I'm debating whether to continue to buy Ultra Pro sleeves or try something different and try out Dragon Shield sleeves. I've heard alot of good things about both sleeves but can't figure out which brand is superior. Any insight on this matter will be greatly appreciated. Thanx ahead of time. Peace.
UltraPros suck. Dragonshields are the best sleeves ever made. End of Story.
This might be a little off topic but I'm going to say it anyway. I was just recently pulling out sleeved cards from my binder. The sleeves were blue and the brand was Ultra Pro. As I was pulling out the blue sleeves I started to notice blue smudges on the tips of my fingers. Does anyone have any insight on what might of caused this? Would this type of incident affect my cards at all? Thanx ahead of time.
@Teeniebopper - Thanx for the feedback. I think I'm going to try out Dragon Shield sleeves ASAP.
KMC sleeves > Dragon Shields >> Ultra Pro
The problem with the Ultra Pro sleeves is:
- They split easily at the edges
- The color isn't stable (you can have 2 packs of the same color with totally different tones)
- They are very thin and not very robust
Dragon Shields are:
- Thick and quite large
- Very robust and wear-resistant
I've recently been using the Ultra Pro sleeves with the full Magic card back on them, with no problems whatsoever. I've been really impressed with them so far.
When it comes to sleeves, the crappy Ultra Pros are great for draft decks, but bad for anything you plan to play for more than a few tournaments. Dragon Shields are fine, but I've had a bad run of them recently. They tend to be miscut in the boxes, which is annoying as all hell. Also, they have a lot of room for the cards to move around inside.
KMC Sleeves are pretty awesome, but can tend to be too shallow, which leaves the top edge of your cards relatively unprotected. If you plan to get KMCs, get the ones with the matte finish, because they play AMAZING right out of the bag.
Everything Der_imaginäre_Freund said is so true.
I'll also add that UP are not only different in tone amongst the same color, but also vary in texture/thickness depending on what color you buy. Most people that use UP swear by specific color and won't use any other. I can vouche for Matrix Green. That's about it.
DS are not only too thick, but the hug the card too tight and cause them to warp similar to how foils do.
The people here turned me on to KMC and I love them. They shuffle nice, they fit well, and they keep the card flat.
Nightmare: I saw those just recently and at first glance thought someone was playing unsleeved. I knew they had money cards in the deck and I cringed until I realized what they were. Freaked me out.
In painting, you have unlimited power. You have the ability to move mountains. You can bend rivers.
Does this affect wear and tear at all?Originally Posted by Nightmare
I had a set of the textured back UltraPro that showed no wear after 3 tournaments, but my dragon shields had the scratches of play after 1, rendering the other 25 sleeves not used for the deck useless in case any of them split.
The older UltraPro sucked some balls, but the newer ones are great.
Red Wizard needs food badly!
Not usually, but it always makes me wary of them. Generally I stick to the textured white backed UltraPros, the new Magicbacked ones, and KMC Matte black/blue.
Imo the new UP Raven Black are great.
Originally Posted by Pinder
Turns out that some weird chemical reaction between the Twinkie filling and Ranch Dressing opens up a portal straight into Hell, through which the Devil is then able to shit directly into your mouth.
How can you tell if the white Ultra Pro sleeves are textured or not before you buy them? Is there only one kind?
@Teko - I love the UP Raven Black. I can't seem to find them at SCG.com anymore though. They just have them listed as black. =(
You can see the texturing on the back. It looks rough.
You can't tell though when you buy them online.
I'm like, 90% sure that Powder white is textured, and Chromatic is smooth.
SCG.com only lists them as white.
I think I might just give Dragon Shields a whirl just to see what all the fuss is about.
P.S. - I'm officially leet now!
I'm using lava red ultra pro and I hate them (I ordered them from a friend thinking they were like the old red ultra pro which had a great color). but they almost look pink and I don't like how the new ones are so thin and fragile (they tend to break a lot). so I was thinking wether to buy DS or KMC
there's quite a difference in opinions everywhere in the web, including here. some people swear by KMC, others say the quality is substandard. some say they are too large and don't fit some boxes while others say they are too short (old ultra pro were too short and I hated that as the tops of the cards would get scratched and you had to keep pushing the cards back in).
Versus says DS's hug the card too tight while Nightmare says they are too large and the cards move around.
a friend of mine is using KMC black and they tend to get stuck to each other if you have sweaty hands lol. the textured sleees are great because this won't happen much
probably different colors/models have different shapes and sizes which kinda blows. I'm stuck between buying KMC black and DS black
QFT, I hate Ultra Pro sleeves, they just arnt smooth at all and always split. Dragon shields are good except for the few times you get a pack where they are all cut wrong to different lengths, but that hasnt happened to me in months.
I recently bought 700 sleeves for my cube (450 spells/nonbasics, 200 basics) and shopped/tested around for quite a bit beforehand. My impressions:
Old UP: Terrible, the textured ones I have from ages ago have had their textured backing 'flake' off, resulting in some transparent places in the back and goop deposits on the deck boxes. The smooth ones tore less frequently, but tended to have their edges raise over time, so the sleeves became very difficult to shuffle as they would stick in 'clumps'.
New UP: The textured ones shuffle better, but I was vary that the 'flaking' would occur again, and I don't want that kind of nonsense happening in my cube. I've stayed away from them recently, save for a 50 pack of textured purple new UP sleeves for drafting. 4 months of drafting have shown that some flaking still occurs, (mostly around the upper edge) having little 'flecks' of purple stuck to the clear side of your sleeves is most aggravating. I have goblins and 'Tog in raven black (goblins) and blue (tog) UP sleeves, and they have held up well (goblins in same sleeves after 2 1/2 years, Tog just in for a year so far, but already showing some signs of needing replaced. I decided to go with Raven black UP sleeves for the cube, and those have worked well so far. (enough friction so that tall stacks don't fall over, and shuffle/play well) WARNING: The batch colors on UP sleeves do vary (check the little black numbers) so if you plan on sleeving a lot or having 'switch out'able sleeves, make sure you buy them all at once, otherwise you will end up with different tones.
DS: My girlfriend and I bought some pink DS sleeves for drafting/casual play, and They play fine. (though are a little slick, so don't play EDH or cube with them as your tall stacks will fall over if the table is bumped) Wear is noticeable almost immediately, however, and my played 40 will never be able to be used in a normal 75 for a tournament, so they have been relegated to casual decks outside of drafting. I haven't had any tears with DS yet, but the easily scratch-able surface combined with the slick backs made me shy away from them. They do shuffle and play GREAT if you are going to just be using a deck for a month or so. (assuming you playtest, for some of you these may last years before they see signs of wear)
KMC: Haven't tried them, though they look nice. However, if the whole 'shallow so tops of cards get beat' is true, I would advise against this, as my duals and mishra's factories I have from revised/AT can vouch for (almost all old sleeves ended right at the top of the card... frown-town)
A note on sleeves with pictures/designes: DO NOT WANT! They may look nice, but the ones I have bought have started peeling within a month. My buddy bought some of the Magic card-backed ones, and thoose too peeled. I've tried both DS and UP, as well as off-brands, and I have to say, all pictured sleeves I've tried are absolute garbage, and cannot even be relegated to draft/casual sleeves, as the peeling is possibly more agrivating than mana screw while playing games.
my $.02
I've tried them all, by the bucket. Hands down, the best sleeves I've ever used were the old Yanoman Gunmetal sleeves. I don't think they're sold anymore, but my last remaining pack (~2004) is keeping my awful Kamigawa Block Samurai deck warm.
I don't know if Ultra Pro has gotten any better, but they were always crap when I bought them.
For my money these days: KMC Gold. I love those things.
Dragon Shield are a decent substitute, though I've always found them a little too short and stubby for my taste.
If KMC sleeves are great but their only problem is being a bit short, you can just double-sleeve your deck. If your cards are very expensive this is a good idea anyway, as it fully protects them from fluids et similia.
YOU'RE GIVING ME A TIME MACHINE IN ORDER TO TREAT MY SLEEP DISORDER.
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