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TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
I've never been serious about darts but always enjoyed them, and got vaguely amateur good-ish while playing a lot on my last Afghanistan deployment. Darts would also travel much easier than my gun shooting hobby, so something I can take with me next time I move overseas.

I'm moving back to my house in Austin, and my small living-room opens to a hallway leading to the bedroom door, so I think that area lines up perfectly for a dart lane, where I have elbow-room in the living room and then a narrow funnel to shoot down.

For an overall budget, I'd like to spend under $200 for a board, darts, case, and any other accessories, if that's reasonable.

I'm mainly torn on steel vs soft tips. I have no interest in an electronic board, but I see they make non-elec soft tip boards too. I was thinking soft tip so I don't leave my bedroom door, hallways walls, and floors covered in pockmarks. Then again, I own the house, and I'm tearing it down and rebuilding in like 5-10 years (though may re-use some of the wood, but it'd be refinished anyway), though since I may let it out I'm probably don't need massive damage to wood. I know there are roll-out mats and rubber floor panels and stuff, but that seems kinda non-spontaneous for playing around. I also understand that soft-tip darts aren't markless, just leave smaller/shallower dings than steel. I'll also have a downstairs tenant so I'd like to keep the *thud* down.

I understand that soft-tip isn't just a chump nerf deal, and that in some parts of the world soft-tip leagues are way more prevalent (mainland Europe, parts of the US and Canada?). I don't plan to seriously compete, but I suppose I'd be up to casual matches in the Austin area in whichever category.

In my circumstance, should I get a non-elec soft board and darts, or a steel board and darts? Or should I hedge my bets and get darts set up for changeable steel/soft tips (though afaik soft tip darts run really light so as not to damage the e-scorer). Or should I definitively pick one school or the other? Brands, models, suppliers? Thanks for any advice on hurling my mini-spears at non-mammoths.

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BobbyThompson
Mar 23, 2001
We play in my local pub 2 or 3 times a week, I reckon it's overall for about 5hrs a week.

I've tinkered with weights and threw with 26g steelies for a bit, but I seem to do best with 22g and short aluminium shafts, oh and big wing flights.

These are my current set



I paid about £20.00 for them

Board wise, make sure you get a decent bristle and not the cork/cardboard ones, they are poo poo and won't last long.

This is the one we have in the pub.



It cost about £16.00

Also, the unicorn darts case you get is really slimline and fits in your pocket really well, I like to carry a spare set of 25g for other people to use, a few sets of spare shafts and flights, so I carry my darts in this...



This cost about £6.00

and if you want to be a complete lazy bastard (like me) and you have an android phone, install this

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=andrewgilman.dartsscoreboard

It's the BEST scoring app available.

BobbyThompson
Mar 23, 2001
Also, we have http://www.sportsdirect.com/darts in the UK, the prices seem waaaaaaaaay cheaper than in the US, if you choose any kit and it would work out cheaper for me to buy and ship for you, not a problem :)

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
Huh, looks like this might be much more affordable than expected. As a UK guy, steel-point really dominates in the Isles, yes? I'm tempted by soft-point but I don't want to be all Babby's First Game with it.

BobbyThompson
Mar 23, 2001
I've got soft tipped for my kids and they throw well but it's just not the same.

Here is your justification video :D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQT3jTG3Oyw

turbomoose
Nov 29, 2008
Playing the banjo can be a relaxing activity and create lifelong friendships!
\
:backtowork:
Make a backsplash for your board. I mounted mine on a piece of wood that was finished real nice so that slightly wayward darts don't ding the wall at least. If you play with halfway decent players then they should at least be on the board or close enough around it that the backsplash should help preserve the wall. This is what I'm talking about :



or

photomikey
Dec 30, 2012
I'm not a great darts player by any means, but I agree with turbomoose... playing at regulation distance, even mediocre players will hit the board 99% of the time, and the remaining 1% a backboard would help with. Especially if you own the house.

Even with no backboard, if you're playing on drywall, at the end of 5 years, get some spackle and a putty knife and you'll have those holes fixed in 10 minutes.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
Do I need a different backboard for soft-tip than I do for steel, or same-same? Rather than the formal backboard, I think I'd just get some wood or composite material to hang behind it, do some artsy painting stuff on it. The "wall" behind the backboard will probably be an old hardwood bedroom door so I'll put some padding behind the board so as not to make the door a drum-head on impact.

Not totally decided, but think I'll go softpoints with swappable tips for now, though that means I need much lighter darts than my old brass-barreled steel tips I had shipped to Afghanistan.

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BobbyThompson
Mar 23, 2001
I wouldn't even worry about a backboard for soft tips. Unless you're throwing them in anger (like after missing a checkout and busting) I can't see them marking the wall!

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