My very earliest memory of darts is when I was about 5.

We lived in a small ex miners cottage that had an extra level built years before but was still too small for a family of 10. So my Dad had converted the loft for my 3 elder brothers.

I remember 2 of my brothers getting things organised and I seen this plastic box on the bed. I was curious so picked it up and opened it. Inside were some brass darts with red and green feather flights. I had no idea what they were or what they were for.

"Whats this?" I said, "Ohh put them down, they are Peters he'll go mad!" I put them down and said "but what are they?" "They are darts" said my brother Mark.

Still had no idea what hey were for though.

Sometime later the older kid across the road invited me in to play. He had a battered old dartboard and one dart which barely had any feathers on it. Thats like the ones I seen before I thought. I asked him what the thing with numbers was. "I'll show you" he said, and set the board some distance away and threw the dart at it. Strange, I thought whats the point in that, lol! I had a go and could not hit the board even (nothings changed then), so I got bored with it lol.

The next memory was when myself and a friend found an old dart with plastic flights on the local common. We started to throw the dart at each other. My friend threw it to me and as it went above my head I ran backwards and watched the dart land smack in the centre of my forehead lol!

I walked back home, pretending I was a Dalek but not crying. When I got near my house my older brother was stood talking to my mam, so seeking attention I started to cry. My brother laughed and pulled it out lol!

getagrip wrote:

The next memory was when myself and a friend found an old dart with plastic flights on the local common. We started to throw the dart at each other. My friend threw it to me and as it went above my head I ran backwards and watched the dart land smack in the centre of my forehead lol!

I walked back home, pretending I was a Dalek but not crying. When I got near my house my older brother was stood talking to my mam, so seeking attention I started to cry. My brother laughed and pulled it out lol!

That would explain why you collect so many - you've literally got darts on the brain lol


Back when I was a youngster in the early 60's we used to have an old cork board in the back garden. It was always in soak so you just had to hang it up when you wanted a game - was far too heavy for me so my older brother did that bit for me. Bit of a bind when the water iced up in the winter though.

mc1958 wrote:

getagrip wrote:

The next memory was when myself and a friend found an old dart with plastic flights on the local common. We started to throw the dart at each other. My friend threw it to me and as it went above my head I ran backwards and watched the dart land smack in the centre of my forehead lol!

I walked back home, pretending I was a Dalek but not crying. When I got near my house my older brother was stood talking to my mam, so seeking attention I started to cry. My brother laughed and pulled it out lol!

That would explain why you collect so many - you've literally got darts on the brain lol


Back when I was a youngster in the early 60's we used to have an old cork board in the back garden. It was always in soak so you just had to hang it up when you wanted a game - was far too heavy for me so my older brother did that bit for me. Bit of a bind when the water iced up in the winter though.

I think your right lol!

My earliest memories of darts were at my grandparents house , They always had a board up , My grandfather was pretty handy , always used wooden darts with a lead band , he always said they were Norwich Darts ! I played i suppose from a very early age , Was great to have all the family playing darts , Very fond memories indeed !! My granparents are no longer with us but its down to them i learned the game even tho my father was playing in teams at that stage , But you know how grandads are , patience of a saint and made it fun , Thanks Grandad ! Its a hell of a game you taught me !

My memories was really by myself as i was only interested one in the house whom took to

Darts most and remember at 14 yrs of age getting a used board from my Brother In Law

Which was made from Horse Hair ..Wished i had that board now but i reckon my brother ?

has gotten it as he is into old things of all sorts lol

Anyhow ye i remember using brass darts then in the house for fun then i got into game and played not to badly so got a set of tungsten darts and memories from underage playing in the pubs and played for the local club at 17yrs and the committee guy i went to London with later in time knew i was underage ..Gd memories sneking out the back door to that mans house and meeting up with them all in the house 2 doors up from mine in the early hrs

without telling ma mum and Dad but they all knew them so a fone call did the trick

I didn't know they had boards made from horse hair!

rolled paper boards and playing at the local youth club...not being able to check out ever....so no change there then

getagrip wrote:

I didn't know they had boards made from horse hair!

Ye Darren they did have boards made from horse hair ..i also remember the 14 segment was sorty bumpy lol

had a bump like in the no 14 segment

Bovrilheid wrote:

rolled paper boards and playing at the local youth club...not being able to check out ever....so no change there then

Aye I remember the coiled paper ones lol!

3xBullseyesMe wrote:

getagrip wrote:

I didn't know they had boards made from horse hair!

Ye Darren they did have boards made from horse hair ..i also remember the 14 segment was sorty bumpy lol

had a bump like in the no 14 segment

Maybe the horse had a skin problem!

My earliest dart momemt is similiar to Darrens. I was around 8-10 years old. Playing with a friend outside. Using a paperwound dartboard hung on the house and darts with plastic flights. I went to retrieve a dart, turned around and got hit in the forehead right between the eyes. It stuck!. I pulled it out, it didn't bleed but I developed a lump around the area. When I went home I told my mom I fell and hit my head against a wall. Come to think of it I guess I'm lucky it didn't do any damage other than having this absesive compulsion to buy darts and dartboards.

It did damage you, thats why your a darts addict!!

Similar to Getagrip in that the first time I used a dart was when my mate and I were throwing one at each other when we were about 10.

I tried to kick it as it flew towards me (as you do) and it went into my ankle up to the barrel.

Mate's dad tried to pull it out but couldn't and the doctor twisted and pulled but it was going nowhere. Finished up in hospital to have it taken out and spent a few days in there having tetanus injections in my backside.

Then played now and again when I started frequenting pubs at the age of 17.

Pardon my ignorance but what's a 3ba thread?

It's a thread size - most darts nowadays are 2BA, but you can get other sizes

Not sure its the big size i.e. 1/4" I think 3ba is the smaller one than 2ba.

mine is when i was about 14. we moved from an old rural farmhand's house (1820ish) into a nearby town. the new house had an uncompleted basement, so my dad (the handyman that he is) decided to build a bar/entertainment room down there. he put in a bar, a pool table and an old unicorn board that was given to him by his father-in-law (an old league player). the board was set up properly, however due to the layout of the basement the ceiling was quite low. i remember trying to throw my older brother's brass darts for the first time and landing them straight into the ceiling about three quarters of the way to the board haha.

only now i realize i had dartboard in my house for ages that would only get used to play the odd game of around the world. i now use that very board as my practice board a decade later.

in 1984 I was with a friend of mine Geoff Egan and he was playing darts at his house, he said "c'mon warren, have a throw". I did, all 3 off the board! But it was great fun even though it hurt. I kept throwing that night when another friend Luke Heggarty from the local RSL called around; he watched me and started showing me how to throw a dart although he didn't know of my handicap.

Geoff and Luke lent me a set of old Tungsten darts, about 18grms and battered but they were mine for as long as I wanted to use them and I wouldn't let anyone touch them for the world. They then took me to the RSL and introduced me to the local team of which Luke was a member. They watched me play a game then asked me if I would be interested in joining their team, I jumped at the chance!

That was the start of my passion for darts but I wasn't to know that I was in for a rude awakening.
We started the 1st comp of 1979 and I played reasonable still conscious of my handicap as I wouldn't tell any of the players of it as I might lose a spot in the team as a result.

Well that wasn't what made me fall to earth with a thud! The Captain came to me at the end of the very 1st match and said "well warren you played ok but for the rest of the season I have another job for you" I didn't know what to expect! I soon did, I was chalking and calling for the rest of the season (practicing in between matches too).

It was the best thing to happen to me and I would advise any youngster to call and chalk as much as possible while they are learning to play and enjoy darts. Mind you it isn't easy as you want to be at the Oche'. Well the rest of the time at the RSL was great but I wanted more, as I was gradually beating all before me.

Great Story Warren, you have proven though that even with an handicap people can still enjoy darts, which I think is great!!!

You have done extremely well though, wish I could play as good!!

getagrip wrote:

Great Story Warren, you have proven though that even with an handicap people can still enjoy darts, which I think is great!!!

You have done extremely well though, wish I could play as good!!

I wish I could play as good too - and Warren, I agree with you on the chalking and calling - it helps you with the counting no end and after a while you find yourself looking at the different ways for outshots as well.

getagrip wrote:

Not sure its the big size i.e. 1/4" I think 3ba is the smaller one than 2ba.

3ba is bigger grip...have a set of new feather flights, and the thread is 3ba. Cheers

My first dart experience was when I was about 9 years old. I was at my grandfather's house and my two uncles were playing against each other.

Me, being the curious and nosy person that I can be, started asking a thousand and one questions about what they were doing and why. Needless to say they ended up letting me throw with them. I threw from a closer distance than they did and still was a miserable shot. It always felt really good when I got a dart to stick in the board even though I had no clue what I was supposed to be throwing at.

I couldn't tell you what type of darts I was throwing. One, because it was so long ago my memory is not that clear. Two, there is a good chance that the darts were just a mix-match of whatever my uncles were able to get together because that's how we operate.

Needless to say that was the start of my fascination with darts and I've been playing ever since. I'm slightly more serious about my throwing over the past 5 years than I used to be.

Great story Lefty, are you lefty handed by any chance

Lefty544 wrote:

My first dart experience was when I was about 9 years old. I was at my grandfather's house and my two uncles were playing against each other.

Me, being the curious and nosy person that I can be, started asking a thousand and one questions about what they were doing and why. Needless to say they ended up letting me throw with them. I threw from a closer distance than they did and still was a miserable shot. It always felt really good when I got a dart to stick in the board even though I had no clue what I was supposed to be throwing at.

I couldn't tell you what type of darts I was throwing. One, because it was so long ago my memory is not that clear. Two, there is a good chance that the darts were just a mix-match of whatever my uncles were able to get together because that's how we operate.

Needless to say that was the start of my fascination with darts and I've been playing ever since. I'm slightly more serious about my throwing over the past 5 years than I used to be.

Nice first post Lefty, thanks for sharing that special moment.

Ya, Hes a lefty now. One of my friends/teammates

getagrip wrote:

Great story Lefty, are you lefty handed by any chance

Yeah, I was in an accident several years ago. Actually, right before I started throwing darts in a league. Long story short I went from right-handed to left-handed.

As USMC said we play on the same dart team. He likes to joke and say I'm better lefty than I ever was righty. Strangely enough... I think he's right lol

I see, I tried it lefty when I broke my right shoulder, but just felt strange although I did start to play better the more I used it, but went back to my right in the end.

It felt plenty strange when I switched. That and my first three darts fell short and hit the wall under the board.

I had no choice but to keep with it. I'm by no means a great dart shot but I like to think I can offer a challenge.