This probably has been discussed before, but just bear with me...
So far I've been told of four different finishes to the playing cards: Air cushion (most common), Linoid, Cambric, and Smooth. The first three IMHO feel quite similar to one another and all have a grid of pit marks (the "air cushion" bubbles for lack of a better term) on them, so I'll just lump them into "common" finish (at the risk of being called a Philistine in the process).
Now, smooth finish is VASTLY different. For starters, cards with that finish do not have any pit marks and the surface is/feels more uniform. Examples include Aladdins, Arrcos (not that I'd know about THOSE two), Streamlines and Aviator decks. And whenever I go to a gas station convenience store, the deck that is being sold is typically Aviator.
So I wonder... from a non-magic/flourishing perspective, what is the purpose of the distinction between the "common" finish and the "smooth" finish on cards? Perhaps it was discovered the smooth finish cards repelled moisture better (one can assert), making it more suitable for the truckers who frequently stop by to get a few decks to use; or maybe the smooth finish was the first type to be made only to be superseded by the "common" finish, with the Aviators being a remnant from their earlier times? I have no idea.
What are your theories on this?
-Sean
So far I've been told of four different finishes to the playing cards: Air cushion (most common), Linoid, Cambric, and Smooth. The first three IMHO feel quite similar to one another and all have a grid of pit marks (the "air cushion" bubbles for lack of a better term) on them, so I'll just lump them into "common" finish (at the risk of being called a Philistine in the process).
Now, smooth finish is VASTLY different. For starters, cards with that finish do not have any pit marks and the surface is/feels more uniform. Examples include Aladdins, Arrcos (not that I'd know about THOSE two), Streamlines and Aviator decks. And whenever I go to a gas station convenience store, the deck that is being sold is typically Aviator.
So I wonder... from a non-magic/flourishing perspective, what is the purpose of the distinction between the "common" finish and the "smooth" finish on cards? Perhaps it was discovered the smooth finish cards repelled moisture better (one can assert), making it more suitable for the truckers who frequently stop by to get a few decks to use; or maybe the smooth finish was the first type to be made only to be superseded by the "common" finish, with the Aviators being a remnant from their earlier times? I have no idea.
What are your theories on this?
-Sean