Q: What's the "best" way to source a Mene Tekel Deck?

Possibilities:
1. Make your own from 2 regular decks.
2. Buy a short deck that matches a regular deck you have.
3. Buy a ready-made Mene Teke deck off the rack.

Years ago, I tried option 1. It worked, but I only had scissors so the short cards looked weird and didn't all come out the same size. I don't have one of the "slicers" or whatever they're called. I still have some of the short cards, but I repurposed the rest of the deck to make a different gaffed deck. They are Rite-Aid branded Cartamundis that are no longer available at Rite-Aid and I haven't been able to find similar ones (OEM'd) anywhere else. The Cartamundi site has different decks -- not sure which would be the same as what I have -- but it wouldn't be worth it to order them since I got them in the first place since they were cheap in a b&m store. And again, my short cards stink! My skills at cutting are probably less than they were when I intially tried making the deck -- so I don't intend to go through that again. And I still just have scissors! lol

I've read that option 2 is cheaper than option 3, particularly if you are looking for one in a quality deck like Bikes.

Option 3 is supposedly the most expensive, but I just saw some priced $10 or less -- on Bike stock.

Regarding option 2 -- for Bikes or Pheonix -- are they manufactured this way? If yes, how do you know you're getting the real deal and not a vendor who cut them himself? I assume sealed would be the only way to be sure, but we all know that even "sealed" packs may have been doctored, as in several "sealed pack" tricks. Same question for option 3. Some vendors say it needs to be unsealed to prepare the deck -- but that could mean they used bonafide short cards, not necesarily that they hand cut them.

Big Blind Media sells the DVDs with the decks -- on Bikes -- but are they cut by BBM or are they USPCC-manufactured shorts?

I don't mind shelling out a few extra bucks for quality -- but I want to be sure I'm getting quality.

thanks

Regarding option #3 -- I asked a vendor who sells them on Bikes -- he said he cuts them himself. I'm not sure how good these can be -- the rounded edges of the cards will no longer be perfectly rounded, even it cut on both sides of the card.

Regarding option #2, some vendors are specifically stating that their short cards are manufactured that way by USPCC. "In order to eliminate the telltale thin edge when trimmed, we have adjusted the back pattern accordingly and punched it centered." These are for Phoenix short cards.

Unless vendors are buying short cards to make up their packs, option #2 is sounding like the best way to go.

I use my wife's guillotine cutter she got for use with scrapbooking she used to do. It works remarkably well, and while it is impossible to get all cards the exact same length, the difference is (to me) negligible and unimportant.

If you get a good corner rounder, you're golden. Here's one offered from Lybrary:

https://www.lybrary.com/corner-rounder-1......406.html

Thanks -- yea, that's what I was talking about -- a guillotine cutter. Didn't know what they were called.
I guess it would be worth buying the equipment if I needed a lot of decks or was going to sell them -- but buying one short deck of Bicycles costs only about $6-$7. And you can make 2 decks from it

How about using Asi Wind XY deck principle for Mene Tekel?

Corner-cutters are easily available and much more consistent.

Many universities have paper cutters that you can use free of charge to make short cards.

Https://www.houseofchuckles.com/#!/Mene-......44605108