The REAL, REAL E cards review

Sep 2, 2007
221
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I just read the REAL Black Tigers review, and felt the need to post an actually constructive review based on what I know of each deck. Hope this actually helps someone.

Ghosts: These are the custom deck I started out with, and I thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. I bought my first pack over a year ago, and have owned probably about ten of these since then, some of which I haven't had to open yet because the things last so darn long. There's no question that these are probably the smoothest handling of all E cards. A noticeable problem with them that didn't really occur with other decks is they have a tendency to warp, and I mean WARP, after a day or so of use and being out in the air. When I say warped, what I mean is that you can hold the deck and literally make it "pop" back and forth. If you play around with the cards a ton and get them broken in, though, this problem quickly subsides and you're left with one of the prettiest, most durable decks ever. I have Ghosts a year old that still "fan like butter," as they say. The only other big drawback to these is the fact that when they've been used for a while and get dirty, they look pretty terrible. That glowing white look doesn't last as long as I'd like it too, unfortunately.

Black Tigers: My second E deck, and my least favorite by far. I bought them from a magic shop, and when I first got them, they were extremely slick due to all that ink coupled with the UV500, and they would shoot all over the place during fans, cuts, shuffling, you name it. Shortly after that they started. . . how can I put this? They didn't really clump, but they were resistant. They'd fan alright, but it felt like I was fanning through molasses. Also, the edges started to look bad, and it wasn't long before they did start clumping. I tried that thing everybody does where they color the edges black, and that made the deck look better, and it actually fanned better, too. It still felt like I was fanning against something, though. Overall, I'm not really fond of these cards.

Vipers: This deck is gorgeous (except for those retarded jokers), and handles well for a long time. My only real complaint here is that faro shuffling them makes the edges look pretty horrendous, and these cards tend to be stiff and stay stiff. My Vipers haven't seen much use, really. I don't think I've ever actually done magic for anyone with them, I just used to play around and practice with them alot. They hold up well, but for some reason I'm just not in love with the look. I guess black decks aren't my thing.

Masters: These cards rival my Ghosts as the favorite, especially the Blue Masters. The blue ace is killer, they DON'T do the warping thing, and they handle extremely smoothly. For some reason it seems to me that the blue ones handled smoother than the reds, but I'm sure this evened out on later editions of Red Masters. The only drawback is that I'm still afraid to have people sign them, since they are about four bucks a deck. In fact, during my entire run with custom cards, signed card routines left my magic altogether, which is unfortunate, because they're strong.

1800s (reissued): These cards look amazing, and they fan and handle fine, but they don't feel that great. Mine still haven't seen much use, so I can't vouch for how they act over time. There are two machines at USPCC for applying ink and finishes to cards. One does better finishing, one does better inking. Because the 1800s design is so detailed, they had to use the better inking machine, and the finish suffered as a result. I can't really describe the feel this produces except to say that the cards feel "funny." Still, if you can work them into your routine, they're interesting cards. I wouldn't switch over to them, but I might create an effect that utilizes them because of the whole "time" theme that comes with them.

Well, there you have it. An honest, informed review about the different cards E sells. (takes a bow)
 
Sep 1, 2007
125
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austria
wow, thanks alot for this good review and comparison of all the E cards.
i really love the ghost too, but after what you've said i definetely have to try the masters, because it sounds like they're just like the ghosts, only better!
 
Sep 3, 2007
23
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God damn! All these E card reviews, can't stand it anymore! There's a gazillion effects, books, DVD's, etc. out there that needs to be reviewed and all you folks do is review the very very very SMALL selection of "hottest and greatest" tricks that they sell on E and what not that's already been reviewed to death and a gazillion reviews and flame wars about decks that we don't really use and usually buy just so that we can have them for showing off? There's a much bigger world out there! I like the idea of Theory 11, I even bought two of the effects from them but the community it's building is beginning to look like utter crap when a bunch of mundane posts start accumulating. Lets get some reviews of stuff that we actually use on a regular basis and talk more about magic theory and techniques!
 
Sep 1, 2007
104
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Worcester, UK
1) Good Review. Some nice points. :)

2) Who cares about E? if you like there crap.. i mean products by all means buy them (The cards at E are actually quite good but expensive when you add shipping) you dont have to come over to the rival website so to speak and prove a point about E. Why do all you guys think that you do?

3) I like ghost too! But i buy from a cheaper place :)
 
Sep 2, 2007
362
1
Ghost
you're left with one of the prettiest, most durable decks ever.

ghost deck aren't even in the top 10 of most durable decks and pretty decks.But it is nice.

BlackTiger
I'm not really fond of these cards.

Completely agreeable
Vipers

Vipers: This deck is gorgeous (except for those retarded jokers), and handles well for a long time. My only real complaint here is that faro shuffling them makes the edges look pretty horrendous, and these cards tend to be stiff and stay stiff. My Vipers haven't seen much use, really. I don't think I've ever actually done magic for anyone with them, I just used to play around and practice with them alot. They hold up well, but for some reason I'm just not in love with the look. I guess black decks aren't my thing.

Thats all true except for it being gorgeous.


Masters


they DON'T do the warping thing

Yes they do but it REALLY depends.


Vintage 1800s

These cards look amazing, and they fan and handle fine, but they don't feel that great

Thats true.I don't really use this deck though.

Just my opinions. except for the ghost thing I said that is SO true
 
Sep 4, 2007
60
0
Just my opinions. except for the ghost thing I said that is SO true




No it's not. The Ghosts - in MY opinion - are one of the best decks out there. Love the stock, the feel and the look. They are durable and except for them getting dirty last me forever. I'm still only on my third deck of Ghosts.

Again - not a fact at all Cardmagic12345 - everything you have stated comes down to your opinion and that is all.

Rd
 
Sep 2, 2007
221
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I really hope I didn't make any of you cry too hard by posting my review. Some of you seemed really hurt and insulted, and if I upset you that badly I apologize. I hope I didn't do too much psychological damage, but if so you may want to seek the help of a therapist, just to talk through the whole thing and get comfortable with who are and where you stand in the world again.

Seriously, guys, chill. If I ever buy Guardians, I'll review those, but the reason I posted this review is because somebody took a hard stab at E's cards and I felt the need to post a review that was actually fair. I stated what I did and did not like about the cards, and left it at that. Some aspects of the cards are left up to opinion, but some are not. Here's a condensed version of my review for those of you who disagree with me about asthetics. These are the FACTS about each deck.

Ghosts: Smooth handling, extremely durable. Tendency to warp right away, but breaking them in fixes the problem. I only ever had to buy new ones because they get dirty. The first pack I ever bought still handles just as smoothly as my newer ones, and that was over a year ago.

Black Tigers: Just don't handle all that well, despite the UV500. Tendency to clump.

Vipers: Handles smoothly, but a bit stiff. Edges get dinged easily, giving the sides a mottled look.

Masters: Handle as smooth or smoother than Ghosts, slightly thicker due to having more ink, and I've never had a pack warp on me like the Ghosts do. Blues seem to handle slightly better for some reason.

1800s: Handle alright, finish isn't as good as on other E cards.

There you go. Better that time?
 
Sep 3, 2007
23
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Enough talk about E cards already! Geeze! BUT, just to add my 2 cents, the Masters are not thick due to there being more ink. E decks in general are just thick due to the thicker card stock they use. It makes the cards more durable but for card effects, they are way too stiff. If any of the different E decks have more ink, it would be the cards that are black.
 
Sep 2, 2007
221
0
Enough talk about E cards already! Geeze! BUT, just to add my 2 cents, the Masters are not thick due to there being more ink. E decks in general are just thick due to the thicker card stock they use. It makes the cards more durable but for card effects, they are way too stiff. If any of the different E decks have more ink, it would be the cards that are black.

Dude, I know about the stock. What I'm saying is that Masters are thicker than Ghosts because they have more ink than Ghosts. Ink adds thickness to any piece of paper it's printed on, which is why Ghosts are barely thicker than regular bikes, Masters are thicker than Ghosts, and Vipers are really thick and stiff.

And last time I checked, it was not against forum rules to discuss E cards, or any other magic product we choose to. If you don't like reading about E cards, don't read the topic that says "E cards" right in the title.

Oh, and by the way, E cards, E cards, E cards, E cards, E cards, panda bears, E cards.
 
Sep 3, 2007
23
0
I use to use Ghost decks. They are thick as heck. Pretty stiff too. Not as stiff as the black cards though. Only cards that are about the thickness of regular Bikes are the ancient/1800 decks but the finish on those are absolutely awful.
 

Ashrei

Elite Member
Sep 1, 2007
350
2
I have to agree with StreetMage. Well, at least on Ghost and Black Tiger and Viper. I haven't used any other custom decks since I got 13 bikes and I still have about 6 mores to use. So my custom decks haven't seen a lot of lights nowadays.

Still beautiful decks though, except for Black Tiger, it looks pretty, but mine clumped the day after I opened it. I was very disappointed, however, my Ghost lasted for really long time. I'd recommand Ghost Deck to any card magicians, but not so much on Black Tiger or Vipers, and that's just my personal view on the custom cards.
 
Sep 2, 2007
221
0
I have to agree with StreetMage. Well, at least on Ghost and Black Tiger and Viper. I haven't used any other custom decks since I got 13 bikes and I still have about 6 mores to use. So my custom decks haven't seen a lot of lights nowadays.

Still beautiful decks though, except for Black Tiger, it looks pretty, but mine clumped the day after I opened it. I was very disappointed, however, my Ghost lasted for really long time. I'd recommand Ghost Deck to any card magicians, but not so much on Black Tiger or Vipers, and that's just my personal view on the custom cards.

Yeah, but D'evo seems pretty sold on the fact that the Vipers are THE cards for XCM. If D'evo says it, I pretty much believe it.
 
Sep 4, 2007
131
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Yeah, but D'evo seems pretty sold on the fact that the Vipers are THE cards for XCM. If D'evo says it, I pretty much believe it.

Vipers look good and handle pretty okay, but well, De'vo's not the be-all-end-all authority on what cards are best for XCM. Ultimately the only person who can judge is you yourself.
 
I happen to own every single deck you reviewed and I have to say that you are very honest and I agree with just about everything.

I would like to add that the Vipers are THICK, almost too Thick for DL's.

Great review and my thoughts are in line with yours. The only exception is that I tend to lean toward the Masters as my #1 choice and the Ghost as #2.

The Ghost do look beautiful with the red pips and all, but I use allot of two color card tricks and the Blue/Red Masters make an awesome pair.
 
Sep 2, 2007
221
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Vipers look good and handle pretty okay, but well, De'vo's not the be-all-end-all authority on what cards are best for XCM. Ultimately the only person who can judge is you yourself.

Yeah, but when it comes to cards I still trust him to know what he's talking about.
 
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