Winmau Blade 5 Dual Core Dartboard Review

Today we're going to take a look at the amazing Winmau Blade 5 Dual Core Dartboard. It arrived in 2016 and was eagerly awaited. Everyone wanted to know if it could truly improve over the Winmau Blade 4 (launched in 2010), or if it was just a modest improvement over their previous best.

To be sure, they did not disappoint the fans when they launched this new dartboard.

As the name suggests, the Blade 5 dual core dartboard has two layers of Sisal bristle fiber. This is the core feature and key difference between it and it's competitors, and obviously why they included this feature in the name.

Other than that, there is a number of awesome features related to this dartboard that you have to check out.

Before we dive into this review, let's take a close look at it first. Look at the picture below.

What pops out immediately is the wire numbers on the outside of the board which are easy to see. This is great for dim areas such as a bar or your mancave where lighting may not be optimal.

What also stands out is the amazingly thin and completely staple free wiring system. While staple free wiring is pretty standard on high-end boards, the wiring here is clearly a lot thinner than others. Let's dive into that a bit more

Winmau claims to have the thinnest and strongest wiring in the industry, and it's probably true.

In fact, they've reduced the width of the wiring so much that you get an extra 9mm of area in the double and 6mm of area in the triples, which means more hits, less bounce outs, and more points scored.

We normally don't include the marketing material of a company in our posts, but it's just the best way to explain it, so take a look at these pictures.

In the Winmau Blade 4, the wiring was given a 90 degree angle to help darts deflect into the bristle and reduce bounce outs. This was cutting edge in 2010, but they've taken it to a new level.

By reducing the angle to 60 degrees but maintaining the same or better strength, you have fewer bounce outs and still avoid bent wire.

Reducing the thickness of the wire also has a significant impact on the total area on the dartboard. Winmau has allocated this extra area into the doubles and triples which means there is that much more for you to hit.

In the Winmau dual core system, they overcome this by having a low compression first layer with a higher compression inner layer. The idea is the outer layer will allow good penetration, but the inner layer will increase overall durability.

One problem with dartboards that many people don't even realize, is how it's secured to the wall.

If there is any movement at all, a dart will cause the darboard to flex or bounce and make small movements. This small bounce can be enough to cause a bounce out or missed shots.

Also, some boards may hang slightly cockeyed which will throw off your game completely.

The Winmau Blade 5 dartboard has a triple locking system that ensures you are perfectly aligned and level, but also well fastened to the wall.

Overall, the Winmau Blade 5 is an amazing dartboard with almost no drawbacks. It is a bit pricier than other dartboards, but it also has features that bring it to another level.

Overall, we give this dartboard a strong "buy" rating.

What Others Are Saying

I read a ton of reviews before buying and I still went with a cheap board anyhow. Well, I tore that dartboard up in about 2-3 weeks so I figured I'd give this Winmau Blade 5 a shot.

It did not disappoint.