Any way to soften card edges?

MaeWasteland

So, I bought the Green Witch Tarot recently, like the artwork a great deal (I tend towards a very bleak outlook so I also thought the slightly relentless positivity some posters have mentioned might be a useful thing to have on hand sometimes!) the cardstock is mostly nice, the book's good, like the new Llewellyn box (don't actually have any of their older boxes but am given to understand they were bad, this one has a nice, sturdy insert and the cards were well protected!).

Only one problem - the edges of the cards feel really sharp. I am autistic and have fibromyalgia so that basically means I'm hyper-sensitive to textures (vivid memories of HATING sitting on coaches on school trips as the fabric of the seats was unbearably prickly when everyone else seemed fine), so it may just be me, but I did notice that after shuffling a bit, I had a red/sore spot on one of my fingers which had been scuffed by the edges of the cards.

Is there anything I can do to soften the edges a bit? I guess that with many months/years of shuffling they'll soften naturally, but I'd quite like not to completely wear down my finger to a stump in the process ;) I was kind of thinking maybe a fine sandpaper?? But I'd rather not try that without knowing if it's likely to a/ work b/ badly damage the cards. I think it's maybe partly because the cards seem a touch thicker/stiffer than most other decks I own (tarot, oracle, playing cards etc) so I'm not sure if there's much can really be done, but I'm hopeful someone here will have experience/a great idea!
 

illyria

Hi, Mae.

I've taken a nail file to card corners after I've rounded them with a corner cutter. I "set" each corner with a barely damp baby wipe because I dislike the grit that stays on the paper after I've filed it.
 

MaeWasteland

Thanks both, I'll check out the link and have a look around for a nail file :) (And thanks to the mod who moved this to the right forum!)
 

Barleywine

I suggest that anything more drastic than repeated shuffling that you want to try might best be tested on a cheap pack of playing cards first. Also, another reason to stay away from talc is that it's cancer-causing. Johnson & Johnson just lost a $72 million court case for not warning users about something that's been suspected since the 1980s. I personally wouldn't use fanning powder if it has a tendency to mute the colors. I have the same problem with my Illuminati: the gilt edges have a very "hard" feel to them and are sticky when shuffling. But I won't be filing those down :)

Here's another :bugeyed: idea! Hold the deck like a solid brick and rub it every so gently on all edges over a sheet of very fine grit sandpaper placed on a hard, even surface. If it's the corners that are bothering you, you would have to use the same approach as with a nail file, but you might get a better tactile feel with a small piece of sandpaper. Don't overdo it or the edges might get "furry" feeling and the coating on the face of the cards could be compromised. Again, a cheap pack of playing cards is your friend in any serious experimentation.
 

Alta

Another thought: whatever you try, experiment on the extra cards in the deck first.
 

MaeWasteland

Thanks - it's the sides that are the problem, rather than the corners (the corners aren't great but I don't seem to touch them enough to be bothersome...) specifically the bit that scrapes against my finger when shuffling so... I guess a particular point near the middle of the long edge?? It also seems to be one side of the cards - I've only got the blank one downstairs at the moment so no idea if it's the face or the back, but I'd guess it's the back and is some kind of artefact of the cutting process which I assume involves some kind of large 'punch' that cuts out all the cards from the sheet at once? When I hold the blank card, and run my finger from 'front' to 'back of the card it feels fairly smooth/slightly rounded, in reverse it feels ever so slightly sharp/sticky-out.

The suggestion of testing on a pack of cheap playing cards makes sense but I'm not sure how useful it would be in that things that damage thinner card might not be an issue for this, and possibly also vice versa (thinner card might be more flexible and able to weather certain things better?) There's only one blank card in the deck but I'll have a go with that and see if I can figure anything out...
 

SarahJoy

I've used fine-grit sandpaper to soften edges with no problems. YMMV, of course.
 

Tigerangel

I've used this method on all my trimmed decks because my hands are also sensitive to rough card edges, this method is what works best for me, I don't use sandpaper, I use emery paper I find the higher grades are better for giving the edge a nice smooth feel, because I do silversmithing I had a range of grades available to use, but you can get emery paper on eBay or Cookson gold, the grade I used was 800 and 1000, tore a section off and folded it up, the ran it along all the card edges in a downward motion, (don't go up and down, stick to the same direction) As it can make the card split if your to heavy handed when going in both directions.

I went over my cards 3 to 4 times with each grade of emery paper, then cleaned the cards with a lightly damped cloth.

This method works for me and gives a nice smooth edge to the cards, hopefully it might work for you too.
 

Barleywine

Tigerangel said:
I've used this method on all my trimmed decks because my hands are also sensitive to rough card edges, this method is what works best for me, I don't use sandpaper, I use emery paper I find the higher grades are better for giving the edge a nice smooth feel, because I do silversmithing I had a range of grades available to use, but you can get emery paper on eBay or Cookson gold, the grade I used was 800 and 1000, tore a section off and folded it up, the ran it along all the card edges in a downward motion, (don't go up and down, stick to the same direction) As it can make the card split if your to heavy handed when going in both directions.

I went over my cards 3 to 4 times with each grade of emery paper, then cleaned the cards with a lightly damped cloth.

This method works for me and gives a nice smooth edge to the cards, hopefully it might work for you too.
Click to expand...

Yes, I believe emery paper is what I meant. Even the ultra-fine grit sandpaper doesn't go that fine, if I recall correctly.
 
Symbolism fitting with one's own religion What tea do you drink when reading?