Thanks Don, and Fes
If the Bund18 decks were easier to get hold of, I'd definitely have opened a pack... but seeing as the only way I can get another one is to spend $300 on eBay, I'll have to leave the decks sealed. Lol.
Purplelce, you can find the Legends Hipsters over at LPCC's site via the following link:
http://legendsplayingcards.com/products/hipster
Picked up these two from Lee Asher's online store:
The Fournier 605s, everybody knows about their quality. Therefore, no need for me to write an essay about them. Bottom line is this: they have their own unique handling -- like nothing else out there. I do recommend trying them out.
The Ascal deck... I've not really seen them mentioned here since Feb 2013.
To cut a long story (relatively) short, the cards stock on the Ascal deck is what makes it pretty awesome -- really nice and springy. I don't like overly soft/spongey feeling cards (like the original Madison Rounders)... and these cards are definitely *not* spongey!
They aren't as stiff as the Diamond Finish and Master Finish cards from LPCC and EPCC... and so those whose fingers aren't yet trained to handle those cards would probably find the Ascal cards easier to get used to.
They're very durable, and they're traditionally cut -- they handle much better than old USPCC casino decks. The cards faro beautifully.
The only minus side to them is that the coating isn't particularly slick... and so if you're going to do push-through false shuffles, you'll probably struggle as the coating breaks down even further. However, this is a casino deck and not a magic performance or cardistry... and therefore, one can easily make the point that the cards fully serve their purpose -- the shuffle well, and withstand a battering through play.
I'll definitely order some more of these. Thanks Lee!
