Migrated/Archive Post
Step back in time with Unicorn Heritage Comets
I took an interest in these historic darts when I heard John Lowe talk about them on an old obscure training video from the 80s.
He remarked that they were a milestone in the history of Unicorn and Frank Lowy dating back to birth of the brand.Originally marketed by Wisdens under the same name they were a technological leap forward in terms of design.
Wisdens as a company went and Unicorn took over, the rest is as they say 'history' (bad clich'e)
A couple of years ago Unicorn relaunched the Comets under its Heritage range, changing nothing from the original box of the 1930's.
The Barrels, Shafts and Flights are the exact replicas of the original, even the presentation box has the original literature reprinted on it. The only difference it would seem is the inclusion of an outer card box to make it shop friendly when displaying.
As you might have guessed, these Darts have specialist parts but thankfully spare Stems and Flights can be bought quite cheaply if something goes wrong.
Constituent Pieces
√ sizes shown are approx
Thread Type: 2ba
Weight: 21g
Barrel: 48mm Chrome plated Brass
Stem: 48mm Aluminium with Aluminium end cap
Flights: Special Fiber board two piece slotted
The Barrels are a nicely finished Chrome plate with the original patent number etched towards the nose. Standard shiny Steel points are fitted.
The Stems are deep slotted Aluminum with a protective end cap which screws tight and locks the Flight in. It also acts as an incoming dart deflector (which it does impressively).
The Flights are made from Fiber board and are V shaped and two-piece in assembly. Each pack of Flights contains 6 pieces.
The Presentation box is made from a textured card with a card darts holder inside (built into the box) the darts can be stored fully constructed without dissassembly.
Points of Happiness
1. Wonderfully and faithfully reproduced Darts which look good in any display cabinet.
2. Owning a piece of history albeit, repro.... but history all the same Unicorn call them "priceless replicas" themselves
3. Stunning design, compact, different. they still look good 75 years later. The end cap innovation is currently being reworked by other manufacturers in one guise or another.
4. Nice to keep as an heirloom... well, from 2015! wish I had some originals!!!
Points of concern
1. I cannot throw these darts!
2. Flights are cardboard and have a tendency to bend when under any sort of pressure. You may go through a few sets! (more than likely)
3. They fly better when the two parts of the flight are flat?? I dont understand that?
Point of principle
1. You got to have a set of these, even if you dont throw them.
Conclusion
I cant throw them as I said before, tried moving fingers forward and back etc etc and they still land funny.
The flights are a complete mystery as they seem to glide better when you dont fan them out?? I found that they had excessive drag when shaped properly.
The stems again are another bone of contention. Not because of the design. but because of the weight or so it seems.
The comets seem to be very tail heavy when coupled to the 21g barrel??
I dont know, it might just be me?
Having said all that, I still love them for what they are. fantastic value (especially when someone buys them for you!) and a talking point.
The innovation cannot be ignored, specifically the end caps. You feel like you have a piece of history in your hands.
I dont know, some of you guys may be able to make some good scores with these so dont let me put you off if you are up for a challenge.