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I need to edge mark a force card. The concept seems straightforward enough, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice. Can PM more details...

Run your thumbnail down the edge of the card. You will see it a mile off then.

Thanks Mark. I think the cards I'm using might be too new, but that won't last.

Replace a card from the new deck with one from an older deck of the same make/colour/design.

I seem to recall this being called the dirty card principle.

Or mark by feel, rather than visually - like the 'ghost deck' described in 13 Steps (not to be confused with the Ellusionist Ghost Deck!)

I think that's what Mr. Lewis was referencing in his post if I'm not mistaken (. Which I usually am) :p

I like the sound of the dirty cards... I use to use this principle a while back and it worked out fine although it may be a little detectable depending on how dirty the cards are.


The Ghost deck seems to be the best method to use though.

Mark it with a pencil, just rub it down that edge, you can use a sharpie, but then it's really noticeable.

Nope. I don't mean sense of touch. I do mean visual. If you scratch an edge of a card with your thumbnail it will show up very conspicuosly. A quick glance will tell you exactly where the card is. This is described in Cy Endfield's Entertaining Card Magic by Lewis Ganson.

I've used a nail nick a few times on a card and it works very well, as Mark Lewis says it's not really a touch thing although if you made a big enough nick then it could be I suppose. But even a very small nick can be spotted a mile off when you know what you're looking for but you're ever trusting spec will never see a thing.

Thanks guys. Between the edge scrape and the crimping, the card is fairly easy to trace in the deck now.

No! We must have more!

I'll not be satisfied till it's at least shimmed, and there's a small radio device which turns on an air raid siren and releases enough clouds of bats to turn day into night when it gets to the top of the deck.

Now, the misdirection could be an issue here.

DominicRougier wrote:at least shimmed, and there's a small radio device which turns on an air raid siren and releases enough clouds of bats to turn day into night when it gets to the top of the deck

Shhh, not so loud, Ellusionist will probably release it on Monday !

Ooooooooooo harsh but very fair Mandrake.

Dirty Davey wrote:if you made a big enough nick then it could be I suppose. But even a very small nick can be spotted a mile off when you know what you're looking for but you're ever trusting spec will never see a thing.

You can make a nick so small that it is invisible, although you can still find it with your fingernail. This is a razor-blade-pre-prepared thing, though, not something you would do mid-performance to mark a chosen card.