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EndersGame Inner circle Reviewer EndersGame 2198 Posts |
*** NEWLY RELEASED DECKS FROM ART OF PLAY ***
Dan and Dave Buck's Art of Play Art of Play is the online home of Dan and Dave Buck, twins who first made a name for themselves as magicians. They subsequently branched out into the world of cardistry (i.e. card flourishing), and are widely regarded as one of the top pioneers and innovators in this relatively new art-form. They've played a major role in the growth and development of this young discipline, which is increasing in popularity worldwide at an incredible rate. Their expertise with and interest in the world of playing cards also led to the establishment of Art of Play as their own brand and online retail outlet. Since 2013 they have been selling a range that includes hundreds of different decks of quality playing cards, as well as unique games and puzzles. And besides carrying a large inventory of luxury playing cards, Dan and Dave have also been contributing to the custom playing card industry by producing decks of their own, under the Art of Play label. Over the last couple of years alone, they have been producing well over a dozen different decks of custom playing cards every year, with many wonderful and popular designs. I've covered some of their amazing decks previously, and in this article I'd like to focus on some of their newest releases which have just hit the market in the last six months or so. If you're looking for a quality deck of playing cards, or something classy and sophisticated for your poker night, look no further. Art of Play has you covered, and decks like the ones featured in this review will give you a good idea of their tremendous range and high quality. *** DECKS FOR THE CARD GAMER OR MAGICIAN *** Not every deck of playing cards is a one-size-fits-all, suiting every purpose. Some are so customized, that while they are adorable for collectors or cardistry, they aren't very practical for playing card games or for performing card magic. But on the other hand if you are looking for something sophisticated and elegant that is also very functional, with clearly recognizable indices and suits, the decks in this category are for you. These decks are practical, while at the same time making a stylish statement. MAKERS Blacksmith Edition The green and gold MAKERS Playing Cards deck (a previous release) is one of the classiest and elegant decks that Art of Play has ever produced. And now there is a second edition, which is arguably even better than the first. Introducing: the MAKERS: Blacksmith Edition deck. The tuck box of this deck is truly amazing, with elegant gold foil stamped all over the black box in intricate lines that create a look of sheer beauty and class, both inside and out. Silver foil is also used, allowing special words and phrases to pop out such as the name "MAKERS Special Reserve", "revered quality for all beholders" and "made true"; all of which confirm how special this deck really is! Even the larger-than-standard stamp that is used to seal the tuck, with its handwritten font, makes it look super classy. While the outside of the tuck case is already amazing, the inside of it is magnificent! Gold foil is stamped throughout the inside of the tuck in the same elegant swirls and lines as on the outside, and combines together to create an absolutely exquisite tuck case. This deck has been designed by Chad Michael, who has done an excellent job all round. The back design is the same as the first edition, just using a black background rather than the original green. The jet black background looks amazing as the canvas on which the gold ink can clearly stand out, creating a look of pure beauty. Intricate lines are featured on the entire card back, and the closer you look at the cards the more details you notice and appreciate. The attention to detail continues with the Ace of Spades, which is an oversized piece of delicate artwork, featuring a head forming a spade, and has significant aesthetic appeal. The faces of the cards also have intricate lines forming the pips and the court cards, making it a truly ornately decorated deck in every respect. The pips themselves are all thoroughly customised, and are also comprised of intricate lines, which looks very effective. The court cards all represent different foundational "makers" that civilisation has been built on, such as the Smith, the Monarch, or the General. Like the rest of the deck, each court card is composed of lines with a high level of detail, in either red or black depending on the suit, which ensures a good and clear unity between the suits. The deck comes with two matching Jokers, which both depict the Marauder, along with a quote that "death makes all things equal". Also included in the deck are two ad cards, one for Art of Play and the other for Dan and Dave. The cards are printed by USPCC on a special crushed stock, and they handle exceptionally well, being super soft and having a great finish that allows for good fanning and spreads. This quality deck is great for card games, card magic, and even cardistry due to its great stock and design. Antler: Tobacco Brown There’s something special about the outdoors, the deep forests, the flowing rivers and the rolling hills, and the Antler: Tobacco Brown deck helps captures something of this amazing beauty and wonder. Art of Play has previously printed two editions of the Antler Playing Cards, the Standard Edition and the Limited Edition, both editions having two decks, featuring the colours of Hunter Green and Deep Maroon. Now there is another deck to add to the stable, featuring a Tobacco Brown colour scheme. These playing cards are housed inside a beautifully crafted tuck box made of premium brown paper. The letterpress on the tuck box, along with exquisite embossing and foil, creates an elegant and amazing looking tuck case. A brown/gold foil is used which looks wonderful against the backdrop of brown cardboard. The front of tuck box pictures a buck’s head which has been embossed for added impact, so it really pops out of the box. Meanwhile the back of the tuck shows the card-back design, while the seal is appropriately made of an old-looking parchment style, fitting in well with the overall rustic theme. The cards themselves have a mono-colour back design in a brown colour, featuring two bucks. This of course is a clever homage to the Buck twins, Dan and Dave Buck, to whom we are indebted for these beautiful playing cards. Wonderful artwork on the card shows and mimics the forest of the Yosemite National Park. The single colour back design keeps it from becoming to distracting for games or magic, yet ensures that there is elegance in the design. The Ace of Spades features a noble Buck head with artful flourishes ornamenting its antlers, reprising aspects of the back design, and symbolising the Yosemite National Park. The faces maintain all the expected traditional elements in a deck of playing cards, making it very usable and practical. Beside the standard features and look, the court cards are mainly composed of brown shades, which looks great for this deck. The indices also employ a blockier font, which adds to the rustic feel. The hearts and diamonds have been depicted using a red that is more brown than usual, in keeping with the character of the deck. The Jokers feature the name of the deck, "Antler Playing Cards" in fancy writing, and confirm that it is "Dan and Dave approved". The deck does also come with two extra cards, a double backer for magic performances, plus a card with a quote from John Muir. Muir is sometimes known as "John of the Mountains" and "Father of the National Parks", and is quoted as follows: "In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks." This really fits into the idea of the outdoors of this deck, and its sense of adventure. The cards have been printed by USPCC and are on Dan and Dave's trademark crushed stock, which you will find handles amazingly well, being softer than standard and still long lasting. *** CONCLUSION *** So are decks from Art of Play something for you? I've sourced playing cards from Art of Play previously, and continue to be very impressed with the custom cards that they produce, along with their other products. With their background in cardistry and magic, Dan and Dave Buck know exactly what good playing cards are about, and they demand exacting standards of quality that ensures that they make and sell only the very best. They understand what kinds of patterns, colours, and aesthetic designs are appealing and functional, and they also have good connections in the playing card industry to ensure that the cards they produce are of the highest quality, prove durable, and handle smoothly. As such, those with an interest in card magic or card flourishing are sure to appreciate the custom playing cards that they have contributed to the market. But there's also a lot of other fantastic material over at Art of PLay for those who enjoy card games like poker or other traditional card games. Some of their decks are creative, or opt for a more classy and sophisticated look, while they still look familiar and recognizable enough to be very usable and practical. With fresh designs, as well as carefully placed details on the tuck boxes like foil accents and embossing, these are exquisite and high class products that are certain to please the discerning buyer. Recommendation Whether your interest is in card magic, card flourishing, or card games, or even just card collecting, you're almost certain to find some treasures in Art of Play's growing collection. For anyone who enjoys quality playing cards, puzzles, or games, this is definitely a site I recommend you check out! What to learn more? Check out Art of Play: - Official website: artofplay.com - Social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest - Youtube channel: DanAndDave Direct links for items featured in this review: For the Card Gamer or Magician: MAKERS: Blacksmith Edition, Antler: Tobacco Brown For the Collector: Into the Weird, Seekers For the Cardist: Peau Doux For the Clever: Red Goose Puzzle |
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