Of the components necessary to play a game of darts (the darts and board), the dartboard has gone through the most variations.
Darts started out as shortened spears or knives and quickly became barrel-shaped projectiles and have stayed the same since then. Dartboards, on the other hand, have been made from many materials, so what is a dartboard made of?
Most modern dartboards are made of sisal fibers. There are other materials such as cork, paper, wood, and plastic being used, each serving a different purpose.
If you are looking for a good Sisal dartboard we recommend the Winamu Blade 6. You can read our Blade 6 review here.
The dartboard started out as a piece of wood with irregular sections that were used to keep track of accuracy and standardized scoring. However, soon enough, the dartboard took a big dose of inspiration from the archery board and began its journey towards the standards of today’s highest competitions.
It wasn’t until well into The Great War that English pubs gave up on the solid elm dartboard. The board had to be soaked every single night so that the holes punctured into it during regular play were closed by morning. This was a messy and time-consuming process, and so people started looking for viable alternatives.
Contrary to what some popular myths will suggest, Horse hair dartboards are not a thing. Animal bristles have never been used as an alternative to wood. However, the material that would eventually become the gold standard of the dartboard manufacturing process does in some ways mimic pig or horse hair.
The reality of modern-day’s dartboard-making process is much less scandalous. Not a single animal is being harmed in the manufacturing process and the majority of dart boards being used around the world today are built using sisal plant fibers.
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Cork
Cork is used mainly in lower quality products. Cork is lightweight and somewhat cheap, but it has the unfortunate tendency of wearing out quickly which invalidates cork dartboards from heavy play. Cork is never going to be used by serious players and the competitive world, so it has fallen into disrepute. Only consider a dartboard made of cork if you are strapped for cash and under a limited budget.
Paper
Wound paper is another material used in the manufacture of dartboards around the world. Wound paper boards are made by coiling paper sheets together to form the striking surface of the board. Wound paper dartboards are also relatively inexpensive and, in theory at least, durable. The idea is that the thrown dart will embed itself upon impact in between layers of paper, but the reality is that even a slight burr on the point of a dart can snag and tear the paper material and cause irreparable damage. Wound paper dart boards are therefore not durable and therefore not recommended for any serious play.
Sisal Fibers
What is a sisal dartboard? Sisal is a stiff and highly durable fiber made out of the Agave Sisalana plant; this is the same Agave used to make tequila. The fiber, also known as sisal hemp, is a very versatile product and is used worldwide by various industries to make rope, paper, cloth, and of course dartboards.
The sisal fiber is extracted from the Agave plant through a decortication process, whereby a machine strips the skin off the leaves so that only the tough fibers underneath remain intact. The Sisal fibers are then dried and brushed. Sisal fibers are vastly coveted for various reasons among which we have versatility, high availability, and their relatively low cost.
A good quality dart board requires the use of uniform and stiff fibers. Animal or horse hair, contrary to popular belief is quite supple, which means it has minimal grip. A dartboard made out of animal bristles would have a hard time “holding” the darts after impact. Sisal’s coarse texture means that it has great grip and because of its stiffness, it offers significant durability. Sisal is also a prevalent crop around the world with hundreds of thousands of tons being harvested every year, which keeps the total cost down.
Sisal is without a doubt the best option for the manufacture of “bristle” dart boards, and this can easily be proven by the fact that the highest quality boards being used in the highest echelons of the sport are all made with sisal fibers. The first sisal boards were made in the United Kingdom by a company called Nodor because, unlike wooden boards, sisal boards possessed no disagreeable odors.
To make the actual board, the sisal fibers are braided into long bundles which are then formed into tubes. These tubes are then cut into thin wafers which are subsequently pressed into the circular form we know and secured to a backboard. The sisal board will then have to be sanded down to rid it of the fibers coarse nature.
Plastic
Lately, thanks to advances in technology, the emergence of the electronic dartboard has taken some circles by surprise. Electronic dart boards are made out of plastic and offer some significant quality of life advantages over the traditional bristled fiber boards. Electronic boards come pre-programmed with the many scoring variations of the differing Darts games. However, plastic electronics boards tend to be expensive and limit the user to using soft-tipped darts. The striking surface is made out of hundreds of small holes that receive the darts, this does increase the risk of a bounce out.
Manufacturing Considerations
There are many manufacturing variables to consider when choosing a dartboard. For example, the density of the sisal fibers or paper coils will determine the hardness of the board which can significantly affect how well you perform. The overall depth of the fibers will affect the incidence of bounce outs which can reduce your score. The amount of sanding done on the surface of the bristled board, for example, can alter your board’s ability to heal and thus affects durability.
The famous red, green, and black inks used to paint the boards can affect your performance if low glare paints are not used. The thickness of the wires used to subdivide the board into sections can potentially deflect darts away from the board and adversely impact your scoring potential.
If you are in the market for a new dartboard check out our Blade 5 review here.
No matter the material your board is made of, you must ensure that regular rotation is applied. If you play regularly and your board sees heavy action, the rotation should be performed at least twice a month to avoid permanent damage to its surface. Not all dart boards are created equal and it is essential that you learn to tell the difference.
Do you recommend any dartboards to be left outside? Hanging in weather?
You can keep it outside just keep it dry. The only exception your be a plastic, non-electric soft-tip board. Check out “Can You Play Darts Outside?” for more things to consider.