There are still many myths and misconceptions surrounding dartboards . Many beginners often look for a cork dartboard because they've heard this term somewhere in connection with darts.
But be careful! A dartboard made of cork has nothing to do with a steel dartboard as we know it. In this blog post, we would like to answer the following initial question and shed some light on the matter: dartboard made of cork or sisal?
We'll provide the answer and also explain why we recommend a dartboard made of sisal fibers . The material is the deciding factor when choosing a dartboard.
Sisal or cork dartboard? We explain the difference
Unfortunately, even after years, there's still a major misconception on the internet and in the wording. The misconception we're referring to is that beginners often confuse a cork dartboard with a real dartboard made of sisal fibers .
Any darts player who's been playing for a while probably has the hairs on the back of their neck standing up at this point. But the problem seems to be bigger than we previously thought.
Especially on the Internet, a lot of people are looking for a dartboard made of cork, but they actually mean the classic tournament board with sisal fibers, like the one you know from the broadcasts of PDC tournaments .
But what is the difference?
A cork dartboard is ultimately a completely different product than a steel dartboard made of sisal fibers. A cork dartboard is usually of inferior quality .
This is primarily due to the fact that a cork dartboard usually only lasts a few days or weeks before giving up the ghost. With a cork dartboard, you're usually throwing your darts at a relatively thin disc .
While the darts usually stay in the dartboard, when you remove them afterwards, you'll notice that the holes remain . This, in turn, makes a board almost unusable after a few throws .
For example, if you just want to try out whether darts is something for you, then it might make sense to get a cheap board made of cork .
The price of a cork dartboard is usually only a fraction of what you would pay for a decent dartboard with sisal fibers.
Infobox: A cork dartboard is ideal for complete beginners who aren't quite sure whether darts are for them. A sisal fiber dartboard, on the other hand, is suitable for anyone who even remotely enjoys darts as a hobby .
Why sisal fibers are significantly better than cork
But what makes sisal fiber so much better than a cork board? The most important factor in a good dartboard is the material. Good dartboards for steel tip darts are made of so-called sisal fibers , also called bristles.
The entire surface of a quality steel dartboard made of sisal fibers is compressed during production with so-called bristle strands . These bristles made of sisal fibers can be easily compressed yet still give way when struck by a sharp object.
Infobox: Always pay attention to the quality and material when shopping!
So if I throw a dart at a dartboard with sisal fibers, the dart penetrates the surface and gets stuck without any problems.
But the best part is yet to come. When you pull the arrow out of the board, you'll see that the hole where your arrow was previously inserted slowly closes again .
This doesn't always happen immediately. Sometimes it takes a few throws for the hole to disappear. In this case, the next arrow has essentially pushed the material aside, closing the old holes again.
This gives you an extremely high-quality dartboard that you can enjoy for years before it eventually wears out.
Advantages and disadvantages of sisal and cork dartboards
The biggest advantage of dartboards made with sisal fiber is their durability . Unlike cork dartboards, you can use the bristle version for years .
With the cork option, you'll only enjoy it for a few weeks at most . Additionally, the thin cork or paper discs are incredibly loud when the arrow hits them.
With a bristleboard, you have the advantage that the dartboard is thick enough for the dart to penetrate, thus at least partially dampening the sound. However, you won't really appreciate the enormous difference in volume until you try it on both boards yourself.
Another great advantage of good dartboards made of sisal fiber is the wire. With sisal fibers, this wire can be applied to the board in an extremely thin layer. This prevents annoying rebounds that could potentially damage the floor.
With a cork target there is sometimes no wire, but the arrows often do not stick at all because the arrow does not pierce deep enough into the target, but rather bounces off.
Infobox: For comparison: a high-quality dartboard with sisal fibers is about 5 centimeters deep , while the cheaper version made of cork is often a maximum of 2 centimeters deep - if at all.
This material is used by professionals at home and on television
It's not without reason that the professionals only use dartboards made of sisal fiber in official tournaments. Renowned manufacturers such as Target, Unicorn , and Winmau work hard every year to improve their products even further.
Because if a supplier has the best board, word gets around very quickly in the darts scene.
Want an example? Unicorn is supplying the dartboards at the major PDC Darts World Championship. This is due to a supplier agreement with the PDC .
Unicorn's main competitor, Winmau, however, makes far better boards. At least in this respect, the BDO is still one step ahead of the PDC, as the professionals at the BDO World Championship play on the best sisal dartboard ever – the Winmau Blade 5 .
One look at the dartboard is enough
Ultimately, you'll notice the difference at first glance. Sometimes dartboards made of cork or paper are n't even in the standard colors .
Here, the fields suddenly appear blue and white . And as soon as you see a dartboard like this, we advise you: stay away! The quality of such a dartboard can only be poor .
It's better to invest a little more to have fun with a good dartboard for a long time.
Ready to upgrade your darts game? Discover everything you need to know about the best dart equipment and how it can boost your accuracy:
- Changing and sharpening dart tips : Learn what's important and what you absolutely need to pay attention to here. Click here now!
- Setting up a dart room Made easy thanks to cool tips and ideas » Click in now and create your own personal paradise at home.
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