Fielder 0 Posted January 19, 2010 Here is more than you all wanted to know about one not too expensive game for the WW1 rec room or pub, the regulation dartboard. The still popular traditional British regulation dartboard is a circle divided into segments 1,20,5, etc. A 'doubles' ring around the outer edge and 'triples' around the middle. Two concentric bulleyes in the center, outer = 25, inner = 'doubles 25' (50). The current ranked player (in the old traditional 501 game) is Phil 'The Power' Taylor who won over a million pounds prize money in 2009. This board goes back to the late 1890's and is very appropriate for the WWI era. It is made of vintage materials: sisal fibers surrounded by a metal ring with a wire grid (spider) separating the sections. But this modern board might also be 'staple free' (to reduce bounce outs). However an old fashioned board using staples to hold the spider to the board is more historically appropriate and is also readily available for sale anywhere. The trouble is that today's darts use modern plastic or aluminum shafts, plastic fletching, and sometimes tungsten bodies. An "American baseball" dartboard is a modern board (born in the 1920's), but the darts for that game are very authentic to WWI era. American baseball style darts are very similar to vintage style regulation darts (which are no longer made as far as I know). These are steel tipped like the modern regulation darts (but sharper pointed and lighter). They are designed for use on wooden dartboards (instead of sisal) but are indeed perfectly usable on sisal regulation dartboards. (The reverse is not true. Never use typical modern regulation darts on a wooden board, it will gradually chew it up). This American baseball dart has a wooden body (barrel) instead of tungsten and the fletching is always genuine turkey feather. They are also cheaper to buy compared to modern darts. Popular American baseball dart brands: Widdy, Darto, and Apex. Prices online can be under $20 USD per dozen Widdy or Darto (not per set of 3 like modern darts), and Apex #1 are about twice that much. Apex #2 are huge and too heavy (made for 25 foot long outdoor or gymnasium 'dartball' ranges). Steel tips and fletching are not replaceable so some of the savings are lost over time. Darto is available in red, white, black, blue, or 'patriot' tricolor fletching. A chalk blackboard score keeper hung on the wall (instead of the modern 'dry erase' style) would complete an authentic period kit of modern sisal board with staple attached spider, along with American baseball wooden bodied darts using turkey feathering. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UK_Widowmaker 571 Posted January 19, 2010 Yep...you're right...more than I ever wanted to know Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
