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Joe Porper Card Clip


Effect: None! It's an accessory!

Price: £20.00 from: Top Secret Magic.

Review: I've been using a Card Guard for a while now. Not one bought from a shop but a home-made one by a friend of mine. It's proved to be much more useful than I ever expected! Usually the condition of the cards don't matter that much but recently I've been working on some Darwin Ortiz routines that demand perfect Faro shuffles and suddenly the flatness of the cards becomes critical. With the Card Guard, packs of Bicycles remain useable for much longer.

So then, why spend £20.00 on a clip which does the same job? I've got to admit, the main reason is that it looks so cool! The extruded aluminum with black anodized finish just screams class (much like a Black Tiger deck) along with the Joe Porper signature on the spine.

But there is more!
Because of the sprung spine, this clip exerts pressure flatly across the cards in a way that the Card Guard can't. The result is a pack which is perfectly flat - a better result than the cheap clips.

Is it worth spending three times as much as for a Card Guard? Probably not! In the same way that a Rolls Royce can't ever be justified on economic grounds it's probably not worth spending your money on this.
But, just as a Rolls is never bought for economic reasons, the Porper Clip is almost pure indulgence.

Purists might want to hide this clip from their audiences, who might think it's a gimmick, but I think it adds a little prestige to your working tools. If they ask, you just tell them the truth about what it's for - no need to hide anything!

Also, I've heard of magicians having their clip engraved, which adds a little more class.

Drawbacks: only one I know of - the Black Tiger decks don't fit this clip. The boxes are slightly bigger than Bicycles.
Tally-Ho's and Bee's fit fine.

Overall Rating: 10/10. Mostly for all the wrong, self-indulgent, reasons!

Well it certainly looks like a very nice to have item, albeit a little expensive maybe.

Can you confirm that it fits regular bikes? (I never realised that the black tigers were in a bigger box...)

Also is there a need to actually have them in the box if you have this? I mean would they not be just as protected in the card clip.

Yes, it definitely fits regular Bikes - that's what I usually have in it.

I don't think it would hold a deck without the box - the thickness of the deck wouldn't be enough to fill the clip. Anyway, the box would still be a good idea as it keeps dirt out and stops the edges of the cards from getting worn.

I have one of these aswell - much better than a standard card guard. I did spend 20minutes trying to get the cards out earlier, but they don't normally get stuck.

I just got mine, and put a sealed bicycle deck in. I'm guessing the extra 2 sudoku cards or whatever are too many - I can't get the bratwursts out. Help!

EDIT: Just managed to get them out. For anyone else who has this problem, insert a knife (I used my pen knife) carefully between deck and clip this will release pressure and with a bit of dexterity, which anyone using a clip should already have.... the cards will slide out.

A knife

bloody hell mate.. whats wronf with finger forcing them out>>

IIn any case.. ALWAYS take the advert cards out.. i dropped my porper clip a few times... has some sexy little scratches

The Porper Clip sure is fantastic!

The reason why Tigers/Ghosts/Vipers/Masters don't fit into the clip is because the cards are actually a fraction thicker than normal Bikes and other cards. You can actually buy a slightly wider Porper Clip from Ellusionist for these "special" decks but I personally have no point in doing so. If your main cards are these "special" decks, then go for the thicker Porper.

But yeah.... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Steve

I.D wrote:A knife

bloody hell mate.. whats wronf with finger forcing them out>>

It isn't as bad as it sounds lol, I couldn't pull them out by hand, so I just slid the knife in between which opened the clip, released the pressure and let them free! I'm thinking of seeing if it can be engraved, although I don't know whether I'm worthy to be opposite the professor himself....

Just got mine, great work from Joe!!!! Everytime I use my cards, they're like new!

I've got the porper clip and never leave my cards out of it. I think that it's the best clip available.

I got the custom deck version. If you add a couple of spare cards to normal bike decks, they fit perfectly. The only cards that i have found that dont fit into the clip are Masters. If you remove the advertising cards though they fit in just fine.

Looks nice to pull this out of your pocket instead of a mashed up card box!

I keep my vipers in it. I think it's a fantastic look and very classy. I always recieve attention and compliments when I break them out. On top of that, they keep the cards "fresh".

Just my two cents.

Seems like a nice accessory, if a little on the pricey side. I think I'll stick with my economy card guard (I'm not as classy as you lot!)

I was also looking for a card case. Any news/reviews on the custom stainless steel ones (e.g ones made for black tiger?). Pretty cheap...

http://www.magicmagic.co.uk/store/index ... ductId=190

I have the masters version and think it looks amazing, really impresses the layman with a professional feel. Its pretty good at keeping the cards flat, but its primary function is for show.

I wouldn't recommend the ghost variation; i was disappointed but would recommend the masters