Hi everyone,
No the subject was not a typo. I am indeed reviewing the Bicycle Cage Garden No 02 (White). I have 2 sets of the black and white so I decided why not?
Before opening the decks I had heard a lot of negatives about the deck and how they flopped in terms of handling. Initially I had light heartedly thought it was probably some form of lie the Chinese were telling us to keep the demand for the decks solely within China.
But boy the claims are true. I'm going to describe the deck since taking it out of its box through to its 2nd week of use.
The box is really something to be admired; it has elegance written all over it. The seal gets cracked open and you are straight away hit with a smell. It is probably of the "New finish" that was advertised in the trailer video. Imagine the fultons casino brown and orange smell, with a hint of vinegar.It's rather off putting, but you assume that once you take out the cards you'll forget about the smell and admire the decks 'new finish'.
Well, the cards when you first remove them feel like what can only be described as bicycle stock and construction paper. The edges are incredibly rough and the cards feel very flimsy. It actually feels as though USPCC forgot to apply a coating too because it will feel like a cheap knock-off jerry's nugget deck. After frowning at this plight you begin your process of breaking in the deck. If you could break it in...
Fans are well... yeah. If you own a casino deck like the wynns, try fanning that and you'll see what I mean.
With the lack of fanning ability aside you will be weave the deck very nicely in both directions, just don't be surprised at the amount of resistance you get when trying to push the two parts back together. After a few cuts, aerials and some sleights I began to see that there is a fair amount of potential for this deck. The cards hold together very well, have a nice spring to them and retain shape. Never did I have to worry about cards slipping away during a pass or a flourish.
Another thing I do enjoy about the deck thus far is the court cards and faces. Everything is custom and it resembles that of the Absolut Vodka deck as it is very similar in design. The design isn't over the top, and it is very friendly for magicians and cardists.
Over my use of this deck, I have noticed its fanning ability has improved, the smell has almost gone and the edges are finally smoothing out. It reminds me somewhat of the Legends deck but with less superior handling; mainly for the fact that it improves as you break it in over time. This deck is really a collectors deck, however I do enjoy using it. Obviously with some fanning powder it could become a very nice deck to use, however in terms of an out of the box rating I rate it 6/10.
I'm looking forward to receiving the truth garden decks so I can truly enjoy this series.
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