Now Im quite new to cardistry and card collection here, but of all the decks that I have, the Ghosts decks by Ellusionist handle the best so far. Can you suggest any decks with good stock or finish?
Top 10 handling decks
- Thread starter haildeception
- Start date
"good stock and finish" will depend on what you like. Quality-wise, all T11 decks are good quality. You will find that most E decks are more slippery out-of-the-box than T11 decks because of the magic finish, so I tend to prefer T11 decks for that reason.
For me, the contraband deck has just the right stiffness: not too stiff, to not soft; and the deck is gorgeous too. I just can't put it down (glad I bought many!) Medallions, and Monarchs feel about the same.
Artisans are stiffer, and require for breaking-in to be to my liking, but the color scheme with the metallic ink is absolutely stunning.
You might want to take a look at the Virtuoso deck as well, it handles amazingly well; and design-wise it's a head-turner! (You better not be shy if you want to use that deck in public!)
There is something to like in every deck, and every deck can be broken-in to you liking. So my best advice is to buy the decks you like the most visually and that you feel you will actually use. Decks by E, T11, D&D, Virts, are all great quality.
For me, the contraband deck has just the right stiffness: not too stiff, to not soft; and the deck is gorgeous too. I just can't put it down (glad I bought many!) Medallions, and Monarchs feel about the same.
Artisans are stiffer, and require for breaking-in to be to my liking, but the color scheme with the metallic ink is absolutely stunning.
You might want to take a look at the Virtuoso deck as well, it handles amazingly well; and design-wise it's a head-turner! (You better not be shy if you want to use that deck in public!)
There is something to like in every deck, and every deck can be broken-in to you liking. So my best advice is to buy the decks you like the most visually and that you feel you will actually use. Decks by E, T11, D&D, Virts, are all great quality.
Thanks a bunch! Oh for the note I have virtuoso. Anyway, what i observed in t11 decks is that if you keep em untouched for, say, around a week or so, they start clumping on their own! So that reduces their quality a lot, and we have to dribble them to get back to normal.
There are two things that cause clumping and sticking - Dirt / Oil, or humidity. There is nothing in a theory11 deck that will cause it to clump any more than another deck. All paper playing cards are sensitive to moisture and dirt / oil, and will begin to stick and clump after being used if they get dirty or humid. If your cards stick after sitting around for a week, and it takes dribbling to unstick them, it likely means that those cards were quite humid when you put them away and have since dried out. A few riffle shuffles and they should be back in good shape again, you just need to separate each card to break the "sticking" that was caused by your deck drying out.
// L
Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. But one more thing, what is the best way to keep an deck in proper fanning condition for a long period of time? I did a deck review on the artisans, but after I was done with the review, I tried doing a fan but i got packets in the fan. Now, I know it was because my hands tend to get a lot sweaty, so is there anything I can do?
I've heard than fanning powder works wonders if done right, but I've never used it myself. You can buy it at many online magic stores or amazon. It's also called Zinc Stearate.
As far as decks go, I am someone who loves to collect decks, but in actual performance I will simply use either Standard Bicycles or Pheonix (Card Shark) if I am feeling in the mood. I love Contraband, Medallions and Tycoons by design, but the cards that I typically prefer are Monarchs. They are simple, elegant, and clean. I am not terribly attracted to really busy and artsy cards, unless it is just to collect, flourish with or jam with anyone who is a magician. I don't normally perform with Monarchs because I am a little stingy with my cards. I cringe, seriously, when people touch them (It's literally a thing). People generally will not question bicycles, as they are so commonplace. Laymen tend to play the "trick deck" card if the deck looks too fancy. Aristocrats are really nice for handling and look professional, but honestly my advice for everyday handling would be to just stick with Bicycle. Richard Turner's Gold Standard are a good opt because they Faro like melted butter compared to the ones you would buy retail. [Unless you plan make the "trick deck" gag as part of your performance patter 
] Hope it helps!
//T
] Hope it helps!//T
I haven't tried them myself yet, but perhaps an unusual deck such as the Fournier 605s might work for you, they're completely different from any decks mentioned here so far.
Personally, I've found aristocrats to handle better than bikes and tallys. However, decks from LPCC or EPCC are amazing when handled. They're thinner and more durable than most USPCC decks, they have a good snap to them.
like you i found the ghosts good but may i suggest dragonbacks and guardians as both are durable, look good and handle fine
Also, if you are willing to go with something besides the USPCC, may I recommend things from other printers? Legend's Draconians, Mirages, and Serpentines, or Expert's NOC line of decks are pretty good handling, and nice on the eyes.