mark lewis wrote:I actually have a ton of bridge sized gaffed cards left over from decades ago. Mostly from International Magic but also a few from Piatnick that Magic Christian put out years ago. I think International got Waddingtons to print them specially. I far prefer bridge cards but being stuck in Canada they are not quite as available as they are in the UK so I have to use poker size a lot whether I like it or not. The main disadvantage I find is that I can't do various fancy one hand cuts that I have done for years with bridge cards.
Ahhhh the good old days of International Playing Cards - printed I believe by Waddingtons (who bought up Alf Cooke in 1970) but with Ron MacMillan Holborn London on the Ace of Spades.
I've still got some packs of these cards (Sven and Stripper) that I love using from time to time. I've also got a Devano in these cards; which still works brilliantly - particularly when compared to the dross that has found it's way here from across the pond; including the apparently wonderful Martini Rising Card Decks, made by Marty Grams. Utter junk.
Piatnik was an excellent brand as well Mark - the print quality and cut of their cards and gimmicks, was superb. Unfortunately, with the arrival and increasing popularity of magic video tapes from the mid-80's and throughout the 90's, UK Magicians appeared to become brainwashed into believing that using Bikes, Bees and Tally Ho's would transform them into an overnight Erdnase, Martin Nash or Richard Turner. I remember speaking to Morley Budden of Kaymar Magic about this; and him relating that interest in the once popular Magic Christian Piatnik range had diminished beyond belief; and only accounted for around 10% of his card trick-related sales.
A few years ago, I performed a Joe Riding lecture at my local Magic Club. One of the younger guys said to me at the interval "I didn't think it would be any good because at the start, you took out two decks of Waddingtons cards". Having admonished him by telling him quite clearly that Waddingtons still come in PACKS, I asked the barman in the Working Man's Club, if he had any cards behind the bar. Along with a few crib boards, you can guess the manufacturer of cards that he showed to us. I think it proved a point to the guy. We all have to learn.
Many newer magicians have this perception that something can't be very good, if it's using Waddingtons Cards, which I think is a very sad indictment of Magic these days. If only they had seen Rovi or Joe Riding work.......or of course, Mark Lewis!