Split Spade Lions (1st Ed) Deck Review

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Split Spade “Lions”

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Where to buy:
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These used to be available at David Blaines site for very cheap prices(If you purchased in bulk) but I just checked there and couldn’t find the link. Perhaps he just ran out?

Price: $7.00 / deck

For more information about my reviewing methods and a list of other reviews: http://forums.theory11.com/showthrea...eview-Template

If you are interested in my Buyers guide check out this link:
Playing Card Buyers Guide:(for magicians and cardists)


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Initial Impressions:

Excellent deck of cards but most of you didn’t need me to tell you that. I’m about the last card reviewer to get his hands on these so honestly this will serve more for an indicator review for those who may want to compare Split Spades to other deck. In short, here is a deck that fans as well as some of the best Bee decks yet manages to do that and still be stiffer than a Bike 808. That is a powerful combination.

The Look:

Classic, yet modern these cards will appeal to magicians and audiences of all ages. The backs have Blaine’s split spade logo surrounded by a host of other designs and images. There are angels with swords, Lions, and eagles all scattered around this back. I’ve have been told it is a one way design though I haven’t found it nor have I heard from anyone who actually has. Could just be a rumor and as I don’t use effects requiring one way designs I will likely never find out.

The Ace of Spades has a large pip with split spades and Blaine scrolled across the bottom. In the center of the pip is a naked chick with large….hair. It kind of looks like “Bride of Frankenstein” hair. So it is like a nekkid Bride of Frankenstein sans neck scars.

The Jokers are pip-less and they use the large Joker Face style except that the details of the face are cleverly created by a background image. In the image you see a picture of Blaine making a deal(literally playing cards with) the devil. Poor devil…never knew what hit him. He is just lucky he never met Richard Turner! On each of the bells of the Jesters had are tiny images of the faces of the court cards that have been altered for this deck.

About those court cards. Most people know that David Blaine is on the King of Spades but many other court cards have been altered as well. The overall design is about the same as the standard USPCC but the following faces have been added to the following cards
King of Spades- David Blaine
King of Hearts- Bill Kalush
King of Clubs- Unknown
King of Diamonds-Standard USPCC
Queen of Spades-Blaine’s Girfriend(or ex?)
Queen of Hearts-Blaine’s mother
Queen of Clubs-Standard USPCC
Queen of Diamonds- Unknown?
Jack of Spades-Eric Weisz
Jack of Hearts-my guess… either Max Maven or David Berglass?
Jack of Clubs-Doug makenzie
Jack of Diamonds-Dan White


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Card Construction:

This is yet another card that I believe uses a Tally ho, or at least a modified, Tally Ho stock. It is about 15.2mm thick(-2 Bikes), same as the Tally, but feels slightly stiffer than a Tally Ho. The boarders look even but when I tested them on a straight edge they were slightly misaligned, just like so many other USPCC cards.

Handling:

This card is so smooth that it seems that any performance gains it may have from a stiffer stock is negated by the ultra smooth fan. Thus, it should perform most magic sleights at about the same level as the Bike 808.


Fanning: OOB: 10
1st Week: TBD
2nd Week: TBD
3rd Week: TBD
4th Week: TBD
Absolutely beautiful fan! I try to stay away from 10s but this one is every bit as even as the Bee Aristocrats.

Spring Energy: OOB: 8
1st Week: TBD
2nd Week: TBD
3rd Week: TBD
4th Week: TBD
Almost, but not quite, as stiff as the UV500. If you are looking for a card about as stiff as one of the E decks, but you don’t want the added thickness, then this is a good choice.

Dribble: OOB: 9
1st Week: TBD
2nd Week: TBD
3rd Week: TBD
4th Week: TBD
Similar to Bike performance here.

Crimp Hold/Recovery: OOB: 7
1st Week: TBD
2nd Week: TBD
3rd Week: TBD
4th Week: TBD
Pretty Average performance here.

Single Card Glides: OOB: 7
1st Week: TBD
2nd Week: TBD
3rd Week: TBD
4th Week: TBD
Couldn’t tell a difference between this and a Bike.

2+ Card Obfuscations: OOB: 7
1st Week: TBD
2nd Week: TBD
3rd Week: TBD
4th Week: TBD
You would think a stiffer deck would hold out a bit better in this statistic but the super smooth surface of this deck causes it to perform no better than a Bike in this area.

Gaff construction and availability: Some “trick decks” are starting to be released on the split spade design. I have been told that these decks are on the same stock and finish as the Split Spade Lions but I haven’t confirmed first hand yet.

XCM Flourishing: These might need to be broken in before they reach their full potential for flourishers. It certainly has the right stuff for a good flourishing deck but it feels kind of hard to control OOB.

Who Should Buy?: Anyone who can find them for a reasonable price.

Who should not buy: Chris Angel

Final thoughts:

This deck feels great out of the box but when trying to put together complicated moves or flourishes it feels like it is always trying to “get away” from you. I have handled many cards that started out like that which went on to be some of my favorites(Smoke & Mirror v.4s) so I have every reason to believe that these cards will be excellent when broken in.