u/MerkurSchroeder

tl;dr: I'm giving an update on the status quo of my Red Dragon Peter Wright Snakebite PL15 darts and how I got there.

Hi, I'm Merkur and I'm an ocheholic.

I think that I kinda owe you this next chapter in my throwback series, because when I presented the Red Dragon Peter Wright Snakebite PL15 as my next new set of darts, I was just starting out repointing with press fit points and didn't come to a final setup in general.

In fact, I just recently removed the 44mm points I had attached then. They served me well on my path to familiarize with long front tapers and for a few weeks the PL15 have actually been my first choice in matches, until I finally fell in love with the scalloped Whitlock darts.

Peter Wright had been playing quite decently with medium red Snakebite shafts and yellow L-Style flights, so at some point I had put yellow L3 Kami with silver metal champagne rings on those shafts and it stayed that way until a few weeks ago as well.

Sometimes the Red Dragon Snakebite PL15 have been my backup to the Whitlock darts or I've just pulled them out every other week for fun. They always stayed nearby though, which considering the relatively affordable silver version is still a good value for money in my opinion. That's something you can't say about every of the sometimes eccentric Peter Wright barrels.

What always bugged me was not having tried finger grip points on the PL15. I know I prefer that on many darts, but I've actually reduced grip on various models as well. I know Peter previously used Reflex Points on his blue PL15, which would have been entertaining, but not the grip I was looking for. With some extra 38mm Condor Beak with Cut at hand and my previous experience I've decided to go a little shorter as well.

Both are factors I can't say make the Red Dragon Snakebite PL15 stand out as uniquely perfect, but I currently like the feeling. My throw has changed since I've gotten these barrels anyway, but having that extra finger support on the point certainly has an influence on how I approach them now.

I've mentioned before I hardly use up any of my integrated systems, so it was kinda relieving seeing Peter using Condor Axe on his PL15, especially as they've been long standard like I've got plenty. He was using them on a version with a very worn coating (I think) and black points, so it was merely trying the characteristics and not creating a replica.

What should I say? It doesn't make me a fan of integrated systems, but just as boring as it might look, it's also less to think about. Condor Axe are relatively light for their size, so that works quite alright for me in general. But going from the slightly smaller L3 Kami to the standard size Condors sure makes the PL15 feel different as well.

You could call it more stabilizing, but I'm not sure yet whether I require it. On the other hand I do enjoy this setup, mostly playing No.2 standard flights. It maybe speaks for a versatility of the Red Dragon Peter Wright Snakebite PL15, that changes on the setup turn out rather in a fine-tuning of feel and characteristics than completely disturbing the performance.

But that's Snakebite in a nutshell, innit? In that vein I might still not call this setup final. It's more a status quo than permanent. I enjoy it like this.

Have you played the Red Dragon Peter Wright Snakebite PL15 yet?

What do you think of the darts and setup?

Have a nice weekend.

Cheers and happy darting! 🎯👍

tl;dr: I've finally pulled the trigger on some Winmau Tuscan and was impressed enough by the stock setup that I've only changed details like Fusions in the similar size and only 3mm longer Shot Kapene points.

Hi, I'm Merkur and I'm an ocheholic.

This time I'm presenting you another set of new darts that you might think attracted me with their rainbow colors, but actually the Winmau Tuscan always looked like a dart that's easy to play for me. I've had them in my cart so many times, but there have always been preferences above them.

Looking for some still affordable additions to the collection they've now made it, because a set of Winmau darts in 90% tungsten, rainbow coating and coming with three sets of shafts and three sets of flights for just under 40€ taxed and shipped, that's pretty good these days, innit? There also was a checkout card and a plastic case in my package, but the fact I didn't bother it was broken in transit might tell you my focus is rather on the barrels.

I got a little insecure whilst unboxing. Have the Tuscan really been a good choice as often that I've skipped them? A first impression holding them felt less like coming home than I expected, but actually the smooth bridge is perfect to handle the nicely spaced shark grip, making the Tuscan feel a lot less sticky than the grip monsters I've shown you recently.

It's a perfect example that just holding a dart doesn't have to tell you everything. You've got to throw them, which made them even feel better than my intuition let me expect. The Winmau Tuscan did look like a 24g barrel choice to me and that's a perfect match for a relaxed throw that I'd say works very well with what you get in the box.

Often I feel like receiving the opposite of what I'd need in supplies, short shafts when I'd require longer or vice versa. Sure, they missed the opportunity of giving you different lengths with the three setups in medium, but it's exactly what I like on the Tuscan. I'm even fine with the stock points, so I've only swapped them for golden 35mm Shot Kapene to give me a tad extra room for my two fingers.

You can guess my consumption rate of integrated flights by the fact that I've had this set of medium No.2 Winmau Fusion flights for one and a half years after receiving them as a free bonus with an order. I have to force myself sometimes to keep using them up, so I came to the conclusion that the Tuscan are the perfect vehicle to break in that still mint set.

It's more the look I was going for, but the side of my index finger sits far enough to the back to benefit from the stem’s curve and the angle I get on entry works quite nice without many deflections. There's enough control on the Winmau Tuscan that the slight texture on the Kapene points is everything I want as well.

Let's face it, it's another nice set of new toys that match well with my throw, but I'm almost afraid I like them too much to just put them away to play the darts I've decided to be my match ones. That's maybe the best compliment I can give right now, knowing with more focus on the Winmau Tuscan I might get to a comparable performance, because no barrels score on their own.

Knowing these are to once more fill up the arsenal before all tungsten goes through the roof, it was now or never. Frankly, I could as well have stocked another set of Whitlock darts as an extra instead and that would have made more sense considering that's what I'm playing competitively, but then I'd probably never have had the joy to test the Winmau Tuscan.

I know if everything goes down and I'd have to survive with the darts I own, I've probably got years of fun ahead of me. That makes me relatively confident that if I really needed a specific set, I’d be willing to pay more or even make a custom, which always was a plan that I never followed, trying around with all the possibilities.

In fact, together with an old Darts Clearance set that I play very well in a customization I still need to show you and maybe the Harrows Sabre I keep playing occasionally, the Winmau Tuscan could become part of a blueprint for a straight grippy barrel feeling I enjoy when I'm not playing scallops and long front tapers.

If there's one thing that puzzles me it's what these darts have to do with a region in Italy. Is it mountain ridges or a stereotypical laid-back lifestyle? I've got quite a relaxed feeling throwing the Tuscan, so if it's that, maybe it fits.

Have you played the Winmau Tuscan yet?

What do you think of the darts and setup?

Have a nice week.

Cheers and happy darting! 🎯👍

tl;dr: I'm explaining a still ongoing journey of discovering the Red Dragon Razor Edge Extreme a few years ago to actually receiving them as an Easter gift recently, my first impression of an advanced dart and a first setup that might not be final.

Hi, I'm Merkur and I'm an ocheholic.

Here I'm presenting you my next set of new darts, well, at least one I haven't shown you yet. You know, I'm kind of a chrono trotter, and whilst I got the Red Dragon Razor Edge Extreme gifted for Easter, there's more history with these darts. Actually, that connects very well with the Harrows Shard 90 throwback, where I've told you how those taught me less grip can be more.

Back in 2023, when I was playing my regular Razor Edge and started looking around at what's on the market, of course the other variants stood out to me. Seeking a maximum grip, the Razor Edge Extreme could have easily been my new weapons of choice, but I was still insecure. I had neither played a scallop nor such a long front taper. Some people were pointing out the nose lip and I was seeing the worn down coatings that I figured would mess with my grouping, being afraid of damage.

Fast forward, having almost forgotten about the Red Dragon Razor Edge Extreme, I've watched Simon Whitlock playing his son Mason at Modus. And sure enough, Simon used those very darts and I was asking myself why didn't he have that idea earlier? I noticed him using darts more in the Razor Edge/Sabotage direction, when I first tried my now favorite Whitlock 3. You'd think he would have been more attracted to his then signature scallop, wouldn't you?

So with that energy I was looking up prices for the Razor Edge Extreme with my beloved woman noticing and I saw the barrels becoming increasingly dear except for a shop she's also been ordering presents for me before. Short of budgeting from buying another set of actual Whitlock darts I decided to let it be, but she's asking what weight she'd be ordering if she wanted some. Hint, hint.

That way I've had some time until it was Easter finally and I've thought about how I'd approach the Red Dragon Razor Edge Extreme. It wouldn't be exactly following the footsteps to replicate the setup, because I've grown to a rather similar preference for the Whitlock darts, so if Simon likes something there's a chance I will, too. Doesn't have to, I might add.

I've had some 42mm Condor Beak with Cut at hand that I had originally planned to put on a different set and thought, you know, I might start another way. I did like those finger grippy points for the rather grippy Martin Schindler G3, so that might work. I've got enough Condor Axe in circulation, so I definitely wasn't going to buy more to match the setup either. Well, I might have had, had I found the solid orange ones that do look amazing.

What's strange lately is that despite being used to and still loving long points, I actually can enjoy a lot of sets out of the box and the Red Dragon Razor Edge Extreme were no exception. Makes it harder to decide, because usually I still prefer long points in the end, especially on a long front taper, but sometimes shorter turns out best.

More impressive on the first throws definitely was the grip level that I didn't expect to be that much of a cheese grater! Dude, when Red Dragon says extreme, they actually mean it. What doesn't make sense though, and I've noticed the grip rating scale looking up the Jack Nankervis darts I thought can't be a 5/5 then, is that Red Dragon lists the regular Razor Edge with a comparable 5/5 rating, whilst the Extreme would have to be a 7/5 then.

Totally subjective, I know, but whilst the grip perception on two comparable shark grips can be similar, the much wider spacing of the Razor Edge Extreme has to be more grippy. It's beyond where you can push the barrels locked in the cuts but release relatively smooth due to the characteristics of a shark grip. The space between those ridges is too wide that you can't sink in with your fingers.

This gets a little balanced by the scallops, so as I'm mostly in the rear one, I can regulate how much grip I'm incorporating by the surface area I'm touching and with how much pressure that's happening. I'm not sure yet if I'd prefer the scallop a tad closer to the stem to feel more like what I'm used to from the Whitlock 3 or if it's something I'll learn to appreciate.

What I do understand is Simon Whitlock, who said in a talk he's swapping for fresh barrels every few weeks and who I think is looking for extra grip like there were extra elements on the Dynamic Edge SE or the general design of the World Cup SE for instance, might be quite satisfied with the Razor Edge Extreme. I on the other hand like my darts worn in, so even getting decent scores with these, it still feels a bit of a bumpy ride with not all throws coming in at a continuous controlled angle.

Sometimes that extra finger grip on the points can be a source for that and with current thoughts of maybe putting in a few extra mm this could lead to me swapping to about 48mm of a hex key point. The reason I'm not changing now is I don't want to create too many variables and see how the Razor Edge Extreme wear in first. If you look at the picture, you can notice some battle scars from just a few throws already.

This by the way is nothing I'm afraid of anymore. Instead, I've made it my goal to create those damages as a depiction of skill. We all know darts is a mental game. Same goes for the flights. I kinda learned to play integrated flights on darts like these, but even if deflections might actually be the same as with folded flights, it's still planted in the back of my head. My individual approach features 75 micron No.2 standard flights now, which feel like grouping smoother, but of course are more prone to wear and tear.

I'm not going to round off the nose of a black coated barrel, which otherwise would be a method I've previously used to address this issue instead of nose cones or specialty points. Not having had too many bad bounce outs without those measures though I switched to just leaving the consequences to my imprecise aim and living with replacing flights more often.

I think the flights are from Ruthless and I've got them dirt cheap anyway and together with the Harrows Speedline shafts they kinda look solid like an integrated system, but acting entirely different, which I somewhat enjoy. This can't be a setup for years to come though, because my stock is limited to maybe 20 sets left. I usually say it's stupid to play something exotic without enough backup, but I'll be fine with something else and I've got to use up what I own as well, don't I?

So there's that, me finally catching up on an idea I've had a few years ago, but without regrets, because the Red Dragon Razor Edge Extreme would probably have left me puzzled without the expertise gathered along the way. If there's something like an advanced dart, then I'd put them in that category, because I think it's going to support the least amount of beginners if they're not born for those quirky beasts. A great concept after all, that enriches my collection with a bit of a challenge that I'm (cheese) gratefully accepting.

Have you played the Red Dragon Razor Edge Extreme yet?

What do you think of the darts and setup?

Have a nice weekend.

Cheers and happy darting! 🎯👍

tl;dr: I'm looking back on my history with the Harrows Shard 90 that helped me get forward, but despite being brilliant didn't end up as my preferred competitive set, rather for autobiographical reasons.

Hi, I'm Merkur and I'm an ocheholic.

This time I'm wheeling out another set of old darts, the Harrows Shard 90. And boy, do I have a history with those. They've been launched just right in time when I was starting to experiment with barrel shapes and it felt like there's got to be a torpedo. They've also been addressing the prominent front lip issue that today I care a lot less about, but still appreciate a nice transition.

Despite even featuring those extra micro rings at the very front, reviews got me worried though what looked like the perfect dart could omit grip as I've been seeking maximum feedback. I also was rather willing to be adventurous and try a 23g barrel instead of my then usual 24g.

I should never have worried, knowing I never cared what darts I played for decades when I didn't even own any, besides some pub darts. So the Harrows Shard 90 definitely put me on track for many issues I thought I've had.

Of course a gram difference means almost nothing and more importantly, with the Red Dragon Razor Edge still having been my reference for a nice grip I wanted to feel more of, the much gentler rings of the Shard 90 taught me how much more precise you can become instead with a smoother, non sticking release.

Yes, it wasn't a ride without bumps. I had to get used to gripping that barrel and went through plenty of shaft and flight combinations, because I wasn't as confident in my preference as I'm today. In fact, I was simultaneously trying molded and folded in all the available shapes and I still think there's an individual best setup for any individual model, but now I've got the experience to estimate quickly from a reduced arsenal.

Once there, I had some of my most beautifully grouped darts and 180ies with the Shard 90, a phase I actually played the darts often, making quite some progress on them, which I'm grateful for. I got caught up in the Swiss Points hype for a while, so still being unsure the Shards often rather accompanied me in the case as a backup.

I think that ruined the occasion the Harrows Shard 90 could have become my actual long term match set they might have been very fitting for. Instead, you might remember those regular New Darts Days, I've been looking for plenty of other models on a passionate route of learning about gear by actually using and comparing.

That I don't regret. It's not been easy and practicing with the Shard 90 exclusively would probably have brought my game further, but I'm that character who likes to dive deep on making that intrinsic experience to be sure what a decision is based on. And at least the Shard 90 primed me for my long front taper preference.

I'm actually not even sure if I wouldn't have stayed with the Harrows Shard 90 if I would have gotten a repointer instead of substituting with Swiss Points then, because despite not feeling like having a very short point, these darts definitely lived up once more with that extra room and a little finger grip that I like.

There's been worries the thin material at the front would become an issue for repointing, but having at least done it twice for fitting, I can say everything went fine for me. Results might vary with how tight the stock ones sit, because we know Harrows darts can be a fight sometimes.

It would be interesting if the nice point to nose transition might actually become challenging for a new edition with the Quick Point system, though I'm not keen on having to do the change. Luckily in this case I've gone on to prefer other darts as you know, so besides what might have been, the Harrows Shard 90 are "only" a very pleasant set of darts that I sometimes play to enjoy them.

That doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend them, as I've done many times, and though not being discounted as often as the NX90, even at a regular price the Harrows Shard 90 are a splendid set of pragmatic but smart darts in my opinion. I can only repeat that there's a menu of different great darts for you, not only one set. I just decided on another regular dish.

Have you played the Harrows Shard 90 yet?

What do you think of the darts and setup?

Have a nice weekend.

Cheers and happy darting! 🎯👍