beginner who was considering adding a Svengali effect to their budding routine.
Of course a good carpenter never blames their tools, but then a good carpenter never uses a $2.00 hammer from the Dollar Store!
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NickE
New user
England
4 Posts
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Posted: Jun 13, 2006 7:23pm
I love the USPCC hindu strippers. Theyre cut on both sides and their gaff is very subtle. Very nice. I managed to give the joker back in a book. I'd been using it as a bookmark and the guy I lent it off gave it me back but never noticed the cut. He said he'd been wondering why there was an angel on a bicycle but he never noticed the cut.
Im new here by the way. Hello.
Oh by the way they come sealed so you can genuinly take out a new deck and unwrap it.
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Julie
Inner circle
2298 Posts
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Posted: Jun 13, 2006 8:57pm
Quote:
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On 2006-06-10 13:05, silverking wrote:
Quote:
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Your audience is NEVER going to know the difference though - even with the cheapest stripper deck you can find.
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Without the corners re-rounded and on a no-name bridge stock you pretty much scream "magic deck".
With high quality Bicycle stock available for between $10.00 and $15.00, it may be unwise to reccomend a $2.00 deck to a beginner who was considering adding a Svengali effect to their budding routine.
Of course a good carpenter never blames their tools, but then a good carpenter never uses a $2.00 hammer from the Dollar Store!
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That $4.95 Bicycle deck factory made, printed and cut with rounded corners and delivered in a factory sealed package is looking better all the time... 
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silverking
Inner circle
4375 Posts
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Posted: Jun 14, 2006 1:38am
A true fine-cut stripper can't be pulled by a beginner without practice, and therefore will be far less likely to be noticed if your routine involves the spec handling the deck.
The Bicycle factory decks are nice for what they are, and what they cost. But realize that you're getting the heaviest trim, easily seen by anybody bothering to look.
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NickE
New user
England
4 Posts
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Posted: Jun 14, 2006 5:19am
Quote:
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On 2006-06-14 01:38, silverking wrote:
The Bicycle factory decks are nice for what they are, and what they cost. But realize that you're getting the heaviest trim, easily seen by anybody bothering to look.
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I'm sorry but no offence like but I cant really agree with this. I'm sat looking at a deck now and because its got half its cut on one side half on the other its dead subtle. It cant be more than half a mm in total! I don't think its heavy at all.
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sethb
Inner circle
The Jersey Shore
2619 Posts
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Posted: Jun 14, 2006 8:12am
I agree with Pete's recommendation that you also invest in a few ungaffed decks of cards and learn a few basic sleights -- this will pay much bigger dividends in the long run. The classic "Royal Road to Card Magic" is available in hardcover at a great price, click HERE for more info.
But if you must buy a gaffed deck, my own opinion is that a Svengali Deck will give you much more bang for your buck. You can get a Svengali Deck in Bicycle stock, use a good deck switch, and no one will be the wiser. While you're at it, get two Svengali decks so that you can vary the force card. SETH
"Watch the Professor!!" -- Al Flosso (1895-1976)
"The better you are, the closer they watch" -- Darwin Ortiz, STRONG MAGIC
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BooRadley
Regular user
Houston Area
176 Posts
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Posted: Jun 15, 2006 11:24am
Appreciate the responses. I got a Bicycle deck...I'm really surprised at how subtle the shave is on these. When I first got them, I was sure there was some sort of mistake because I certainly couldn't see any difference. But with a light touch, sure enough you can pull it out. I'm sort of amazed. I expected (hoped?) for more of a grip to be available. Not sure how in the world you could separate blacks and reds in one motion...seems impossible to me at this point. Must be magic.
Thanks for all your input. I agree learning to work with an ungaffed deck is what ultimately needs to be done...I'm looking at this as "training wheels" while I become proficient with real decks. A crutch until I can walk on my own.
BooRadley
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Memory-Jah
Inner circle
Hannover/Germany
1202 Posts
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Posted: Jun 16, 2006 1:12pm
I think the bikes stripper are very good. for me at least, they worked great and of course look like your decks you are using in general.
@dave vanVranken: in how much your cards are different? I'd like to test them once. I sn't a cut a cut?
"Dropping your pants while you set off flash paper may allow your pass to go undetected, but it's still not invisible." - Count Elmsley
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Pete Biro
V.I.P.
17740 Posts
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Posted: Jun 16, 2006 1:44pm
I have some belly strippers from a real cheat friend and I can't get 'em to work for my clumsy fingers... so fine I can't get them (the aces) out.
STAY TOONED... @ www.petebiro.com
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silverking
Inner circle
4375 Posts
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Posted: Jun 16, 2006 3:59pm
If anybody thinks that the Bicycle Strippers are anything close to a fine cut, you haven't yet seen a true fine cut!
If you can pull them on the first or second try, they're a medium or heavy trim.
A fine cut stripper is a thing of beauty, you can examine the deck with a magnifying glass and not see anything at all, but with experience you can pull the stripped cards in an instant.
The spec could try all day and not be able to pull a single card.
Stripper decks with this fine a trim are NOT available from Bicycle!
I'm not saying you can't enjoy your Bicycle stripper deck, it's probably one of the nicest stripper decks around for under $10.00.
What I am saying is that a fine stripper deck, cut by somebody who knows what they're doing for around $30.00 or $40.00 is something entirely different than anything you're going to find for sale off the shelf.
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Dave V
Inner circle
Las Vegas, NV
4698 Posts
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Posted: Jun 16, 2006 4:42pm
Quote:
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On 2006-06-16 13:12, Memory-Jah wrote:
@dave vanVranken: in how much your cards are different? I'd like to test them once. Isn't a cut a cut?
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I think silverking just answered your "Isn't a cut a cut?" question. I'm not saying I'm the best cutter there is, but I can do a bit better job than the Dollar Store specials. Sometimes just careful deck selection helps. If the backs are printed a little off center, I can shave one side and the stripped cards look even better than the non-stripped ones.
I just like doing them myself so I can do a variety of cuts. I don't have to limit myself to just a "Four Ace" trick. I can swap cards between different deck cuts and strip out a Royal or any other combination I like. That's the biggest difference right there. Rather than having a single stripper deck, I have a four deck set, carefully selected so they all match each other.
No trees were killed in the making of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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Matt Malinas
Inner circle
Romania
1316 Posts
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Posted: Jun 17, 2006 7:17am
Quote:
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On 2006-06-10 12:19, Pete Biro wrote:
Boo... you say you are not experienced with cards... MY SUGGESTION... don't mess with gaffed cards. Learn to do the basic handling and get comfortable with cards first.
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I second mr biro's oppinion.
if you still want a stripper , I have a red bicycle and I never had anyone notice anything. and many times I even handed it out for them to examine it if they wanted to.
don't worry about that.
-Matt
Your One Stop Booze Abusing Comedy Magic Show!
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Roger Kelly
Inner circle
Kent, England
3313 Posts
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Posted: Jun 17, 2006 7:44am
I think Boo asks a valid question. I purchased a deck of Strippers in Bicycle and the 'stripper' was so noticeable and sharp, you could stab someone with it! They went in the bin!
Wenger MUST go!
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Memory-Jah
Inner circle
Hannover/Germany
1202 Posts
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Posted: Jun 17, 2006 7:04pm
Quote:
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On 2006-06-16 15:59, silverking wrote:
If anybody thinks that the Bicycle Strippers are anything close to a fine cut, you haven't yet seen a true fine cut!
If you can pull them on the first or second try, they're a medium or heavy trim.
A fine cut stripper is a thing of beauty, you can examine the deck with a magnifying glass and not see anything at all, but with experience you can pull the stripped cards in an instant.
The spec could try all day and not be able to pull a single card.
Stripper decks with this fine a trim are NOT available from Bicycle!
I'm not saying you can't enjoy your Bicycle stripper deck, it's probably one of the nicest stripper decks around for under $10.00.
What I am saying is that a fine stripper deck, cut by somebody who knows what they're doing for around $30.00 or $40.00 is something entirely different than anything you're going to find for sale off the shelf.
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but these expensive deck arn't probably from bycicle, are they? I think using a trick deck requires a deck you are suin most time in general. so it might be suspicious if you work all the day long with bikes and then pull out another deck. or is there any dealer who seels such extremely craftret stripper decks you told about with bike backs? that would be awsome!
"Dropping your pants while you set off flash paper may allow your pass to go undetected, but it's still not invisible." - Count Elmsley
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silverking
Inner circle
4375 Posts
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Posted: Jun 17, 2006 9:53pm
Memory-Jah, at this level of fine-cut stripper deck, you can get them in whatever back design you want. There's no limits because they're all custom made, usually to order.
As I said before, you're not going to find these at a magic store or at an online magic shop. They're going to come from a custom card gaffer like:
http://www.cardsbymartin.com/products.htm
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Memory-Jah
Inner circle
Hannover/Germany
1202 Posts
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Posted: Jun 18, 2006 8:23am
Thanky ou for the link. but there thebikes costs only $10. is that the super thin, not noticeable stripper version you talked about? or are there anywhere else really high end strippers?
"Dropping your pants while you set off flash paper may allow your pass to go undetected, but it's still not invisible." - Count Elmsley
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silverking
Inner circle
4375 Posts
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Posted: Jun 18, 2006 11:19am
Cards by Martin is a great supplier at $10.00 for a fine cut hand made stripper deck.
The next step after that is N Strippers, but Hustlers don't have web sites.
The finest cuts are available to those folks who have the skill and tools to make their own.
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Bill Palmer
Eternal Order
Only Jonathan Townsend has more than
23786 Posts
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Posted: Jun 19, 2006 11:55pm
Quote:
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On 2006-06-17 07:44, Roger Kelly wrote:
I think Boo asks a valid question. I purchased a deck of Strippers in Bicycle and the 'stripper' was so noticeable and sharp, you could stab someone with it! They went in the bin!
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Chances are, these were not the factory strippers that have just recently come out. They are much nicer than what you describe. However, they are still what a person who actually works with altered cards a lot would call a medium cut. For most of us, that's good enough.
I got some belly strippers at Joe Stevens a couple of years ago that are really nice. Auke van Dokkum now makes a card stripping gadget that won't break the bank and allows you to make your own belly strippers. They require a very light touch to work with, though.
If you plan to cut your own cards, Joe Porper's card cutter is the way to go.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC
My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups."
www.cupsandballsmuseum.com
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sullivanl
Loyal user
277 Posts
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Posted: Jun 22, 2006 6:32am
Also, I don't think it has been mentioned in this thread yet, keep in mind a good stripper deck should also have the corners re-rounded.
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Roger Kelly
Inner circle
Kent, England
3313 Posts
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Posted: Jun 24, 2006 3:58am
Thanks Bill. I think 'Bellys' are the way to go.
Wenger MUST go!
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oso2you
Regular user
Oregon
120 Posts
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Posted: Jun 24, 2006 6:32pm
I once read that a good way to trim the corners is with a pair of fingernail clippers.
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The Cardfather
Veteran user
Long Beach, CA
302 Posts
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Posted: Jun 27, 2006 9:30pm
FYI: Jay Leslie from the House of Enchantment will make a stripper from any deck to any specifications for $25. At least that was the price a few years ago. I have a deck almost undetectable even with the card reversed. Probably overkill but I put together a sit down cardsharp routine that took several minutes. It gave me the extra confidence to stand up to the sharpest eye and people in the know. Rick
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