Only 2 Finishes are being used by USPCC?! Which do YOU use?

[Coconut]

I Found this quote from the 52Kards forum:

It seems a lot of people here think that the handling of a deck is way more custimzable than it really is. Truth of the matter: Big companies all use the same stuff everyone else does. In fact, there are only two kinds of finishes primarily used by brands now: The Air-Cushion finish and the Magic finish from USPCC.

What really defines how a deck handles is the stock. There are many kinds of stock, but the notable ones are Aristocrat, Bicycle and Casino stock.

Aristocrat is a very thin stock, Bicycle is slightly thicker and Casino stock is what the thick, heavy Bee decks are all about.

There is no such thing as a Linen or Linoid finish. These have been discontinued.

Don't buy into the hype of companies when they say "best handling deck" or anything along those lines. Odds are the stock&finish combo they have selected has already been done before.

I suppose MagikFingerz is right in regards to there being no more Linoid finish with Tally Ho's.

What do you guys think about it?

Which finish do you prefer? Also while we're at it, which stock do you prefer as well?

[Assassino13]

I definitely prefer Bee casino stock. Also, even though Aristocrat stock is a little thinner than Bicycle, it is stiffer. Last, I prefer Magic finish.

[Coconut]

I definitely prefer Bee casino stock. Also, even though Aristocrat stock is a little thinner than Bicycle, it is stiffer. Last, I prefer Magic finish.

Is magic finish the same as smooth finish? If not, what is the difference?

[Russell]

smooth vs embossed

those are paper types, you have that option for any stock you choose (Bicycle Bee, etc)

[Assassino13]

No, magic finish is a different chemical make-up than air-cushion. Whereas smooth finish has the same chemical make-up as air-cushion, just applied without the embossing.

[Russell]

No, magic finish is a different chemical make-up than air-cushion. Whereas smooth finish has the same chemical make-up as air-cushion, just applied without the embossing.

not quite. smooth vs embossed have nothing to do with chemicals.

smooth paper goes through a series of rollers with pressure applied to them to squish/smooth out the paper.
embossed paper is the same but the rollers have a pattern on them to give it the textured feeling.

[Assassino13]

No, magic finish is a different chemical make-up than air-cushion. Whereas smooth finish has the same chemical make-up as air-cushion, just applied without the embossing.

not quite. smooth vs embossed have nothing to do with chemicals.

smooth paper goes through a series of rollers with pressure applied to them to squish/smooth out the paper.
embossed paper is the same but the rollers have a pattern on them to give it the textured feeling.

Yeah, but I'm fairly sure Magic finish is a different formula than the standard finish.

[Russell]

Yes, there are only 2 finishes (coatings) that USPCC offers.

[Encarded]

Bee Casino + Magic is tops in my opinion. I love the feel that Tendril ended up with and will probably look at that for Aurum as well.

[Coconut]

Bee Casino + Magic is tops in my opinion. I love the feel that Tendril ended up with and will probably look at that for Aurum as well.

The Tendril cards looks nice. I was looking into getting a deck since it has those skinny borders that are good for fanning.

What are some Bee Stock + Magic Finish cards other than the Tendril?

[Evan]

Bee Stock and Magic Finish is by far my favorite combo. The Tendril deck is one of the nicest handling decks I've ever used.

@Coconut, the Verve deck has Bee and Magic.

[MagikFingerz]

I believe BMP's Bicycle Premium also has Bee Casino + Magic.

And IIRC the first one to have it was the Gold Arcanes.

[alric]

I think Aristocrat stock is thicker than standard Bicycle (325) stock. At least my S&M decks are thicker than 325 stock. Didn't Sinjin do a stock comparison from thinnest to thickest when looking at Ohio versus Kentucky stock? I'm pretty sure he had Aristocrat thicker as well.

[PlayingCardz]

You can't handle the truth!!!

[Coconut]

I think Aristocrat stock is thicker than standard Bicycle (325) stock. At least my S&M decks are thicker than 325 stock. Didn't Sinjin do a stock comparison from thinnest to thickest when looking at Ohio versus Kentucky stock? I'm pretty sure he had Aristocrat thicker as well.

I think I found the post in uc.net that Sinjin was comparing stocks on:

Casino-grade Bee stock is the premium line of stock by the USPCC. Period. It costs the most, is thicker, stiffer, and lasts the longest. These are the qualities most casinos consider most important, and that is what the USPCC provides their biggest casino clientele, as well as custom card makers who are willing to pay the premium price associated with Bee stock.

Aristocrat stock was originally created to be the USPCC's economy version of casino stock. It is only slightly thicker and stiffer than the standard Rider Back stock and doesn't cost that much more than standard stock. This stock was made available as a more cost effective alternative to casino-grade Bee stock, and it is significantly less exspensive than Bee stock. Companies such as T11 and D&D have used creative marketing to hype up the perceived quality of Aristocrat stock by referring to it as premium, and that's fine, they need to make money too. But if you own a casino and wish to contract with the USPCC to make your playing cards, there is only one premium stock, Bee stock. The fact that some twins tell you something is premium does not make it so, no matter how awesome their Sybils look. Do not drink the kool-aid, they're just trying to sell you playing cards.

[alric]

Lol, I think I remember that post, but it isn't the one I was referring to. I think that post was one of Sinjin's rants against Blue Crown because their advertisement said their deck was made on the highest grade stock from USPC. He and Kevin Reylek got into it because Kevin kept saying they made their deck with the best stock (I think it may have been the Vaudeville deck they were arguing about) and Sinjin was saying he measured their deck against casino grade Bee stock and it couldn't have been because their deck was definitely thinner. Ah, good times.

The post I was talking about actually listed USPC stocks from thickest to thinnest and he had Ohio Bees at the top and Steamboats at the bottom, I think.

Anyways, getting back on topic, I think most of Ellusionist decks are on casino-grade Bee stock with Magic/Performance finish. I think some of the CARC decks have that combination also.