Ok I have been a meat worker for 20+ years (Beef boner) and in my industry I/we need an altra sharp knife. Keeping a knife sharp for an extended period of time is an absolute artform and no one I mean no one I have ever met can say "I cracked it", you might have a good run and the very next time you sharpen its gone (much like my throw). I use two types of butchers steel thruoghout the day, one is rough the other polished (a steel is the thing you rub your knife on to straighten the cutting edge). To keep your knife in top form I find that the least amount of times you put it on the rough steel the longer the edge will last. The rough steel that I use is what we in the industry call a pickled steel meaning that it has very small PITS all over it, the term "pickled" comes about because of the way we put the pits into this VERY HARD TEMPERD steel which in the old days was done with brown vinegar (there is other solvents use can use to do this, hydrocloric acid for ecample). I prefer the brown vinegar. They also put pits into steel to prep it for the chroming process and other coating processes to help things stick.

Anyhow I thought that these tiny little pits over a smooth barrel dart or were there is a smooth part on the barrel whould help for grip much like shot blasting.

I have taken some photo's of my steel to try and show you the pits in it but the macro dosent get close enough, guna try and edit and zoom hopefully it will be visable enough to see.
Now Im not saying to rush out and throw your darts in a pot of vinegar or acid. There is technic to this and if I apply what I know about piting steels I can get this to work on a dart and even just in one or two particular spots using what is called the "smoking" method. Smoking a steel means you put a small amount of hydrocloric acid onto a bottle and hang the steel just above it for about 20-60 min (the fumes from the acid "FOGS UP" on the steel) then you take it out and hang it for anywere between a couple of days to a couple of weeks depending on how big you want the pits (humidity plays a part aswell). You could tape up the parts of the barrel that you dont want pitted then take the tape off before you hang it. Or you could pit the whole thing by submeging it in brown vinegar (ally stem with o'ring and an old point in barrel to stop the vinegar getting into the cavity's).

It is just a thought at the moment an (I think) worth a try on some cheapy's to see what happens.

If there is anyone in the chroming business or anyone that uses piting to prep surface areas for other forms of coating please let me know of any hints or tips.



First pic is of my rough steel which is actually very smoth compared to a traditional butchers steel that you are all farmiliar with that have the corse lines in it. If I was to use one of these my knife would be wrecked in 20 min.
Second and third pic is a cropped (zoomed) closeup.
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This is why most people who play with smooth barrel darts used copper tungsten. As they tend to get small pitting holes and have a grippy mat surface after a few weeks use. So smooth copper tungsten darts are more grippy than a nickel tungsten darts after a few weeks use.
Nickel tungsten darts hardly wear at all.

It would be interesting to feel some well pitted nickle tungsten smooth barrelled darts. I sanded my Hankey atomised darts with sand paper as they got really slippy after a few weeks. They were then better to handle but about the same grip as the silver Hankey darts.
They also had small pitting holes. But would like to try some darts with more pitting.

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careful or

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Smiling Assassin wrote:

This is why most people who play with smooth barrel darts used copper tungsten. As they tend to get small pitting holes and have a grippy mat surface after a few weeks use. So smooth copper tungsten darts are more grippy than a nickel tungsten darts after a few weeks use.
Nickel tungsten darts hardly wear at all.

It would be interesting to feel some well pitted nickle tungsten smooth barrelled darts. I sanded my Hankey atomised darts with sand paper as they got really slippy after a few weeks. They were then better to handle but about the same grip as the silver Hankey darts.
They also had small pitting holes. But would like to try some darts with more pitting.

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Gyday from Perth my fellow Western Ozzy

The Hankey's were the main target that I had in mind for this, pitty (no pun intended) they dont make them in 26g. The roughest piccklr I have seen on steels is the technic that slaughtermen use on there steels. they get a bucket with holes in the bottom and fill it with sand they then pour a bottle of hydrocloric accid through the sand and stake there steel into it and leave it over night or longer for deeper pits.

Good to know about the pits in the copper tungsten I didnt know they did that however I did know that they turn realy dark. this is same effect that pickling has on steels, it turns a dark grey/blue some times almost black.





SSaber:
Warning noted

They make them in 25g. Surely a gram doesn't matter?

my brain would tell me otherwise.

stupid god dam brain!!!!!

ted hankeys on perfectdarts.com going of 16 quid just now if you wanna try it out
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jamie373 wrote:

ted hankeys on perfectdarts.com going of 16 quid just now if you wanna try it out
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I was just eyeballing those last night. Great deal.

I do need a backup set.

i've just spend a load on darts stuff the last couple of weeks , but i'm temped to spend a wee bit more and try out a 14g dart . i've already got the coffin case anyway so would be a shame not to put the intended darts in it lol . it is a great deal and i think there is a 10 percent discount code kicking about too .

That is cheap but thinking about it a bit more they prod wouldnt be for me . Top loaded darts and I deffo dont mix. Think the jenkins darts would be the go, longer thinner, but price'y. and unless I practice on smothing cheap I wouldnt be throwing acid on those.

slept on it overnite and thought that if you use the above sand method you could make a two toned work of art by submerging just the front part of the dart (I dont grip at the rear).

got some McCoy razor grip darts? 26 gm [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

ooo I like them defo dont need piting lol

unfort it is about 12-13 pound to ship to OZ by the time i pay ya what ya want and shipping i could get tem from A-Z giv or take a $ and only have to wait a couple o days.

I have a list in my favorites with all the long skinny 26g's available in order of pref and they are high on my wish list.


edit: soz saber you ar in the america's not uk lol

what does the RN stand for on your avatar?

waiting for some 26g Robbo's from Watsontotty (Richard), swaped my DART9's for them sent them away nearly a week ago dont think he got them yet. Bloody Australia Post prob lost them by now.

I tend to lean towards a grippy dart (dry fingers) thats part of the reason I flicked the dart9's. But ive been using a shity set of puma's were there is no grip were I hold it and am starting to get use to it (lick fingers) and I can see the advantages less grip would give you. Thats why this thread came about.

Gunna pit the hell out of those pumas when I get me Robbo's.