Deck Discovery, Part 2

In our second Deck Discovery, followers voted for an embossed tuck box (84%), bordered card backs (67%), intricate Ace of Spades (68%) and custom court cards (81%) through an Instagram Stories poll hosted by our friends @kardify. They then painstakingly scoured our extensive catalog of playing cards and found a deck that meets the criteria. 

Congratulations to @nath_pogliaghi for correctly picking Makers Playing Cards from the poll. For another chance to win a deck from Art of Play, stay tuned for the next Deck Discovery. Visit @kardify more details.

Dan and Dave Buck have a knack for creating luxurious yet functional playing cards for everyday use. In 2015, the twins collaborated with Dallas-based Chad Michael Studio to produce one of the most intricate and luxurious deck we've ever seen. The design and manufacturing of Makers Playing Cards took about a year and a half to complete.

The deck is presented in a stunning tuck box with intricate line work on the front and the back, which is the mirror version of the actual card back design. The detailed line work continues over the tuck flap AND the tuck interior. The text 'Approved by Buck twins for all' is clearly visible on the flap. The tuck is stamped with layers of eye-catching gold/silver foiling and a subtle embossing that makes it feel as luxurious as they look. With the intricate line work, I am surprised how well these turned out. The foil and embossing are precise and accurate!

Inside, the back design and faces are completely custom and extremely detailed. The back design features a mirrored design and continues the intricate line work. At first glance, the back design seems really busy due to the delicate design. However taking a closer look, one would notice and appreciate the details. The use of the two contrasting colors makes the details stand-out.

The intricate line design have also been beautifully incorporated into the face cards. The pips and court cards are fully custom and designed to look aesthetically appealing and intriguing. The Ace of Spades in particular features the head of 'the Wanderer' with highly detailed artwork forming a spade - a tribute to the many worldly doers.

The custom-illustrated court cards represent the foundation "makers" that civilization has been built on, from the Prophet to the Monarchs and the General. The detailed courts are consistent with the overall look of the deck and are clearly distinguished by the red or black indices depending on the suit, which maintains aesthetics and strongly preserves the functionality of the deck.

There are 3 color variation of Makers. My personal favorite is the Blacksmith Edition due to the contrasting black/gold colorway, which makes the fine details of the deck really stand-out. The intricate line work of this deck is truly mesmerizing! The liberal use of metallic inks on the cards and gold/silver foil on the tuck makes this a must-have for every collection.

Printed by the U.S. Playing Card Co. using an exclusive “crushed stock” process to create a more refined and lighter deck of playing cards. Now on available on Art of Play for $15.