Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small sharp-pointed projectiles known as darts at a round target known as a dartboard .
71-468: Dardo means dart in Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Dardo may also refer to: Darts Points can be scored by hitting specific marked areas of the board, though unlike in sports such as archery , these areas are distributed all across the board and do not follow a principle of points increasing toward the board's bullseye . Though a number of similar games using various boards and rules exist,
142-734: A gas mixture similar to the air, making them behave as authentic "pads," which contributes to the capability of cork to recover after compression. There are about 2,200,000 hectares of cork oak ( Quercus suber ) forest in the Mediterranean basin , the native area of the species. The most extensively managed habitats are in Portugal (34%) and in Spain (27%). Annual production is about 300,000 tons; 49.6% from Portugal, 30.5% from Spain, 5.8% from Morocco , 4.9% from Algeria , 3.5% from Tunisia , 3.1% from Italy , and 2.6% from France . Once
213-440: A trichloroanisole (TCA) free seal, but they also reduce the oxygen transfer rate between the bottle and the atmosphere to almost zero, which can lead to a reduction in the quality of the wine. TCA is the main documented cause of cork taint in wine. However, some in the wine industry say natural cork stoppers are important because they allow oxygen to interact with wine for proper aging, and are best suited for wines purchased with
284-453: A 240 maximum during the event and Phil Taylor hit a 188 checkout (Q20-Q20-D14). The tournament was discontinued in 1996 and the board has not been used in a professional event since. Assuming standard scoring, the optimal area to aim for on the dartboard to maximize the player's score varies significantly based on the player's skill. The skilled player should aim for the centre of the T20, and as
355-472: A characteristic cellular structure in which the cells have usually a pentagonal or hexagonal shape. The cellular wall consists of a thin, lignin-rich middle lamella (internal primary wall), a thick secondary wall made up from alternating suberin and wax lamella, and a thin tertiary wall of polysaccharides. Some studies suggest that the secondary wall is lignified, and therefore, may not consist exclusively of suberin and waxes. The cells of cork are filled with
426-468: A compromise between density and cost. Barrels come in three basic shapes: cylindrical, ton, or torpedo. The shafts are manufactured in various lengths, and some are designed to be cut to length. Shafts are generally made from plastics, nylon polymers, or metals such as aluminium and titanium; and can be rigid or flexible. Longer shafts provide greater stability and allow a reduction in flight size which in turn can lead to closer grouping; but, they also shift
497-413: A cork placed inside the neck of a wine bottle is 350-year-old technology, it is logical to explore other more modern and precise methods of keeping wine safe. The study "Analysis of the life cycle of Cork, Aluminum and Plastic Wine Closures," conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and commissioned by a major cork manufacturer, Amorim , concluded that cork is the most environmentally responsible stopper, in
568-580: A cork stopper. For example, to produce 1,000 cork stoppers 1.5 kg CO 2 are emitted, but to produce the same amount of plastic stoppers 14 kg of CO 2 are emitted and for the same amount of aluminium screw caps 37 kg CO 2 are emitted. The Chinese cork oak is native to East Asia and is cultivated in a limited extent in China; the cork produced is considered inferior to Q. suber and are used to produce agglomerated cork products. The so-called "cork trees" ( Phellodendron ) are unrelated to
639-449: A dart at the board with their non-dominant hand to obtain their 'number'. No two players can have the same number. Once everyone has a number, each player takes it in turn to get their number five times with their three darts (doubles count twice, and triples three times). Once a person has reached 5, they become a 'killer'. This means they can aim for other peoples numbers, taking a point off for each time they hit (doubles ×2, triples ×3). If
710-570: A decline in use as wine-stoppers due to the increase in the use of synthetic alternatives, cork wine-stoppers are making a comeback and currently represent approximately 60% of wine-stoppers in 2016. Because of the cellular structure of cork, it is easily compressed upon insertion into a bottle and will expand to form a tight seal. The interior diameter of the neck of glass bottles tends to be inconsistent, making this ability to seal through variable contraction and expansion an important attribute. However, unavoidable natural flaws, channels, and cracks in
781-430: A game in which one player at a time throws three darts per turn. The throwing player must stand so that no portion of their feet extends past the leading edge of the oche, but may stand on any other portion and/or lean forward over it if desired. A game of darts is generally contested between two players, who take turns. The most common objective is to reduce a fixed score, commonly 301 or 501, to zero ("checking out") with
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#1732776288512852-520: A great deal on the individual player's throwing style. For competitive purposes, a dart cannot weigh more than 50 g (1.8 oz) including the shaft and flight and cannot exceed a total length of 300 mm (12 in). The World Darts Federation uses the following standards for play: The regulations came about owing to the United Kingdom and the rest of the world playing at different lengths, with 2.37 m (7 ft 9 in) being
923-423: A massive expansion, particularly due to the development of several cork-based agglomerates. In China , Egypt , Babylon , and Persia from about 3000 BC, cork was already used for sealing containers , fishing equipment, and domestic applications. In ancient Greece (1600 to 1100 years BC) cork was used in footwear , to manufacture a type of sandals attached to the foot by straps, generally leather and with
994-399: A person gets to zero they are out. A killer can aim for anyone's numbers, even another killer's. Players cannot get more than 5 points. The winner is 'the last man standing'. Another version of "Killer" is a "knock-out" game for three or more players (the more the better). To start, everyone has a pre-determined number of lives, (usually 5) and a randomly chosen player throws a single dart at
1065-445: A player left with a difficult finish (e.g. 5 and one dart remaining) might deliberately bust in order to revert to an earlier score that would allow an easier finish. Under Northern Bust rules, though, doing so would leave them on 5. A darts match is played over a fixed number of games, known as legs. A match may be divided into sets , with each set being contested as over a fixed number of legs. Although playing straight down from 501
1136-438: A player on 93 (T19, D18) hits single-19 with their first dart, they can still finish, but will now need to check out 74 (T14, D16). Checkout charts detailing which numbers are required for each particular finish are widely used. In the 1990s, a board with a "quad" ring between the triple ring and the bullseye appeared, which gave quadruple points, meaning a 240 maximum (three quad-20s), a 210 maximum checkout (Q20-Q20-Bull) and
1207-513: A row. The original target in the game is likely to have been a section of a tree trunk, its circular shape and concentric rings giving rise to the standard dartboard pattern in use today. An older name for a dartboard is " butt "; the word comes from the French word but , meaning "target" or "goal". The standard numbered point system is attributed to Lancashire carpenter Brian Gamlin, who devised it in 1896 to penalise inaccuracy, though this
1278-401: A score of 180 in exuberant style. Once a player reaches a low enough score, they are considered to be "on a finish", meaning they can win the game/leg with their remaining darts. In professional matches, the match referee will usually tell the player which score they require once on a finish. As the winning dart in a game must be a double or bullseye, the highest possible finish with three darts
1349-413: A set of four darts. Four thrown darts equals a turn. Five turns by each player constitutes a game. The dart board score starting from the outside ring are: 5 - 10 - 15 - 20 - 25 - bullseye 50. Cricket is a widely played darts game involving a race to control and score on numbers between 20 and 15 and the bullseye, by hitting each of these targets for three marks to open or own it for scoring. A hit on
1420-531: A seven-dart finish (five quad-20s, triple-17, bullseye) were possible. One make of this board was the Harrows Quadro 240. The board was used during the short-lived WDC UK Matchplay . Although no seven dart finish was ever scored on the board, John Lowe did come close to a 9 dart finish in the 1993 PDC UK Matchplay. He scored 200 (T20-T20-Q20), then 160 (20-T20-Q20), and got his final T20 and T15, only to miss D18 on his final throw. Several players did score
1491-413: A single throw (3 darts) results in the player losing half their accumulated score. Any number of players can take part and the game can vary in length depending on the number of targets selected. The game can be tailored to the skill level of the players by selecting easy or difficult targets. "Killer" is a 'knock-out' game for two or more players (at its best at 4–6 players). Initially, each player throws
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#17327762885121562-477: A sole in cork or leather. In the second century AD, a Greek physician, Dioscorides , noted several medical applications of cork, mainly for hair loss treatment. Nowadays, the majority of people know cork for its use as stoppers in wine bottles . The innovation of using cork as stopper can be traced back to the late 17th century, attributed to Dom Pierre Pérignon . Cork stoppers were adopted in 1729 by Ruinart and in 1973 by Moët et Chandon . Cork presents
1633-481: A suitable material for fishing floats and buoys, as well as handles for fishing rods (as an alternative to neoprene ). Granules of cork can also be mixed into concrete . The composites made by mixing cork granules and cement have lower thermal conductivity, lower density, and good energy absorption. Some of the property ranges of the composites are density (400–1500 kg/m ), compressive strength (1–26 MPa), and flexural strength (0.5–4.0 MPa). As late as
1704-515: Is 170 (T20, T20, inner bull). Finishes are also known as "check outs". Regular players become familiar with the combinations needed to check out a particular number. For instance, a player on 138 could hit T20, T18, D12. Most numbers can be checked out with more than one combination (for 138, a player could also hit T19, T19, D12). Good arithmetic is helpful, as in the event of missing a target number players need to quickly recalculate their new score and which number they now need to hit. For instance, if
1775-554: Is a drinking game that involves throwing darts at opponents' beer cans. The resulting drinking actions depend on how and where the beer can was hit with the dart. The original name of this sport was called Vogelpik. Vogelpik is the early version of the modern game of Belgian darts. Belgian darts has remained a very popular game in the Belgian community since the 18th century. It is not only relaxing but also helps to develop coordination skills, precision and self-control. Each player has
1846-401: Is another variation, with only 12 equal segments, with the doubles and triples being a quarter of an inch (6.35 mm) wide. Mathematically, removing the rotational symmetry by placing the "20" at the top, there are 19 factorial , or 121,645,100,408,832,000 possible dartboards. Many different layouts would penalise a player more than the current setup; however, the current setup actually does
1917-421: Is cheap but light and therefore brass barrels tend to be very bulky. Tungsten, on the other hand, is twice as dense as brass; thus a tungsten barrel of equivalent weight could be thirty percent smaller in diameter than a brass one. Pure tungsten is very brittle, however, so an alloy is commonly used, with between 80 and 95 percent tungsten and the remainder usually nickel, iron, or copper. Nickel-silver darts offer
1988-486: Is disputed. Many configurations have been used, varying by time and location. In particular, the Yorkshire and Manchester Log End boards differ from the standard board in that they have no triple, only double and bullseye. The Manchester board is smaller than the standard, with a playing area of only 25 cm (9.8 in) across, with double and bull areas measuring just 4 mm (0.16 in). The London Fives board
2059-423: Is gaining popularity as a non-allergenic, easy-to-handle and safe alternative to petrochemical-based insulation products. Cork is also used to make vinyl record slipmats, due to its ability to not attract dust. They also dampen static and vibrations. Sheets of cork, also often the by-product of stopper production, are used to make bulletin boards as well as floor and wall tiles . Cork's low density makes it
2130-419: Is in play. Cork (material) Cork is an impermeable buoyant material. It is the phellem layer of bark tissue which is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber (the cork oak), which is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa . Cork is composed of suberin , a hydrophobic substance. Because of its impermeable, buoyant, elastic, and fire retardant properties, it
2201-473: Is known as "going bust". The player's score is reset to its value at the start of that turn, and any remaining throws in the turn are forfeited. In some variants, a player who busts has their score reset to its value before the individual dart that caused the bust. This rule (referred to as a "Northern Bust" in London) is considered by some players to be a purer version of the game. Under the standard rules above,
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2272-421: Is made up of suberin (average of about 40%), lignin (22%), polysaccharides ( cellulose and hemicellulose ) (18%), extractables (15%) and others. Cork is a natural material used by humans for over 5,000 years. It is a material whose applications have been known since antiquity , especially in floating devices and as stopper for beverages , mainly wine , whose market, from the early twentieth century, had
2343-411: Is stacked in piles in the forest or in yards at a factory and traditionally left to dry, after which it can be loaded onto a truck and shipped to a processor. Bark from initial harvests can be used to make flooring, shoes, insulation and other industrial products. Subsequent extractions usually occur at intervals of nine years, though it can take up to thirteen for the cork to reach an acceptable size. If
2414-444: Is standard in darts, sometimes a double must be hit to begin scoring, known as "doubling in", with all darts thrown before hitting a double not being counted. The PDC's World Grand Prix uses this format. The minimum number of thrown darts required to complete a leg of 501 is nine. The most common nine-dart finish consists of two 180 maximums followed by a 141 checkout (T20-T19-D12), but there are many other possible ways of achieving
2485-573: Is used in a variety of products, the most common of which is wine stoppers . The montado landscape of Portugal produces approximately half of the cork harvested annually worldwide, with Corticeira Amorim being the leading company in the industry. Cork was examined microscopically by Robert Hooke , which led to his discovery and naming of the cell . Cork composition varies depending on geographic origin, climate and soil conditions, genetic origin, tree dimensions, age (virgin or reproduction), and growth conditions. However, in general, cork
2556-406: The 1 section, round 2, the 2 sections, and so on until round 7. Standard scoring is used, and doubles and triples are counted. Only hits on the wedge for that round are counted. The winner is the person who has the most points at the end of seven rounds (1–7); or who scores a Shanghai, which wins instantly, a Shanghai being throws that hit a triple, a double and single (in any order) of the number that
2627-470: The 1950s. The first metal barrels were made from brass which was relatively cheap and easy to work. The wooden shafts, threaded to fit the tapped barrel, were either fletched as before or designed to take a paper flight. This type of dart continued to be used into the 1970s. With the widespread use of plastic, the shaft and flight came to be manufactured separately, although one-piece moulded plastic shaft and flight darts were also available. According to
2698-601: The Cork Supply Group of Portugal concluded that cork is the most environmentally friendly wine stopper in comparison to other alternatives. The Corticeira Amorim 's study, in particular ("Analysis of the life cycle of Cork, Aluminum and Plastic Wine Closures"), was developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers , according to ISO 14040 . Results concluded that, concerning the emission of greenhouse gases, each plastic stopper released 10 times more CO 2 , whilst an aluminium screw cap releases 26 times more CO 2 than does
2769-494: The Darts Regulation Authority, a regulation board is 451 mm (17.8 in) in diameter and is divided into 20 radial sections. Each section is separated with metal wire or a thin band of sheet metal. Quality dartboards are still made of sisal fibres from Eastern Africa, Brazil, and China; less expensive boards are sometimes made of cork or coiled paper. Modern darts are made up of four components:
2840-497: The East End of London. The board has fewer, larger segments, all numbered either 5, 10, 15 or 20. Players play down from 505 rather than 501, and stand the farthest 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) away from the board of any mainstream variation. "Halve it" is a darts game popular in the United Kingdom and parts of North America where competitors try to hit previously agreed targets on a standard dart board. Failure to do so within
2911-668: The Stelvin as it is a guarantee that the wine will be good even after many decades of ageing. Some consumers may have conceptions about screw caps being representative of lower quality wines, due to their cheaper price; however, in Australia, for example, much of the non-sparkling wine production now uses these Stelvin caps as a cork alternative, although some have recently switched back to cork citing issues using screw caps. The alternatives to cork have both advantages and disadvantages. For example, screwtops are generally considered to offer
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2982-586: The US after publicity of thousands of injuries and several deaths. Round the Clock (also called Around the World, 20 to 1, and Jumpers) is a game involving any number of players where the objective is to hit each section sequentially from 1 to 20 starting after a starting double. Shanghai is played with at least two players. The standard version is played in seven rounds. In round one players throw their darts aiming for
3053-527: The bark is stripped to harvest the cork. The tree continues to live and grow. The sustainability of production and the easy recycling of cork products and by-products are two of its most distinctive aspects. Cork oak forests also prevent desertification and are a particular habitat in the Iberian Peninsula and the refuge of various endangered species . Carbon footprint studies conducted by Corticeira Amorim , Oeneo Bouchage of France and
3124-536: The bark make the cork itself highly inconsistent. In a 2005 closure study, 45% of corks showed gas leakage during pressure testing both from the sides of the cork as well as through the cork body itself. Since the mid-1990s, a number of wine brands have switched to alternative wine closures such as plastic stoppers, screw caps , or other closures. During 1972 more than half of the Australian bottled wine went bad due to corking. A great deal of anger and suspicion
3195-467: The board to set a target (i.e. single 18) and does not play until that target is hit. The next player up has 3 darts to try and hit the target (single 18), if they fail, they lose a life and the following player tries. Once a player succeeds at hitting the target, they then become the target setter and throw a dart to set a new target. The initial target setter swaps places with the new target setter. The games carry on until every players' lives have been used,
3266-502: The board; they simply parted the packed fibres when they entered the board. The earliest darts were stubs of arrows or crossbow bolts. The first purpose-made darts were manufactured from solid wood, wrapped with a strip of lead for weight and fitted with flights made from split turkey feathers. These darts were mainly produced in France and became known as French darts. Metal barrels were patented in 1906, but wood continued to be used into
3337-443: The compromise length. The standard dartboard is divided into 20 numbered sections, scoring from 1 to 20 points, by wires running from the small central circle to the outer circular wire. Circular wires within the outer wire subdivide each section into single, double and treble areas. The dartboard featured on The Indoor League television show of the 1970s did not feature a treble section, and according to host Fred Trueman during
3408-416: The cork are known as extractors . An extractor uses a very sharp axe to make two types of cuts on the tree: one horizontal cut around the plant, called a crown or necklace , at a height of about two to three times the circumference of the tree, and several vertical cuts called rulers or openings . This is the most delicate phase of the work because, even though cutting the cork requires significant force,
3479-552: The cork oak, they have corky bark but not thick enough for cork production. Cork is extracted only from early May to late August, when the cork can be separated from the tree without causing permanent damage. When the tree reaches 25–30 years of age and about 24 in (60 cm) in circumference, the cork can be removed for the first time. However, this first harvest almost always produces poor quality or virgin cork (Portuguese cortiça virgem ; Spanish corcho bornizo or corcho virgen ). The workers who specialize in removing
3550-402: The darts are thrown to land in a circle target on the ground. The darts are similar to the ancient Roman thrown weapon plumbata . For a brand named Jarts, the darts weighed about 1/4 pound, were 12 inches long, and had a pointed tip, the better to stick into the ground. On December 19, 1988, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission introduced an outright ban on metal-tipped lawn darts in
3621-475: The extractor must not damage the underlying phellogen or the tree will be harmed. To free the cork from the tree, the extractor pushes the handle of the axe into the rulers. A good extractor needs to use a firm but precise touch in order to free a large amount of cork without damaging the product or tree. These freed portions of the cork are called planks . The planks are usually carried off by hand since cork forests are rarely accessible to vehicles. The cork
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#17327762885123692-452: The feat. Three 167s (T20-T19-Bull) is considered a pure or perfect nine-dart finish by some players. There are several regional variations on the standard rules and scoring systems. American darts is a regional U.S. variant of the game (most U.S. dart players play the traditional games described above). This style of dartboard is most often found in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and parts of New York state. Beer darts
3763-413: The final dart landing in either the bullseye or a double segment to win. Not all three darts need to be thrown on the final turn; the game can be finished on any of the three darts. When two teams play, the starting score is sometimes increased to 701 or even 1001; the rules remain the same. A throw that reduces a player's score below zero, to exactly one, or to zero but not ending with a double or bullseye
3834-431: The first episode, this is the traditional Yorkshire board. Various games are played using the standard dartboard. However, in the official game, any dart landing inside the outer wire scores as follows: The highest score possible with three darts is 180, commonly known as a "ton 80" (100 points is called a ton), obtained when all three darts land in the triple 20. In the televised game, the referee frequently announces
3905-498: The inner as 50. Dartball is a darts game based on the sport of baseball . It is played on a diamond-shaped board and has similar scoring to baseball. Dart golf is a darts game based on the sport of golf and is regulated by the World Dolf Federation (WDFF). It is played on both special golf dartboards and traditional dartboards. Scoring is similar to golf. This is a regional variant still played in some parts of
3976-479: The intent to age. Stoppers which resemble natural cork very closely can be made by isolating the suberin component of the cork from the undesirable lignin , mixing it with the same substance used for contact lenses and an adhesive, and molding it into a standardized product, free of TCA or other undesirable substances. Composite corks with real cork veneers are used in cheaper wines. Celebrated Australian wine writer and critic James Halliday has written that since
4047-408: The job rather efficiently. There have been several mathematical papers published that consider the "optimal" dartboard. Before World War I, pubs in the United Kingdom had dartboards made from solid blocks of wood, usually elm. But darts pocked the surface of elm such that it was common for a hole to develop around the treble twenty. The other problem was that elm wood needed periodic soaking to keep
4118-408: The kite, and the smaller pear shape. The less surface area, the less stability but larger flights hamper close grouping. Some manufacturers have sought to solve this by making a flight long and thin but this, in turn, creates other problems such as changing the dart's centre of gravity. Generally speaking, a heavier dart will require a larger flight. The choice of barrel, shaft, and flight will depend
4189-532: The landlord of the Adelphi Inn in Leeds was prosecuted for allowing darts to be played in his pub. As darts was considered a game of chance at the time, it was not allowed on licensed premises. The landlord was supported in his case by the best darts player in the region, William 'Bigfoot' Anakin. A dartboard was hung in the court and Anakin proved that darts was not a game of chance by hitting three double 20s in
4260-409: The last man standing is the target setter whose target was not hit. For less experienced players, doubles and trebles as part of the same number can be counted, i.e. a target of treble 20 can still be counted as a success if the double or single 20 is hit and vice versa. Lawn darts (also called yard darts and garden darts) is an outdoor game, with gameplay and objective similar to horseshoes , in that
4331-418: The mid-17th century, French vintners did not use cork stoppers, using instead oil-soaked rags stuffed into the necks of bottles. Wine corks can be made of either a single piece of cork, or composed of particles, as in champagne corks; corks made of granular particles are called "agglomerated corks". Natural cork closures are used for about 80% of the 20 billion bottles of wine produced each year. After
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#17327762885124402-474: The player's skill decreases, their aim moves slightly up and to the left of the T20. At σ = 16.4 mm the best place to aim jumps to the T19. As the player's skill decreases further, the best place to aim curls into the centre of the board, stopping a bit lower than and to the left of the bullseye at σ = 100 mm. Many games can be played on a dartboard, but the term "darts" generally refers to
4473-421: The points, the barrels, the shafts and the flights. The points come in two common lengths, 32 and 41 mm (1.3 and 1.6 in) and are sometimes knurled or coated to improve players' grip. Others are designed to retract slightly on impact to lessen the chance of the dart bouncing out. The barrels come in a variety of weights and are usually constructed from brass, nickel-silver , or a tungsten alloy. Brass
4544-565: The product is of high quality it is known as gentle cork (Portuguese cortiça amadia , but also cortiça secundeira only if it is the second time; Spanish corcho segundero , also restricted to the second time ), and, ideally, is used to make stoppers for wine and champagne bottles. Cork's elasticity combined with its near-impermeability makes it suitable as a material for bottle stoppers , especially for wine bottles . Cork stoppers represent about 60% of all cork based production. Cork has an almost zero Poisson's ratio , which means
4615-497: The radius of a cork does not change significantly when squeezed or pulled. Cork is an excellent gasket material. Some carburetor float bowl gaskets are made of cork, for example. Cork is also an essential element in the production of badminton shuttlecocks . Cork's bubble-form structure and natural fire retardant make it suitable for acoustic and thermal insulation in house walls, floors, ceilings, and facades. The by-product of more lucrative stopper production, corkboard,
4686-457: The target counts as one mark, while hits in the doubles ring of the target count as two marks in one throw, and on the triples ring as three. Once opened in this manner, until the opponent closes that number with three marks on it of their own, each additional hit by the owner/opener scores points equal to the number of the target (which may also be doubled and tripled, e.g. a triple-20 is worth 60 points). The outer bullseye counts as 25 points and
4757-462: The term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules. Darts is both a professional throwing sport and a traditional pub game . Darts is commonly played in the British Isles , and recreationally enjoyed around the world. In 1908 darts was declared to be a game of skill and was thus allowed to be played in pubs. This came about after
4828-421: The trees are about 25 years old the cork is traditionally stripped from the trunks every nine years, with the first two harvests generally producing lower quality cork ( male cork or virgin cork ). The trees live for about 300 years. The cork industry is generally regarded as environmentally friendly. Cork production is generally considered sustainable because the cork tree is not cut down to obtain cork; only
4899-406: The weight towards the rear causing the dart to tilt backwards during flight, requiring a harder, faster throw. The flight stabilizes the dart by producing drag , thus preventing the rear of the dart from overtaking the point. Modern flights are generally made from plastic, nylon, or foil and are available in a range of shapes and sizes. The three most common shapes in order of size are the standard,
4970-434: The wood soft. In 1935, chemist Ted Leggatt and pub owner Frank Dabbs began using the century plant , a type of agave, to make dartboards. Small bundles of sisal fibres of the same length were bundled together. The bundles were then compressed into a disk and bound with a metal ring. This new dartboard was an instant success. It was more durable and required little maintenance. Furthermore, darts did little or no damage to
5041-422: Was directed at Portuguese and Spanish cork suppliers who were suspected of deliberately supplying bad cork to non- EEC wine makers to help prevent cheap imports. Cheaper wine makers developed the aluminium "Stelvin" cap with a polypropylene stopper wad. More expensive wines and carbonated varieties continued to use cork, although much closer attention was paid to the quality. Even so, some high premium makers prefer
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