Smoke&Mirrors v.4(2 Week Update)
Well I am about to break my own rule yet again. (as I did with the Anglo) I usually terminate a review once one or more of the categories drops to a five or below. The v.4s have softened up a tad, bringing them dangerously close to a 5, and the crimp hold and recovery is down to about a 5. I definitely have cause to terminate the review but there is just something about this deck? I like playing with it even given it’s short comings so I plan on continuing the review.
Fanning: 8.5
Some continued drop in performance but it doesn’t fan that much worse than an OOB Bike 808. I do have a note of caution. I have been hearing complaints on various forums about the v.4 getting a blocky fan after a short time. That has certainly not been the case for me. This has been one of the better fanning decks I have used. There are a few possible answers. One is simply the standards of the user. I’ll try to post a picture of a basic thumb fan with these so you can judge my standards. The other is that the finish reacts differently depending on the humidity of where you live, what type of soaps and hand crèmes you use, and how naturally moist your skin is. All finishes are somewhat susceptible to these factors but to what extent varies from finish to finish. The last possibility is that there were some issues with the quality controls used during manufacture thus the handling varies from deck to deck. If the answer to the discrepancies between my impression and the impression of others is due to quality control issues then I firmly believe that that can and should be held against a deck. When you spend $6.00 for a deck I think the customer has a right to expect consistency and a manufacturer has an obligation to provide it.
Spring: 5.5
They are just a tad bit softer than last week. After two weeks I’m beginning to get used to this although I have to really be aware of my “tension” when performing various bluff passes, cover passes, and spins.
Dribble: 8.5
Now it is just a tad worse than an OOB 808. It can still perform an Anaconda but it is no where as smooth and effortless as it was at the end of the 2nd week. Dribble shifts are also a little choppier.
Crimp Hold and Recovery: 6 Hold/ 5 Recovery
This is where I could really justify ending this review. You will need a strong crimp to both hold and be distinguishable from other naturally occurring crimps. This seems to be the biggest weakness of the deck. Nevertheless, it handles well enough in other categories that I’ll overlook this failing for now. How long I’ll be willing to put up with this is yet to be determined.
Single card glides: 7
There was a sleight improvement in the bottom card glides and a sleight reduction in the top card glides. I kept it at a seven but the overall character of the glides has changed a bit since last week. I use more bottom card glides in my repertoire so I am personally much happier with the performance in this category.
2+Obfuscations: 7
I bumped this one back up to a 7. As the finish develops a slightly tackier nature Diving Board DL and single corner displays are becoming a little more secure. It is still easy to put to much pressure(over bend the cards) in an opposing corner spin type move. All other 2+0 moves perform about on par with an 808.
Additional thoughts: After the rough honeymoon I had with this deck I was doubtful I would ever get into this deck but I have just had a week of quite enjoyable performances and practices with it. Indeed I would go so far as saying this has replaced the Aladdins as my current favorite among the softer flexing stocks. Ultimately how soft or stiff a deck needs to be is really a matter of personal preference so don’t let the rating on that category scare you away if you like softer decks. My biggest beef with these so far is the overall “beat up” look of the edges and having to constantly re-crimp my breather crimp in order to find it reliably. I really doubt anyone will ultimately be disappointed with this deck…unless of course the fan gets blocky in a week do to some quality control issues!
