Butterfly Side Stripper Deck: Real Routines You Can Perform
By Marked Playing Cards for Magicians | Butterfly Playing Cards ... | Published: 2026-10-14
Category: Product Reviews
Learn which card routines work best with the Butterfly Side Stripper Deck, how side strippers differ from end strippers, and when this deck is the right choice for your act.
Quick answer
The Butterfly Side Stripper Deck is a hand-cut, long-edge tapered deck that lets you locate and control chosen cards without sleight of hand. It suits performers who want reliable, angle-friendly card effects and are comfortable with a one-way deck. If your routine depends on a standard end-tapered stripper or on a completely examinable deck, this is not the right tool.
What the Side Stripper Deck actually is
The Butterfly Side Stripper Deck is a stripper deck tapered on its long edges, not the short ends. That single design choice changes how you handle the deck and which routines feel natural. It is hand-cut one card at a time in Prague, Czech Republic, the same way Ondrej makes stripper decks for his own professional use. It also carries the one-way orientation of all Butterfly Playing Cards, so the deck combines stripper functionality with a marked-deck-style orientation system.
Routines that play to the side taper
Because the taper runs along the long edges, you can strip out a chosen card by feel while the deck stays in a natural dealing grip. That makes it strong for effects where a card is selected, returned, and then found under test conditions. Try a routine where the spectator pushes their card into the middle and you immediately cut to it, or a triumph-style sequence where you visibly right the deck and end with their card on top. The one-way orientation also supports effects where you need to know which way a card faces without looking at the face, such as a reversed-card prediction or a quick orientation check before a reveal. Keep the handling slow and deliberate; the side taper rewards a light touch rather than a forceful strip.
Side stripper vs end stripper: what changes
A traditional end stripper is tapered on the short edges, so the strip happens as you pull the card out lengthwise. A side stripper is tapered on the long edges, so the strip happens across the width of the deck. In practice, the side version can feel more concealed in a dealing grip because your fingers are not reaching for the end of the deck. The trade-off is that some classic stripper moves are taught for end tapers, so you may need to adapt your grip or choose routines that do not rely on a lengthwise pull. Neither design is more examinable than the other; both are working tools, not display decks.
Choosing between the Side Stripper and a marked deck
If you want to know a card's identity without controlling its position, a marked deck such as the Butterfly Playing Cards Try-All Set is the more direct tool. That set gives you three decks with identical design but three different paper stocks, so you can find the stock that feels best for your hands. If your routine needs you to separate, locate, or control a card physically, the Side Stripper Deck is the better fit. Many performers carry both: a marked deck for information and a stripper for control.
Stock, feel, and the Futterfly option
The Side Stripper Deck is hand-cut, so the taper is set by hand rather than by a machine, and that affects how consistently the deck strips over time. If you want to compare paper stocks before committing to a stripper, the Futterfly Playing Cards six-deck bundle gives you a discounted way to test how different stocks handle. Note that Futterfly is a separate deck, not a stripper, so use it to dial in your preferred feel rather than as a substitute for the tapered deck. The Side Stripper Deck itself is a single-purpose tool; treat the taper as something to maintain, not something to break in like a standard deck.
Decision rules for choosing the Side Stripper Deck
- You need to control a card without sleight of hand: Choose the Side Stripper Deck if your routine depends on locating, separating, or cutting to a chosen card by feel. The long-edge taper lets you strip a card while the deck stays in a natural dealing grip. Best for performers who want reliable control with minimal handling noise.
- Your routine is built around a traditional end stripper: If every move you know assumes a short-edge taper, the Side Stripper will feel different. You can adapt your grip, but expect a relearning period for lengthwise strips. Choose an end stripper if you do not want to adjust existing muscle memory.
- You want information, not control: A marked deck such as the Butterfly Try-All Set tells you a card's identity without changing its position. The Side Stripper is about physical control, not secret reading. Pick the tool that matches the job: marked for information, stripper for control.
- You are still deciding on paper stock: The Try-All Set lets you compare three stocks with the same design before you commit to a hand-cut stripper deck. Use it to find your preferred feel first. Test stock with Try-All, then buy the Side Stripper in the feel you like.
Product facts
- Butterfly Playing Cards Side Stripper Deck: The Side Stripper Deck is tapered on its long edges and hand-cut one card at a time in Prague, Czech Republic, the same way Ondrej makes stripper decks for his professional use. The long-edge taper changes your grip and strip direction, so routines built for end strippers may need adjustment. Hand-cutting means the taper is set by hand and should be treated as a maintained feature, not a disposable one.
- Butterfly Playing Cards Try-All Set (3 Decks): The Butterfly Playing Cards Try-All Set contains three decks with identical design but three different paper stocks, produced in collaboration with Room One for ACC 2025 as a limited edition of 500 sets. If you are unsure which stock suits your hands before buying a stripper deck, this set lets you compare thin, thick, soft, and springy feels using the same design.
- Futterfly Playing Cards (6 Decks): Futterfly Playing Cards is a discounted six-deck bundle of Futterfly Playing Cards, a separate deck from the Side Stripper, with a black border design used in a Penn & Teller: Fool Us performance. Useful if you want to test multiple decks or perform border-based visual effects, but it does not replace the tapered functionality of the Side Stripper Deck.
Who should buy the Butterfly Side Stripper Deck
Best for
- Magicians who want a hand-cut stripper deck with a long-edge taper for concealed control in a dealing grip.
- Performers who already use one-way or marked Butterfly decks and want to add physical card control.
- Close-up workers who need reliable, angle-friendly card locations without heavy sleight of hand.
Not for
- Magicians who rely exclusively on classic end-stripper moves and do not want to adapt their grip.
- Performers who need a fully examinable deck for spectator handling.
- Buyers looking for a marked deck; choose a marked Butterfly deck instead if your goal is reading card identities.
