What is a Bristle Dartboard?

When shopping for dartboards for a home, bar or even an office break room, it's important to understand all of the different options that are available. The bristle dartboard is the classic choice, but few individuals know what it really is, what it's made out of or why it's so beneficial. Learning about the bristle dartboard will help consumers make a sound purchasing decision, or may simply help individuals appreciate the equipment the next time they shoot a game at the local watering hole.

  1. The Bristle Dartboard

    • A bristle dartboard is made out of sisal fibers, a tough and stiff fiber which is used in various other applications ranging from roping to automotive brakes. The fibers are clumped together and compressed, and are kept in place with steel bands. Regulation size for bristle dart boards is 1.5 inches thick and 18 inches in diameter. A dartboard is divided into 20 wedged sections, numbered from 1 to 20, typically alternating in coloring from white or tan to black. The board has an outer ring worth double normal points, an inner ring worth triple the normal points, and a two-layer bulls-eye.

    Compression Benefits

    • The compression of the sisal fibers in the bristle dart board make it self-healing, which means that when darts are removed from the board the fibers go back into place, leaving the dart board intact. A dart that strikes the board temporarily splits the fibers apart as opposed to pushing them inward or creating holes in the fibers themselves. These qualities also keep the dart in place after impact, ensuring proper scoring and a hassle-free game.

    Metal Grids and Staples

    • One of the major problems with bristle dartboards was the metal grid, and the metal staples used to keep the grid flush against the sisal fibers. High quality boards today have completely eliminated the metal staples, and have made the bands of the grid much smaller and less obtrusive. This improves scoring on darts which land close to the boundaries of different point lines, and also minimizes bounce backs from darts actually impacting on the metal as opposed to the board.

    Nodor

    • The Nodor company is the first to have introduced the bristle dartboard made from sisal fibers. This was in the 1930s, and the company touts being "First and Still the Finest" as its official slogan. Nodor also led the pack with improvements upon the metal wiring and staples used in order to improve overall play, functionality and scoring. Nodor, along with Winmau and a handful of other companies, manufacture and distribute high quality bristle dartboards today.

    Bristle Dartboard vs. Other Options

    • For an authentic game of darts, the bristle dart board remains the top option available. Electronic dart boards are commonly used and provide benefits such as automatic and instant scorekeeping, as well as a variety of included games. However, both the darts used and the board itself limits the quality of play. Other materials can be used for traditional dart boards, but bristle dartboards are generally the most durable and the highest quality.