talkmagic.co.uk

Available from:

www.nnmagic.com/magicitems/manipulationpage.htm
$20 US

www.cards4magic.co.uk/acatalog/Playing_ ... ories.html
£15

I have just received this gadget from cards4magic.
It is a card dropper designed to hold up to a full deck of cards. This makes it rather unusual since most (i believe) are designed to only hold a small packet.
[NB the description on cards4magic is currently wrong - it says it holds up to 1/3 of a deck - it definitely holds a whole deck]

It is a simple device with no complicated mechanical parts to go wrong. It is (apparently) made of brass. It is entirely coated in black to make it inconspicuous. This includes the integrated safety pin.

If you go to the Nielsen site (above) you can see a photo. This however does not do it justice! You will see that the cards are cradled on each side and underneath. This makes it look like you would remove the cards by lifting them out (which would probably be ok). In fact the part that holds beneath the cards is gently bent to form a large spring. This means that you can remove the cards as follows: place fingers underneath the cards & lift about 0.5 cm. This frees them from the underneath gripper, which instantly springs back clear of the cards. The cards will then drop straight into your waiting hand. This is a delightfully ingenious but simple quick-release mechanism that was much more than I had expected. So this really is a whole deck dropper :D Not just a deck holder.

All in all, it is well-designed & well-constructed. An excellent utility device that is very fit-for-purpose.

Value-for-money = 10/10