NEW DECK- Split Spades Silver Edition

[Don Boyer]

Mail it to me don I ll mail you the replacement lol

{Insert rimshot here, followed by maybe three people clapping weakly and some coughing...}

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, he'll be here until Monday - try the roast beef!

[john]

Other than email, there's snail mail.  No phone number.

The email's not too bad now - I got a response eariler today (Tuesday) to an inquiry I made only hours earlier.  It probably has to do with having a dedicated warehouse in Connecticut rather than shipping from the offices as they were doing previously.

Damn, I need a definitive answer whether they are actually sending me decks or are just yessing me to death .

[Don Boyer]

Other than email, there's snail mail.  No phone number.

The email's not too bad now - I got a response eariler today (Tuesday) to an inquiry I made only hours earlier.  It probably has to do with having a dedicated warehouse in Connecticut rather than shipping from the offices as they were doing previously.

Damn, I need a definitive answer whether they are actually sending me decks or are just yessing me to death .

Two things:


1) I doubt they'd yes you to death.
2) Hurricane Sandy (a.k.a. Frankenstorm Sandy) really screwed up the mail in this part of the East Coast and the holiday season rush hasn't helped matters.  There's a lot of packages I'm still waiting on.

[Siegismyname]

Oh wow.   I just looked it.   Good find john.

Thank you. Thank you. :Karita:

Its also on all of the Series B decks.

Didn't know that either.

Guys I just find it strange as i was playing with my marked split spades and there is that blue box error too. However they are not on the original split spades lions. Coincidentally, all the decks that contained the errors are from the Erlanger plant. QC problem on the proof sheet? Or something else?

[Don Boyer]

Oh wow.   I just looked it.   Good find john.

Thank you. Thank you. :Karita:

Its also on all of the Series B decks.

Didn't know that either.

Guys I just find it strange as i was playing with my marked split spades and there is that blue box error too. However they are not on the original split spades lions. Coincidentally, all the decks that contained the errors are from the Erlanger plant. QC problem on the proof sheet? Or something else?

Probably.  It's a small enough error to slip through the cracks unnoticed.  I've seen worse.  My favorite are the missing indices on one card in the Robocycle and Templar Knights decks.


Am I the only one who noticed that on the silver Split Spades, the red suits are metallic red ink (duh) but that the black suits have black with GOLD ink in them (whoah)?  It's a subtle touch that really looks nice.

[Knobz1]

@ john - Any word on your missing decks?

[john]

@ john - Any word on your missing decks?

Yep, after i sent them pictures i got my missing decks. No free swag though .

Am I the only one who noticed that on the silver Split Spades, the red suits are metallic red ink (duh) but that the black suits have black with GOLD ink in them (whoah)?  It's a subtle touch that really looks nice.

I thought i noticed a difference i just couldn't tell what.

Guys I just find it strange as i was playing with my marked split spades and there is that blue box error too. However they are not on the original split spades lions. Coincidentally, all the decks that contained the errors are from the Erlanger plant. QC problem on the proof sheet? Or something else?

If i had to guess. It's the same layout just remade 4 times for the 4 individual decks. That would be why they all have that error.

[Knobz1]

@ john - Any word on your missing decks?

Yep, after i sent them pictures i got my missing decks. No free swag though .

Bummer on the free swag.   But glad you got your decks.   

[Siegismyname]

I finally got my silver split spades but first thing I notice was the plain white brick box. My brick did not come with the semi-custom brick box which I would like to have(considering I bought a brick)

EDIT: All my decks had 1 seal and very minimal defects(the only defects were the slight tear on the top left on the front of the box, similar to the series B episode).

[Eyeball]

I finally got my silver split spades but first thing I notice was the plain white brick box. My brick did not come with the semi-custom brick box which I would like to have(considering I bought a brick)

EDIT: All my decks had 1 seal and very minimal defects(the only defects were the slight tear on the top left on the front of the box, similar to the series B episode).

My brick also came in an unmarked white box and all my decks only have one seal on them. Couldn't find any defects on any of them.

[hecrob]

My brick also came in a normal white box... 

Why? I was expecting a custom brick box (after watching Daniel Madisons pic of his SSS brick) It would have been great to have one of those so it could "match" my other DB brick boxes


I wanted to discuss the finish and the stock on this cards.
Its definetely different from the old SS decks but it also feels very different from the WL decks.

For me this SSS decks feel way better, are more durable and after heavily abusing them, still fan properly.

The WL decks are not that durable. Any idea of why this happens? or Am i imagining everything?

[Don Boyer]

My brick also came in a normal white box... 

Why? I was expecting a custom brick box (after watching Daniel Madisons pic of his SSS brick) It would have been great to have one of those so it could "match" my other DB brick boxes


I wanted to discuss the finish and the stock on this cards.
Its definetely different from the old SS decks but it also feels very different from the WL decks.

For me this SSS decks feel way better, are more durable and after heavily abusing them, still fan properly.

The WL decks are not that durable. Any idea of why this happens? or Am i imagining everything?

Any metallic ink deck these days gets Magic Finish.  I don't think David Blaine ever used Magic Finish before.  I don't know about the stock, other than that the original SS Lions used (if I'm not mistaken) Bicycle stock.  Since the choices are so limited these days, it's probably a variant of Bicycle.

[Siegismyname]

I remember reading somewhere that the original SS lions were on tally-ho stock that's why it handled so well. But I cannot confirm that.

[Don Boyer]

I remember reading somewhere that the original SS lions were on tally-ho stock that's why it handled so well. But I cannot confirm that.

The original Split Spades were on Tally Ho stock, back when it was still being offered.

But those are NOT the Split Spade Lions, which came later.

If I'm not mistaken, this is the order of his deck releases.

1) Split Spades (Tally Ho): Tally Ho AoS, I think it had the "Blaine/Liar" joker
2) Split Spades (Bee): Bee AoS, I think it had the Bee joker - this was probably created first but held as David's private reserve until after 1) was released.  Same back design as 1)
3) Split Spades Lions: New, similar back design, new custom AoS and "jester" joker.  (These may have come out before the public release of 2), but I'm not certain.)
4) Bicycle Split Spades magic decks: custom gaffed decks matching the Split Spades Lions
5) White Lions Series A and Rainbow Editions: Lion AoS, Lion with umbrella joker
6) White Lions Series B and Black Label: changed back to the SS Lions AoS and joker
7) Silver Edition Split Spades: SS Lions design, first to use metallic inks, also probably first to use Magic Finish.

1) used Tally Ho stock
2) used Bee stock, possibly Bee Casino - it was packaged in Bee Casino boxes
3), 4) and 7) most likely used Bicycle stock
5) and 6) - I'm not certain what stock was used.

[therealmackay]

I managed to score a few decks of these, i opened one up and had a look. Awesome deck BUT one question....

Why are the order of the cards different from the conventional A - K order?

[shz]

I managed to score a few decks of these, i opened one up and had a look. Awesome deck BUT one question....

Why are the order of the cards different from the conventional A - K order?

I guess Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz is the answer to your question.

[therealmackay]

I managed to score a few decks of these, i opened one up and had a look. Awesome deck BUT one question....

Why are the order of the cards different from the conventional A - K order?

I guess Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz is the answer to your question.

Thanks very Much

[Don Boyer]

I managed to score a few decks of these, i opened one up and had a look. Awesome deck BUT one question....

Why are the order of the cards different from the conventional A - K order?

I guess Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz is the answer to your question.

Thanks very Much

Blaine often packages decks in Mnemonica stack order with the Ace of Spades on top.  While I haven't read the book myself, it's said that with a simple faro shuffle or two, the deck, in the order it was in inside the box, is ready to perform some minor miracles with.

When I met David, he gave me an autographed, personalized uncut sheet of his blue Split Spades Lions.  Of the original three colors, this was the only one boxed in the stack order.  The cards appear on the sheet in precisely that order.  I suppose that would make it easier to memorize the stack, having that hanging on your wall... 

[twiscold]

If I remember correctly, the white arrcos required a faro to get into the stack. But the WL series B and Silver SS only requires a cut after you remove the jokers and the ad cards

[Don Boyer]

If I remember correctly, the white arrcos required a faro to get into the stack. But the WL series B and Silver SS only requires a cut after you remove the jokers and the ad cards

One way or another, there's methods for getting these "non-standard order" decks into a successful and popular stack for magicians.  Otherwise, why make them this way, right?

[Aaron]

I wish I had got a brick of these on Black Friday, they are awesome looking

[Don Boyer]

I wish I had got a brick of these on Black Friday, they are awesome looking

Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!

How many times do I have to tell people that posts such as "I wish I could buy those but I can't (for whatever reason)" posts are considered spam?  Especially if the reason is you can't afford them?

Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!  Spank!

Kidding aside, if you'd added more about why you thought they were so awesome or had a story behind why you couldn't get them (OTHER than being broke), your post would be ten times more interesting.  And I know you didn't say you were broke, but it's the most common reason why such posts get created in the first place - either "broke" or "finances are tight"...

[therealmackay]

I managed to score a few decks of these, i opened one up and had a look. Awesome deck BUT one question....

Why are the order of the cards different from the conventional A - K order?

I guess Mnemonica by Juan Tamariz is the answer to your question.

Thanks very Much

Blaine often packages decks in Mnemonica stack order with the Ace of Spades on top.  While I haven't read the book myself, it's said that with a simple faro shuffle or two, the deck, in the order it was in inside the box, is ready to perform some minor miracles with.

When I met David, he gave me an autographed, personalized uncut sheet of his blue Split Spades Lions.  Of the original three colors, this was the only one boxed in the stack order.  The cards appear on the sheet in precisely that order.  I suppose that would make it easier to memorize the stack, having that hanging on your wall... 

Don, thats very much for the info!

Im going to have to read up and research it! I havent yet mucked the order of one of the decks so will leave it until i read up!

Cheers