The average cost of tungsten is $0.25 per gram. Tungsten, also known as wolfram, is a chemical element with atomic number 74. A steel-gray metal under standard conditions when uncombined, tungsten is found naturally on Earth only combined in chemical compounds. Its important ores include wolframite and scheelite. The free element is remarkable for its physical properties, particular that it has the highest melting point of all the non-alloyed metals and the second highest of all the elements after carbon. Its density is slightly more than that of uranium and 19.3 times more than that of water.

this was 2010 prices. Am sure if you buy in bulk ya get a better price.

The most recent trades for tungsten have been about US $ 250 per MTU, so that means one ounce of elemental tungsten is worth about US $ 0.89, assuming you mean avoirdupois ounces and not troy ounces.

Thats why the price of darts is going up, I think you should invest in tungsten Pops! Then leave me the profits in your will

One of the most abundant metals on earth. Makes me wonder how much it cost Target to make a set of darts. There's certainly a HUGE markup.

I'm guessing it cost about $5 to make a set of darts.

JD wrote:

One of the most abundant metals on earth. Makes me wonder how much it cost Target to make a set of darts. There's certainly a HUGE markup.

I'm guessing it cost about $5 to make a set of darts.

sounds cheap really, when you have all the marketing to pay for, all the machinery, the employees, designers, machinists, sales staff etc...

getagrip wrote:

JD wrote:

One of the most abundant metals on earth. Makes me wonder how much it cost Target to make a set of darts. There's certainly a HUGE markup.

I'm guessing it cost about $5 to make a set of darts.

sounds cheap really, when you have all the marketing to pay for, all the machinery, the employees, designers, machinists, sales staff etc...

I was just sticking to the actual cost of what it takes to make a set of darts on average. All the other factors could vary widely from company to company. But the average cost to make a set of darts should be spot on across the board.

I guess if you like at the likes of Taylors darts then the profits on those must be mega, they must have sold millions of sets.

i was looking around ebay to see what the prices were since i'm interested in trying it out.

5/16" x 8" = $47 for 50-235 tungsten which is 70% W 30% Cu ::: here's the ebay link

it's the tooling required to machine tungsten which is expensive. inserts to cut such a material are around $8-15 a piece. although a typical carbide/cemet insert would be fine, they don't last long given the abrasiveness of tungsten. machining it once is no biggie, but doing production runs is where it gets pricey.

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on another note i was looking into iridium which is 22.5g/cc. in comparison pure 100% tungsten is 19.25g/cc. in dart terms... a barrel of 1/4" x 1.5" tungsten would shrink down to .220" x 1.5" in iridium while maintaining the same overall weight. that idea got shelved when i learned iridium is 40 times rarer than gold, and 10 times rarer than platinum. no wonder my NGK plugs are so pricey. lol

Is tungsten the heaviest/hardest/densest metal? is gold heavier?

Pure 100% gold darts, that would be nice, although they would be too soft lol.

getagrip wrote:

Is tungsten the heaviest/hardest/densest metal? is gold heavier?

Pure 100% gold darts, that would be nice, although they would be too soft lol.

gold is slightly less @ 21.1g while tungsten is 21.25g.

after those two only 3 remain:

platinum (21.5g)
iridium(22.56g)
osmium (22.59g)

cost obv puts those outta reach to the avg person. although if u have $$$$ to throw around then it's no biggie. iridium is $57/g (ebay). gold is currently @ $53/g.

there must be some solid gold darts somewhere, somebody is sure to have made a set, if just for show.

by the end of the day the barrels would be gouged and dented from all the tight groupings. i bet ya could even robin hood w/ the steel tip sticking into the barrel alone.

i'm still surprised a pro hasn't used or thrown such a thing in competition. would it be bad taste if he did?

off topic, do all 3 darts have to be identical? can you have a heavier dart within your trio for certain "scenarios".

I dont think there is a ruling on having to have 3 darts of equal weight, I think Alan Evans played with different weighted darts. I could be wrong though, they may have changed the rules, but it would be time consuming to check everyones sets.

I have enquired about buying some Tungsten bar so I could make my own darts but was quoted a ridiculous price so knocked it on the head!

zanellan wrote:

I have enquired about buying some Tungsten bar so I could make my own darts but was quoted a ridiculous price so knocked it on the head!

have you checked ebay? you could always buy "tungsten carbide drill blanks". shouldn't be as pricey and are quite common. you'll have a lower density of 15.8g though.

zanellan wrote:

I dont think there is a ruling on having to have 3 darts of equal weight, I think Alan Evans played with different weighted darts. I could be wrong though, they may have changed the rules, but it would be time consuming to check everyones sets.

what about obvious stuff like flights? or anything for that matter? i don't see why not considering how loose the restrictions are (which is refreshing).

throwing magnetic barrels should be interesting...

I have some magnetic darts on ebay now lol

I know mate...I'm currently watching them! Very intrigued!! How do they fly? I think I will go down the eBay route in buying Tungsten as the dealer wouldn't sell me bar ends so I had to buy a complete length...not worth me buying that!

Well I thought they felt like the Bristow darts I had before actually. Now I cant say if the magnetism is useful as I think it only takes hold if you group well, but I did get the odd grouping where the barrels definitely stuck together.

But the barrels themselves did not suit me. Still think it is probably more a novelty though.