Deck View: Rockets Playing Cards

Vibrant. Nostalgia. Imagination.

Our final deck view of the year comes from Ellusionist. Rockets Playing Cards are born from a world of pure imagination. This tasty looking deck is styled from a popular frozen treat of time past, giving a sense of nostalgia. The deck is semi-custom featuring a simple, imperfect border back design, a fun looking custom Ace of Spades and Joker, and standard pips and courts with a brighter and more radiant color consistent with the overall theme of the deck. The custom tuck is printed on a classic matte finish paper and features a lolly rocket flying through space.

Ellusionist is marketing Rockets as a cardistry deck and visually, the radiant colors and fun nature of this deck seem to accentuate motion and flourishes. Also, not forgetting the magicians, the deck includes a duplicate 9 of spades and a double backer for the working magicians who want to incorporate this deck into their routines.

Available NOW from Ellusionist for $8.95!

Kickstarter: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Cutters (Deep Blue Edition) Playing Cards

Currently seeking funds on Kickstarter, Cutters Playing Cards by JM Authentics is a love-letter to the golden age of playing cards- a Casino deck designed for intricate card work. Headed by Jordan Murphy, the idea of Cutters is to craft a deck to the highest standard possible for the magicians in mind. Jordan tells Kardify, "This is a deck made with a purpose in mind, not made aesthetic for the sake of it, but each design choice suited to what the deck will be used for. I really hope we’ve been able to do the old styles justice while incorporating the latest production technology. Every design choice has been made to make The Cutters a true homage to the decks that came before."

Here are 5 things you didn't know about Cutters Playing Cards:

1. The borderless backs are influenced by Steamboats and Bee Casino Playing cards. The stars that make up the back design are based on the North Star and the constellations used by sailors to guide their way home since the first humans were able to sail upon the seas. Jordan explained, "We have two Cutter sailboats separated within two casino styled ovals, you can imagine that maybe you are looking at them through a spyglass or a porthole. Also, You can see if you look closely, a bird flying alongside the sailboat. In maritime lore, it is good fortune and favorable to sail whilst followed by an Albatross, and so we included one alongside our Cutters."

2. If you know your ships you may notice that the ships used on our Jokers are not traditional Cutters. This is because they are based on the Merchant Ship Bethia/HMS Bounty which was classed as a Cutter, not due to its size, but it's small armament. "The Merchant Ship Bethia which later became the HMS Bounty has a rich history culminating in betrayal and mutiny, we couldn’t not include it in this deck." 

3. The Cutters Tuck Case is a hybrid of styles- combining the face of the Steamboat box and the back of Bee Casino decks with Cutters theme. The rich contrast of blue on white and bold fonts make the artwork pop from the box whilst maintaining that classic feel. "Perhaps the point I'm proudest of is that I believe we will be the first custom deck of cards to have the casino windowed tuck case. Originally the window in Casino decks allowed the manufacturers to know which deck was within the box, as they were a generic print, but this window can also serve a purpose for covert peeks! Having the tuck case printed by Gambler’s Warehouse has also allowed us to have the production date for the cards on the box. For the first time, this information will be made available to card technicians and collectors to whom it is vital."

4. Jordan has opted to keep the court cards standard. At their core Cutters are not just for practice but for performance, especially at the table. "We have changed the color palette to match those used throughout the deck. In past designer decks one reason some people opt not to use them in performance is that it can be difficult to quickly distinguish between custom pip colors during peeks. For this reason, we have kept the standard high contrast red and black pips."

5. Jordan's personal experience with table magic didn’t start until he was given his first Steamboat and Bee Casino decks. "I fell in love with the feel of these decks and how they made me want to progress in card magic. After delving into table magic more I began making close-up pads and eventually started JM Authentics. Without those initial decks JM Authentics wouldn’t exist and I wouldn’t have had the experiences, opportunities, and friends that I have today and most importantly I wouldn’t have met amazing people who I was then able to build close up pads for and help them progress their magic. Steamboats and Bee Casino decks are very special to me, Cutters even more so, I hope they can be for other people too."

Cutters will be printed by the US Playing Cards Co on Crushed paper stock, with a traditional cut. If you like what you've read and want to support Cutters Playing Cards, you can find it on Kickstarter Here! Pledge starts at £8.

Top 12: Playing Cards of 2017

What an amazing year for playing cards! To celebrate we've compiled 12 of our favorite decks right here. This IS the most challenging list we've ever had to put together to-date. So, if you think we've missed your favorite deck, let us know in the comment section below. :)

Note that the selection expressed in this top 12 are solely those of the author and the list is in no particular order.

Tally Ho Pearl Gilded

The Pearl Tally Ho is the final deck in a four deck series by Kings Wild Project. This beautiful deck includes an embossed, pearlescent paper stock, hot foil stamped tuck case and numbered seals. The cards themselves have completely custom courts with metallic ink accents on the face cards presented in a gorgeous pearl-pale off-white colorway and subtle metallic ink on the bold back design. The deck is gilded with a stunning Pearlescent foil.

Pantheon

Pantheon Playing Cards feature greek mythology focused on the Olympian Gods. Fully custom, from the Aces, Pips, Tuck Box and the card backs, which features the 6-pointed impossible star that is the main symbol of Pantheon. Also, the gold foil card backs are STUNNING! The Pantheon tuck is embossed, double foil on the exterior and red foil interior on premium soft-touch dark blue paper. Meticulously designed by Thirdway Industries and printed by Expert Playing Card Co with Classic Finish.

Exquisite Bolder

Three years in the making, Expert Playing Card Co's Exquisite Bolder Playing Cards is an eye-catching deck using Expert's brand new Perfecta Foil on the card backs and the tuck and 3d embossing on the side-way tuck. This amazing process creates foil with the illusion of depth built in. Also, the deck features standard courts, face cards, and incredibly thin (1mm) borders on the card back!

Cardistry Touch Origin

Crafted from scratch specifically for cardistry, the deck features a unique geometric design that accentuates spins, flourishes and large, multi-card displays. Also, a single design is repeated on each card for an enhanced cardistry experience. Printed by Cartamundi on a premium quality paper with a softer stock and coated in brand new "cardistry finish", which feels broken in right out of the box. All 51 cards are housed in a very unique swivel box. The team at Cardistry Touch won the Cardistry deck of the year at Cardistry-Con 2017 in Los Angeles.

Apothecary

This gorgeous deck is exactly what you come to expect from Seasons Playing Cards. Stunning foil, exquisite artwork, and entrancing design! Apothecary is an homage to old world illustrations. Reveling in the realm of true artisan craftsmanship, these cards embrace the engraving style intricacies and the custom illustrated courts elevate the experience with entrancing details.

Radia

A bold new vision in playing cards. Encarded's RADIA is the first modern deck to combine the finest traditional paper stock with a complete coating of metallic foil and the highest quality printed details. By printing an intricate design inspired by a 19th-century Spanish gold engraving right on the foil, RADIA has unparalleled shine and visual dimension, but with its high-performance coating it also handles like any modern playing card should, fanning and shuffling beautifully. The deck is housed in a beautiful tuck with pearlescent paper, purple ink, gold foil, embossing and a custom die-cut, RADIA is the perfect combination of simplicity and complexity.

Origins Shadow of History

The Origins Shadows of History deck by Rick Davidson is inspired by the elegance and charm of playing card history. The deck is beautifully crafted and features an ornate premium quality tuck case, embossed and hot stamped with stunning metallic foil. The face cards are entirely custom with vibrant gorgeous courts, diptych jokers and a bold Ace of Spades, printed with ornate metallic ink backs.

Winterberry

Beautifully designed by Estonian graphic designer Toomas Pintson and produced by Got Magic?. The enchanting deck is fully custom, and meticulously hand-illustrated from the ground up. The deck features a distinctive style of illustrations making it truly a unique piece of art inspired by the beautiful and cold Nordic winters. The goal was to create an elegant and beautiful deck of cards that card collectors would appreciate. The cards are housed in a gorgeous tuck case crafted by Clove St. Press on a deep-black soft-touch paper with silver foiling. Sealed by a tax-stamp style seal.

Golden Oath

This year, Lotrek's Golden Oath Playing Cards won Joker Plus 52's 'Deck of the Year' award for his painstaking work on this stunning deck. All the artwork are foiled including 2 foils (gold and red) on the card back and 3 foils (gold, silver and red) on the face cards. A tremendous technical challenge!

Dystopia

Dystopia Playing Cards by Joker and the Thief is a disturbed tribute to cult movie Mad Max, Muscle Car Culture, the Australian Film Industry and Outback. This blood and fuel injected deck features 100% custom illustrations by Pedro Oyarbide - a symbolic back design, a striking ace of spades, tyrannical court cards, insane jokers, and of course, a stunning tuck box from professional letterpress studio Clove St. Press, capped with a custom shaped seal.

Drifters

From Dan and Dave, Drifters Playing Cards is a gorgeous deck designed by Curtis Jenkins, illustrator of Monarchs playing cards. Born from the wilderness, a sense of adventure and the wonders of the unknown, the Drifters Playing Cards showcase the majestic beauty of the great outdoors. The deck features fully custom courts, jokers, beautifully illustrated aces, and gorgeous back with incredible line work. Every shuffle and cut of the cards is a reminder to never settle, to chase a life of freedom. The cards are housed in an eye-catching custom letter-pressed tuck case featuring intricate detail and incredible line work.

Gemini

Two years in the making, Gemini is a fascinating deck of playing cards designed by Lorenzo Gaggiotti of Stockholm17. The Gemini Playing Cards has been meticulously crafted to give it a classic medieval feel. The deck features aces that are depicted as axes and the royals of the court cards interact with their own pip, becoming part of the illustration. The number pips are bold and BIG. The striking Gemini tucks are adorned in gorgeous foil on thick black paper and feature beautiful calligraphic text.

Honorable mention: Butterfly Playing Cards by Ondrej Psenicka, Papilio by Kiran Kuruvithadam, Titans by Jody Eklund, RAVN Purple Haze by Stockholm17, Bharata by Sunish Chabba, The Confessions Series by Ellusionist, National Playing Cards by Harold Apples, Hocus Pocus 40th Anniversary deck by Edo Huang, Pearl Playing Cards by Hanson Chien Production Co, and Regalia deck by Shin Lim.


The selection expressed in this top12 are solely those of the author. 

News: The FW17 Virtuoso Deck Launch and 72-hour Giveaway is now LIVE!

This season, the Virts are celebrating their fifth anniversary of the Virtuoso deck with the first ever Fall/Winter edition. Taking Adaptive Aesthetics to the next level, the deck features a brand new multi-faceted design forming a fluid yet rhythmic patterns in spreads and displays... and paints the air with incredibly expressive movements across countless other moves from cuts to cascades.

This is probably the most anticipated cardistry deck of the year. After two false starts due to technical difficulties, the Early Bird website is finally up and running! During the Early Bird period, the Virts is GIVING you a brand new FW17 Virtuoso deck.

Like the SS16, after you claim your first deck as a gift, you can also add more decks to your order and/or get some Cardistry tutorials and/or get FW17 Virtuoso Uncut Sheets. All the Virts ask for is to pay for shipping costs.

We love what the guys at the Virts are doing and creating an unforgettable experience for the Cardistry community. Kudos for making the reasonably priced deck accessible to cardists worldwide and crafting an amazing deck that will contribute towards building the future of Cardistry. To get access to the Early Bird site, subscribe the Virts email newsletter.

Once the Early Bird window of 72 hours has passed, the FW17 Virtuoso deck will be sold for $14.

Card Flash: VIZAĜO Playing Cards

Currently being fulfilled by Gamblers Warehouse, VIZAĜO by Australian artist Annette Abolins is a fully custom illustrated deck of playing cards exploring faces in a truly unique and colorful way.

Both the Lumina (red) and Lumino (blue) versions are gorgeous! The decks feature custom card backs, distinct suits, and vibrant courts in bold lines- each with its own distinct color palette. Also, each Aces are dressed in colors matching to its court, consistent with the overall theme of face cards. With the exception of the card backs and tuck boxes, both versions have identical card faces.

If you have backed this project, you will be pleasantly surprised! These turned out better than the renders from the Kickstarter project. I love how the distinct colors and the bold artwork flow across the cards depicting vibrantly segmented faces seamlessly. This deck will definitely stand out in your collection. A conversation starter for sure!

Deck View: MAKERS Playing Cards

Intricate. Foundation. Luxurious.

Meticulously designed by the team at Chad Michael Studio, MAKERS Playing Cards are the most intricate and luxurious deck Dan and Dave produced to date. The design and manufacturing of this project took about a year and a half to complete. The outstanding tuck case has been embossed and stamped with layers of gold-foiling. With the intricate line work, I am surprised how well these turned out. The foil and embossing are precise and accurate!

Out of the box, MAKERS features 14 custom illustrated court-cards representing the foundational “makers” civilization has been built on, an intriguing Ace of Spades, 2 custom jokers and a very detailed mirrored card back. Printed by the U.S. Playing Card Co. on a proprietary “crushed stock” process to create a more refined and lighter deck of playing cards.

For more cool decks check out JP Games.

Cardistry: Fontaine x Chinatown Market's Yellow Fontaine is Releasing Soon!

The yellow colorway of Zach Mueller's Fontaine cards will be releasing on Saturday 23rd December at 10pm.

This brand new deck sports the Chinatown Market Smiley on the front of the tuck case. Inside, the Aces have been updated and the standard courts elements have been recolored to match the overall theme and color palette of the deck. No price was given but we think that the deck will be going for $19.99 similar to the pop-up store event in Los Angeles last week.

Image from (@card_universe).

News: Season's Greetings 2017

What.A.Year! 2017 has just been incredible! Stunning innovations, gorgeous new designs, amazing new talents and a record number of deck releases! To end the year on a high note, we at Kardify would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the friendship and support you have given us. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! :)

Looking forward to an awesome 2018!

Kickstarter: 3 Questions with Ryan Cossey of Fibs Playing Cards

From LVCardistry, Fibs Playing Cards is a Limited Edition inspired by the Mathematical Beauty of the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio. Headed by Ryan Cossey, LVCardistry is a family run business out of Las Vegas. Ryan's love of cards started as a child exploring the wonders of Magic. Although Magic didn't stay with Ryan over the years, the ephemera did. After some time of heavy collecting and buying and selling on eBay, Ryan realized that he had amassed quite a large number of decks and decided to start LVCardistry.com. This month, LVCardistry will sell its 15,000th deck of cards. Ryan told Kardify,

What started as a way to help me pay for my addiction of collecting playing cards turned into a full time passion and business. I can't believe the love and support we've gotten; it's such a wonderful community to be a part of.

Fibs Playing Cards will be LVCardistry's first crowdfunded campaign. Fully custom, the intriguing geometric design is prominently featured throughout the deck. For example, the full bleed card backs are based on the geometric representation of the Fibonacci Spiral, and the custom pips are designed using the Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio. The courts have been updated to utilize on the standard design with updated color palette and background patterns to complete the distinct but classic look of the FIbs courts.

We had a quick chat with Ryan last week on the inspiration behind the Fibs deck, the community, and their favorite cardist, flourish and deck.

What is your inspiration for the FIBs deck? How did you guys come up with the idea?
I have always had a soft spot for math. It always came naturally and I found its rules, patterns, and applications to the real world fascinating. Fibonacci's sequence always stood out in particular because of its almost intrinsic value in nature. The ability to locate that series in all kinds of places, from biology to the stock market, constantly surprised me. Its importance could not be ignored. Added to this fact that the Golden Ratio is assumed to be the basis for what humankind finds "perfect" or "beautiful" and I figured if it could make DaVinci's art stunning, why not a deck of cards? From there, the math does the rest. Fun Fact: I opened LVCardistry.com on 11/23 of 2016, in honor of the Fibonacci Sequence. :)

We first noticed FIBS deck on Instagram. What do you think of the playing card community in terms of the feedback and support that you’ve been getting so far on the social media platform?
Social media has definitely been the bloodline of Cardistry. The ability to instantly share, collaborate, and interact with the community is a necessity for a growing art form, especially one like Cardistry. Not many Cardists are local enough to each other for meet-ups, and Cardistry is best presented in short clips, so naturally, Instagram takes the foreground.

It's an easy, quick way to easily identify others who enjoy Cardistry and share and see the newest moves, clips, and news all in one place. We would love for more Cardists to become aware of and utilize the Cardistry Discord Server. LVCardistry is proud to Sponsor/Admin this social server that allows for real-time chat, exchange and sharing of images, gifs, videos, and even live video streaming and jams! Discord is well known, free to use, and is available on PC/Mac and Mobile. Click on "Cardistry Chat" on LVCardistry.com, or click here! to join the Cardistry Server!

Finally, what are your favorite flourish and playing card decks?
My favorite flourish is probably snake charmer. It's not super flashy, but when it's done correctly with the right rhythm and cadence, the theatrical value of the flourish is shown. When Kevin (from Virts) does it, you can see the snake, you can feel the charm; it's more like a puppet show than cardistry. Beautiful. As for the favorite deck, that's truly a tough one! I have always collected and focused on the rare and hard to find decks, so I rarely get to open and use them. Of the decks that I have used regularly, I would say that Wynn Casino decks and Virtuoso Spring/Summer 16 decks have been the top two in my rotation. Cartamundi's B9 True Linen finish is quickly taking over as my new favorite decks, though!

Thanks for your time, Ryan and congratulations on hitting the funding goal!


Fibs Playing Cards are available NOW for $13 on Kickstarter and will be printed by Cartamundi on the super smooth Superlux Stock with B9 True Linen finish! Fibs will be limited to 1123 decks.

Card Gear: Magic Encarta

Card Gear is our monthly feature dedicated to discovering new inventory, setup, and accessories used every day by card designers, cardists, magicians and collectors. The concept originated from the popular social media site, Instagram: #passthepockets. Whenever one of these hashtags come up on the social news feed, there's always something new to discover, no matter who that person is.

This month, we have the EDC of Vivek Singhi from Mumbai, India. Vivek is a magician and got into magic in 2009. For the past 2 years, he's been working to bring his passion to the magic & cardistry community and founded Magic Encarta (Instagram: @magicencarta), an account where he showcases all the products and effects that he worked on over the years with the key focus being accessories like Cardistry Trainers and Card Cases.

When not working on anything card-related, he enjoys playing the guitar, creating music and enjoys traveling and exploring new places to keep his creativity flowing. Vivek's gear (Italics are Vivek's comments):

+ EATCT Journal, EATCT Pen, Pencil and Sharpie (You never know when you get an idea for a new effect or a design, which is how I designed my first deck called Cairo Casino you see in the picture plus it helps me keep me on track with my plans and future projects. Sharpie is for when I am performing and need something to be signed)
+ 3 Pen Case by Constellations88 ( I carry my writing tools safe in this awesome case by an awesome guy)
+ iPhone 7 (Most of my pics, video edits are done with it and you cannot forget emails)
+ Deck of cards (I have always one in my pocket. Cairo Casino Prototypes, Moranges Prototype and Absolut Deck are the 3 decks I currently carry)
+ Money Clip (I am more of a money clip guy than a wallet guy) Earphones (Magic & Music are my world)
+ Cardistry Trainers (Perfect to practice anywhere anytime without having to worry about dropping them or getting them dirty. Currently using the NOC PACs I did for HOPC with Alex Pandrea and the Fiberboard Trainers)
+ Wild Pocket Card Case (That's how I carry my deck along with a few packet tricks, gaffs & a few guitar picks too)
+ Begleri and Fidget Roulette Spinner (To play around and also use em when clicking some pictures wherever they blend in)
+ Mini Mints (Keeps on changing, currently using some THOR mint just coz I love the packing.. haha)
+ Lighter (I carry it to incorporate it to my magic performances, fire makes magic so much cooler)
+ My favourite line - Impossible Is Nothing... (Which is what I used on the White Card Clip)

If you would like your card gears to be featured on Kardify, feel free to contact us.

Kickstarter: ORIS Playing Cards Relaunched!

The team at Parama Playing Cards is back on Kickstarter with ORIS Playing Cards after an unsuccessful attempt the first time last year. With the campaign ending on January 22nd, they are already cruising along nicely toward their goal of €10,200 (~USD12k).

For the relaunch, several tweaks were made. According to Paolo Tisato of Parama Playing Cards,

On the previous project we realized that many liked the Black Edition" deck. So we focused on that color for the relaunch. The colors of the card backs have been updated to enhance the geometry when the cards are fanned. In the last months we have many discussions regarding the white borders of the card back. Is it better with or without? Considering the multiple uses of deck of cards the ideal solution was to let the Backers choose which variant suits them best. Hence, we are offering two back variations, with and without the white border on the Kickstarter campaign.

The tuck cases have also been updated. Paolo continued,

The tucks have undergone a significant color variation. We decided to divide the color of the tucks to make it look like two boxes joined together. The tucks will be fully embossed and foiled.

Finally, the court cards have been updated to match the color palette of the deck and the design are identical to the royals of their previous project, Aphelion. Printed by Legends Playing Card Co on their Classic Finish and features metallic gold ink on the face cards.

ORIS will be available for €9 (~USD$11) and add-ons such as uncut sheets, t-shirts, and wooden box are also available. Check it out on Kickstarter here!

Kickstarter: 7 Questions with Keshav Mongia of Millennium Playing Cards

From Galaxy Designs headed by UK designer Keshav Mongia (instagram: @keshav_mongia), Millennium is a custom deck of playing cards with geometric artwork showcases ornate design with beautiful deep blue back with gold elements creating an elegant design. The face cards feature custom pips, aces, jokers and standard recolored courts printed with metallic inks to give the deck a luxurious feel.

Before the launch of the Kickstarter campaign, we had a quick chat with Keshav about his design background, inspiration and design process behind the Millennium deck.

For those of us who don’t know, can you tell us about yourself and what is your design background?
I am a product designer based in the UK. My entry into this community was through magic but now I mainly perform Cardistry. I have been designing playing cards and playing card accessories for 4 years. I am currently studying design but my graphic design skills are self-taught.

What is your inspiration for Millennium Playing Cards? How did you come up with the idea?
My inspiration for the Millennium playing cards came from medallion designs and the idea of complementing spinning moves. I wanted to design a luxury styled deck which fused simplicity and complexity in an elegant way.

How much time did you spend working on the deck?
The deck has been in development for 3 years. I don’t know exactly how long I have spent on the design but I have spent countless hours trying to make it as perfect as possible.



Talk to us a bit about going from the first draft to the final version. How did you get to this finished product?
The design has been through a lot of changes from the first draft. I added a lot more detail to the design, changed the colors and tried lots of variations of the design.

What was your most brilliant breakthrough when designing the deck?
The best breakthrough was getting the colors right. I found it difficult to get blue and gold to look the way I wanted on the back design. I tried countless digital combinations and over 30 printed combinations to get the colors right.



With so many playing card projects competing for funding, why should potential backers choose your deck?
I believe the design speaks for its self on this one. The design is, in my opinion, stunning and with metallic inks and a traditionally cut crushed premium (bee) stock this deck is perfect for any playing card enthusiast.

Finally, what are your favorite playing cards?
Other than the Millennium playing cards my favorite deck is currently the black Orbit playing cards. Not only do they look great but they feel amazing.

Thank you for your time Keshav and all the best!


Millennium playing cards will be printed by the United States Playing Card Co. Having raised 45 percent of its £5.4k goal in 14 days, with another 30 days left to go, a pledge of £7 sets you up with a deck. Check it out on Kickstarter here!

News: Issue Seven of Kardify Magazine Now Available!

The December issue (#7) of Kardify magazine is now available to Patrons who pledge $3 or more on our Patreon page. The monthly magazine will be a compilation of selected articles we’ve published over mid-November to mid-December. Our goal is to help you stay on top of playing card news.

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bringing new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing on crowd-funded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page.

If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read. In this issue:

+ Black Friday: A look at all the new deck releases from Ellusionist, Theory11, D&D, HOPC and The Blue Crown.

+ @TheDoc318's EDC: Check out Mike's EDC. By far one of the coolest we've seen in a long time!

+ Holiday Gift Guide 2017: Find the perfect holiday gift for the card enthusiast, magician or cardist.

+ The FW17 Virtuoso Deck Revealed: Popular cardistry group, The Virts just revealed their new deck.

+ Shin Lim's new deck: Find out more about the stunning Regalia deck.

+ Winterberry Playing Cards: A fully custom deck meticulously hand-illustrated from the ground up.

+ Mirage Eclipse Edition Playing Cards: Magician Patrick Kun's iconic deck is back in black!

… and more! 47 pages of articles and deck images. Our biggest issue yet!

Deck View: Bicycle Ombre Edged Playing Cards

Red. Blue. Bold.

During Magic Live! 2017, the team at Bicycle Playing Cards unveiled the new Bicycle Ombre Edged Playing Cards, made exclusively for the event in Las Vegas. The bold deck features a mesmerizing red-blue gradient on the card back and edge.

The face cards are standard but the color palettes have been updated with the red-blue tones to match the look of the deck. The deck is housed in a custom tuck highlighted with silver foil on the front and die cut on the side of the tuck showcasing the red-blue gradient edge of the deck inside and capped with a custom numbered seal. Only 2,500 decks have been printed.

Due to the gilded edges, the cards do not fan and spreads well. With the Ombre Edged priced at $25, it is doubtful anyone will use this deck for performances. Available from JP GAMES.

Cardistry: Fontaine Cards Drops New Collab With Chinatown Market

We knew Fontaine Cards collaboration with streetwear brand Chinatown Market was coming. It has been teased by founder Zach Mueller on his Instagram stories for over a month in conjunction with the launch of the pop-up store on December 16 and 17.

The new deck spots a yellow colorway with the Chinatown Market Smiley on the front of the Tuck Cards. Inside, the Aces have been updated and the standard courts recolored to match the overall theme and color palette of the deck.

The deck is going for $19.99 during the pop-up event at 1052 S. Olive Street, 90015, Los Angeles on December 16 and 17. Swags including Fontaine x Chinatown Market Heavy Tee and Canvas Tote are also available. Images from (@bestcardistalive).

Kickstarter: The Guard Playing Cards by PlayingCardDecks

Designed by Polish designer Artur Rajch and produced by PlayingCardDecks, the Guard playing cards is a classic vintage-inspired design for the modern player, collector, cardist or magician. Already funded, the deck is currently seeking funds on Kickstarter with a goal of $2,017.

There are two editions on offer, the Oak and Slate edition. Each deck is fully custom and has matching face designs but with contrasting backs for easy 2 deck gameplay such as rummy, canasta, and bridge. Also great for those card effects that require 2 different complimentary decks.

Also included are 2 gaff cards in each edition. The Oak Deck comes with a double back and double face, while the Slate Deck includes the Contrasting Double Back and Blank Face.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Co. with embossed finish. Available now on Kickstarter, pledge starts from $10.