The pass trainer is a great tool for making your fingers and hands stronger. I gave it a four star
rating because it cut my hands and fingers up because of the sharp seams and some burrs, I took some
240 wet sand paper and seamed all the edges now it works better with out leaving my hands a bloody
mess.
9 of 9 magicians found this helpful.
This is a great utility device to build up strength in all parts of your hands and gives you muscle
memory for doing passes. Once you spend about 15 minutes practicing (and it will take you a bit to
be able to do that long) put these bad boys down and pick up a deck of cards. You wont even feel
them at first and your pass will eventually become so fast and good that you will fool yourself.
You get 8 sheets of steel that stack up to the same size as a deck of cards. They sometimes
need sanded on edges according to other reviews, however, mine were all smooth. They are the exact
size of a poker card and what I did was glue a card on both sides with rubber cement so they glide a
little better with the air cushion finish and they also protect your fingers from the bare steel.
(They just feel a little more natural to me). Now, by adding these cards to both sides, I only use 6
of the plates because the 12 cards take up the thickness of 2 of the plates. 6 plates with cards
rubber cemented on both sides are as thick as a full deck of cards. (And not quite as heavy as 8
plates).
Great product overall and they can also be used as a very handy card press if you
make your own gaffs as I do. (Thats what I do with my 2 leftovers)
5 of 5 magicians found this helpful.
I have just begun to earnestly practice card sleights and was having a lot of trouble building speed
with my classic pass. My goal in buying this device was to get my hands strong enough to make the
tension of the maneuver disappear and hopefully bring me speed.
This pack has, thus far,
really made a large difference not only in the strength of my hands, but also in the strength of my
forearms (I didn't realize the degree to which card work depends on forearm strength). Additionally,
the tension in my hands during a pass with regular cards has decreased significantly resulting in a
more fluid appearance. My opinion is that the steel pack has not only made me stronger but has
tricked my brain into thinking that the regular cards are light as a feather and more easily
maneuverable. Its funny because if I stay away from the steel deck and only use a regular deck for
practice, I find that as the psychological effects of the steel deck begin to wear off, I become
frustrated with my fumbling of the cards in a regular deck. Ten to fifteen minutes of practice with
the steel deck and my fumbles with the regular deck disappear.
This device has made the
process of learning the classic pass easier while straightening the learning curve and bringing me a
feeling that I am progressing and perfecting my technique. I highly recommend this deck.
3 of 3 magicians found this helpful.
I just got them, and I think they will help build muscle memory and make your hands and fingers
stronger. I was disappointed that it didn't come with an Ace of Spades, like in the video. I
replayed it and saw that it was drawn on, so I can't bitch about that. Having said that, I'll draw
one of my own and get practicing.
2 of 2 magicians found this helpful.
They work, but they came all scratched up. The trainers have a mirror like finish that makes getting
more scratches fairly easy as well. Other than that I really like the weight on them. Their good for
strengthening your fingers and practicing slight of hand card tricks or cardistry flourishes that
you know.
Useful for practicing not just the pass but overhand false shuffles as well. The edges 2 of the
plates were unevenly finished and quite sharp. After sanding them down with 200 then 400 grit
sandpaper they are great.