Angel Back Squeezers
View attachment 610
Where to buy:
Secondary market
Price:
$4.00-$6.00 / deck….Just released in 2010 Don’t pay more than $6.00
For more information about my reviewing methods and a list of other reviews: [/COLOR]http://forums.theory11.com/showthrea...highlight=deck
If you are interested in my Buyers guide check out this link: [/COLOR]http://www.exomagic.com/for...ing-card-buyers-guide-magicians-cardists.html
Initial Impressions:
This is another deck under the Squeezer label. This one has a more traditional look than the Bulldog Squeezers wich will appeal to some but for me it lacks some of the charm the Bulldogs have to offer. It was rumored on some forums that the Angel Backs come on Bike stock but after my comparisons I am pretty confident that it, like the Bulldogs, is printed on Tally Ho stock. Unlike the Bulldogs the Angel Backs don’t seem to have been printed with as much care and precision. In fact they feel a lot like a tally Ho deck with the same sort of roughness along the edges.
View attachment 611
History:
You may want to read my Bulldog Squeezer review for a more detailed History on the squeezer line but this will cover some specifics of the Angel Backs. In fact, what follows will be a direct quote from the “history card” the added to this deck in lieu of the usual “Guarantee card.”
“The Angel Back design was made popular in the late 1800 by the New York Consolidated Card Co., which became part of the United States Playing Card Company.
The term “squeezers” refers to cards with a small number , or index, in the corner, making it possible to read them when they are squeezed together.
The Angel Back design was used on many NYCC and USPC brands over the years. Until this 2010 reprinting, however, Angel Backs had been out of print for many years.
Note the four angels on the backs, the intricately detailed court cards and elaborate ace of spades. Like many USPC designs, Angel Backs are a treasure worth keeping.”
…and one I’m about to get busy destroying!
View attachment 612
The Look:
The backs come in standard red and blue and, as mentioned in the history quote, the detailing on the deck revolves around four angels. Personally I think those angels look more like mermaids but that is neither hear nor there.
The Ace of Spades is the same AOS used on the Bulldog Squeezers whick is essentially a combination of the Bee AOS and the Tally Ho AOS. The Jokers are pretty cool. It is an image of two miniature jesters clamping down on a card press that holds between it a disembodied hand that is holding an ace high royal straight(not a royal flush.) So if you stop to think about it for a second….”squeezing” the cards to see the pips. What can I say…1890s humor I guess. The court cards are the same enlarged faces that are used on the Arrco cards and the Conjuring Arts Erdnase cards.
Card Construction:
These cards come in about 15.2 mm(-3 Bikes) or just about the same size as a Tally Ho. My deck had the telltale, misaligned tops and bottom boarders that has become all too common at USPCC in the last few years. That combined with a slightly rough edge tell me that these cards were likely printed at the Q3 or Q4 standard on the standard press.
Handling:
Overall these were just about the same as the Tally Ho….more evidence that this is a Tally Ho with a new….or in this case old, paint scheme.
Fanning: OOB: 8.5
1st Week: 7.5
2nd Week: 7
Same as Tally Ho….
Spring Energy: OOB: 7.5
1st Week: 6.5
2nd Week: 7
Same as Tally Ho….
Dribble: OOB: 8
1st Week: 8
2nd Week: 7
Same as Tally Ho….
Crimp Hold/Recovery: OOB: 8 hold 6 recovery
1st Week:7 hold/ 6 recovery
2nd Week: 6 hold/ 6 recovery
Almost the same as Tally Ho(though in my early reviews I rarely separated the Hold score from the recovery score so…) Same as Tally Ho!
Single Card Glides: OOB: 7.5
1st Week: 8
2nd Week: 6
.5 Less than Tally Ho (easily explained by the variance between runs)
2+ Card Obfuscations: OOB: 7.5
1st Week: 7.5
2nd Week: 7.5
.5 Less than Tally Ho (again, easily explained by the variance between runs)
Gaff construction and availability: Blank face included with the deck. All others will need to be homemade.
XCM Flourishing: If you like the looks and you like the feel of a Tally Ho while flourishing then this deck should do just fine.
Who Should Buy?: Collectors.
Who should not buy: If you don’t collect and you can’t get this deck for a price comparable to a Tally Ho then don’t bother.
Final thoughts:
This is a Tally Ho. I did my tests, I went back and checked my old score and I went, “Hey, what’s with that?” Then I pulled out a new deck of Tallys to compare side by side. Almost the exact same feel right down to the feel of the edges. The minor variations in a few of the score could easily be the result of the fact that different runs of cards often have slightly different characteristics or it could be due to the fact that the Tallys I have around here are from Ohio and these were printed in Kentucky. To be sure, tally Hos are good decks and these are a nice design but you might ask, why bother printing a commemorative deck with out putting a little extra into it, ie Q1 or 2 standards or a higher quality stock? My answer…Trademark. A lot of decisions USPCC has made lately has all centered around trademarks. For a company to keep a trademark on any particular back design it must show, periodically, that it is in use. After a certain amount of time a back design will go into public domain if it is not used by the owner of the trademark. That means that every once in a while USPCC will spit out a commemorative deck with an old design on it. Now that is great for collectors who collect decks like some people collect art but for people who also want a high performance deck, such as the recent commemorative Bicycle 125s, beware that not all of these commemorative decks will be produced at a high level of quality. Lets be clear. I am not trying to slam this deck. It is a fine deck, with a fine stock and a nice design, but, it is no better than a Tally Ho. So if you can get this deck for $3.00 or $4.00 go for it. But if you spend more than that you are paying for the collection value, not the performance value. Don’t drop $6.00 on this baby and hope that it will match the performance of the average $6.00 custom deck. All of those decks are using the Web press and Q1 or Q2 standards so even if you print a Tally Ho deck on that a trained hand will feel a marked difference. So there you have it….go buy the Bulldogs instead!
View attachment 610
Where to buy:
Secondary market
Price:
$4.00-$6.00 / deck….Just released in 2010 Don’t pay more than $6.00
For more information about my reviewing methods and a list of other reviews: [/COLOR]http://forums.theory11.com/showthrea...highlight=deck
If you are interested in my Buyers guide check out this link: [/COLOR]http://www.exomagic.com/for...ing-card-buyers-guide-magicians-cardists.html
Initial Impressions:
This is another deck under the Squeezer label. This one has a more traditional look than the Bulldog Squeezers wich will appeal to some but for me it lacks some of the charm the Bulldogs have to offer. It was rumored on some forums that the Angel Backs come on Bike stock but after my comparisons I am pretty confident that it, like the Bulldogs, is printed on Tally Ho stock. Unlike the Bulldogs the Angel Backs don’t seem to have been printed with as much care and precision. In fact they feel a lot like a tally Ho deck with the same sort of roughness along the edges.
View attachment 611
History:
You may want to read my Bulldog Squeezer review for a more detailed History on the squeezer line but this will cover some specifics of the Angel Backs. In fact, what follows will be a direct quote from the “history card” the added to this deck in lieu of the usual “Guarantee card.”
“The Angel Back design was made popular in the late 1800 by the New York Consolidated Card Co., which became part of the United States Playing Card Company.
The term “squeezers” refers to cards with a small number , or index, in the corner, making it possible to read them when they are squeezed together.
The Angel Back design was used on many NYCC and USPC brands over the years. Until this 2010 reprinting, however, Angel Backs had been out of print for many years.
Note the four angels on the backs, the intricately detailed court cards and elaborate ace of spades. Like many USPC designs, Angel Backs are a treasure worth keeping.”
…and one I’m about to get busy destroying!
View attachment 612
The Look:
The backs come in standard red and blue and, as mentioned in the history quote, the detailing on the deck revolves around four angels. Personally I think those angels look more like mermaids but that is neither hear nor there.
The Ace of Spades is the same AOS used on the Bulldog Squeezers whick is essentially a combination of the Bee AOS and the Tally Ho AOS. The Jokers are pretty cool. It is an image of two miniature jesters clamping down on a card press that holds between it a disembodied hand that is holding an ace high royal straight(not a royal flush.) So if you stop to think about it for a second….”squeezing” the cards to see the pips. What can I say…1890s humor I guess. The court cards are the same enlarged faces that are used on the Arrco cards and the Conjuring Arts Erdnase cards.
Card Construction:
These cards come in about 15.2 mm(-3 Bikes) or just about the same size as a Tally Ho. My deck had the telltale, misaligned tops and bottom boarders that has become all too common at USPCC in the last few years. That combined with a slightly rough edge tell me that these cards were likely printed at the Q3 or Q4 standard on the standard press.
Handling:
Overall these were just about the same as the Tally Ho….more evidence that this is a Tally Ho with a new….or in this case old, paint scheme.
Fanning: OOB: 8.5
1st Week: 7.5
2nd Week: 7
Same as Tally Ho….
Spring Energy: OOB: 7.5
1st Week: 6.5
2nd Week: 7
Same as Tally Ho….
Dribble: OOB: 8
1st Week: 8
2nd Week: 7
Same as Tally Ho….
Crimp Hold/Recovery: OOB: 8 hold 6 recovery
1st Week:7 hold/ 6 recovery
2nd Week: 6 hold/ 6 recovery
Almost the same as Tally Ho(though in my early reviews I rarely separated the Hold score from the recovery score so…) Same as Tally Ho!
Single Card Glides: OOB: 7.5
1st Week: 8
2nd Week: 6
.5 Less than Tally Ho (easily explained by the variance between runs)
2+ Card Obfuscations: OOB: 7.5
1st Week: 7.5
2nd Week: 7.5
.5 Less than Tally Ho (again, easily explained by the variance between runs)
Gaff construction and availability: Blank face included with the deck. All others will need to be homemade.
XCM Flourishing: If you like the looks and you like the feel of a Tally Ho while flourishing then this deck should do just fine.
Who Should Buy?: Collectors.
Who should not buy: If you don’t collect and you can’t get this deck for a price comparable to a Tally Ho then don’t bother.
Final thoughts:
This is a Tally Ho. I did my tests, I went back and checked my old score and I went, “Hey, what’s with that?” Then I pulled out a new deck of Tallys to compare side by side. Almost the exact same feel right down to the feel of the edges. The minor variations in a few of the score could easily be the result of the fact that different runs of cards often have slightly different characteristics or it could be due to the fact that the Tallys I have around here are from Ohio and these were printed in Kentucky. To be sure, tally Hos are good decks and these are a nice design but you might ask, why bother printing a commemorative deck with out putting a little extra into it, ie Q1 or 2 standards or a higher quality stock? My answer…Trademark. A lot of decisions USPCC has made lately has all centered around trademarks. For a company to keep a trademark on any particular back design it must show, periodically, that it is in use. After a certain amount of time a back design will go into public domain if it is not used by the owner of the trademark. That means that every once in a while USPCC will spit out a commemorative deck with an old design on it. Now that is great for collectors who collect decks like some people collect art but for people who also want a high performance deck, such as the recent commemorative Bicycle 125s, beware that not all of these commemorative decks will be produced at a high level of quality. Lets be clear. I am not trying to slam this deck. It is a fine deck, with a fine stock and a nice design, but, it is no better than a Tally Ho. So if you can get this deck for $3.00 or $4.00 go for it. But if you spend more than that you are paying for the collection value, not the performance value. Don’t drop $6.00 on this baby and hope that it will match the performance of the average $6.00 custom deck. All of those decks are using the Web press and Q1 or Q2 standards so even if you print a Tally Ho deck on that a trained hand will feel a marked difference. So there you have it….go buy the Bulldogs instead!
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