Legend of Darts
The true origins of darts are lost in the mists of time. Legend has it that King Henry VIII of England instructed his archers to practce their skills all year round, so that they were always ready for battle. Taking into account England's unfavourable weather, some archers took their skills indoors. They threw cut down arrows at the end of upturned beer barrels in the inns and taverns of the Middle Ages.
History does not tell whether this indoor archery proved beneficial in combat, but the skills of the modern day players make a connection through the passage of time to their historical darting forefathers.
Leading Brands
At Thurston our stock is carefully selected from the from countries leading manufacturers, Unicorn, Harrows, Nordor, Datdart and Winmau to name but a few. These companies all have their products endorsed by the worlds top players ,both past and present, including Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, Eric Bristow, Jocky Wilson and many more.
Each year new and innovate ideas and designs are developed to improve player performance and we make sure our stock reflects these changes.
Tungsten Darts
All top players and keen amateurs and keen players use tungsten darts. Tungsten is twice as dense as brass and therefore it is easier to acheive close grouping than with the cheaper brass dart. The higher percentage of tungsten used to produce the dart results in a thinner barrel. Tungsten darts normally range from 70% to the maximum of 97%.
Shafts
Shafts are manufactured from various materials such as titanium, aliminium and polycarbonate. They are also available in different lenghts. Players often experiment with different lenghts until they find a lenght that suits their throwing style.
Filghts
Flights are now produced in a wide range of shapes, materials and graphics, the most popular shapes being the standard, slim and pear. As with the shafts players will experiment until they locate a flight to suit.