Dart Re-pointing Revisited

It’s been nearly a year since I covered the subject of repointing your own darts.

I have to say, that some of the things I’ve seen written in relation to repointing have had me shaking my head or even wondering if what was written was done as a joke.

You see I’m a Fitter - Machinist by trade, and some of the things I’ve read that people do to their darts that just make me wonder.

People who change their points with a claw hammer or a set of pincers, I prefer to do things the “right way” using the “right tools” for the job.

I’ll keep the process a simple as I can and on the way hopefully do it justice. The best Darts are the tools you use to play the game, they need to be treated with respect, look after them and they’ll be in great condition when you need them.

Points

A lot of people will have read or heard the horror stories about “the points kept falling out” or “I pushed the point in and the barrel cracked or the point broke”.

Not all points are the same! I know for a fact that different brands of points vary in their diameter, and it’s only a light interference fit that stops the points from falling out. The size variance between the smallest diameter and one of the largest is 0.062mm. So is there a simple answer? Probably to use the point made by the manufacturer of your darts, but ultimately it’s up to the individual and what they are looking for in the point.

The main reason I repoint is to fit grip points to stop my darts falling out of the board and also I use a finger on the point to steady the dart and aim. I used to prefer the Target Diamond points however since they’ve been discontinued I prefer the Shot Cinder point, although the Red Dragon Raptor points work well in some barrels too.

Brands

As I said, stick with the brand old points that match your darts, vary only if you’re sure that the point fits the dart. Remember a lot of clubs and venues are moving against “board wrecking” points, chose carefully and stick with what works for you. Or check out the best dartboards. 

Just keep in mind many newer barrels from Target come with Swiss Points as standard, Swiss point darts only take Swiss Points they can’t be interchanged with standard press in points.

Tools

Tools are the key to repointing your darts, a simple, easy to use tool is the best way to go. You really don’t need to spend a lot on a repointing tool. I personally use a Deadeye Repointer. I have used really complex tools like the Winmau Craftsman tool, Target Multitool but I think the simple tools are the best, the results are almost instant. The more complicated tools just make the process take longer (and cost more).

The process of repointing itself takes minutes and goes something like this:

• Choose your new points
• Remove the existing points from the darts
• Pay attention to how much of the point is inside the barrel this impacts on how much point remains exposed
• One point at a time, insert the new points in the darts
• Ensuring the same length of point is left sticking out of the barrel. 
• Once they’re all in give each point a brisk tug to make sure they don’t come out.

You’re done! And in the unfortunate event that a point comes out, it’s not the end of the world. As long as the point isn’t super loose there are a few ways to lock them in place. Loctite stud lock 263, works well or even Super Glue gel will also do great job, both still allowing the repointing tool to do its job.

There are so many options as far as points go, so many cool and not so cool names, Raptor points, Shark points, Fire points, Firestorm, Fire Edge, Ghost Point, Lunar, Laser, Lance, Sabre, Sniper and Apex points the list goes on and on. 

If you have any kind of handy ability, you can likely use a repointing tool. Whether like me, it’s a grip thing or whether you just want your darts to look cool or show your individuality it’s worth the effort.