Winmau Blade Range Guide (4 vs 5 vs 6 vs Dual/ Triple Core)

The Winmau Blade dartboard range can be confusing, so in this article I’ll be comparing all the different versions so you know exactly what you get with each board.

Winmau Blade Dartboard Range Overview

There are three main generations of Winmau dartboards currently available: Blade 4, Blade 5 and Blade 6. The newest version is the Blade 6. There are dual core versions of all three dartboard generations, and a triple core version of the Blade 6.

Winmau Dartboards Available:

• Blade 4
• Blade 4 Dual Core
• Blade 5
• Blade 5 Dual Core
• Blade 6
• Blade 6 Dual Core
• Blade 6 Triple Core

Winmau Blade 4

The Winmau Blade 4 was released in 2010 and had 50% thinner wiring compared to the previous Blade 3 generation. Although there are still some Blade 4 boards available, they are much rarer in comparison to the Blade 5 and Blade 6 because the generation is significantly older.

Winmau Blade 5

The Blade 5 improved on the Blade 4 by reducing the thickness of the wire again. The web surface is 14% smaller compared to the Blade 4, meaning that there is 6 mm² more of space in the trebles and 9 mm² more space in the doubles. Winmau also introduced a stronger wire to help guide to the darts into the segments.

Images link to Amazon

Winmau Blade 6

The Winmau Blade 6 generation is the most recent. It has two notable upgrades:

• Hardened heat treated bullseye
• 25% thinner inner and outer bull rings

This generation also features a Triple Core version.

Standard vs Dual Core vs Triple Core

The Winmau Dual Core Blade 4, Blade 5 and Blade 6 dartboards have two layers of sisal fibres compared to the standard Blade 4, Blade 5 and Blade 6 boards which have a single layer of sisal fibres. The dual-core versions offer the following advantages:

• The darts are able to penetrate the board more easily due to the softer outer core.
• Better retention of the dart in the boards due to the denser inner core to reduce bounce-outs.
• Improved durability.

All Dual Core and Triple Core versions have a vein-free board surface as well.

The Triple Core board has an additional layer of carbon fibre reinforced sisal fibres to further build upon the improved dart retention/ penetration and durability benefits of the Dual Core versions.

Winmau Blade 4 vs Blade 4 Dual Core

The Winmau Blade 4 Dual Core has an additional layer of sisal fibres and 3 more upgraded features compared to the standard Blade 4:

• Rota-Lock System is present on the Dual Core Blade 4. This consists of 3 small wheels which fit onto the back of the board and can be adjusted to make sure the board is flat on any surface.
• New inks used on the Dual Core Blade 4 to prevent the chance of any sisal bristles binding together and to prevent ink transferring from the natural to the black segments.
• The Blade 4 Dual Core also has a vein-free surface.

Winmau Blade 5 vs Blade 5 Dual Core

The Winmau Blade 5 Dual Core has two layers of sisal fibres to improve dart penetration and retention compared to the standard Blade 5. This is the only difference between the two dartboards as they both use the same dyes, wiring and number ring. The both feature the Rota-Lock system.

Winmau Blade 6 vs Blade 6 Dual Core vs Blade 6 Triple Core

The Winmau Blade 6 has a single layer of sisal fibres, the Blade 6 Dual Core has two layers and the Blade 6 Triple Core has 3 layers. The additional sisal layers are designed to help with dart penetration and retention, as well as durability. The Dual Core/ Triple Core versions also have a vein-free surface.

There are also two other key differences between the Blade 6/ Blade 6 Dual Core and the Blade 6 Triple Core:

• The Blade 6 Triple Core also has a laser cut number ring compared to the standard metal wiring number ring on the Blade 6 and Blade 6 Dual Core. The laser cut ring is designed to improve focus on the segments.
• The Blade 6 Triple Core has a spirit level unlike the other two versions of the Blade 6.

Images link to Amazon

Comparing the Features

• Spider and Wiring
• Rota-Lock System
• Aesthetics and Design

Spider and Wiring

The main difference between the Blade 4, Blade 5 and Blade 6 is the spider design.

Wiring Thickness:

• The spider is 14% smaller on the Blade 5 compared to the Blade 4, meaning that there is 6 mm2 more of space in the trebles and 9 mm2 more space in the doubles.
• The spider on the Blade 5 and Blade 6 is the same thickness, but the Blade 6 has a 25% thinner inner and outer bull ring.

In my opinion, the upgrade from the Blade 4 to Blade 5 is significant, but less so when considering the difference between the Blade 5 and 6 where there isn’t a huge difference.

Wiring Strength:

• The Winmau Blade 5 boards have stronger (and hence more durable) wiring compared to the Blade 4.
• The Winmau Blade 6 has a heat-treated bullseye to make it harder compared to the Blade 5, although the wiring is the same strength.

All Winmau Blade 4, Blade 5 and Blade 6 dartboards have staple-free segments and bullseyes. They also have triangular wiring so reduce the risk of bounce-outs as the dart isn’t hitting a flat wire.

The dual/ triple core versions in each generation (e.g. the Blade 5 and Blade 5 Dual Core) have the same spider design.

Rota-Lock System

All Blade 5 and Blade 6 boards, and the Blade 4 Dual Core have the Rota Lock System which allows you to level the dartboard on any surface. The Blade 4 base version does not feature this Rota Lock System.

Aesthetics and Design

All Blade 4, 5 and 6 dartboards look similar except for the Blade 6 Triple Core which has a more modern look due to the laser cut number ring as opposed to the standard metal number ring found on the other boards.

Images link to Amazon

Which Dartboard is the Best?

If you have the budget for it, the Wimau Blade 6 Triple Core is the best option as it has the best durability and features. However, I think the Winmau Blade 5/6 Dual Core offers the best value for money if you don’t want to splash out on the newest version.

The Blade 6 Dual Core and standard Blade 6 in my opinion do not improve massively on the Blade 5 counterparts, however, they are roughly the same price at the time of writing so you might as well go for the Blade 6 instead as you will get the benefit of the thinner bullseye wiring.

I think it’s worth getting the Dual Core version over the standard version as the price is pretty similar but the durability and performance of the board is significantly better.

Here are links to each available dartboard on Amazon so you can check the current price:

• Winmau Blade 5
• Winmau Blade 5 Dual Core
• Winmau Blade 6
• Winmau Blade 6 Dual Core
• Winmau Blade 6 Triple Core

What is the Winmau Champions Choice Dartboard?

The Winmau Champions Choice is designed for training and has 50% thinner doubles and triples segments and a 25% smaller bullseye and also has high visibility segment colours. There are dual core and standard versions available of the Winmau Champions Choice.

Check out the Winmau Champions Choice on Amazon.

Image links to Amazon

Struggling to decide between Winmau and Unicorn? Check out my complete comparison between Winmau and Unicorn dartboard for everything you need to know.