Tom Stone's Factory Blanks

[Matthew Field]

I just received Tom Stone's "Factory Blanks", which I purchased from www.Card-Shark.de. It is that rare and wonderful thing, a powerhouse magic trick utilizing a new principal which has many applications. Best of all, it has set my mind racing away thinking about how I might apply this myself. Tom is one of magic's great minds, and "Factory Blanks" is one of his very best tricks. It has my highest recommendation.

Matt Field

[Jonathan Townsend]

Do these look like playing cards from the back? If so what design.

The idea of someone showing a card to the audience and then looking at it themselves to find it "Unknown"... wondering if there are "blank" cards available which look sufficiently similar but no identity...

Sounds like a fine item. Bravo to Tom Stone and Card-Shark.

[erdnasephile]

RK talks at length (and displays) Tom's creation in the February "More Genii Speaks." To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first, but the demo gave me a perfect idea to use in conjunction with a routine I already do. Just bought 2 of 'em!

[Jonathan Townsend]

RK talks at length (and displays) Tom's creation ...

link to video?

[mr_goat]

Do these look like playing cards from the back? If so what design.
.

They are blank on the backs.

[erdnasephile]

RK talks at length (and displays) Tom's creation ...

link to video?

Hi, JT: the video is accessible via the on-line version of the February, 2016 issue of Genii https://geniimagazine.com/account/

(The video is "More Genii Speaks" which is at the top of the second page of RK's "Genii Speaks" column in that issue)

[Richard Kaufman]

The video is for subscribers.

[Jonathan Townsend]

Thanks Richard. Impressive to watch the cards in action.

[Tom Stone]

Thanks Richard. Impressive to watch the cards in action.

As you noticed, blank both sides. The playing card factories usually do 'blank runs', with unprinted sheets of paper, when they adjust the cuts after sharpening the blades. Cheap to use for practice, for example. That's how it is justified.
The deck should seem incidental, like it is just an amusing variation of asking someone to mentally decide on any card. Both the audience and the spectator should believe they've seen the same thing. The isolated spectator get to see a standard card trick, while the rest of the audience think that the spectator freely made up the card in the head.

[Richard Kaufman]

Inspired by Jim Steinmeyer's "The Emperor's New Deck" which appeared in Genii, where all great things start!

[Tom Stone]

Inspired by Jim Steinmeyer's "The Emperor's New Deck" which appeared in Genii

Yes, exactly! I discussed Jim's piece with him 6-8 month before it was published in the september 2015 issue of Genii, and Factory Blanks was a spin-off idea of that discussion.
Those interested can look up "The Emperor's New Deck" - it is a very intriguing creative excersise to study the gap between A and B, when you know exactly what A and B is. I've learnt a lot myself from doing that kind of excersises.

[erdnasephile]

As an FYI, I just received an email saying the printed documentation for the trick has not made it to the US in time to be shipped with the decks I ordered. Cardshark emailed a link to a pdf of the instructions (and one additional routine by Tom Stone) instead so as not to delay shipping (which was nice of them). I have contacted Card Shark to see if buyers will also receive the printed instructions when they become available.

Therefore, if you are an early adopter and having the printed instructions is important to you, you may wish to wait and email CardShark to make sure the instructions are in stock before ordering.

[Richard Kaufman]

Simple enough to print out a pdf. It's not like it's a collector's item!

[Jonathan Townsend]

Simple enough to print out a pdf. It's not like it's a collector's item!

Could be if they change the art or packaging on the next batch. USPC up for serializing stuff in print runs?

[erdnasephile]

Simple enough to print out a pdf. It's not like it's a collector's item!

That's a fair point.

I didn't mean for my note to sound like a complaint--just a friendly FYI for purchasers.

[Evan Shuster]

I may be alone, but frankly, I appreciated getting the pdf, and having the cards shipped ASAP. The extra "tips" was a nice touch, and my cards arrived the very same day. It would have been a bummer to get the cards and have to wait for the instructions.

BIG thanks to both Tom and CardShark for this release. You will ABSOLUTELY come up with additional uses for this deck. Very cool!

[Tom Stone]

RK talks at length (and displays) Tom's creation ...

link to video?

I took some people aside after a gig and shot a performance video with a cellphone. Messed it up slightly, but I think you'll get the idea.

[erdnasephile]

Thanks for the clip, Tom--very nice!

I received the decks a couple of days ago. Very well made and extremely clever.

I did note that I personally have to stand back about 10 feet for the faces to vanish(under LED "daylight" lighting with a stationary card). If I go to a more typical "warm" household light, the distance drops to 5 feet. My anti-glare transition lenses and my knowledge what to look for may have something to do with it as well. I'm sure in typical performance conditions with cards in motion, the distances will be a lot shorter. It's a very remarkable (and useful) illusion.

Just curious: for those of you who have the cards, what's the minimal distance at which you can't see the faces?

[Richard Kaufman]

Less than three feet.

[Tom Stone]

I did note that I personally have to stand back about 10 feet for the faces to vanish(under LED "daylight" lighting with a stationary card). If I go to a more typical "warm" household light, the distance drops to 5 feet.

Be aware that patterns can play tricks on you, as they 'stick' longer than they should.
If they don't know what they are looking for, you are safe at 5 feet.

[erdnasephile]

Thanks, Tom. (and thanks for releasing it!)