I kind of like the idea of what Mechanic Industries is trying to do. They're somewhat rebranding what close up magic props look like. I like the name "mechanic" because it'll spark discussions and presentational patter ideas.

This tool kit comes with four things. We'll take a look at each one individually. Basically, I've already reviewed this product inside of another. The Mechanic's Pro Kit includes the deck, card guard and pen along with the coins. Below is my original review from the Pro Kit with a few minor additions.

• Stainless Steel Mechanic Card Guard


• FREE Black Mechanic Sharpie Pen


• The Mechanic Deck

The Card Guard

I've never used a card card before. I kind of like it. It adds a nice sort of elegant touch to your deck of cards. This one's nice and sturdy fits snuggly on the deck and creates a professional look and feel to your deck. Again, the logo (like the coins) and the title will/can create conversation pieces for performance. I really like the idea of telling my audience that I'm a member of some supposed card mechanics club and that part of my membership in the club gives me these various items. Since originally writing this, I've been using my Card Guard to protect my deck. I like how it feels, and it adds an interesting looking prop that's is a conversation starter

Free Sharpie

Um . . . it's a black sharpie . . . it has the Mechanic Industries logo and website on it . . . not much else to say. I think this is kind of a weak addition to the team.

The Mechanic Deck

I like the design and colors of this deck alot. The back of the deck is a set of gears and chain (think bicycle or motorcycle chain) going around the gears. If the deck is in new deck order and you riffle the deck like a flip book (think Dan Harlan's CardToon), the gears and chain on the back of the deck animate like moving clockworks. It's a very cool effect. The faces of the cards have are basically just three colors: black, deep maroon, and sort of a greyish-gold color. Very classic and cool looking. Also, the colors have sort of a splotchy textured look to them that I really liked as well.

The Ace of Spades and the Jokers incorporate the Mechanic logo and look/feel of the coins. You also get a blank facer. Finally, they handle pretty much the same as a regular deck of Bikes. All in all, this is a solid well made, good looking deck of cards that fits into a cool re-branding concept of close up magic.

The Price

The deck is $6.95 on it's own. The card guard is $22 on it's own. That's a total of $28.95. I've seen guards for a better price than that, but this one is pretty well made, so it's probably a fair price. Finally, there's the "free" sharpie which, in my opinion is a bit pointless. I don't really see it bringing anything extra to the table. So essentially, you're getting about $30 (if you add in the cost of a sharpie) worth of stuff for $29.95 dollars. You're saving practically nothing to buy the kit that comes with nothing extra. Frankly, like the Pro Kit I think that's a bit of disappointment.

I think if you're going to take the plunge and buy the whole kit you should get a bigger discount than that. I think a nice box or something to put everything in would have been a nice touch for the price. Or maybe a better discount or a DVD (or at least some online videos) teaching a few effects would have made the whole kit a bit more swallow-able.

Trailer

I felt the ad trailer was much better for this kit than the Pro Kit. In this one, it basically just shows off the deck with some flourishy moves. Whereas the other (Pro) version shows a bunch of effect, none of which are taught when purchasing that kit. So this one has a leg up on the Pro Kit..

Final Thoughts

Overall I liked every product in the kit except the Sharpie. And it's not that I hated the Sharpie . . . it's just that . . . well . . . it's just a Sharpie. Having the deck and guard with the branding of Mechanic Industries feels right, but the pen just doesn't.

To quote my favorite dinner dish, "2 out of 3 ain't bad." I really like the concept, and the quality of the products are top notch. If you like the branding concept - I like it a lot - then go for it, get the kit. You won't regret it. It's very well made and will definitely give your close up magic that extra something that sets you apart from the crowd.

Final Verdict:
4.5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.