This was a big disappointment. Several years ago I purchased a Unicorn Eclipse board. At that time they (Unicorn) were making razor-sharp spiders with no staples and a Sisal fiber bristle board. My dear friend loved my board and I gave it to him as a gift thinking that I could replace it without issue. I was wrong. I have since purchased the Eclipse HD and found it severely lacking in quality. While I did not experience bounce outs, I was actually able to embed darts in the spider. So, I bought this board. What a mistake. It is not a Sisal fiber bristle board, but some imposter that likely cost less to make. One cannot tell that the board I gave my friend has even been used for years, while this board, having been used only a few times shows holes from previous throws. See photos
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This review is from: Winmau Blade 4 Dual Core Dartboard (Sports)
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There are several great brands of dart boards out there. The premium ones that come to mind are DWI-Puma, Alien, Unicorn, and Winmau — all great boards used by professional players that will provide you with hours of playtime and few drop-outs. Winmau is a UK company that has been making quality dart boards for more than 65 years. The Winmau World Masters is one of the oldest championships in the world of darts, and their boards comply with the World Dart Federation’s specifications.
Winmau’s Blade 4 Dual Core Dartboard introduces a dual layer sisal board to reduce the number of bounce-outs and provide you with a longer lasting dartboard. The surface of the board looks great -bright, vivid colors and free from any blemishes. Speaking of colors, one of the issues test players noticed with early versions of the Blade 4 was that the green ink used caused that section of the board to be a little harder to penetrate. Winmau has since fixed this issue so that it no longer affects playability in any way. It’s nice to see that they listen to their customers and act quickly to resolve any defects.
If you play with steel tipped darts and are serious about your game, a sisal board (as opposed to a wound paper board) is the way to go. While they are typically more expensive, they will reward you with a longer lifespan. Winmau’s boards are touted as being made from the world’s finest premium grade Kenyan sisal. The way the Blade 4 is manufactured, the exterior sisal board is of a slightly looser grain than the interior core to reduce the number of bounce-outs, resulting in fewer lost darts. You’ll typically want to
The other feature to call out with the Blade 4 is the Rota-Lock system – Three wheels with thread-bolts that screw into the back of the board that allows you to level and lock the board in place, allowing you to fit it on almost any surface in a matter of minutes. To adjust or remove, simply spin the wheels clockwise. It’s very easy and convenient. I’m surprised this doesn’t come standard on more boards.
What comes in the box: Your Winmau board (of course), the Rota-Lock system wheel bolts, a booklet explaining the game of darts, and instructions on how to set up and care for the board. Further detail about the Rota-Lock system is also provided in the instructions. This set dis not come with any darts.
A few notes to take care of your investment – if you play frequently, make sure to rotate your board once a week. Some people wet down their boards in order to soften the playing surface. DO NOT do this with sisal boards. Doing so will more than likely cause the board to swell, warp, and dry up, resulting in you having to buy another board.
As I break the board in, I’ll post an update or two to share how the board performs over time. My initial impression after a few games has been that the board’s self-healing is really good – no marks after about an hour’s play. There were no bounce outs. And I really like the Rota-Lock system. The wheels protrude a bit around the perimeter, but to me, that’s no big deal.
Over all impressions – An A+ board from one of the best dart board manufactures around. If you’re a casual player and you want a quality dartboard that will provide you with months of play, you’ve found it.
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This review is from: Winmau Blade 4 Dual Core Dartboard (Sports)
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I have a Halex dart board to compare this too. Since I use our board for recreation and hand/eye coordination and visual exercises, with my son and teen students, I honestly had no idea what I was missing out on with the Winmau Blade 4 Dual Core board. What a treat!
Both boards weigh about the same. They’re heavy at 10ish pounds. They’re the exact same circle diameters and same thickness, but you can tell the quality of the materials used for the Winmau are better. It’s better cork (sorry, don’t know all the professional terms).
The first major difference between my Halex and this Winmau is the metal wiring across the target, in between each section and around the bullseye. The Winmau is way more sleek and secure with less raised metal and NO staples. It says it’s the dynamic sector wire and it’s 50 percent thinner. This is not only true, it’s also straighter and more embedded into the cork. The Halex (the one I own, they may have higher quality boards I’m not familiar with) has raised wire around each section and tons and tons of staples. This makes tons of darts bounce out and is frustrating. Not an issue with the sleek, embedded, straight wire on Winmau. Yes, a dart can still hit the wiring on occasion but there’s less chance and No Staples.
Both boards have a Numbered metal ring around the outer edge that is the same, except the Winmau is painted white while the Halex is silver.
As far as hanging the boards. My Halex has been hanging for three years without an issue from a screw in the middle of the back of the board. What’s a cool feature addition on the Winmau is the rot-a-lock advantage, which is basically three screw/balance pieces. You Set two across top in 10 and 2 position and one on bottom at 6 position (as if clock). It allows the board to be balanced on any surface.
As far as playing. The Winmau is like butter and I’m bouncing less darts. Had I known that paying a bit more for a board would have made it this much nicer, I would have gone with the Winmau 3 years ago. That said, I’m happy to have it now.
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Don’t do it,
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|Winmau’s Blade 4 is Outstanding!,
Winmau’s Blade 4 Dual Core Dartboard introduces a dual layer sisal board to reduce the number of bounce-outs and provide you with a longer lasting dartboard. The surface of the board looks great -bright, vivid colors and free from any blemishes. Speaking of colors, one of the issues test players noticed with early versions of the Blade 4 was that the green ink used caused that section of the board to be a little harder to penetrate. Winmau has since fixed this issue so that it no longer affects playability in any way. It’s nice to see that they listen to their customers and act quickly to resolve any defects.
If you play with steel tipped darts and are serious about your game, a sisal board (as opposed to a wound paper board) is the way to go. While they are typically more expensive, they will reward you with a longer lifespan. Winmau’s boards are touted as being made from the world’s finest premium grade Kenyan sisal. The way the Blade 4 is manufactured, the exterior sisal board is of a slightly looser grain than the interior core to reduce the number of bounce-outs, resulting in fewer lost darts. You’ll typically want to
The other feature to call out with the Blade 4 is the Rota-Lock system – Three wheels with thread-bolts that screw into the back of the board that allows you to level and lock the board in place, allowing you to fit it on almost any surface in a matter of minutes. To adjust or remove, simply spin the wheels clockwise. It’s very easy and convenient. I’m surprised this doesn’t come standard on more boards.
What comes in the box: Your Winmau board (of course), the Rota-Lock system wheel bolts, a booklet explaining the game of darts, and instructions on how to set up and care for the board. Further detail about the Rota-Lock system is also provided in the instructions. This set dis not come with any darts.
A few notes to take care of your investment – if you play frequently, make sure to rotate your board once a week. Some people wet down their boards in order to soften the playing surface. DO NOT do this with sisal boards. Doing so will more than likely cause the board to swell, warp, and dry up, resulting in you having to buy another board.
As I break the board in, I’ll post an update or two to share how the board performs over time. My initial impression after a few games has been that the board’s self-healing is really good – no marks after about an hour’s play. There were no bounce outs. And I really like the Rota-Lock system. The wheels protrude a bit around the perimeter, but to me, that’s no big deal.
Over all impressions – An A+ board from one of the best dart board manufactures around. If you’re a casual player and you want a quality dartboard that will provide you with months of play, you’ve found it.
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|Very Nice Board,
Both boards weigh about the same. They’re heavy at 10ish pounds. They’re the exact same circle diameters and same thickness, but you can tell the quality of the materials used for the Winmau are better. It’s better cork (sorry, don’t know all the professional terms).
The first major difference between my Halex and this Winmau is the metal wiring across the target, in between each section and around the bullseye. The Winmau is way more sleek and secure with less raised metal and NO staples. It says it’s the dynamic sector wire and it’s 50 percent thinner. This is not only true, it’s also straighter and more embedded into the cork. The Halex (the one I own, they may have higher quality boards I’m not familiar with) has raised wire around each section and tons and tons of staples. This makes tons of darts bounce out and is frustrating. Not an issue with the sleek, embedded, straight wire on Winmau. Yes, a dart can still hit the wiring on occasion but there’s less chance and No Staples.
Both boards have a Numbered metal ring around the outer edge that is the same, except the Winmau is painted white while the Halex is silver.
As far as hanging the boards. My Halex has been hanging for three years without an issue from a screw in the middle of the back of the board. What’s a cool feature addition on the Winmau is the rot-a-lock advantage, which is basically three screw/balance pieces. You Set two across top in 10 and 2 position and one on bottom at 6 position (as if clock). It allows the board to be balanced on any surface.
As far as playing. The Winmau is like butter and I’m bouncing less darts. Had I known that paying a bit more for a board would have made it this much nicer, I would have gone with the Winmau 3 years ago. That said, I’m happy to have it now.
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