Looking for some durable decks!

[CardNewb]

Hello,I've recently taken up cardistry,and I gotta say i am pretty invested in it.I have acquired until now three decks:A Bicycle Standard and a Bicycle Seconds for practicing,and a Bicycle Guardians for performing.Right now I am looking for some durable playing cards,but decks in my country are harder to find hence more expensive,I am looking for something in the price range of Bicycle Tragedy,and Bicycle Peacock.I am looking forward to your responses!

[HankMan]

You might want to look at getting decks produced by Legends or Expert PCC.

Since you are in Romania, I would suggest getting your cards from Legendsplayingcard.com they offer pretty low shipping cost, and most importantly they have many great selections of durable cards.

[Don Boyer]

Cheapest durable decks you'll find will be something in a casino-grade stock and not too deep into the custom category - something closer to a standard deck design.

Expert Playing Card Company will soon be offering the Superior Brand deck with the Classic Back design and Robusto stock as a standard edition (with gold ink on the backs) and a limited edition (with gold foil stamped on the backs).  They had a limited release late last year and should be available soon.  Robusto stock is the heaviest paper stock I've seen anywhere.

For something cheaper, try Ellusionist's Bicycle Masters Edition in red or blue.  They're basically the same design as regular Bicycle cards but on heavier stock.  It's the cheapest deck they offer.  Want even cheaper?  Get some off-the-shelf Bee Diamond Backs - you can get them cheaper if you buy in bulk.  Theory11 usually has a good price for standard decks like that.

If you're willing to try plastic decks, there's a lot of durable options, but none of them will handle exactly like a paper deck.  Bicycle Prestige and Karnival Death Heads Armour Edition come close - the stock has a good texture to it, but it is a little more flexible than a typical casino-grade paper deck.

There are other topics about this very same subject, if you search around a little.  More decks have been mentioned that would fit the bill.  Try going to the forum home page and do a keyword search for "durable."

Remember - cardistry is hard on your cards.  Depending on how much you use them, you might get a week or two out of a pack before it's too worn out and needs to be replaced.  Buy cheap and in bulk quantities to save money.

[CardNewb]

Thanks a lot for the tips you've given me.I went online and ordered some Diamond Back Bees,and I hope those will last me for a while.I could go on and order some Streamlines,a Xi Ca Fai,a Rider Back,maybe a Stickman Gold and a Dragon Back,but I don't know how ell do any of these hold up after a long period of time.

[Don Boyer]

Thanks a lot for the tips you've given me.I went online and ordered some Diamond Back Bees,and I hope those will last me for a while.I could go on and order some Streamlines,a Xi Ca Fai,a Rider Back,maybe a Stickman Gold and a Dragon Back,but I don't know how ell do any of these hold up after a long period of time.

For cardistry practice, stick with cards that aren't limited editions or terribly expensive.  I've had good experience with Streamlines, but you have to be sure and get the ones made in the US or in Spain - the Chinese-made ones are of significantly lower quality.  Also be aware that Streamlines are smooth, not embossed (like Air Cushion, Cambric, etc.), so they'll have different glide characteristics.  Decks that have a lot of color right at the card's edge will show signs of wear as the ink and lacquer chip off and expose the white paper beneath, but a simple, small, repeating pattern like the Diamond Back does a decent job of concealing this.

I don't know if humidity is an issue where you live - if it is, try getting some Aladdins.  They're made to resist high heat and humidity conditions but are sold predominantly in Singapore so they're a little more difficult to obtain.  These also have a smooth finish but still have good glide.