How good is this card index?

CardSource Card Index System:
http://www.trickshop.com/card_index.html

Seems like the best card index I've seen advertised! I will be taking the plunge shortly, and a revue will follow.
Gerard

Meanwhile...how does it compare to "The Ultimate Card-Index" by Carlos Castrogiovanni? Any info will be appreciated.
Thanking you,
Gerard

Does anyone here perform Bob Kohler's routine "Sphere of Influence" from his Black Envelope DVD?

Gared Crawford

I feel that the Ultimate Card-Index was not all it was cracked up to be. First of all....who cares how thin the index is when it is empty? The thinest it can be is at least the thickness of a half deck of cards when loaded.

Second, the routines included in the instructions for this particular index were poorly concieved in my opinion. They scream "Pocket Index"! Pulling cards in and out of your pockets is not a tasteful way of using a pocket index. I needed an index to work with Bob K's routine and could find none that fit the requirments. The design for a pocket index should allow for quick extraction of cards with out any "down" time.

This index was also too big or too tall to be used efficiently in any size pockets.

Finally, I found that the cards were not secure enough and would get jumbled after just removing one card due to the design. This made it impossible to use it for effects that involved extracting more than one card.

The only good thing about the Ultimate Card-Index is that it LOOKED like it would really work.

As a performer...these are just my opinions about this model. I am sure others may get great use out of it. It is just a matter of taste and technique.

As for the new CardSource system...if it is made of printer paper and a comb binding....I am not interested. Anybody know what it really is?

-Gared Crawford

Love to hear from any owners about this "CardSource Card Index System" Any opinions on it? Or reviews somewhere?
Thanking you,
Gerard

I own it.... it took less than 1 hour worth of construction and a small trip to use a combing machine.

Results:

Well, it is pretty slim, and acts like a rotary system.

One can locate any value of cards(they are stored 4 of a kind together) instantly just by reaching in the pocket, and then you can either instantly remove the right suit, or with 1 count from either side arrive at the right one.

You do need a reasonbly sized pocket, like any index.

Even though I used heavy stock, if you keep it in your pocket for any length of time while your moving around, wear and tear is a big issue.

I suppose you could get it laminated, it would definatly help the endurance, though I did not have the forsight and I'm still using my first one.


I don't really own any other index's, so I can't compare, but I think that the total price for the Info, the printing guides and the cheap construction cost(I found pretty much a lifetime supply of heavy stock and the binding combs are reusable for less than $10 dollars), it is worth the small price.


There aren't very many good routines included, it includes many basic things like "Remove the Card from your pocket", "palm the card behind and envelope", "palm the card into a blank deck", ect.

But I feel that you can get some good milage of it, if you have the pocket space to carry around 2 index's of course.


I decided that there weren't really any effects I needed a pocket index for, but if you did use one, this solution would be a good one, imho.

Daegs! Thanks so much for the info. I can now decide.
Gerard

Can someone tell what the heck a card index is ?? Feel free to PM me to prevent exposure..

It is exactly what it sounds like. Good ones are hard to find. I make my own. They work better than any I have tried to date.

As McScratchy just said. It's exactly what the name imply's. Just think of a filing cabinet in your pocket that allows you to find any card very quickly.

Anyway, I've been using my CardSource for about a month now. I don't do mentalism but I do a lot of card work. The card source has been a good back up for me. I rarely plan to use it but I have on occasions. As an example one guy challenged me to find the ace of spades without touching the deck he was holding. So I simply pulled the ace of spades out of my pocket then after they saw it I vanished it then told them it is back in their deck. I know, some people would put two and two together and figure I had two of them but this guy wasn't to bright. The challenge alone told me that.. LOL

Anyway, I really like this. I'm sure I'll always have it in my case or pocket when perform a close up show. I could always put something away in my case and secretly pull the card from the index out. It works much better from the pocket though.

Ron Jaxon

Over the past 45 years I have bought every card index system on the market and some that I have made myself, and the best one is the first one I bought 45 years ago. It is made of heavy fiber material riveted at the bottom with large brass rivets. I still have it and I still use it.
The indexes came in a set of two, one for each coat pocket ( notice I said, "coat", for this was back in the days when magicians, or people in general, were proud of the way they dressed and looked). The magician I saw that made me want these things performed a "any card called for" which not only included playing cards but also business cards from around the trade show he was working. A deck of cards were shuffled by a spectator, the deck cut by another. The magician put one half the deck in the right coat pocket and the other half in the left coat pocket. People in the audience began naming cards and immediately the cards came out of the pockets lightning fast, no fumbling, while the performer was talking a mile-a-minute. The routine had so many nuances and clever reveals that it was mind numbing. At one time he pulled out the wrong card, never slowed down talking, took a look at the card, and without a pause the card changed to the called for card right at his finger tips. People in the audience began to call cards as fast as they could, and the performer never missed, and, at one time, was working one ahead as he neared the end of the deck.....had the card out before it was called for with its back to the audience...flipped over when it was called for. During the routine with playing cards, the performer would ask someone in the audience what company he worked for....the company was named....and the business card would come out of the inside pocket. It was the hit of the show, and all during each day the booth was full and other displays on the floor were empty. I still remember the name of the sponsoring company...."American Life Insurance...Just name it, we insure it." Incredible......all this from a bulky card index and several months of constant practice. And therein lies the secret of the card index...no matter what kind you have.

From my experience, there have been a number of card indexes over the years. All claiming to be the best.

I have yet of know of anyone who actually uses a card index. In the end the same type of effect can be done with less trouble.

Save your money! You will never use it!

I know a few, myself included. There are a couple of effects I have purchased over the past year that use the card index as a method, one being a beautiful invisible deck routine. If it is practiced, it is powerful. If not, I agree....don't waste your money.

Has anyone seen a pocket index that uses folded playing cards? I've seen one that is black leather, and it has 26 spots for mercury folded cards. But I can't locate it anywhere...any suggestions for indexes that hold folded cards?

The Anywhere index by Anthony Miller uses folded cards.Not really a pocket index but might be worth looking into.

http://fiveofheartsmagic.com/index.php?a......uctId=98

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPX37l1vNWM