Please advise which "radiant" deck to choose?

[HermitSpiritus]

I really love RWS decks with original old images (eg Centennial Edition).  But now I want to buy a deck with bright colors.  I choose between Radiant and Universal decks (US Games).  In the first, I like the colors and smoothness of the lines, but on it the faces of people are drawn a little differently from that of Pamela Colman Smith.  The second is closer to the original, but not "radiant" enough.  
How do you like these two decks?  What do you advise? 
And I know there is also a Radiant Wise Spirit deck (Lo Scarabeo), but its drawing lines are too rough.

[Guest]

Of the two, I would suggest the Universal. That is closer to Pamela Colman Smith’s line work; however, it to deviates in places. That is an issue across Smith Waites. Also, avoid the Italian printed ones as the colours are garish. 

[HermitSpiritus]

9 minutes ago, timtoldrum said:

Of the two, I would suggest the Universal. That is closer to Pamela Colman Smith’s line work; however, it to deviates in places. That is an issue across Smith Waites. Also, avoid the Italian printed ones as the colours are garish. 

 

Thanks. And the Universal looks like it was painted with crayons.

[katrinka]

The old University Books decks come up on ebay regularly, and they retain the original lines (other than the fact that they built up the little island on the Two of Swords.) 
https://fennario.wordpress.com/2019/05/31/no-time-like-the-first-time-university-books-rws/

 

And then there's the Albano, which follows BOTA coloring and could, indeed, be called garish. I like it, though.
https://fennario.wordpress.com/2019/06/03/frankie-albano-please-call-home/

[Guest]

1 hour ago, HermitSpiritus said:

 

Thanks. And the Universal looks like it was painted with crayons.

Mary Hanson-Smith coloured it pencil crayon. The original publication (printed in Belgium) was more muted and softer. US Games the switched to printing in Italy, but the cards were heavily laminated. It made the colours garish. The version in the tin is printed in China and is a lot better. 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2020 by Guest

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, katrinka said:

The old University Books decks come up on ebay regularly, and they retain the original lines (other than the fact that they built up the little island on the Two of Swords.) 
https://fennario.wordpress.com/2019/05/31/no-time-like-the-first-time-university-books-rws/

 

And then there's the Albano, which follows BOTA coloring and could, indeed, be called garish. I like it, though.
https://fennario.wordpress.com/2019/06/03/frankie-albano-please-call-home/

The University Books and the Blushing Fool (old Blue Box) are my favourites Smith-Waites.
 

Of the ones around now, I prefer the Original Rider Waite. I have the Belgian versions. I know people dislike it but I prefer it to the Centennial, Universal, &c. The Albano is great. But I have the US Games Italian printing. It is slippery and there are pixelated lines running through some of the cards. I keep hoping that they will do one in a tin. 

[HermitSpiritus]

16 minutes ago, katrinka said:

The old University Books decks come up on ebay regularly, and they retain the original lines (other than the fact that they built up the little island on the Two of Swords.) 
https://fennario.wordpress.com/2019/05/31/no-time-like-the-first-time-university-books-rws/

 

And then there's the Albano, which follows BOTA coloring and could, indeed, be called garish. I like it, though.
https://fennario.wordpress.com/2019/06/03/frankie-albano-please-call-home/

 

Thanks. I liked the University Books deck. Albano too acid and solid for me. 

[katrinka]

I don't know why they don't clean up some of the flaws on the Albano and give it a treatment similar to what the Centennial got - regular and tinned pocket versions, a book...it's certainly worthy of that and it would sell, I think. Everybody loves a mystery. 

Maybe Kaplan is still mad at Albano, lol. I don't know what they fell out over, but it's possible.

Edited October 18, 2020 by katrinka

[Guest]

It was the 50th anniversary a few years back, and I thought that we might have gotten a new issue. But nothing. On Amazon UK it has been out of stock for some time. There is a French version which is nice — but the titles are redone in French typesetting.  
 

US Games is a mystery. When they are good there are great... I never knew Albano and Mr. Kaplan fell out. Copyright issues? 

[katrinka]

Probably, but that's speculation on my part. 
Some people say that's when Albano dropped off the radar, there's commentary on AT to that effect, but I don't know if the events are actually related, or it's just a vaguely sinister urban legend.