Frequently Asked Questions about Darts and Dart Boards
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Does dart weight matter ?
To the casual player, dart weight probably makes no difference. The competitive players prefer specific dart weights that feel most comfortable when they throw. Soft tip darts generally range from 14 to 20 grams, while steel tip darts range from 18 to 26 grams.
The knurl is essentially the engraved pattern or grip on the barrel of a dart. One of the most important features of a dart, that determines quality and worth, is the barrels grip. If you have the best grip, you are going to get three things: accuracy, consistency and control. There is a vast variety of knurls, the one that is best for you depends on your personal preference.
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Which type of dart do I need (soft tip or steel tip)?
Soft tip darts are primarily used with electronic dart boards. Soft tip darts have a flexible, plastic tip on the end to easily lodge into the holes on electronic dart boards. Usually lighter than steel tip darts, soft tip darts can be weighted differently and be just as complex. Soft tip darts can be made of copper, tungsten, nickel, brass or plastic.
Steel tip darts are primarily used with bristle dart boards. Steel tip darts have a very sharp steel tip to stick in the fiber of the bristle board. Steel tip darts can be made of copper, tungsten, nickel, brass or plastic.
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What are bristle boards made of ?
Bristle boards were made out of cork or hog's hair years ago.That is where the term 'bristle' was derived from. Now, most bristle boards are made out of a fiber called 'sisal', that is the same type of material that rope is made of. The advantage of using sisal over cork is that it's self-healing. That means when the dart penetrates the board surface, it wedges itself between the fibers instead of puncturing the cork. This extends the life of the board greatly.
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What is the difference in dart materials ?
Some materials are more suitable for darts than others, because metal vary in terms of weight and density. Recreational darts (lower priced) tend to use common metals like copper and brass. These metals are not very dense, so the heavier the dart, the longer or thicker it tends to be. On the contrary, competitive darters prefer darts made of tungsten. Tungsten is a dense, strong metal that allows the shafts and barrels to be slim in design.
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Do electronic dart boards run on batteries or plug in ?
Almost all electronic dart boards (especially those with large LED displays) use an AC adapter, which is included. Smaller, low end electronic boards with LCD displays use batteries.
The thin metal wires that divide the dart board into segments is what is referred to as a spider.Most bristle boards feature a spider on top of the playing surface. You will find an embedded spider on higher end bristle dart boards. This type of spider is ideal because it is razor thin and cuts down dramatically on bounce-outs. A bounce-out occurs when the point of the dart hits the spider and literally bounces off the dart board.
You will need a dart tool if you have steel tip darts. The dart tool aids you in tightening tips and metal shafts, spreading metal shafts for easy insertion of flights and reshapes metal shafts.
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Does flight shape matter ?
The purpose of a dart flight is not for lift , but to provide drag. The flights job is to keep the tail tracking the point while the dart fights the good fight against gravity on its way to the dart board. Dimpled, ribbed, smooth or otherwise they all do the same thing with minute variations. The heaver darts usually need larger surface area flights, commonly known as "standards". While the lighter darts with mass can be thrown with smaller area flights, commonly known as "speed flights".These speed flights possess smaller wings, this promotes tighter groupings and decreases the chance of another dart striking a previously thrown dart.With the flights being smaller there is simply less surface area to hit.
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What is a movable number ring ?
A movable number ring is a common feature on a bristle dart board. The numbers around the circumference of the target area are mounted on a wire that can be turned. This is a handy feature to have, because over time players tend to wear out certain segments of the bristle dart board that are commonly used in certain darts games. The movable ring allows you to rotate the mounting of the dart board on the wall, yet keeping the numbers in the same places top to bottom and left to right.
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Do I need a cabinet or backboard ?
Even the experienced player misses the dart board once in awhile. You will find that over time this will amount to many pinholes in the wall surrounding your bristle dart board. A backboard or cabinet is the answer to that. Backboards cover the wall around your bristle dart board and are made of materials that the darts can stick in safely. Cabinets serve the same function, but in addition they have doors that can be closed to hide your dart board when not in use. Many cabinets have designs on the doors and nice wood finishes to enhance your decor. Also, many provide dart holders for easy storage and scoreboards on the inside of the doors.
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What is a cricket display ?
Cricket is a popular dart game that requires each player to hit certain numbers on the dart board multiple times. Many electronic dart boards with Cricket feature an LED display that shows the status of each player's position in the dart game. Some dart boards display this as a number, others use a series of bars that light up and higher end dart boards display a series of X's and O's for each player.
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How do I hang a dart board ?
Both our bristle dart boards and electronic dart boards come with instructions and hardware for easy installation. That is nice yet there is a lot of information needed to hang a dart board correctly, because the choice is much more difficult than one may expect. Allow us to lend a few pointers.
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The dart board needs to be hung exactly 5' 8" from the floor to the CENTER OF THE BULLSEYE. Good quality dart boards are hung from the center, making this mark is easy. If you have a dart board that hangs from the top, you will have to measure the distance from the center of the bulls eye to the hanger and add that to the height. If a back board is used to protect the wall around the dart board, this will also have to be centered around the dart board.
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The throw line (also known as the oche, toe-line or hockey) should be about 3' wide. It may be made of tape, a store bought throw line sticker or a piece of wood or metal. Regardless, it should be placed exactly 7' 91/4" from the FACE of the dart board for a standard steel tip dart setup. For soft tip darts, the line should be 8' from the FACE of the dart board. (NOTE: Some British pubs use an 8' or 8' 6" measurement for steel tip darts.) To measure from the face of the dart board, have someone hold a plumb line from the bottom-front of the dart board to the floor. If you don't have a plumb line, you can use a piece of string with a pencil or dart tied to one end. Make sure the throw line is exactly perpendicular to the face of the dart board and centered with the dart board. It is a good idea to measure from each corner of the bulls eye line to make sure your distance is correct.
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Proper lighting of the dart board is very critical. It is important to be able to tell exactly where the dart landed without moving from the throw line. The ideal lighting is from 2 lamps mounted from the ceiling to the left and right of the dart board. Obviously, in a home this can be a little ugly and expensive. The main goal is to light it reasonably brightly and create as little shadow as possible.
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The area should be a low traffic area to decrease the risk of injuries.
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There should be nothing breakable 2-3' on either side of the dart board and preferably nowhere near the dart board at all.
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You need an empty area roughly 5' wide and 11' long.
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The floor should be considered in several ways. A concrete, stone or tile floor will break darts and dull the points. A Wood floor will get lots of holes in it around the front of the dart board. While a linoleum or vinyl flooring will also get lots of holes. If you have carpet it will show A LOT of wear from traffic between the dart board and the line.
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There should be adequate room for spectators and players when they are not throwing.
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There needs to be a place for the score board in sight from the line, preferably right next to the dart board.
HELPFUL HINT
It is best if when you are not using your custom pool cue, keep it in a protective case or rack. Propping your pool cue up against the wall or counter may lead to warping, scratches, dents or breakage. You should guard your custom pool cue against extreme environmental conditions (heat, cold, humidity and dryness).
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