The game of Darts has become an essential component of many a man cave, game room, or English pub. But the simple game of darts, innocuous as it may seem; has a long history spanning more than a hundred years. Though no accurate records of its origin exist, it can be considered a fact that it originated in England. How exactly this game came into being is more of a mystery. Some accounts assert that King Henry VIII wanted his archers to practice shooting their arrows perennially, but some archers started throwing their arrows for fun instead of shooting them. Due to England’s incessant rain, the game was transposed to the relatively dry setting of a local pub. The earliest targets were purportedly made from the bottoms of Wine and ale barrels. When these became scarce, the players resorted to using a crosswise section of a tree trunk. The tree’s rings were used to designate different markers for scoring. Through constant piercing, these trunks started to crack, further dividing the tree trunk “board” into sections.

By then, the game which started out as merely fun, became a game of skill, with soldiers creating their own custom-made shortened “arrows” and displaying their skill at throwing these. Pretty soon the game started to travel, first reportedly with the pilgrims aboard the Mayflower. The 1800s onward saw different variations of the game, and in 1896 Brian Gamlin: a carpenter from Lancashire in England created the numbered configuration for the board that we know today. The first paper-only dart flight was patented by an American in 1898, and in 1906 the first metal dart barrel was patented by an Englishman. Soon the game became so popular that players formed clubs, which became leagues, and soon an entire national darts association was formed. Darts also began to become popular in the US, imported there by WWII American GIs. Today, the game of darts has become a serious venue for competition, with national and international matches being held and broadcast for millions of darts aficionados to see. The game of Darts has truly come into its own.

Looking for the perfect Dartboard and Darts for your man cave or game room? Check out our custom line of MLB Dartboards and Darts, only available at So Cal Pool Tables.