Lee Bell wrote:
>
> Andy M Johnson wrote:
>
> > I'm a savage darts player, often recruited as a ringer at the last moment
> > to frighten off the opposition, I think it may be something to do with the
> > poison & the blowpipe I regularly use :-)

Bull :-)  [pun intended]

> I'm an absolutely awful darts player, but over here, blowpipes are
> considered bad form and poison would surely get you arrested as a terrorist
> . . . biological warfare and all that.  I suspect with a blowpipe, I too
> could be a fair hand at the manly art of darts.
>
> Jayna and I have our own darts, something you don't see much here.  She's
> better than I am, but neither of us is what you'd call good.  She used to
> mention darts known as Hammerheads, which if I recall correctly, have a
> spring loaded point mechanism that allows them to stick where others fail.
> It occurs to me that a new set of these, or perhaps some other good set of
> darts is something she might like.  Do either of you have an ideas or,
> better yet, contacts for anything unique, of good quality and, hopefully,
> moderate price?

Some years ago, believe it or not, Chattanooga had the highest
per-capita percentage of dart throwers in the US.  The GCDA (Greater
Chattanooga Dart Association) still exists and has leagues, not in the
numbers they once had, but still around.  I was very into it for a
number of years, but haven't thrown but a few times since my hospital
adventure.  My right hand still isn't quite right, I had some ulnar
nerve damage that still persists.  But anyway...

Hammerheads (by Bottlesen Dart Co) were in vogue back then, but I don't
see them much anymore.  I have a set around here somewhere.  They are
a bit high maintenance, the points are a bit brittle (I've had two
break, numerous others wear away the inside flange) and the point
collars break off the little spring steel bits inside that make the
"hammer" work.  The point is extended when you throw it, pulling the
point flange inside the springy collar sleeve.  When it hits, the
point strikes first but the inertia of the dart continues until the
point is retracted inside the collar, then *click* the dart body drives
the point home.  The idea is that they get twp chances if you hit a
wire, hopefully the point slips past the wire before the full weight
of the dart strikes.

The trend after Hammerheads were PowerPoints (by Harrows Dart Tech),
which have the same idea (delayed *click*) but use a simple tapered
point and collar and let friction hold the point extended rather than
the more complicated split-spring collar and flanged point of the HH.
The PPs are 90% tungsten, I think the HHs were 80% (I have the PPs in
front of me, don't know where the HHs are hiding).

Andy suggested Winmau, I've never seen their darts, but they were the
dominant dart boards anywhere.  I don't recall a tournament where they
didn't have Winmau boards on the lanes.  For obligatory Scuba content,
I used to play in tournaments, the professional ones, and had the
occasion to meet a few Brit (Eric Bristow) and American (Tony Payne)
pros.  Our league sponsored some Chattanooga players to go to nearby
tournaments, and my number came up for a tourney in Sarasota FL.  As
I was just starting to dive then, I went down a day early to dive in
Tampa on the way down, did Sarasota while I was there, and did Ginnie
Springs on the way back :-)  So darts helped to fund that dive trip.

There are a number of dart manufacturers that make excellent stuff, and
everyone has their preferences.  Hammerheads have fallen a bit out of
favor (almost wrote 'favour', must be the darts) but PowerPoints are
still around and my choice (for what it's worth).  Piranhas are also
nice darts and a good old-fashioned fixed-point dart.  A good set of
any can run $80-$120 though if you know what you want, what weight,
what barrel shape and finish, you can probably save by buying direct.
But most of the fun is taking various sets for a test drive, the stores
always have boards open :-)  Then you get to pick shafts and flights,
there are more possibilities there than you can count.

There is a dart store in Chattanooga if you're ever in the vicinity
(T&A Darts, on Lee Highway by coincidence).

Jeff