Dartboards
Dartboards are a fixture in bars and pubs across the nation, but you don't have to get out to your local pub to find a good game. Today's boards are high quality, inexpensive, and easy to install. Also, advances in
electronic boards make the game more fun than ever before.
Bristle Dartboards
*The term 'bristle' dates back to the days when dartboards were made of hogs hair.
* Today, bristle boards are made out of a fiber called "sisal."
* The advantage of using sisal over a material like cork is that it is self-healing.
*
Darts penetrate the board surface, and wedge themselves between the fibers instead of poking a hole in the material.
* This lengthens the life of the board tremendously.
Spider
* The
spider refers to the thin metal wires that divide a dartboard into segments.
* Many bristle boards feature a spider on top of the playing surface.
* Highouts (when the point of the dart hits the spider and literally bounces off the board).
Movable Number Ring
* A
movable number ring is a common bristle board feature allows the numbers around the circumference of the target area to be rotated.
* This keeps more commonly used areas of the board from wearing out.
Size
* Almost all bristle boards are 18 inches in diameter with a 13.5 inch target area.
Backboards
*
Backboard or
cabinets help to keep errant throws from leaving holes in the wall surrounding the board.
* Backboards cover the wall around your bristle board and are made of materials that darts can stick in safely.
* Cabinets serve the same function, but in addition they have doors that can be closed to hide your dartboard when not in use.
* Many cabinets have nice wood finishes or designs on the doors to enhance your décor.
* Many also provide scoreboards on the insides of the doors, and some even have dart holders for easy storage.
Electronic Dartboards
Cricket Display
* Many electronic boards with Cricket feature an LED display that shows the status of each player's position in the game.
* Some boards display this as a number; others use a series of bars that light up, and higher end boards display a series of Xs and Os for each player.
* Most electronic dartboards use
Halex makes several electronic dartboards that feature a BristleTech target area that can accept both types of darts.
Features
* Target area size can range from 13 inches to 15.5 inches (regulation size).
* Number of games and game variations.
* LED displays are colorful and vibrant, LCDs are muted and more difficult to read from a distance.
* Some electronic boards offer simple number displays that change for each player; some offer multiple player displays that allow you to easily compare your score against others.
* Some boards accept soft-tip darts only, or both soft and steel tip.
* Some boards offer special sound effects, voice recording options, or a heckler feature that actually makes fun of bad throws.
Arcade Style Dartboard
*Arcade style dartboards consist of an electronic board mounted in a full size, freestanding cabinet just like an arcade game.
* These cabinets often have storage for darts and accessories.
Dartboard Manufacturers
*
Halex
*
Arachnid
*
Winmau
*
Accudart
*
Viper
*
DMI
*
Nodor
*
Sportcraft
*
Shot King
*
Widdy
