DARTS
Each person should have one set of 3 darts. Each person throws 3 darts, then removes them before the next person throws.
There should NEVER be more than 3 darts in a dartboard at one time.
It is difficult to share one set of darts, as it drastically slows down the game. Darts is not a game where blocking scoring areas by opponents is allowed. And having more than three darts in the board means more damaged darts & "robin hoods" due to hits from following darts.
Also, people have different hand and finger sizes, so darts are not one-size-fits-all. That is another reason why it is often hard to pick just the right dart from a catalog or online site. You really need to try the darts before buying. When buying darts, visit a darts shop that has boards setup for trying out the various darts styles available.
Brass Darts
The least expensive type of metal dart. ( $4-$20 )
Brass is a fairly dense (heavy) metal, is relatively inexpensive, and is easy to machine. Unfortunately, it is so soft that the machined "grip" may quickly wear down, changing the "feel" of the dart. Brass Darts are commonly mass-produced on automated lathes, so the quality and consistency of the machining may vary considerably. Brass darts are often used as "house darts" due to low price.
Tungsten is an extremely dense metal, heavier than lead for the same size item. Tungsten darts are therefore more dense than Brass or Nickel/Silver Darts.
This means smaller diameter barrels, better "feel", and tighter possible groups on the dart-board. Tungsten is also very durable, and the machined grip will not wear down as rapidly as on Brass or Nickel/Silver Darts.
For darters, having all of the dart's mass concentrated between the fingertips, enhancies control of the dart.
Tungsten is also very durable, so a high-density tungsten dart resists wear and the grip will last much longer. On softer metal darts, the grooves and rough knurling may wear down fairly quickly from skin acid, friction, and hitting other darts.
The billets that tungsten darts are made from consist of a variety of metals, including tungsten. To manufacture the blanks for machining tungsten darts, tungsten powder and other metals are blended and bonded by heat and pressure, resulting in a "sintered" material that we refer to as Nickel-Tungsten (or Copper-Tungsten, etc.) Common materials include tungsten, nickel, copper, and iron. The exact mix of materials varies considerably from one company to another, based on their requirements for density, cost, and ease of machining.
There are 4 general categories of Tungsten darts.
1. 50% to 70% Tungsten- $15 to $40 (commonly sold at discount stores)
2. 80% Tungsten - $25-$55 (popular with new league players)
3. 90% Tungsten- $50-$100 (high density, will hold up well, feel better to throw.)
4. 95% to 98% Tungsten - $100 - $195 (high density, thiner, will hold up better, feel better to throw.)
Discount outlets often sell low-density Tungsten darts without specifying the percentage of Tungsten content, but just say "Tungsten Darts". Such darts are often cheap Chinese imports of poor quality. Look for the percentage of tungsten on the packaging, a higher number means that the dart is more dense, and generally better quality.
Tungsten prices have gone up in recent years, raising the price of quality darts sets. However, in order to offer "bargain" prices, many sporting good stores & discount outlets now sell cheap "Tungsten Darts" that actually contain only a tiny trace of tungsten in them. Many of these cheap sets are about the same density as brass (or less), but cost quite a bit more. Always look for the percentage of tungsten on the package, and buy from a reliable vendor.
There are also a small number of Copper-Tungsten darts available. This is a much softer material, with about 70% Tungsten content. They are generally less expensive than Nickel-Tungsten darts. Some darters, especially old-timers, like the grip of these darts as the metal surface develops microscopic pits after they have been thrown for awhile. Copper tungsten darts have become much less common in recent years, with Nickel/Tungsten darts becoming the primary type of high-density darts.
I personally like the darts from England even though some are massed produced by, you guessed it China. The best made darts IMO are made from the company Target. Other dart makers or suppliers like Unicorn, Harrows, Winmau to name a few are very popular. We have links to shops so look around and talk about it with us.