Dartboards have been around for centuries, providing entertainment and competition for people around the world. But what exactly goes into making one of these iconic gaming targets? There are actually several components that are vital for constructing a regulation dartboard.
Page Contents
The Dartboard Backboard
The backboard is the solid foundation that the dartboard is mounted on. Traditional dartboards feature a wooden backboard, usually made from sisal, a strong natural fiber. Sisal comes from the Agave sisalana plant native to southern Mexico. It was likely chosen due to its durability and the ease with which darts can stick into the fiber grain.
While wooden backboards are still common, especially for decorative and home dartboards, many tournaments now use dartboards mounted on plastic or paper-phenolic backboards. These materials are exceptionally stiff and durable, preventing warping while still allowing darts to stick. Plastic and phenolic backboards also tend to have a more consistent surface texture, leading to better dart grip and therefore potentially more consistent scoring.
Dartboard Wire
The wire frame of a dartboard serves two key functions: separating scoring sections and providing a metal surface for dart tips to stick into. Traditional dartboards use thin steel wire, arranged radially and concentrically to divide the scoring zones. The dividers consist of several individual wires for each ring or pie section.
Using individual thin wires allows dart tips to more easily slip between them and stick in the board fibers behind. It also reduces bounce-outs compared to broader wire frames. Modern boards may substitute other metals like tungsten or titanium alloy wire to further improve durability and dart grip.
Dartboard Numbering
The numbers that mark scoring zones are a crucial visual reference for players. On traditional bristle boards, numbers are painted or printed directly onto the fibers in each section. Some boards double or even triple number the outer bullseye, triple ring, and double ring to aid with scoring.
For long-lasting number visibility, electronic dartboards embed numbering and other markings beneath the playing surface. This protects them from wear, especially on soft-tip dartboards where the playing surface is made from plastic. Dartboard numbers are generally printed or etched onto the internal face of the plastic scoring surface.
Dartboard Fibers
The fiber segments mounted on the wire frame make up the dartboard’s playing surface. Fibers provide a soft target for darts to stick into. Traditional dartboards use natural sisal fibers, while modern electronic boards utilize plastic segments and even woven nylon.
Sisal comes from the fibrous leaves of the Agave sisalana plant. It has an ideal combination of stiffness, strength, and compressibility for catching dart points. The fibers are brittle enough for darts to penetrate easily but tough enough to withstand repeated impacts. Sisal also has fine longitudinal grains that grip dart tips to prevent bounce-outs.
Plastic fibers on electronic boards are designed to emulate the properties of sisal. Segments compress when hit to absorb impact and grip darts for scoring. Some plastic fibers have textured surfaces to further improve dart retention compared to smooth plastics.
Spider
The spider refers to the metal divider that splits the dartboard’s center bullseye section in two. It consists of a cross-shaped metal plate usually made from galvanized steel or, in higher quality boards, a stiff alloy like titanium.
The spider helps separate the central double and triple bullseyes. Its thin but rigid form also absorbs less impact force, allowing darts that hit it to drop down and stick in the board rather than bouncing out. Some spider designs incorporate cutouts or holes to further minimize bounce-outs from direct hits.
Staple Positions
Staples are used in traditional bristle dartboards to help attach the sisal fibers to the board. The staple positions are important to dartboard construction and function. Poorly placed staples can impede darts or cause fibers to detach.
Experienced dartboard makers strategically set staples far enough from key dart landing zones to avoid interfering with shots. But staples must also be close enough to securely hold fibers in place across the whole board. Finding the right staple balance is one sign of a quality bristle dartboard.
Bullseye Styles
The bullseye is the critical center zone of a dartboard with the highest scoring value. While the standard bullseye style uses concentric rings, there are actually two other common variations.
The traditional bullseye features an inner single bullseye ring surrounded by an outer double bullseye. This style is ubiquitous around the world and used in most major dart tournaments.
In the Asian bullseye style popular in countries like Japan and China, the double bullseye ring encircles a larger single bullseye. This roles the high-value center zones’ positions.
The third style is the Tripoli bullseye which has a single bull flanked by a double bull on either side. This mirror image pattern is so named after the African city where it originated but is less commonly found today.
Adhesives
Adhesives play a vital if unsung role in dartboard construction. They bond the various internal layers together to keep the board intact over thousands of throws. For bristle boards, the fibers must adhere lightly enough for darts to penetrate but strongly enough to avoid detached fibers.
Epoxies and resins are common adhesives used for bonding dartboard components. Some adhesives contain microspheres that make the bond somewhat flexible without compromising strength. This helps the dartboard withstand the repeated impacts of metal dart tips.
Conclusion
Dartboards may seem simple, but a surprising amount of design and engineering goes into their materials and construction. The right combinations of fibers, wires, adhesives and more can make the difference between a board that’s frustrating to play on and one that offers an exceptional gaming experience. When each element comes together just right, the result is a high-quality, durable dartboard that’s built to last through intense competition.