Steel Tip vs Soft Tip

January 9, 1998

We have all been drunk in someone's garage (or basement if you have ever been outside of Florida) slinging some shitty little steel tip darts. Usually these episodes represent more of a novelty than an ongoing interest in darts as a hard-core sport. However, there are those of us who love and adore the game of skill (and slop), and we have to face a choice: Paper or Plastic? No, Steel tip vs. Soft tip. As an avid fan of the games of darts, I have used both, and each has its points.

Steel Tips

PROS: Tradition: very key, "this is the only true darts" from old-school fans. Danger: nothing like pulling darts out of your board only to have the guy at the board next to you almost puncture your hand! The feel, weight and balance seem to be more precise and not so easily disrupted. Steel tip players seem more genuine and not so 'band wagon' (if you play, you know what I mean).

CONS: Places to play: it's hard to find a good steel tip bar in Orlando. Danger: there is always a drunk guy with sharp pointy objects next to you! Expense: to get a really good set of darts you can usually spend from $40 to $200. Steel tip players seem to be more intoxicated (if you play, you know).

Soft Tips

PROS: Places to play: there are electronic dart machines in almost every recreational bar in town. Affordable: to get a good set of soft tips you can spend as little as $20 (of course as much as $150 as well). Safety: there is 5% more of a chance your eye would make it through a collision, ~Ewwwwww! Of course, the nicest part of soft tip is the automatic scoring; man they got steel tips beat there.

CONS: The Beeping! I feel like Quasi Moto after four or five beers "da beep-da beep". (Sidenote, you know you're lit when you start to mimic the machines noise - I've done it). Soft tip players: Biff and Muffy and their, "Oh honey, I bent my tip". Shut up dick! Scoring error: because it's a computer, sometimes it racks up a double/triple and then bounces out! Cool if it's your dart, but it never is! Bastard!

Is Orlando keeping the tradition? Well, yes and no. I spoke with the Manager of USA Darts on West Colonial (the best place in town as far as I'm concerned). In his opinion, "Orlando has become a Hot Spot for Soft Tips." As for steel tips bars, he advised me that the pub, Games People Play (on Forsyth Road) is the place for the hard-core Steel Tip enthusiast. I myself have played some very enjoyable games at Mulvaney's, an upstairs bar on Church St. (only two boards there). Scruffy Murphy's is cool, and Katie O'Brian's offers steel tip (two boards again) if you can handle that "la-dee-dah look at me - I drive a Porsche" attitude. You can find soft tip anywhere - Will's (number one hanging spot in town), Copper Rocket (number two), Sportstown, the Mill, and so on.

So enjoy your 301, 501, 701, Cricket, or whatever you play. 'Double in' to a new bar, take aim, and throw a few!

Justice Mitchell
Loves: Art & Photography, Mom & Dad, Eileen, Friends, Music, and Film. Hates: Dan Leeds and his army of satanic, homophobic, undead girl scouts.