The Art of Trimming Playing Cards

As we first get into magic we are faced with a wall of gaffed playing cards, Svengali decks, Stripper packs, and a ton of one trick pony gaffed cards. Many of these magical offerings, at one time or another, have been cut in an unusual shape or way. A small slice off of one side or an angled trim along the length of a card can turn an ordinary deck in to a box full of miracles for a magician, or it can turn into a financial advantage at the card table for the professional card hustler.

The idea of trimming playing cards in to odd shapes and sizes to give an unfair advantage goes back over one hundred years. But actually obtaining these elusive trimming devices has proven difficult from time to time. Very few people have really attempted to manufacture card trimmers with the magician in mind. Often these devices were very simple, a blade styled after a Guillotine paper cutter or a set of heavy Shears being mounted to one side and control over the angle and distance from the blade(s) roughly in the center of the device.

Our first introduction to these Svengali’s and Strippers often included crudely cut cards, manufactured in bulk, to satisfy magic shops and pitchmen selling them to unsuspecting “punters” or laymen. Because of an introduction to such poorly cut cards many people have discounted them as being a pitch item, or something only suitable for amateurs. But few people have really had the opportunity to handle a deck of cards that has been cut on a professional trimmer. It is like night and day.

Innovations surrounding card trimmers have been few and far between with small micro adjustments being added, and precise ways to set everything from the angle of the cut, to the width of the finished card, to the depth of the blade!

More recently Joe Porper has been on the hunt for the perfect trimmer. Joe’s search for perfection, combined with his skills as a machinist has resulted in a completely new design for the card trimmer. Joe decided to take a big step away from the classic shears or guillotine blade to introduce a new concept in cutting cards that uses a die cutting action and a rotating base in the center of the cutter! This is meant to more closely simulate the actual cutting that goes on in the card factories today.

For most magicians or card handlers, they will completely gloss over the idea of owning a card cutter, but for those select few who choose to enter this new world, they will be rewarded with many of the richest, best kept secrets in magic, card handling, and card hustling. Joe’s innovative new device gives a handful of lucky magicians that exact opportunity. An opportunity to separate from the pack, and become hands on creators and discoverers of some of the finest secrets magic has to offer.

Interested in owning an original Porper Card Cutter? Only ten devices were made. Serious enquires please contact us.

Article by Shane Cobalt. Photography by Brad Fulton