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Hey guys, I am woefully incapable of doing a good job of trimming some of my cards down, there is a trick deck that features some of these slightly smaller cards that begins with S. Can I just buy an S deck, take 1 card out and put it in a normal deck, and use it as a S card?? I hope this makes sense, but not too much sense!

Yes you could take one of the S cards and put it in a normal deck I've got a feeling that somewhere like cards4magic do short cards, anyone??

Haha I didn't know if I could say short cards I've been trying to make them but I'm terrible, so I might just order a special deck, take out the short cards and stick them in normal decks, I just wanted to make sure it would work, thank you

Or try curved nail scissors for the corners. I only use the short one as a key so it's not really noticed if it's not perfect.

Davenports sell a device which trims you cards down to the required size.

Metal ruler, craft knife, steady hand, sand paper/side of matchbox/emery board to smooth the corners round again - job done! Corner shortening is easier and less likely to be spotted, use nail scissors as suggested or nail clippers or even a corner rounding punch from craft shops.

You can buy an entire short card deck here http://www.cards4magic.co.uk/ - just type short card into the search box. You can also buy from there a single long card to use as a locator in a regular deck.

Annemann suggests doing something that I'm not sure if I can say. I can't even remember which Annemann book it's in (there are a fair few). It involves something which can often happen to the corner of a card by accident, esp when handled by muggles. Can we say it? It works pretty well, not as well as a proper corner short, but it's worth trying, and handy for 'borrowed deck' type situations...

Just a thought, but is it really worth paying all that money for another deck. I'm sure cutting a short card isn't that difficult that it warrents spending upwards of ten pounds for a random deck. This is why if I use a marked deck, I mark it myself. I mean really, pay ten or twenty pounds on a marked deck or about two and spend half an hour or so marking it myself. I feel the effort taken out weighs the cost.

Personally I like the Dai Vernon short card which I think is in one of his card secrets books or perhaps in the stars of magic.

As an after thought, as an alternative for a short card you could take a sleightly older, more used card from another deck. This makes it easier to cut to. Also if you happen to have one, there are decks which are traditionally cut rather than standard cut which means that they act in the same way as a reversed card, being easier to cut or riffle to. I believe the Richard Turner deck is traditionally cut.

I find the best way is to place two cards together, pull one back a little bit and draw roundthe card now you have a perfect line to follow.
Scissors or craft knife and as someone said earlier a match box or emery board for the corners.
I think somewhere like lybrary sells a corner cutter that is the right size for plating cards.

Now if you just stuck two cards together you wouldhave another control card

If you did buy a deck of short cards--make sure you ask for a matching normal deck as well--in case the shorts do not match your own deck.

Not quite the shorts you mean But:
Douglas Hood who used to make his own stripper/Biseaute Decks--for sale to dealers--used a simple plywood board with a small paper guillotine on it. The cards were held by 3 nails--could have been 4--it was 60 years ago!!. The way he had placed the nails put the cards in the right position.

His Strippers were end ones--not the usual long ones. I always thought as a kid that this was a more natural way to hold the deck when stripping--no jokes guys--please!!
The only time I have ever come across end strippers was in Jean Hugard.

Allen Tipton

Pepsi Twist wrote:Hey guys, I am woefully incapable of doing a good job of trimming some of my cards down, there is a trick deck that features some of these slightly smaller cards that begins with S. Can I just buy an S deck, take 1 card out and put it in a normal deck, and use it as a S card?? I hope this makes sense, but not too much sense!

Hi there pepsi twist, how did you get on with all the good advice regarding your short card dilema? hmmm!!! from derby hey? only a few miles down the A6 from you.

Theo Annemann also recommends when making a short locator card instead of a straight line, a very shallow curve should be cut at both ends (1/16 of an inch at it's deepest) this way, there is no need to tap the deck to 'settle' the short card when you wish to cut to it.