Just saw a post on E-bay for packs of green backed and black backed Bicycle decks, the boxes said; "for tactical field use".

I'm assuming that these are some sort of military issue Bikes. Does anybody know where these can be obtained, outside of E-bay?

Green are normally available around Xmas time, never heard of black before.

Tactical field use? Reminded me of Ricky Jay's "Cards as Weapons."

If they were military, are these black cards now available on the black market?

Paul.

Green decks are commonly known as Holiday Backs and made by the US Play Card Co.

Please ignore Paul's joke... like a bad smell, he'll eventually go away.

Oh, hi Mr Hallas! See you next month!

--Andi

There was an earlier discussion on this somewhere. I think it was stated that these are "camoflaged" cards, and are sold at the PXs around the country.

I see your "sense of humour by-pass operation" worked out quite successfully Andi.

re;
Green decks are commonly known as Holiday Backs and made by the US Play Card Co.

Well, if they were Bicycles, as initially mentioned, they would be made by the U.S. Playing Card Co. wouldn't they? But it is probably possible to obtain cards with a different green back design which are not made by the same company. (So there, you young whippersnapper!):)

Anyway, might be worth asking Clive LeeWarden about the black ones at Eastbourne..

No doubt bizarrists are already thinking about concluding a card routine by sucking the life blood out of the deck leaving it dead and lifeless.

Paul.

Uh oh! I've upset Paul!



Thats why I mentioned it, because the non-USPC ones are very poor quality. The Bike ones aren't exactly the same design, but I've used them since I was 13 in the Red Hot Mamma part of my RE-Cycle routine and have never had anyone notice the difference in design when the colour changes.

--Andi

I don't know that there are green-backed Bikes available for tactical use, but black-backed decks are made for this purpose. The box they come in is green and black, but the cards themselves are black-backed. The red print on the faces of the hearts and diamonds is darker, almost brownish, so that it visible under certain lighting/lens conditions. Handle these cards for a bit then go back to a standard deck and you will see the brightest red you've ever seen on your cards! These special decks are "Exclusively produced for the American Service Members" by the USPC, but you may be able to obtain some if you have friends or family in the military.

A red lens would make the normal red color almost looks white. That's interesting.

The stranger's gallery trick uses white, black, yellow d-backers. I never do that trick but I always want to cuz I like those different color cards.

to bad whole decks like that are not easier to get from US Play Card Co.

Hmmmm, holiday cards, will definitly have to keep an eye out for those. The boxes where camo, and I'm quite sure you're right about being issued to service men and women. Now I just need to find someone in the military that would be willing to buy them for me.....I wonder if an Army surplus store wouldn't have access to some.

They're military issue; you can get 'em on almost any base at the PX for less than $2 a pack - no great deal there, btw.

The green-backed ones are a dark (olive) green and it can be difficult to tell the red suits from the black suits under dim lighting conditions. Also, the quality of the card stock sucks, IMO.

Regards,
Thomas Wayne

Andi said;
"and have never had anyone notice the difference in design when the colour changes."

Once, years back, in my residency I did Wagner's Torn and Restored card with a Bicycle card and realised as I was performing it the half card was a Tally Ho card. No-one noticed.

No, I'm not upset Andi lol.

You'll KNOW when I'm upset
Paul.

The Bicycle Tactical Field Playing Cards come in a very dark green box and have very dark green backs (almost black.) The red for the pips/courtcards is indeed a much darker red. UPC Code for the deck is 73854 00535 and order code is #535. The code on the Ace of Spades is B1643. They are available from the AAFES BX/PX (and probably even the Navy Exchange.)

I bought several decks and about half had black backs. No way to tell the back color before you buy, though.
They seem to handle pretty well. Same stock and finish as regular bikes (IMHO)

When I was stationed at Fort Knox for IET I first noticed the Tactical Field Playing Cards and immediately bought every deck I found. They are indeed Bicycle Rider Back backs but they are on different stock I believe. They are not as stiff as usual Rider Back cards. They also have a longer life in casual use because they were designed to be used in the field. They are also red lens playable, meaning that there is no red on the cards, rather it is a bit purplish, similar to casino colors. This is due to the fact that a red lens would obviously make the red ink invisible and would pose obvious problems. The back colors are OD Green and Black. The OD Green is not a holiday green but rather a darker "camo" green. They really do not stand out when put into other decks like a red card would in a blue deck, or a blue card in a red deck. They might be useful for a color changing deck, but because I use a Rainbow Deck I have never given it a shot. Also you cannot determine the color of the backs from the card box as they are all the same, an OD Green box with black lettering. The box itself may be useful in a color changing card box effect because not only would the color change but the design as well. As far as handling goes, with the exception of the stiffness, they feel like other Bicycle cards so they handle about the same. I wouldnt use them except around Army buddies because of the oddness of the cards but they certainly are worth getting if you are the type of person who likes to get all of the various back designs.

There is a difference. One kind was made for use in casual family games, or weekly card games, etc. The other was made for use in the field. All other magicians I had shown them to notice instantly the difference in the way they feel. It's like night and day, Bicycle and Tally-Ho.