Innovation V Darts

Browsing the internet the other day I came upon a box set of wooden darts, and decided that I need to buy them. They are the “Professional Model” Dart made by the Innovation Products company.

The packaging is unlike any other wooden dart set I’ve seen. The darts are set into a cardboard container with a distinct place for each of them, instead of being bunched together in a box or placed in a cardboard/plastic shield type packaging.

The print on the packing is nice, and also sounds like it came right from the marketing department. It reads:

• “The modern streamlined dart, designed for accuracy, sturdiness, and safety.”
• “Plastic Wings far outlast other types”
• “Short Needle prolongs life of your dart board and minimizes other hazards”
• “Scientifically weighted and balanced, V Dart is recognized dart for expert play”
• “Innovation Products Company – 1113 Belmont Ave. – Chicago”

Now, those are some interesting claims and features. Taking a look at one of the darts, a few things jump out at you.

Before I get too far into the comparison, here is a side by side photo of one of the Innovation “V darts” and a standard Widdy dart.

The Flights are Plastic

I’ve seen plastic flights on English darts, and I’ve seen feathered flights that can be placed on pub darts. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen plastic flights on a wooden dart before. the shape of them is different as well. The rounding of the back end of the flight is more pronounced than on a Widdy.

I do realize that feather flights don’t last very long, but I wonder how long a plastic flight would stand up if it were put through the same mill. I have no intentions on running this set of darts through hours of play to find out, so we may never know.

There is No Lead Weight

Today’s darts generall have the point attached to a lead weight that inserts into the front end of the barrel to add weight and stability. Some older darts have the lead weight inserted a little further back in the barrel. But, they all seem to have a weight in them.

This isn’t the case with the Innovation V Dart. The point of the dart inserts into a cap on the front of the barrel. The cap looks very similar to the lead weight on a Darto dart, but on the “V Dart” it is made of wood.

It has an interesting look to it, but I wonder if it’s at all effective in “scientifically balancing” the dart.

The Point is Tiny

They weren’t kidding when they said they reduced the size of the needle. I’m not readily convinced that this prolongs the life of my board, but I’ll grant them that the point on the “V dart” is smaller than on any other American dart that I’ve seen.

Overall

Well, they put some new indeas into their design. But, it looks like they may not have been good ideas. Still, even if these darts were only a stepping stone on the way to the dart design that we see today, they served a purpose in the place of American darting history.

I like the different colors of the flights, and I’m sure that using plastic flights opens the possibility for an insane amount of different colors/graphics. American darts just never went in that direction.

All in all, they are a welcome addition to my collection.