Author (Read 5817 times)

Don Boyer · « **on:** December 04, 2011, 05:04:31 AM »

When I'm at work and have time to kill - which is most of my shift - and I'm not on the boards here or window-shopping (drooling, really) on the magic/card sites, I'm playing solitaire or practicing magic. Usually solitaire. I work at a rather elaborate desk, constructed out of a heavy, composite-stone material. It tends to be cool to the touch, even when it's warm inside.

Often, something comes up and I have to leave my desk for a few moments. Usually when I return, I look at the cards and they're bowed up and away from the table at the sides. Doesn't matter what cards, most decks do this. If there's a stack of cards, then the top one or two cards will bow; three in some cases. Aristocrats, Arcanes, Sentinels, even the venerated Tally Ho is no match for the cool stone desk.

However, when I leave a stack of Streamlines on the desk, they remain flatter than an ironing board, no matter how long they're left.

Go figure.

law_kid · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2011, 09:53:04 AM »

Streamlines rule! And for a buck, you can't beat 'em.

Don Boyer · « **Reply #2 on:** April 02, 2012, 06:12:48 AM »

I just made a wild discovery. Totally blew my mind; I had to post about it here.

You guys know that for a cheap deck, I love Streamlines. I was just playing with a reasonably broken-in deck and started trying to weave-shuffle it - the faro without the perfect interleaving. I was having some trouble, which at first I chalked up to the deck being so cheap, but then, I noticed something and tried weave shuffles face-down.

Son of a gun - Streamlines are TRADITIONALLY CUT, just like Tally Ho!

Even more shocking - I used to think these things fanned like wet concrete, even said as much here. But now that this deck is broken in and has been used a bit, holy-freakin'-cow - they fan pretty well, nearly perfectly, in fact! Even better was the bridge - the smooth faces closed the bridge like greased lightning.

Show me any other deck that can be bought for as little as a dollar - at retail, not in bulk - that can perform like that! You can't - because there aren't any!

Kanped · « **Reply #3 on:** April 02, 2012, 08:29:30 AM »

Streamlines cost (the equivalent of) $5 over here. That's more than Tally-Hos... slightly

Don Boyer · « **Reply #4 on:** April 02, 2012, 08:55:31 AM »

Quote from: Kanped on April 02, 2012, 08:29:30 AM

Streamlines cost (the equivalent of) $5 over here. That's more than Tally-Hos... slightly

Wow. In New York, I can get Streamlines at WalMart for a buck, but Tally-Ho decks from the local fresh fruit-n-veg shop are $3. Can't usually find them cheaper unless you mail-order from T11 or buy at wholesale. Then again, outside of New York City, or a magic shop, you can't find Tally-Ho, period.

NathanCanadas · « **Reply #5 on:** April 02, 2012, 10:39:19 AM »

In Oakland, CA, a set of 2 standard bikes is 10.95$ unless you buy a brick from Costco. Streamlines are 3$ at Walmart, and I haven't picked any up so far. But that discovery kinda makes me want to get a set!

John B. · « **Reply #6 on:** April 02, 2012, 08:22:15 PM »

So the only steamlines I can find are plastic and dont fan well or anything so I am confused.

Aaron · « **Reply #7 on:** April 02, 2012, 08:33:26 PM »

All streamlines are the same, I have never broke a deck in(doing it right now) but out of the box they fan bad, you also can't faro them, but they are a good deck for $1(even in Canada!) So I don't mind them.

DeckReview · « **Reply #8 on:** April 02, 2012, 08:54:57 PM »

I do like the ohio streamlines, get the one branded as royal from CVS and they glide like crazy.

The new ones now take too long to break in but they can take a lot of abuse

Don Boyer · « **Reply #9 on:** April 03, 2012, 02:00:35 AM »

Quote from: John B. on April 02, 2012, 08:22:15 PM

So the only steamlines I can find are plastic and dont fan well or anything so I am confused.

They're not plastic, just plastic coated. You can say the same thing about any deck with a laminated finish on it. All modern finishes are some form of plastic.

Out of the box, no, they fan like crap. But try breaking in a deck and see how it performs. And it's very difficult to faro any standard-cut deck face down; these are actually cut just like Tally Ho, in the traditional method, so face-down faros are a breeze. As DeckReview said, they take a while to break in, but I can see why some of the old-school magicians liked the Streamlines for performing. The back's nice as well, very traditional.

Quote from: Aaron on April 02, 2012, 08:33:26 PM

All streamlines are the same, I have never broke a deck in(doing it right now) but out of the box they fan bad, you also can't faro them, but they are a good deck for $1(even in Canada!) So I don't mind them.

I can't remember if I tried faroing them out of the box or not. But these suckers can withstand certain factors that would wilt even some high-end decks.

Quote from: NathanCanadas on April 02, 2012, 10:39:19 AM

In Oakland, CA, a set of 2 standard bikes is 10.95$ unless you buy a brick from Costco. Streamlines are 3$ at Walmart, and I haven't picked any up so far. But that discovery kinda makes me want to get a set!

I knew Cali was expensive, but I had no idea it was THAT expensive. Your cost of living out there has to be higher than New York's! Bikes bought from a chain pharmacy are roughly $4.25 and local shops near me sell Tallys and Bees for $3 a pack - they don't even have Bikes! The Tallys are Cincy boxes but have the black seals, so there's a 50/50 chance they're from Kentucky, but hey, the performance has never been an issue for me.

Jin Jian · « **Reply #10 on:** April 03, 2012, 08:36:59 AM »

watch this super awesome trailer for the streamline you will love it ... i love it to the core .. lol i watched the video over 10 times !! everytime when i am bored i just naturally go and watch the video and i don't know why ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF6kw_ZFq30

NathanCanadas · « **Reply #11 on:** April 03, 2012, 12:47:09 PM »

Quote from: hawjinjian on April 03, 2012, 08:36:59 AM

watch this super awesome trailer for the streamline you will love it ... i love it to the core .. lol i watched the video over 10 times !! everytime when i am bored i just naturally go and watch the video and i don't know why ..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF6kw_ZFq30

Prooves Don's point!

Quote from: Don Boyer on April 03, 2012, 02:00:35 AM

Quote from: NathanCanadas on April 02, 2012, 10:39:19 AM
In Oakland, CA, a set of 2 standard bikes is 10.95$ unless you buy a brick from Costco. Streamlines are 3$ at Walmart, and I haven't picked any up so far. But that discovery kinda makes me want to get a set!

I knew Cali was expensive, but I had no idea it was THAT expensive. Your cost of living out there has to be higher than New York's! Bikes bought from a chain pharmacy are roughly $4.25 and local shops near me sell Tallys and Bees for $3 a pack - they don't even have Bikes! The Tallys are Cincy boxes but have the black seals, so there's a 50/50 chance they're from Kentucky, but hey, the performance has never been an issue for me.

I don't think the price of life is higher than NY, but some things definitely are overpriced.

Don Boyer · « **Reply #12 on:** April 04, 2012, 09:33:20 AM »

Well, get your Streamlines now, before Dan and Dave start selling them for $4 a pack!

Seriously, out of the box, they're easily dismissible as cheap crap, but you break them in and it's a totally different deck. The quality's got to be at least on par with Bikes if not better. I'm really curious about what stock they used for it.

DelMagic · « **Reply #13 on:** April 04, 2012, 10:20:44 PM »

I just had a brick of the Spanish Streamlines delivered this week. They have a little age as the boxes show a little mottling, but not bad. They aren't cellophane sealed. Right out of the box, fanning is clumpy but not awful. As for faroing, only back to front so the Spanish decks aren't traditionally cut - no surprise. After I work them in I will post again if there is anything interesting to report.

One thing I noticed, and it's great for magicians, is that when you drop doubles on the table they stick together real well. The clumpiness and smooth finish are likely the factors leading to good "stick togetherness."

dancards · « **Reply #14 on:** April 04, 2012, 10:34:09 PM »

There are a lot of different Streamline editions , OP forgot to tell which one he is talking about , the recent ones made in China are horrible for table work.

Also , Tally-Ho's are not traditionally cut , if you got one traditionally cut it is an exception.

NathanCanadas · « **Reply #15 on:** April 04, 2012, 11:07:21 PM »

Quote from: dancards on April 04, 2012, 10:34:09 PM

Also , Tally-Ho's are not traditionally cut , if you got one traditionally cut it is an exception.

I believe you are wrong. I personally own many different tally's and I believe they are traditional cut.

Don Boyer · « **Reply #16 on:** April 05, 2012, 03:29:02 AM »

Quote from: DelMagic on April 04, 2012, 10:20:44 PM

I just had a brick of the Spanish Streamlines delivered this week. They have a little age as the boxes show a little mottling, but not bad. They aren't cellophane sealed. Right out of the box, fanning is clumpy but not awful. As for faroing, only back to front so the Spanish decks aren't traditionally cut - no surprise. After I work them in I will post again if there is anything interesting to report.

One thing I noticed, and it's great for magicians, is that when you drop doubles on the table they stick together real well. The clumpiness and smooth finish are likely the factors leading to good "stick togetherness."

Also known as "adhesion"...

I look forward to hearing about them. Do you mean Spanish as in imported from Spain or as in a 40-48 card deck with traditional Spanish suits? I didn't know Streamlines came that way - either way! Show some photos!

saurabh · « **Reply #17 on:** April 05, 2012, 07:43:21 AM »

I believe he means 'made in spain'.

Thats a part of my question, I don't get these cards locally here in my country, so I'll probably order a brick off ebay.
Are the Spanish decks just as good quality? Or should I look for Kentucky ones?

Don Boyer · « **Reply #18 on:** April 05, 2012, 08:27:32 AM »

Quote from: saurabh on April 05, 2012, 07:43:21 AM

I believe he means 'made in spain'.

Thats a part of my question, I don't get these cards locally here in my country, so I'll probably order a brick off ebay.
Are the Spanish decks just as good quality? Or should I look for Kentucky ones?

Streamlines, at least the ones I'm familiar with which are made by the USPC, are all made in the US at the USPC plant, formerly in Cincinnati, OH, now in Erlanger, KY. He could be referring to another company's product with the same name.

The ones I have are from Kentucky and are just fine, once you break them in. I'm just amazed at the quality for such an inexpensive deck. If you have someone in the States who can make a bulk purchase from WalMart for you, those are likely the best prices you'll find. Otherwise, see if kardwell.com does international shipments - buy by the gross and they're less than $1 a pack.

saurabh · « **Reply #19 on:** April 05, 2012, 08:50:27 AM »

A gross will be too much. And kardwell are looting people on shipping.

The Streamline decks if I'm correct are made in Kentucky, Spain and China. All by the USPCC. But under different manufacturing units. My question was if there is any significant difference in quality between the American and Spanish. The Chinese I'o told handle like crap.

Don Boyer · « **Reply #20 on:** April 05, 2012, 09:50:26 AM »

Quote from: saurabh on April 05, 2012, 08:50:27 AM

A gross will be too much. And kardwell are looting people on shipping.

The Streamline decks if I'm correct are made in Kentucky, Spain and China. All by the USPCC. But under different manufacturing units. My question was if there is any significant difference in quality between the American and Spanish. The Chinese I'o told handle like crap.

I don't know anything about Streamlines from Spain. The only manufacturing USPC does in Spain is through Fournier, one of their more recent acquisitions. But the only USPC-branded deck made out of Vittoria, Spain was the Bicycle Prestige deck, all plastic, in red and blue. They were able to get affordable quality that some people actually prefer to Kem deck sets, and they're sold individually. The Karnival Death Heads were made the same way.

I do know that some years ago, USPC did try making a deal with a Chinese company for making their lower-end decks - I know they did it for Aviator, and I think they did it for Streamline as well. I had a conversation with the Director of Sales at USPC and he told me that the Chinese manufacturer couldn't provide an acceptable level of quality and was dropped. As of now, all other USPC-branded decks are made in Erlanger and nowhere else.

Fournier actually has an equivalent deck to Streamlines, the Fournier 505 deck. They're actually of better quality, and Lee Asher liked them so much, he made them the basis for his own Fournier deck, the 605. The basic 505s are red and blue while the Lee Asher models are slightly higher in quality and made with the same back in brown and green. There's no reason why they'd want to make a lower-than-basic deck like the Streamline.

saurabh · « **Reply #21 on:** April 05, 2012, 10:33:07 AM »

Well I'm sure there was at least one run in Spain and the cards are easily available.
I'm also well aware of the fournier cards and I like them. Especially since the DeKram deck was made.

So can someone actually answer the darn question? Are the Spanish decks good?

NathanCanadas · « **Reply #22 on:** April 05, 2012, 12:29:09 PM »

Quote from: saurabh on April 05, 2012, 10:35:21 AM

Well I'm sure there was at least one run in Spain and the cards are easily available.
I'm also well aware of the fournier cards and I like them. Especially since the DeKram deck was made.

So can someone actually answer the darn question? Are the Spanish decks good?

Just making you notice you posted the same thing twice accidentally.
I was wondering, who did USPCC print the Streamlines made in China through?

Don Boyer · « **Reply #23 on:** April 05, 2012, 03:47:59 PM »

Quote from: NathanCanadas on April 05, 2012, 12:29:09 PM

Quote from: saurabh on April 05, 2012, 10:35:21 AM
Well I'm sure there was at least one run in Spain and the cards are easily available.
I'm also well aware of the fournier cards and I like them. Especially since the DeKram deck was made.

So can someone actually answer the darn question? Are the Spanish decks good?
Just making you notice you posted the same thing twice accidentally.
I was wondering, who did USPCC print the Streamlines made in China through?

My contact wasn't forthcoming, since it sounded like they're never planning to use that printer again. They were quite dissatisfied with the Aviators coming from there, and I'd wager they shifted Streamlines there for a while, though that's only a guess. Either way, they're all made in the USA now.

@saurabh - if you can show us a photo of the Spanish-made deck box, that might help us.

dancards · « **Reply #24 on:** April 05, 2012, 04:36:10 PM »

This topic is confuse because there are quite a few Streamline versions with different qualities ( stock , finish , cut ) and Don Boyer didn't mention in the first post which Streamline version he is talking about.

Over the last decade Streamline decks have been produced in the U.S. , Spain and China , there are also pre-USPC Streamline decks made in Chicago by Arrco.

After USPC bought Arrco they kept some Arrco info in the box , only later they changed the word "Arrco" in front of the box to "Poker" which is still used today. Here are some pictures from Streamline decks made in the U.S. , Spain , China and one deck from the late 80's after USPC bought Arrco.