Daniel Madison Steelers by Ellusionist

[HolyJJ]

I picked up some more Black Club exclusive decks to sell off (in order to recover the cost of my black club membership), and so I decided to get one of these also, just to test out (seeing as they are priced pretty low).

The good things:
- I like the tuck. It really does go great with the theme, and the paper has got something of a sanded feel to it.‎ Pretty cool, I think.
- The courts are really simple, recoloured traditional courts... but I think it works.‎
- The overall theme of the deck is something I like. It's not executed as well as the Bicycle Metal deck, but still, ‎good theme.

The bad things:
- It's a one way back design. Not cool.
- I thought USPCC's cutting had improved (the Lions Den cards had edges that were much better than previous USPCc decks)... but the cutting on this is dreadful. Really "furry". Quality appears to have nosedived.
- Not traditionally cut... ‎and so shuffling wasn't as easy, and as a result of the full bleed design, the edges started showing visible signs of wear after around 8 shuffles. Again, not cool.
- This deck appears to use that horrible magic finish... and so the first card trick I managed with this deck was 52 card pick up.‎

Overall, I'm not impressed.‎ I think the Lions Den was better than this deck.

[Fess]

- This deck appears to use that horrible magic finish... and so the first card trick I managed with this deck was 52 card pick up.‎

Hahaha, I'm very well practiced in this magic trick as well. Incidentally from the same situation as you found yourself in here. I thought it might possibly be just me, so this really makes me feel better. Have a new deck someone wants to see it, so I show it to them. They request a trick a few times which turns into shuffle shuffle shuffle dribble shuffle shuffle and ultimately giving in to making an attempt. Then the explosion of magic happens and they're everywhere. Next minute is spent picking up the deck and the minute following looking for that straggler that always manages to end up twenty feet away.

I didn't much care for the card backs on the steel deck either. Just not a very inventive deck at all. I'm sure some people think it's the greatest thing since The Lions Den though, that's great for them. This one just wasn't my style.

[HolyJJ]

Lol. You've probably done better than me Fes, because you at least get a few shuffles and dribbles in... but for me, I don't even get that done before the self-working 52 card ‎pickup trick happens!

I nearly always start by interlacing the cards‎, and then doing that faro-bridge shuffle that Steve Forte does... but with magic finish cards, one of two things happen: 

(1) Either they cards fly off the table when I'm trying to interlace the two halves, or
(2) When I arch the cards to bridge them into each other, they proceed to fly off the table.

Therefore, not a single shuffle gets completed for me! 

On a serious note though, I took it for granted that Madison would just go with USPCC's standard coating rather than that magic finish coating -- after all, I can't think of any serious cardmen (as in gambling demo people) that use magic finish on any of their signature decks. ‎

Madison's next deck appears to have some sort of connection with illuminati symbols... and design wise, Ellusionist seem to be excited about it. For handling, I have no expectations -- it'll be unusable for me. Therefore, if I do get any, it'll just be with a view to selling them on later so that I can buy some Legends or Expert cards. Lol.‎

[Don Boyer]

Lol. You've probably done better than me Fes, because you at least get a few shuffles and dribbles in... but for me, I don't even get that done before the self-working 52 card ‎pickup trick happens!

I nearly always start by interlacing the cards‎, and then doing that faro-bridge shuffle that Steve Forte does... but with magic finish cards, one of two things happen:

(1) Either they cards fly off the table when I'm trying to interlace the two halves, or
(2) When I arch the cards to bridge them into each other, they proceed to fly off the table.

Therefore, not a single shuffle gets completed for me!

On a serious note though, I took it for granted that Madison would just go with USPCC's standard coating rather than that magic finish coating -- after all, I can't think of any serious cardmen (as in gambling demo people) that use magic finish on any of their signature decks. ‎

Madison's next deck appears to have some sort of connection with illuminati symbols... and design wise, Ellusionist seem to be excited about it. For handling, I have no expectations -- it'll be unusable for me. Therefore, if I do get any, it'll just be with a view to selling them on later so that I can buy some Legends or Expert cards. Lol.‎

USPC uses Magic Finish as the default finish for all their custom decks.  Ellusionist practically swears by it - they helped test the finish, producing the first Magic Finish deck, the Gold Arcane.  E uses the original code name that the coating had, "Performance Coating," and applies it on all of their decks now.

I've had the "52 pick-up experience" once or twice myself - but with BOTH the standard and Magic Finish coatings.  Technically, Magic Finish, despite the name, isn't a finish; it's a coating, one that can be applied on a smooth or embossed card.

E is ALWAYS excited about Madison's next deck.  And the one after that, and the one after that, ad nauseum.  They've made all but his very first deck, which was a T11 deck.

[Fess]

I haven't said it yet, but I've thought it often enough so I guess I'll add voice. This deck reminds me a lot of one of the lesser CPC decks.

[mirciusx]

We just learned that there's YET ANOTHER MADISON DECK COMING!!  Will they not be happy until the forests are turned to deserts and piles of Madison decks cover the landscape, so large they can be seen from space?  Do they work with ANYONE ELSE to make their decks?

Will be 12 to 20 decks this year from E. Landscape, portrait, square, etc, you name it. Wallets down, no gifts, no Christmas, no Easter, just...E! After 2 or 3 years of Black Club membership I close my wallet. What can I say? Me happy! I bought a Suunto Ambit 3 and a bike and now I am running like Forrest Gump and cycling

[Don Boyer]

I haven't said it yet, but I've thought it often enough so I guess I'll add voice. This deck reminds me a lot of one of the lesser CPC decks.

Very interesting comparison, and unfortunately very apt.  It feels like they haven't made a great deck since Artifice and the original LTD design, pre-Madisonized.