Steel Tip Darts

A steel tip dart has four parts: a hardened steel point, a barrel you grip, a shaft (also called a stem) and a flight. The point sticks into the fibers of a bristle dartboard, and the fibers close again when the dart is pulled out.

Most steel tip darts are fixed point, with the point pressed permanently into the barrel, like the Laserdart Black Widow Fixed Steel Tip. Moveable point darts let the point slide back on impact to cut down bounce-outs off the wires, and Laserdarts supports that system with its own MP replacement points.

Start between 22 and 25 grams, then move lighter or heavier based on how the dart flies for you. There is no single right weight, only the one that lands consistently from your throw.

If you want to compare weights in the same barrel, the Harrows NX comes in 22g, 24g and 26g.

Tungsten is best for most players. It is roughly twice as dense as brass, so a tungsten barrel is much slimmer at the same weight. Slimmer darts group tighter in the treble and deflect off each other less.

• Tungsten percentage is how much of the barrel is tungsten; the rest is a binding alloy. 80% to 90% covers most league darts, and 95% or more is premium. Every Laserdarts steel tip barrel is 90% tungsten, and the Harrows Wolfram goes to 97%.
• Brass is the lowest-cost option and a fine first set, but it is wider and wears faster.
• Nickel-silver sits between the two: still wide, but harder-wearing than brass.

Match the grip to your hands. Dry fingers usually want more texture; players whose hands sweat, or who throw in humid rooms, want grooves that give sweat somewhere to go.

• Knurled (crosshatched): all-over grip with a fine texture. Try the Laserdart Silver Widow Wicked Knurl.
• Ringed: smooth rings that give a defined finger position. Try the Black Widow Ringed.
• Shark cut: angled teeth that grab hardest on release. Try the Laserdart Tomahawk, which pairs front and rear shark cuts with a smooth center.
• Rubber or coated: maximum non-slip, like the Harrows Ace.

Center-weighted is the neutral starting point. Front-weighted darts carry mass toward the point, fly nose-first and suit players who grip near the front with a smooth, straight push. Rear-weighted darts suit players who hold toward the back and throw with more arc.

If you want to experiment without buying several sets, the Laserbitz Bitz Kit lets you build a front, center or rear-weighted barrel from interchangeable 90% tungsten sections.

For steel tip play the center of the bullseye is 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) from the floor, and the throw line (oche) is 7 ft 9¼ in (237 cm) from the face of the board, measured along the floor. The diagonal from the bullseye to the back edge of the throw line is 9 ft 7⅜ in (293.4 cm), a quick way to check your setup.

Mark it once and it stays right: a Laserdart throw line or the Voks toe line checker keeps the distance honest, and a board like the Winmau Blade 6 is tournament approved.

• Keep points sharp but rounded. A burred point bounces out and tears board fibers; a point sharpener fixes it in seconds.
• Check shafts before you throw. A loose shaft changes flight and can strip threads.
• Replace split flights. A torn flight is the most common cause of a dart suddenly flying wrong.
• Store darts in a case so points and flights are not knocked around. See our dart cases.

Every Laserdarts barrel carries a lifetime barrel guarantee against breaking, cracking or chipping through normal use.

Yes. The Dart Lending Library lets US customers check out up to two sets of Laserdarts or select Horizon Darts models for 10 business days. Throw them at league night or practice, keep the set that works and send back the rest. If you would rather talk it through, call or email our team in Kansas City.