Sorry to bother you guys
I am rather new to magic , and card manipulation,
and I bought a couple of bicycle Stripper decks and a few DVD's relating to their magic
and I realize it should be easy to separate the Reds from the Blacks by 'pulling gently'
But I just can't do it well....Sooo frustrating !!
I have been practicing for a week and can't get the separation
I have no trouble 'stripping out 2 or 3 or 4 cards from the deck
but I just can't seem to strip out say more than 10...
without dragging along others...etc...
I really would like to figure out how to separate the Rds/Blacks, for say an OOTW routine...
Any advice for me...??
or is there a book/DVD I can purchase, to help me
Thanks for any help
OK to just PM me if you like
Michael in Baltimore

A couple of quick points:

• Both hands should be same relative distance from their respective ends. Whether it be 1/4", 1/2", etc.
  
• Experiment with holding the deck at slightly different distances from the end. Holding it too far near the end or not far enough can have a big impact on your success
  
• Here's a biggie: Hold the cards lightly! The harder you grip them the harder it will be to separate the colors
  
• Try holding the cards vertically so that they are resting on your middle fingers. Relax your fingers so that you're "putting air" between the cards and then gently try the strip out. I still do this if I'm using a hot sticky deck that doesn't want to separate properly
  

What tends to happen when you have some difficulty you unconsciously grip the cards more firmly which makes it even harder to get things to work. Focus on gentle pressure and everything should work out alright. Good luck.

You're working too hard if you need a Stripper to do OOTW. The original method used a full deck stack, false shuffles, but there is an easier U.F. Grant method with a regular deck, no stack, and no false shuffle which still gets laymen. It was originally tipped to me. PM me and I'll tip it to you.

You mentioned in your post that you are reletively new to magic. When you become more comfortable, you might want to try to learn how to cull cards. This way, you can simply spread through an ungimmicked deck once and have the reds and the blacks separated.

But back to your original question. I really don't have anything to add to Steven Keyl's post because he covers all of the important aspects. The most important point is the third bullet point.

Zack Johnston

Separating the cards red and black with a Stripper Deck in one fell swoop is not as easy as one might believe. A lot depends on the quality of the cards, the quality of the surface of the cards, the quality of the strip, and exactly how one balances the cards at the fingertips.

I used to sell Stripper Decks by doing a trick (which can be done with an un-gaffed deck) by where two spectators each select and then their cards are found in their opposite colors. The main move was the one you've described; stripping the deck into its two colors. The main problem I perceived, besides the fact the trick could be done with an un-stripped deck, (boy, that takes me back...), was that I couldn't just strip out 26 cards from the other 26 without having to adjust my grip on the deck. Maybe it was my cards, maybe it was my innate lack of ability, maybe it was because the stars weren't lined up correctly; I just couldn't get it to work the way I wanted it to. Bullocks. Instead of just leaving the deck on the table in riffle shuffle position, I had to balance the deck sideways at my fingertips, very similar to the grip one has when cutting the deck in half before a Faro shuffle.

Well, this was an unorthodox grip for me. It drew a lot of heat. I figured out quickly that it needed a reason, and that's where I struggled the most while developing my handling of the trick. I eventually solved the problem through routining, and it was a decent enough solution to sell lots of deck. (Read: routining is pretty darn important.)

So, with that, I'll offer an idea. Reposition the deck in your hands so you have better control of the weight and balance of the deck. Hold it sideways, right at your fingertips, and make sure you can see 26 cards that are going to go in one direction, and the other 26 that will be going the other. You might be more able to get the strip in one shot this way, but you'll have to play with it a while to get there.

If you're interested, or if this is not clear enough, contact me via PM, and I'll elaborate further regarding my exact handling, and, more importantly, my routining, which accommodates an imperfect strip. But not here.

You should not be trying to strip out all 26 at once. Do a few and repeat casually as if you are just cutting the deck while you're talking to the spectator. You might want to try Colombini's DVD's on Oil and Water for simpler ways to do the effect.

Just learn my The Great Divide and you don't need a stripper deck.

Learn Darwin Ortiz's "Stebbins From NDO" and stop after the first Faro. (If you're starting with a fresh deck.)

FWIW

I second this. U.F. Grant's method is great.

The Hierophant had an application of the Stripper Deck to OOTW. The cards the spectator holds can be seen as mixed red/black until the revelation. Think about it. In the original handling of OOTW, the spectator is told not to look at the cards as he's sorting them, for fear of "influencing his decisions", or whatever works at the moment. (Read: for fear of revealing the truth.) With a stripped deck, the spectator can look all he wants at the cards he still holds in his hands, and can see he is truly holding mixed cards before he decides on each one. It's an interesting take on the presentation.

Patrick,

Are you sure about the Hierophant citation?

I remember a handling in Sticks and Stones, Marlo's Subconcious. Is this what you are thinking of?

Um, I just think: Make it simple. I use Harry's (^ Lorayne's) Impromptu Out Of This World. Gets 'em every time.

Yes, Kabbalah. It was Sticks and Stones. My mistake.

The stripper deck is not a deck ,is a wonderful weapon.
I love cosmo 2 by Greg Rostami. The magic happens in the hands of a layman.
The magician it is only an espectator. It is my great finish.
I think that mixing methods is always a winner.

Thank you konstant.

Here's a video of Cosmos 2:

http://youtu.be/GYRu1GpHr4c

G Ro