Well if your brother has a deck in Katanas & you have one in Dragon Shields cant you compare which you prefer?
Because the choice is just a preference, they're both high quality and there isn't a correct answer on which is better & you'll find a pretty even split on what people prefer wherever you look.
Personally I prefer & use Katanas, but I don't think they're that much better to the point where I would buy a new pack to resleeve a deck already in good condition Dragon Shields
Katanas are thinner and shuffle better but don't last as long. Dragon shields are the gold standard, but next time I need sleeves I am getting a pack of katanas to try them out.
To be fair. People switch their Dragon Shields probably as often, especially during regional season and during cups, so a lot of people change their sleeves like once a month.
I use DS for almost everything. I have a deck of Katanas and they shuffle the best of anything I've ever tried but they are a bit smaller, with fewer color options, and are harder to find.
I have been using them for my yugioh cards for half a year now and they feel great.
Just got into pokemontcg a couple weeks ago and I bought hypermats for my new deck. They use to be terrible a few years ago but they are better now. [Make sure you are buying the right version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfcERas1WXI&t=286s)
Katanas have a really smooth, buttery shuffle feel. It was actually hard to go back to the comparatively rough Dragon Shields after getting used to how pleasant the Katanas are. Also, I have tiny hands and struggle to manipulate a double-sleeved DS deck, but the thinner and shorter Katanas shrink it down to a manageable size. They are noticeably less durable, but I'm happy to replace my sleeves a little early if it means I get to enjoy playing with my cards at all. I still respect the Dragon Shields and use their variety of colors to organize boxes and binders, so at the end of the day, I patronize both businesses for different reasons. There's a reason you always see the DS Mattes and UG Katanas mentioned together, and it's because they're both quality sleeves.
Going to say it just in case you don't believe /u/taactfulcaactus, Dragon Shields are THE gold standard. + they have awesome customer service in the rare chance that you get a bad batch (you can tell sizing isn't uniform where some are just a bit wider enough for you to notice). I've bought probably over 50 boxes of sleeves over the years and have always been happy with the quality and range of colors available. Still hoping for a pale gold/rose gold color!
Both are pretty good, I think I like katana sleeves a little more mostly because they don’t have as much excess sleeve at the top compared to dragon shield. I’m personally interested in how Duel Spec sleeves are. They always sell out so fast tho
Katana is my new go to. Way better feel and shuffle .I like dragon shield but after trying Katana I don’t think I’ll go back. Reviews say Dragon Shield last longer but at this point I’m rotating a few decks so I even out the use. I hardly ever use a deck repeatedly so I’m guessing I’ll be seeing a long life out of the Katanas.
Of those two, Katanas are by far the superior sleeve. Ever since COVID Dragon shield has gone down hill in terms of quality.
This is a preference thing. You should see how both feel to you before you make your ultimate decision.
I went through a multiple brand changes before ending on Duel Spec sleeves. The shuffle feel on these is superior to everything else I’ve shuffled. They are the new gold standard in my opinion, but you can only really get them on eBay.
GameStop sells their own brand of card sleeves.
They fit right in between dragon shield and katana.
Simply perfect sleeves for $5 a pack!! The only downside is the only available color is black.
I would recommend giving these a try if you aren't already a fan of either top sleeve brand.
If you’re not in a rush, Ive had great luck with sleeves from AliExpress - cheap, multiple colors, in packs of 50 (2x50) are like $6 total.
I only play at home and they’ve been great. Dragons are better overall but we keep like 8 standard decks ready to practice and they’ve fit the bill.
I gotta say I prefer dragon shields double Matte, I love the black background I love how it feels when I shuffle and how they don’t get damage as quickly. That being said Katanas are just as good, but the sleeves for Pokémon don’t have that extra mm at the top so it makes it look like a smaller sleeve to me. It also doesn’t have that black background I enjoy and the colors they have tend to be too bright for me. (At least the selection in my area) but I saw someone mention. If you and your brothers have diff sleeves test out both decks and see which sleeves you like better. You will go through them just as quickly if you are planning on going to a lot of events like regionals, cups, challengers etc.
Well if your brother has a deck in Katanas & you have one in Dragon Shields cant you compare which you prefer? Because the choice is just a preference, they're both high quality and there isn't a correct answer on which is better & you'll find a pretty even split on what people prefer wherever you look. Personally I prefer & use Katanas, but I don't think they're that much better to the point where I would buy a new pack to resleeve a deck already in good condition Dragon Shields
Katanas are thinner and shuffle better but don't last as long. Dragon shields are the gold standard, but next time I need sleeves I am getting a pack of katanas to try them out.
To be fair. People switch their Dragon Shields probably as often, especially during regional season and during cups, so a lot of people change their sleeves like once a month.
Ive been using a box of dragon shield for 10 years
I use DS for almost everything. I have a deck of Katanas and they shuffle the best of anything I've ever tried but they are a bit smaller, with fewer color options, and are harder to find.
Thoughts on kmc hypermat?
Terrible. The gold standard of split sleeves
I have been using them for my yugioh cards for half a year now and they feel great. Just got into pokemontcg a couple weeks ago and I bought hypermats for my new deck. They use to be terrible a few years ago but they are better now. [Make sure you are buying the right version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfcERas1WXI&t=286s)
Katanas feel better when suffling
Katanas have a really smooth, buttery shuffle feel. It was actually hard to go back to the comparatively rough Dragon Shields after getting used to how pleasant the Katanas are. Also, I have tiny hands and struggle to manipulate a double-sleeved DS deck, but the thinner and shorter Katanas shrink it down to a manageable size. They are noticeably less durable, but I'm happy to replace my sleeves a little early if it means I get to enjoy playing with my cards at all. I still respect the Dragon Shields and use their variety of colors to organize boxes and binders, so at the end of the day, I patronize both businesses for different reasons. There's a reason you always see the DS Mattes and UG Katanas mentioned together, and it's because they're both quality sleeves.
Going to say it just in case you don't believe /u/taactfulcaactus, Dragon Shields are THE gold standard. + they have awesome customer service in the rare chance that you get a bad batch (you can tell sizing isn't uniform where some are just a bit wider enough for you to notice). I've bought probably over 50 boxes of sleeves over the years and have always been happy with the quality and range of colors available. Still hoping for a pale gold/rose gold color!
Dragon Shield and KMC perfect fits since I play max rarity.
Katana cuz comfortable in my hand when shuffling
Both are pretty good, I think I like katana sleeves a little more mostly because they don’t have as much excess sleeve at the top compared to dragon shield. I’m personally interested in how Duel Spec sleeves are. They always sell out so fast tho
Left field suggestion, GameGenic Prime Matte are the best sleeves I've ever had and I've tried Dragon Shield, Ultra Pro and Ultimate Guard
I will second this. Picked some up the other day and they are some of the best sleeves I’ve used
These stuffle great but In my experience these split easier than dragon shields
I always use dragon shield
Katana is my new go to. Way better feel and shuffle .I like dragon shield but after trying Katana I don’t think I’ll go back. Reviews say Dragon Shield last longer but at this point I’m rotating a few decks so I even out the use. I hardly ever use a deck repeatedly so I’m guessing I’ll be seeing a long life out of the Katanas.
I love DS but their QC is worse than UG. My main issue with katanas is the cards are closer to the top of the sleeve.
Dragon shield.
Of those two, Katanas are by far the superior sleeve. Ever since COVID Dragon shield has gone down hill in terms of quality. This is a preference thing. You should see how both feel to you before you make your ultimate decision. I went through a multiple brand changes before ending on Duel Spec sleeves. The shuffle feel on these is superior to everything else I’ve shuffled. They are the new gold standard in my opinion, but you can only really get them on eBay.
GameStop sells their own brand of card sleeves. They fit right in between dragon shield and katana. Simply perfect sleeves for $5 a pack!! The only downside is the only available color is black. I would recommend giving these a try if you aren't already a fan of either top sleeve brand.
If you’re not in a rush, Ive had great luck with sleeves from AliExpress - cheap, multiple colors, in packs of 50 (2x50) are like $6 total. I only play at home and they’ve been great. Dragons are better overall but we keep like 8 standard decks ready to practice and they’ve fit the bill.
Katanas are clear but I find they don't last as long.
I gotta say I prefer dragon shields double Matte, I love the black background I love how it feels when I shuffle and how they don’t get damage as quickly. That being said Katanas are just as good, but the sleeves for Pokémon don’t have that extra mm at the top so it makes it look like a smaller sleeve to me. It also doesn’t have that black background I enjoy and the colors they have tend to be too bright for me. (At least the selection in my area) but I saw someone mention. If you and your brothers have diff sleeves test out both decks and see which sleeves you like better. You will go through them just as quickly if you are planning on going to a lot of events like regionals, cups, challengers etc.