I trimmed my Robert Place's Vampire Tarot because it was cut square and the corners were pointy. It's an OOP deck and cost 200 dollars. I don't know WTF I was thinking. It was uneven as he'll. Lesson learned.
I've successfully trimmed a couple of decks, but they've never read the same after. It was like I trimmed the life out of them. So I no longer trim them. If they're too big for me to shuffle, out they go. 😊
Yes, quite. Like the Ghetto Tarot. Huge cards in an even bigger box that hogs space in your tarot drawer. But I forgive the Oculi Occultati deck for being too big because it's so fabulous!
it doesn't matter at all if it's not perfect. Life's not perfect, tarot meanings are not perfect, nothing's perfect. I love all my trimmed decks, it made me bond with each card, every time I cut the card I had a personal relationship with it, it was a ritual. If you pretend it to be perfect then by all means just get the most clean cut deck and enjoy it as it is but the act of trimming and upgrading a deck to your needs is beautiful, if you feel compelled to do it just do it, I mean, be careful and try to make it as symmetric as possible but don't worry about aesthetics that much, if it can be shuffled and the images are still there then it's still a deck and it will be a unique deck that no one else in the world will have. I'm 100% pro trimming.
@@laeonflux Thanks for this. I must confess I have softened my opinion about trimming since I made this video. But I still can’t bring myself to slice the cards! :-)
Sure, cutting may not work with a trimmed deck, but other types of shuffling will. That said, I do agree that if one wants a borderless version, might as well buy one.
My hands are really small, and tarot cards that are to big to shuffle easily that I own end up being unused because of it. Which it more disrespectful in my opinion but if it makes it easier to shuffle it’s better. Furthermore, I individually cut each card, spending time with each card, putting my energy into it. I read them a lot better now because I connect to them better. Sure the cards may be not aligned perfectly but I think it adds to the charm.
Yes, I learnt this lesson the hard way! 😂 The cardstock never feels as sturdy after trimming either. It's like it has "raw" edges. Nowadays I only round the corners if they get a bit raggedy. Otherwise I leave my decks alone.
I believe CS used scans form an original Roses&Lillies or Pam A deck. For the backs he used a sliced amber but you can obviously get it in other colors like yours. Cs has permission from the owner of the original decks and its not really a pirate. The linework is as close to the original as you can get
I think you can solve that issue with your custom deck by using sandpaper (the ones on paper, used for wood) on the edges. I've learnt that trick from a friend who used to work at a bookshop and they do that to remove stains from the sides of the books. Since you don't really use the deck and it's useless now, maybe you could give it a go. Start with a really rough sandpaper since there's a lot to remove, and then go to a thin one to get a finer result. If it works nice, cut the edges with an edge cutter (I'd recommend 4mm).
Yep! I'm a bookbinder and I typically trim my cards the same way I trim my text blocks: either with my guillotine or by squaring one edge with a utility knife and a ruler and triangle. Then I take the deck, put them in a kind of standing press (mostly just two wooden boards with the deck sandwiched between and held together with clamps with one edge slightly sticking out) and gently sand each side one at a time with sandpaper. Then to preserve the integrity of the edges I'll take a cloth and rub it with some natural beeswax and rub it onto the edges to make a nice protective seal. If I want to color the edges then I'll do that before waxing. You'll probably need to rewax them every so often, depending on how often they get used. If you want to get really fancy about it, you could get a nice stone burnishing tool and burnish the waxed edges, though I've never gone to that length. If you're REALLY fancy, you can even add your own gilding to the edges. But that's usually too much work for most people.
@Lagoon please could you tell us what brand/kind of wax you use and how you apply it? Do you apply to the whole deck in one go or to single cards? Also, what do you use to apply the wax? Thanks in advance and your above advice is very useful... might I tentatively suggest a card sanding and waxing tutorial video? 🙏❤️
@@balmylagoon Would renaissance wax do the trick or is it too soft? I know beeswax is harder. I can probably get it online though, just happen to have ren wax
"You end up with a rather fashionable, 21st century deck" haha, yes, borderless decks seem to be the thing these days! I've only ever tried trimming one deck because I was supremely disappointed with it and I somehow thought trimming it would make it better. It didn't, but the deck was a waste anyways so it didn't matter xD
To each their own. If people want to trim their cards I say go for it. They are the ones who bought them. There are ways to do it very nicely.....not involving scissors. Some cards that are produced with borders, would look a lot better without them in my opinion. If there is not the option to get the deck borderless, and someone wants to remove them I say go for it.
I think my position has softened on this one! I do have one deck, the Ghetto Tarot, that is much too big and has a border, and I am tempted. But something holds me back. Maybe some of us are born trimmers and some non-trimmers.:-)
@@teatarot4557oh yay!! if it's a deck that can be easily replaced in case of a slip up, give it a whirl. 😉 I myself have not took the plunge yet either. Plenty of decks I want to trim (mass market) and I've bought the trimmer and corner rounder....just gotta do it now. Lol. My used copy of Druid Craft came with a bent card that would be fixed by trimming so not like I have a lot to loose....😬
Lol, I am sure you are gonna get blowback for this one 😂😂😂 I am a fearless modder. Several decks demand to be modded...and the artist's are fine with it. (Mary-El) Some artists don't want their borders removed... usually the ones with really cool borders. There are tarot artists whose original vision didn't include the borders, but the publisher added horrible typeface and lumpy large border (hello Gaian Tarot) I think we can always improve on a personal experience with a game played mostly by ourselves anyway. Especially those of us who are already slightly skilled with the scissors and ink. What do you think about writing on the cards? Or riffle shuffling? All polarizing ideas. There's room for many opinions here.
Sorry, I don't agree. I've trimmed about 10 decks that I use all the time, with no problem. I don't trim them because I don't like borders, but because the borders make the cards difficult to use. So many decks these days are HUGE and difficult to handle. The Druidcraft Tarot, The Everyday Enchantment Tarot, just to name two of them. Not only are they difficult or impossible to shuffle, but their size makes it difficult to do large spreads with them as well. If it boils down to trimming a deck I like or not using it at all, I'll choose trimming. I also find some borders are terribly distracting in use, and I'll trim those as well. Practice on a cheapo deck, or even on a deck of playing cards. But it's not at all difficult to get a good result. I do like the suggestion of contacting the card maker and/or publisher, and explain that the size makes them difficult to use. I know everybody mentions the size issue when it comes to The Druidcraft Tarot, which is a very popular deck. I'm sure if it came out either borderless or a smaller size, people would snap it up.
Thanks. I have slightly repented after making this video. Someone told me that you can use sandpaper as a finishing touch. I guess I'll try that. And it is certainly true that some cards are ruined by over-large borders🙂
@@teatarot4557 I have slider-razor blade paper cutter. I can cut 150-pound watercolor paper into cards where each one is nearly identical to the last. At this junction in time, I don't think I have the will/patience to spend the time to trim the borders off a deck of cards. I would also worry that I would somehow screw it up, even though that my Radiant Rider Waite mini tarot would look dynamite borderless.
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You should have watched Boho Tarot before you trimmed your deck. Just because you were unsuccessful doesn't mean it can't be done.
I agree- I watched her video step by step and mine are even - like I would get them that way :)
Same. Comes out perfect every time for me
I trimmed my Robert Place's Vampire Tarot because it was cut square and the corners were pointy. It's an OOP deck and cost 200 dollars. I don't know WTF I was thinking. It was uneven as he'll. Lesson learned.
I've successfully trimmed a couple of decks, but they've never read the same after. It was like I trimmed the life out of them. So I no longer trim them. If they're too big for me to shuffle, out they go. 😊
Yes, quite. Like the Ghetto Tarot. Huge cards in an even bigger box that hogs space in your tarot drawer. But I forgive the Oculi Occultati deck for being too big because it's so fabulous!
it doesn't matter at all if it's not perfect. Life's not perfect, tarot meanings are not perfect, nothing's perfect. I love all my trimmed decks, it made me bond with each card, every time I cut the card I had a personal relationship with it, it was a ritual. If you pretend it to be perfect then by all means just get the most clean cut deck and enjoy it as it is but the act of trimming and upgrading a deck to your needs is beautiful, if you feel compelled to do it just do it, I mean, be careful and try to make it as symmetric as possible but don't worry about aesthetics that much, if it can be shuffled and the images are still there then it's still a deck and it will be a unique deck that no one else in the world will have. I'm 100% pro trimming.
@@laeonflux Thanks for this. I must confess I have softened my opinion about trimming since I made this video. But I still can’t bring myself to slice the cards! :-)
I trimmed my large Thoth with a paper cutter and it’s quite perfect if I do say so myself 😊
Perhaps I should have another try! 🙂
Sure, cutting may not work with a trimmed deck, but other types of shuffling will. That said, I do agree that if one wants a borderless version, might as well buy one.
My hands are really small, and tarot cards that are to big to shuffle easily that I own end up being unused because of it. Which it more disrespectful in my opinion but if it makes it easier to shuffle it’s better. Furthermore, I individually cut each card, spending time with each card, putting my energy into it. I read them a lot better now because I connect to them better. Sure the cards may be not aligned perfectly but I think it adds to the charm.
Yes I think anything that makes you connect with the cards is a good thing🙂
Yes, I learnt this lesson the hard way! 😂 The cardstock never feels as sturdy after trimming either. It's like it has "raw" edges. Nowadays I only round the corners if they get a bit raggedy. Otherwise I leave my decks alone.
Exactly! "Leave them decks alone!" :-)
Trimming makes some decks look even better!
I believe CS used scans form an original Roses&Lillies or Pam A deck. For the backs he used a sliced amber but you can obviously get it in other colors like yours. Cs has permission from the owner of the original decks and its not really a pirate. The linework is as close to the original as you can get
Thanks for your feedback. I take back my "pirate" remark!
I think you can solve that issue with your custom deck by using sandpaper (the ones on paper, used for wood) on the edges. I've learnt that trick from a friend who used to work at a bookshop and they do that to remove stains from the sides of the books. Since you don't really use the deck and it's useless now, maybe you could give it a go. Start with a really rough sandpaper since there's a lot to remove, and then go to a thin one to get a finer result. If it works nice, cut the edges with an edge cutter (I'd recommend 4mm).
Oh - that's a good idea! Thanks!
@@teatarot4557 Let us know if it works!
Yep! I'm a bookbinder and I typically trim my cards the same way I trim my text blocks: either with my guillotine or by squaring one edge with a utility knife and a ruler and triangle. Then I take the deck, put them in a kind of standing press (mostly just two wooden boards with the deck sandwiched between and held together with clamps with one edge slightly sticking out) and gently sand each side one at a time with sandpaper. Then to preserve the integrity of the edges I'll take a cloth and rub it with some natural beeswax and rub it onto the edges to make a nice protective seal. If I want to color the edges then I'll do that before waxing. You'll probably need to rewax them every so often, depending on how often they get used. If you want to get really fancy about it, you could get a nice stone burnishing tool and burnish the waxed edges, though I've never gone to that length. If you're REALLY fancy, you can even add your own gilding to the edges. But that's usually too much work for most people.
@Lagoon please could you tell us what brand/kind of wax you use and how you apply it? Do you apply to the whole deck in one go or to single cards? Also, what do you use to apply the wax? Thanks in advance and your above advice is very useful... might I tentatively suggest a card sanding and waxing tutorial video? 🙏❤️
@@balmylagoon Would renaissance wax do the trick or is it too soft? I know beeswax is harder. I can probably get it online though, just happen to have ren wax
Lol....I'm sure back in the day lots of cards were uniform and not made in factories 😉
Uniform is over-rated.
You're probably right. I think they used sandpaper to get the pack a bit neater.
"You end up with a rather fashionable, 21st century deck" haha, yes, borderless decks seem to be the thing these days! I've only ever tried trimming one deck because I was supremely disappointed with it and I somehow thought trimming it would make it better. It didn't, but the deck was a waste anyways so it didn't matter xD
To each their own. If people want to trim their cards I say go for it. They are the ones who bought them. There are ways to do it very nicely.....not involving scissors.
Some cards that are produced with borders, would look a lot better without them in my opinion. If there is not the option to get the deck borderless, and someone wants to remove them I say go for it.
I think my position has softened on this one! I do have one deck, the Ghetto Tarot, that is much too big and has a border, and I am tempted. But something holds me back. Maybe some of us are born trimmers and some non-trimmers.:-)
@@teatarot4557oh yay!! if it's a deck that can be easily replaced in case of a slip up, give it a whirl. 😉
I myself have not took the plunge yet either. Plenty of decks I want to trim (mass market) and I've bought the trimmer and corner rounder....just gotta do it now. Lol.
My used copy of Druid Craft came with a bent card that would be fixed by trimming so not like I have a lot to loose....😬
@@tarottarantulas Go for it! :-)
Lol, I am sure you are gonna get blowback for this one 😂😂😂 I am a fearless modder. Several decks demand to be modded...and the artist's are fine with it. (Mary-El) Some artists don't want their borders removed... usually the ones with really cool borders. There are tarot artists whose original vision didn't include the borders, but the publisher added horrible typeface and lumpy large border (hello Gaian Tarot) I think we can always improve on a personal experience with a game played mostly by ourselves anyway. Especially those of us who are already slightly skilled with the scissors and ink. What do you think about writing on the cards? Or riffle shuffling? All polarizing ideas. There's room for many opinions here.
Totally agree with you Robert !
I'm happy to hear it:-)
Sorry, I don't agree. I've trimmed about 10 decks that I use all the time, with no problem. I don't trim them because I don't like borders, but because the borders make the cards difficult to use. So many decks these days are HUGE and difficult to handle. The Druidcraft Tarot, The Everyday Enchantment Tarot, just to name two of them. Not only are they difficult or impossible to shuffle, but their size makes it difficult to do large spreads with them as well.
If it boils down to trimming a deck I like or not using it at all, I'll choose trimming. I also find some borders are terribly distracting in use, and I'll trim those as well. Practice on a cheapo deck, or even on a deck of playing cards. But it's not at all difficult to get a good result.
I do like the suggestion of contacting the card maker and/or publisher, and explain that the size makes them difficult to use. I know everybody mentions the size issue when it comes to The Druidcraft Tarot, which is a very popular deck. I'm sure if it came out either borderless or a smaller size, people would snap it up.
Thanks. I have slightly repented after making this video. Someone told me that you can use sandpaper as a finishing touch. I guess I'll try that. And it is certainly true that some cards are ruined by over-large borders🙂
Once they are trimmed couldn't they be made uniform by putting them in a vice and fine tuning the edges with a rasp or electric sander?
Good idea! And I think it really does need a serious solution like that. Otherwise the deck will never feel nice.
@@teatarot4557 I have slider-razor blade paper cutter. I can cut 150-pound watercolor paper into cards where each one is nearly identical to the last.
At this junction in time, I don't think I have the will/patience to spend the time to trim the borders off a deck of cards. I would also worry that I would somehow screw it up, even though that my Radiant Rider Waite mini tarot would look dynamite borderless.
@@teatarot4557 if you do decide to rasp/plane the edges into being uniform, that would probably make a good video.
@@the-999-asmr-tarot-art-show I have to say I like to leave my cards as they were when I bought them!