Barrels = 90% Tungsten
Supplied with 100 Micron Flights
Dimensions:
20g – Length 46.5mm – Max Width 6.75mm
22g – Length 49mm – Max Width 6.75mm
24g – Length 51.5mm – Max Width 6.75mm
Point Length = 38mm (32mm protruding)
Designed by Matthew Birch.
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Review by Joe Reid
Having already reviewed and fallen in love with the Loxley Scarlet’s, I was intrigued to try out the lighter, coated version, and see how the two differed. The Sheriff’s, coated in gun-metal black, have an evil look to them – a contrast to the softer feel when compared to the Scarlet’s.
Before I begin my review, I’ll add that my review of the Loxley Scarlet darts is currently live on DartsMad.com, and you can read it by simply clicking this link: https://dartsmad.com/darts-reviews/scarlet-24g-darts-review/.
The Sheriff’s, as you can likely deduce without my input, are named after the Sheriff of Nottingham, the primary antagonist throughout the Robin Hood tales. Depicted as an evil and harsh tyrant, the Sheriff would collect steep taxes from the villagers of Nottinghamshire. It was because of the Sheriff that Robin Hood earned his maxim of ‘stealing from the rich, to give to the poor’, in order to counteract the Sheriff, and combat the ensuing poverty of the county.
The Loxley Sheriff’s come in 22g, and are made from a 90% tungsten billet, to provide a suitable weight of dart, while keeping the barrel as thin as possible. The barrel is 49mm long – just 1mm shorter than the Scarlet’s. At their peak width, the darts are 6.3mm wide, tapering backwards towards the stem in order to retain a smooth transition, measuring just 6mm wide at this point.
The darts, unusually, come equipped with 38mm points – the longest I’ve seen come equipped on a non-player branded dart. The points are black to match both the barrel, and stems, as well as to offer greater grip into the board that their silver alternatives. They feature a set of medium black Loxley nylon stems, as well as the signature Loxley feather-effect flights.
They arrived in a simple plastic outer case, with typical Loxley graphics on the cardboard insert, with a beautiful image of the picturesque Sherwood Forest. An inner, thicker black case houses the darts, which arrive fitted in a point protector. One issue I’ve always had with the packaging is that, where one flight comes fitted to the stem of the dart, it tends to compress the flight against the packaging, distorting it slightly.
The one stand-out feature of these darts is, of course, the striking black PVD coating, offering a matte look and feel to the darts. This decision can be alluded to two things concerning the Sheriff of Nottingham. Firstly, due to the long line of Sheriff’s, no-one knows just who the character is based off of. Historians have drawn links to William de Wendenal, the Sheriff around the time of the Third Crusade, however his true origin will be forever shrouded in darkness. The second reason for the coating could be due to the nature of the character itself, and his dark conscience and motives surrounding the citizens of Nottingham. A colour frequently embedded within evil and dangerous characters, the coating further symbolises the effect the Sheriff had within the Robin Hood tales.
The darts feature three grip sections, all offering varying degrees of aggression in order to suit all styles of throw. The rear grip offers a unique twist to a classic style. Deep longitudinal grooves cut through the simplistic ring grip – a style popularised by the late, great Eric Bristow. The six cuts around the rear grooves offer a heightened level of grip in comparison to the middle ring grip section – which I’ll touch upon further into the review. The longitudinal grooves allow you to lock your fingers in place, allowing for greater control over the dart. For someone who spins the dart, this style of grip is ideal, with the cuts strategically positioned to propel the dart using a spinning motion.
The central grip, sectioned off from the rear grip by a smooth ‘spacer’ section, is a simple ring grip. While a slightly deeper groove than typically used within the ring grip, the grip feels relatively smooth due to the coating on the barrel. Drawing links, to me, to a micro-grip, the ring grip offers a subtle feel, with a slightly ‘sticky’ feel, thanks to the coating on the barrel.
The front grip, surrounding the taper, utilises micro grip technology, to aid those who hold the dart using the taper itself, as well as the point. I was initially concerned this grip may shred the flights, yet I found this didn’t happen. The angled grooves on the taper helped the dart glide past the others, assisting the grouping – while taking little damage in the process.
I found these darts to be near perfect for my style of throw. Using the supplied setup, they flew through the air in a straight arc, while throwing from the rear. From the front, the darts lay at an angle that allowed me to stack the darts, with the wider front end of the dart both enhancing the control I had over the dart, as well as providing a perfect marker in order to stack the darts on top of eachother.
The darts seemed to feel very dense while throwing. Despite being 2g lighter than their uncoated counterparts, the Scarlet’s, these almost seemed to feel heavier, in part due to the thick coating over the barrels. The long points, while unusual, worked well with the darts, with the points offering plenty of room in the treble bed, allowing me to put more power on the dart, using the barrel to clatter them into each other in order to group them.
Final Thoughts:
Appearance: 9/10 – I’m a huge fan of the way these darts look. With a striking black coating, coupled with the black stems and points, these darts have a unique, stealth look to them. While I feel the flights perhaps don’t go too well with the darts (I’d love to see the white, rather than orange feather-effect flights used on these darts), I feel these are still one of the best looking darts in the entire Loxley range.
Balance: 8/10 – While a solidly balanced dart, I did feel the front end of the dart seemed to drop slightly, an indication that these darts may suit a middle/front gripper, rather than a rear gripper like myself. The points further reinforce this idea, with the added weight from the extra 6mm length (compared to most darts in the Loxley range) adding to the front lean.
Grip: 8/10 – A slight mark down compared to the Scarlet’s (which I gave a 9/10 score to). I found the coating, while offering benefits such as a ‘sticky’ feel when warm, to soften the sharper edges of the ring grip, which reduced the overall level of grip the darts offered. It’s all down to personal preference, obviously, as to which you prefer, by for me the coating was a hindrance rather than a helpful addition.
Quality: 10/10 – When they first arrived, I fully checked every aspect of the barrels. With a coated barrel, I was interested to see whether the quality I’ve come to expect from Loxley had remained consistent throughout these barrels. I found no marks, no uneven patches… nothing! The barrels were perfect!
Value for Money: 9/10 – The darts are available for just £39.95, falling in line with the non-player darts in the Loxley range. For under £40, you’ll receive a unique, high quality dart that you can be assured will not let you down in the heat of a match. The darts can be purchased directly from Loxley’s website – take a look, as well as casting your eye over the other fantastic darts in their ever growing range.
And that concludes the review! A huge thank you to Loxley darts for sending these amazing darts out for me to review! Three more coming soon, so keep checking DartsMad.com to find out what I’m reviewing next!
Author – Joe Reid