FLIGHT

Flights are key in the dart's aerodynamics! Different shapes and sizes are used depending on the dart's weight and the player's personal preference.

SHAFT
Shafts are connected to the dart barrel and hold the flight in place. Available in nylon and aluminum, and many sizes, styles and colors!

BARREL
Determining most of the dart's weight, Bottelsen's dart barrels are made from Tungsten, Super Alloy™ or Brass, available in many different styles and weights.

POINT
Points are available in Hammer Head® No Bounce Darts™ Movable steel tip, Fixed Point Steel Tip, and Soft Tip points!

Tungsten Alloy Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-alloy.com
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Recycled Steel is sourced in many ways, and its applications are virtually limitless.  H&H Metals examines three of the most common kinds of steel and their applications in daily life.

Metal recycling at H&H Metals includes a variety of materials, the most common being steel scrap.  One of the reasons steel recycling is so important is because of the large quantity of steel used throughout the world.  Steel is the most prevalent metal in many industries including residential and commercial construction, automotive, and infrastructure development.  It is also the most recycled metal in the world.  Thanks to modern metal recycling processes, recycled steel is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly resource.  Steel scrap metal can be sourced in many ways, and has a virtually endless array of new applications.  Let’s take a look at the tool steel:

Get the Job Done – Tool Steel

A common form of steel is tool steel.  Tool steel is a blend of iron mixed with cobalt or tungsten.  This unique mixture is extra strong and heat resistant.  Because of its unique properties, is often used for creating strong, reliable tools.  Tool Steel is used for axes, chisels, and saw blades, or any other tool that requires a strong, sharp, cutting edge.

These kinds of steel can be made using recycled steel.  Because of this, steel can be considered a sustainable resource.  For this reason, individuals and companies are encouraged to examine their current metals recycling processes to ensure these valuable resources are managed responsibly.

Tungsten Alloy Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-alloy.com
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Other than the proverbial "How high do I hang my dartboard?" question, the ones that come in tied for second are "What dart should I buy?" and "What is the difference between dart 'A' and dart 'B'?" Considering I'm still getting question number one and I've had that information posted at this site for a very long time, I know this will not eliminate the second question altogether, but should cut down on the amount of them. I was going to split this page up into two parts, soft & steel, until this little light went off and I realized the only difference between the two are the points and weights. So one page it is and it has been divided into the following sections:

What Darts are Constructed of

With the exception of wooden darts, both soft and steel-tip darts are made of the same materials. The major differences that will be discussed between them are weight and cost.

Wooden Darts

You don't see these around very often but they are a lot of fun to throw with. They are made of lightweight wood shaft with turkey feather flights (no parts to replace). I have four sets I ordered from Al's American Darts for use with their wooden dartboard. They weigh around 12 grams so they really aren't that much lighter than electronic darts. They work just fine with any bristle board.
 
Brass Darts
 
Brass is the lightest of the three metallic darts listed here. It is a soft alloy (copper & zinc) which makes it easy to for manufacturers to shape and work with.
 
Nickel-Silver Darts

Nickel-silver is yet another light dart that is an alloy consisting of nickel, copper and zinc. Like brass, it is easy for manufacturers to shape and work with.

Tungsten Darts

Tungsten, unlike brass and nickel-silver, is a very heavy and dense metal. It is usually mixed with nickel so you will see on a package something like 80-20 (80% tungsten/20% nickel). It is harder to work with but will last longer than the other two (especially the knurling). On average, a 20 gram tungsten dart will be ½ the size of a 20 gram brass dart which will allow for tighter groupings on the board. This is the reason most of the really good throwers use tungsten darts but if you're just starting out, you won't be throwing tight groupings anyway, regardless of the dart you're using.

Weights

First let's look at the legal weights for darts.

Steel-tip darts can weigh up to 50 grams, though you will have a very difficult time locating very many varieties above 30 grams. Most people throw darts that weigh between 20-25 grams.

Soft-tip darts are a different story, you will need to check with your local leagues for the weight requirements. At the time of this posting, 16 grams darts seem to be a safe bet no matter where you are throwing. You can get a heavier soft-tip dart, but some leagues and tournaments may ban them due to the construction or restraints of the machines that are being used. An opponent can challenge the weight of your dart if they feel it is too heavy.

Recommendation: If you're throwing soft-tip darts, go to the 14-16 gram varieties to play it safe. If you're just starting in steel-tip darts and do not have the ability to try out different weights to see what you like, I would start off with a 21-22 gram dart.

Points

Steel-tip: You have two options, fixed-point or moveable-point.

    Fixed-point: This is where the point is solidly fixed into the dart, it does not move. This is the most common type of dart you will see.
    Moveable-point: Guess what, these point's move! There are a number of different varieties on the market, but the theme behind them all is the same, "Help decrease the chance for a bounce-out". When you throw the dart, you want the point to be fully extended. The hope is that if you hit a wire, the back-end (or barrel) will then move forward and force the point into the boards as opposed to letting the dart bounce off the wire and fall to the floor.

Recommendation: When I first started throwing back in the mid to late 80s, the boards were made differently. They had big round wires and lots of staples, especially those big ugly ones holding in the double-bull. Moveable-point darts were definitely the way to go. Now, things have changed a lot, board manufacturers have redesigned the boards themselves. Now you have staple-less boards (including staple-less bulls), diamond shaped wires, and even boards whose wires are completely embedded (can you say " The Bandit Board?"). If you are always throwing on real hard boards, or older type boards that don't have all the nice features, moveable points may be for you. If, like me, you're lucky enough to only throw on the higher quality dartboards, then they may not be worth the extra money. They do have one main advantage over fixed point darts and that's the ease of replacing the points when they are worn or damaged. Well, there's my two cents worth! :-)

Soft-tip: Now, unlike steel-tip, the difference is in the width of the opening of the barrel, not the action of the point. Your two choices here are ¼" and 2ba.

    ¼": This is definitely the wider of the two choices. Though I do not know this for a fact (do you), I suspect this was the first size that came out with soft-tip darts.
    2ba: Much narrower and much more common. It's been my experience that if you walk into a pub with soft-tip machines, you are more likely to find a box or bowl of 2ba replacement tips than you are of the ¼" variety.

Recommendation: Unless you just love the set of darts you are using that has ¼" points and you can not find a set that uses 2ba points, I would just stick with the 2ba darts. They are much more common which makes finding someone with a spare point or two in the middle of a match easier should you run out. Note, if you like hammerhead steel-tip points, they will normally screw into most soft-tip 2ba darts.

Tungsten Alloy Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.tungsten-alloy.com
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Fishing on the area lakes was hit and miss. The small, shallow lakes and wind protected bays have between 5-6 inches of ice. Many of the large, deep lakes do have open water areas. With the windy conditions, open water areas may get larger. Do not take an ATV, snowmobile or vehicle on any lake with the inconsistent ice. With the "predicted" rain headed our way, the ice may become soft in areas with springs, near currents or marshy areas. Be aware of old auger holes that may enlarge with the water flowing through. If walking out to unfamiliar areas, use a spud bar to check the ice as you walk out, wear a life jacket or floating suit and safety picks, bring a throw cushion with a rope attached, and a friend. Check with your local bait shop for ice conditions on your favorite lake before heading out.

Bluegills will be found near green weeds in 8-15 feet of water. Spikes, wax worms, and ice plastics have produced, with wigglers working best for finicky gills. Bait these on a No. 12 to No. -16-sized ice jig such as a Ratfinkee, Moon Glitter, Marmooska, Flirty Girty, tear drop or tungsten jig. Light No. 2 test line and a spring bobber are a must to detect bites.

Perch were found in the pockets of mid depth weed beds. A Ratfinkee ice jig or a small jigging spoon baited with spikes has produced. Anglers also had success using tip-ups rigged with a No. 4 test leader, No. 14 treble hook, and baited with a medium lake shiner, large rosy red, or small golden shiner minnow. You won't catch many with tip-ups, but the ones you do, will be big.

Crappies were found suspended during early morning and evening hours. Use your locator to find the schools and place your bait above them. A Ratfinkee or rocker ice jig baited with a small minnow, wax worm, or wiggler produced. Dead sticking with a tip down rigged with a No. 14 treble hook and a small minnow was also effective. Aggressive crappies were caught using small jigging spoons such as a Lil Cecil, Swedish Pimple, or Forage minnow.

Tungsten Manufacturer & Supplier: Chinatungsten Online - http://www.chinatungsten.com
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