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)
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)