Duck Soup's Lombardi Danneggiato / Lombardy

Le Fanu

I've gone back and forth on this one so many times. Shall I, shalln't I? I love it but I'm torn between the two editions - the bordered edition or the one that is borderless but which actually has a black border round it. Then there's the size issue - regular or jumbo. And do I need the special, Ultra-smooth cardtstock as well?

So many things to have to decide. This has resulted in me never getting round to ordering it! The time has come but I just don't know.

Who has this one and which version would you recommend? Any thoughts and impressions, in fact anything that might help me choose, would be deeply appreciated.

It can be seen here in case anyone doesn't know the deck and is curious.
 

GlitterNova

I don't think I've ever said this before, but I like the bordered edition better! I think the black looks a bit out of place on the cards in the borderless edition.
 

magicjack

Well, I do not have this deck so I can only give my opinion of it.. I also think the border looks nicer than the borderless or black. I do not know how you feel about a larger than tarot size but I will say recently when I got my Distant Past I got the tarot size and I really like it because it looks and feels normal. To me anyway. I also recently bought the Tarot of the Holy Light and got the larger size. I'm kind of wishing I would have got the regular tarot size. I personally think a larger card is a tad too much. The tarot size brings it back down to a real tarot deck. I can't say much about the ultra smooth cardstock because I'm not sure what they mean other than I do enjoy a smooth cardstock. But I must say,. My Tarot of the Holy Light is linen cardstock and I really love it. The backs? I like the borderless back so I would have to see the bordered back in person. But it looks OK to me. Good luck with your choice!
 

Farzon

I didn't know this one, but you got me enabled, LeFanu!
 

Nemia

I have the standard edition. I bought it before the bordered edition was available but I'm not sorry for it. In a spread, the black border disappears, and the small, open, decorative inner border is for my taste more in harmony with the deck than the larger, closed one.

It's too stiff for my taste and looks three-dimensional - like a frame. It's also a bit too close to the figures in the pictures and looks a tiny bit cramped IMO. I like the flow between cards and prefer unobtrusive borders. And the art of this deck is elegant, simple and linear, so I want the border to be elegant, simple and linear, too. I have all this in the borderless edition.

This is obviously a matter of personal taste.

I like this deck very much. It's the only Freder deck I have, unfortunately my funds are limited and I love his work. For me, the artificial aging and battering goes together very well with the original art. It's done very well, some cards seem discoloured, and the cards look different from each other. It doesn't destroy the charm of the original, it adds some slight craziness and I really really like that.

Well, I'm completely in love with that Devil, so don't count on a cool assessment here ;-) It's the best Devil I've ever seen and the only one that really tempts me (apart from the chocolate cake in the Housewives tarot of course).

I still feel a bit insecure reading pip decks so I don't read with it as often as I should. But it's a wonderful and unique deck. The card stock is fine, too, smooth and flexible, but I'm not a cardstock fiend anyway.
 

lightpers

Ultra smooth Jumbo Bordered i think suits your taste, Le Fanu (seen your IG post with Tarot of The Dead)
 

Le Fanu

Thanks for the comments - and also Nemia, for the photo. I like to see cards in a spread - gives a much more rounded impression of how they look.

I too like larger tarot decks and have enabled on the large Distant Past Tarot various times but as these historical decks were never really large (unless you count the Visconti but that's a different kettle of fish) I wonder whether it's better to stick with the standard. By definition, these kinds of decks were quite small. I have seen an original of this actual Lombardy deck and it is quite small. But big can be wonderful depending on the sharpness and resolution of the images.

My only reservation with the borders is the repetition of the little face in the corners. I often don't like seeing repeated decorative borders. I can see that this looks a bit cramped but the black bordering looks a bit odd to me though I have always said I prefer "borderless".

At the moment I'm leaning more towards the bordered though - and perhaps the larger one (despite all that I said above...)

Hope there isn't a choice of card backs - that'll slow me down even more...
 

Beanfeasa

I prefer the softer look of the neoclassico from il Meneghello tbh
 

Le Fanu

I prefer the softer look of the neoclassico from il Meneghello tbh
I have this one and did think about just buying a second copy to use as a reading deck but it has disappeared from alida. I bought it relatively cheaply. Now it's quite expensive...
 

Beanfeasa

I have this one and did think about just buying a second copy to use as a reading deck but it has disappeared from alida. I bought it relatively cheaply. Now it's quite expensive...

Tarotbg is waiting on a shipment from il Meneghello, and they are far cheaper shipping (€2ish from Italy vs €6/from bulgaria to me in Ireland), I contacted him last week regarding the Modrone, he said two weeks he should have it.