How to Add Grip to Darts

how to add grip to darts

Having a good grip on your darts is very important if you want to throw your darts as accurately as possible. A lost game can very well be the result of a dart slipping in your hand.

One factor that can make your dart hard to grip is if the dart barrel is anodized or painted. Another factor is the age of your darts. Over time, your dart barrels will tend to wear out and lose their natural grip from repeated use.

Whether your dart barrels are worn out, or the paint on your barrel is mixing with the sweat of your hand, there are a few ways that you can add additional grip to your darts to make them easier to hold and throw. These methods include the use of either nail polish, grip wax, or bleach.

Increase Dart Grip by Removing Paint with Acetone

Some dart barrels are anodized or painted, which can give them more of a slippery feel when throwing. This is especially true if your hands start to sweat during an intense match.

Removing the paint from the barrel of your dart is probably way easier than it might seem. All it takes is some 100% pure acetone, a toothbrush, and a container such as an empty pill bottle. The paint removal will only need about 10 minutes in the acetone, and you will not need any vigorous scrubbing.

You just need to put the dart in the empty bottle, making sure the painted side of the barrel facing inside the bottle. Fill up the bottle with the 100% pure acetone remover. Let the dart sit in the acetone for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes has passed, take the toothbrush and lightly brush the paint off the barrel.

Get the Right Remover

For this process, it is incredibly important that you make sure you choose the right kind of nail polish remover.

There will be several different options to choose from when you buy the remover, so you need to make sure the bottle says 100% acetone. Not all nail polish removers are pure acetone, as some will come with additives for nail health.

If you or someone in your house does their own nails, you might have nail polish remover in the house already. If the bottle says 100% acetone, you don’t even have to go to the store to get any.

However, make sure if you do have nail polish remover in your house, don’t just use it because there is a convenience factor. Make sure you have the right stuff!

Face the Barrel Down

In addition to making sure you have the right acetone remover, you are also going to need to make sure your dart is facing properly. It is highly recommended to use an old pill bottle for this part due to it being the same size as the dart. 

Put the dart in the empty bottle with the paint side facing down. Fill the bottle with acetone, making sure that you are completely covering the painted portion of the dart. Make sure you add only as much as you need to cover the paint. While most tips of darts are made out of stainless steel, it is best to avoid any risks.

Wipe Off the Paint

After you the acetone has been at work for about 10 minutes, remove the dart from the bottle. You should be able to remove the paint just by wiping with your fingers, but using a toothbrush will be more effective. Using a toothbrush will allow you to brush away all of the paint without getting any mess on your hands.

It is important to remember that some spots might be more difficult to get off than other parts. If you are noticing that some of the paint is just not going to come off, just soak the dart for a little bit longer.

Using Dart Grip Wax

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As it goes with every game in the world, players are always trying to find a way to win against the competition without cheating. Basketball players wear special shoes, gymnasts use hand powder, and dart players use grip wax. To some, darts is a game that people play at the bar for fun, but it is actually a professional sport.

People will spend hours upon hours trying to perfect their game so they can get the best shot possible to play the best game they can, and win. What exactly goes into making sure you are getting the perfect shot at the dartboard every time? It all comes down to the grip.

We recommend using this multi-use grip wax for your darts. Many players have used official dart wax to no prevail, but have tried this wax instead and it has made their unusable darts usable again. This wax gets the job done, and it does it well.

What Dart Wax Does

Dart wax makes it possible for you to practice and develop a consistent shot each time you play. When you hold a dart in your fingers, you will usually notice that it is pretty slippery. Some high-quality darts feature some texturing around the barrel for an easy grip, but they aren’t always accurate. 

Dart wax works because it creates some more friction on the surface of your fingers. It prevents the dart slipping out of your hand before you are ready, ruining your shot before it even leaves your hand. 

Apply and Use Dart Wax

When you buy some dart wax, it will usually come in a bar that looks like soap, or in a container that you can easily dip your fingers into. It doesn’t take a lot of wax to be able to get the job done. If you have never used dart wax before, it can be tempting to apply it to your whole hand, which is not necessary.

The best way to apply the dart wax is to take a little bit and create a light film on the surface of your thumb, index finger, middle finger, and ring finger.

If you notice that your dart is still slipping more than it should, just apply some extra wax. It is better to start small and need more than apply too much.

Soaking Your Dart Barrel in Bleach to Increase Grip

Another way to improve the grip of your dart is by soaking it in bleach. It is most likely to work on darts that are made of copper, as the process is similar to oxidization. It is recommended to mix one cup of bleach with one gallon of water. This will dilute the bleach down and make it not as harsh.

Let the dart soak in this solution for four to eight hours before removing it. If you let the dart sit for too long, the material might start changing color which could be a bummer if you like the way they look now.

After you remove the dart from the solution, brush it with a toothbrush like the nail polish remover. This will give you a rougher texture to grip.

Final Thoughts

If darts are too smooth, they will be difficult to hold on to. This can affect the way you throw your darts and can ultimately affect the game you play. If you notice you are having a hard time with your grip, it might be beneficial for you to find a way to add additional grip to the barrel of your dart.

There are several ways you can do this. The first is by soaking the barrel of the dart in 100% pure acetone to remove the paint. Another way is with dart wax. Rub some of this wax on your gripping fingers before throwing gripping your dart.

Lastly, you can also try soaking your copper dart barrel in a mixture of bleach and water. This will help wear down some of the copper making it rougher and easier to hold.

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