Aging a Deck

I've killed my Hanson-Roberts!

Nah, not really, just put a good twenty years on it. See, I have a few copies of the Hanson-Roberts and HATED the credit-card feel of the first one I got, the newer printing. As soon as I got an older one, I just knew something had to be done. And when I read Umbrae's post about dunking a US Games deck in tea to age it . . .

It doesn't look quite authentic, but it's nice. Much nicer to shuffle now, even with the bow that I just can't get out of it. The cards don't slide against one another as well, though, but that's down to the vicious sanding I gave both sides of each one.

Now, before the sanctimonious among us have a go at me, I did this as a bit of fun, not as a means to impress anyone with how long I've been reading or anything.

I've attached pics - each card has its equivalent from the older printing above it, and the colours are a little paler in that one than the newer printing, but you get the idea. The first closeup is the aged Lovers, second is the pristine Lovers. Enjoy!

\m/ Kat

I like it. I wouldn't be brave enough to do it, but I like it

Very well done. Looks really nice!! Congrats!

Astraea Aurora

Looks good, but I wouldn't be brave enough to do it myself. And the only negative I can see for myself, if I were to ever get the gumption to give it a go, is that it dulls the definition of the images somewhat and I prefer the crispness of clarity, being able to clearly see each and every little thing even if sometimes I don't see them all, if you know what I mean.
But you did say you gave them a sanding as well, so maybe a dunking on its own without the roughing up would be enough for me...if I were to ever want to, dare to!

I had similar results when I did this to my pocket Universal Waite.

It turned out great...

...but unfortunately I used coffee instead of tea and it absolutely STINKS!!

I can't even open the box now, let alone use it.

Im a real expert on aging stuff I used to do collages with "aged" tea-dunked copies of manuscripts and stuff. What you´d have to do with a deck is make sure that the cards are not overlapping when "marinating" as you´ll get stains and lines where the dying has been less effective. Looks awful.... And you have to time the length of the marination, otherwise the tone varies.

Plus, as the tea weakens the results get lighter and lighter and, with a deck of 78 cards, you´d have to have them reasonably consistant...

Quite a minefield!

teomat said:

...but unfortunately I used coffee instead of tea and it absolutely STINKS!!

Click to expand...

Oh No!!!

Umbrae had a more practical method...slide each card over the edge of a clean table...front, back, top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left. It doesn't affect the images, but it takes away the credit card feel, and makes them shuffle like whipped cream.

I have never shuffled whipped cream, but I have done this to all my decks (not the Touchstone, though. I feel some sort of awe for that one that doesn't allow for messing about with it!)

I like how the tea cards look! A friend gave me a rag doll that looks like it was dipped in tea. But it just looks like some kid drooled on it a lot

I just love it.

Feretian said:

Oh No!!!

Umbrae had a more practical method...slide each card over the edge of a clean table...front, back, top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left. It doesn't affect the images, but it takes away the credit card feel, and makes them shuffle like whipped cream.

Click to expand...

There are various steps to 'aging' a deck.

1) Pulling across a table edge on each axis is a good starter step.

2) The Tea bath is step two. And more advanced.

3) If you want three chances to really mess up a deck - find some wood fire ashes (or ashes from your recent burning of any vegetable derivative). Get a sponge and get it damp (not drippy wet), get a corner of the sponge black with ash and brush along all four sides of the deck block (do NOT worry about getting it even), just blacken all four sides.
If your sponge has a scratchy side, get it damp, and scratch up the blackened sides.
Wrap the deck in a ‘rag’, to help absorb the excess moisture, shuffling every 30 minutes or so to help keep the cards from ‘cupping’ if too much moisture is applied.
Use – will spread the ash black and rub most of it off over about a week of use. But the sides of the deck will look lovely!
Try not to use cigarette or cigar ash (duh).

ALL of my working decks get step three. most get step one. a few get step two.

Le Fanu said:

Im a real expert on aging stuff I used to do collages with "aged" tea-dunked copies of manuscripts and stuff. What you´d have to do with a deck is make sure that the cards are not overlapping when "marinating" as you´ll get stains and lines where the dying has been less effective. Looks awful.... And you have to time the length of the marination, otherwise the tone varies.

Plus, as the tea weakens the results get lighter and lighter and, with a deck of 78 cards, you´d have to have them reasonably consistant...

Quite a minefield!

Click to expand...

I take the deck as a unit and immerse it whole, upright, in a large mug (big enough to hold the entire deck) and mix well.

Then the cards are removed and dried. I only leave the deck immersed about 30 seconds.

This works well with USG & LS decks. This is not intended for use with fine or small press decks. Please run tests with the extra cards first!

Aging a deck is not meant to defraud anybody - but is used to help relax the sitter, easing rapport.

to help treated/aged decks shuffle better, try some fanning powder. great stuff!