SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BLUE!
Vid link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM2Egybo3Dk&list=UUFOUzs58B7425JEDXkBLoGQ
Yes, something in a very sleek blue, these are the new Harrows Aura A2. There is 3 steel tip models available (A1, A2, A3) and 3 soft tip models (A,B,C). I got these Aura A2 from Puredarts.co.uk, they also came with a goody bag of extras. They cost £37.80 here: Aura A2 23g There is 3 weights available in the A2 version, 22, 23 and 24 grams. They are 95% tungsten and are coated in a very nice blue Nitride coating and are supplied with medium clear Super Grip stems and matt laminated flights in standard shape. Also included is a point protector and hard plastic case. The packaging extols the virtues of the integrated Laminar Air Flow design (see pic below) and it has a kind of raised textured line pattern which carries on that same theme:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
I think these a re a beautiful sleek looking dart and the machining of the barrels as you can see above is very fine and clean. The front of the barrel where I gripped the dart is only a low level grip and the ring section just after the Aura logo is probably the grippiest part been closer to a medium level, the rest of the rear grip is not as grippy but still grippier than the front. Its quite an intricate and fine grip and it has a very nice feel for me as I tend to favour such fine grips, but I don't grip the dart there so I am out of luck in that regard.
Dimesnions:
Length:
The darts are an ok length for me although I think I would like them to be a little shorter may be around the 47 - 48 mm mark, mainly because I think the balance may suit my front grip better at such a length.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Width:
The barrels are quite curious as they are actually widest around the blue and silver rings but you cant tell immediately just by looking at them, the barrel is very slightly thinner before and on the part with the logo then it tapers after the blue and silver rings, it is possible to see the taper with the eye though:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Detailed Dimensions:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Weight:
All three barrels wee closely matched, just 4 hundredths of a gram difference:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Weight of the full setup as supplied:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Balance:
As I mentioned above in the width section, the barrels are very slightly wider at the blue and silver rings which kind of give the darts a slightly different balance than you may expect, with nothing attached the balance was just in front of the blue and silver rings:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Balance was moved to the rear and on the blue and silver rings with the supplied setup:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Balance with medium, short and extra short stems and standard flights:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
I was gripping as usual at the front:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Typically after I had finished the video review my very next throw was a 140 Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images. The darts were landing tail up but a touch slanted to the right:
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Conclusion:
I think I am mostly disappointed with these darts, simply because I think they look really sleek and cool but they just did not work with my front grip. They are such a nicely machined dart and have a very nice dense feel about that but the balance was just not right for me sadly.
I think they have some curious dimensions as they get very subtlety wider as they get near the blue and silver ring section then they taper of towards the rear. For me that made them great to throw from that point. When I was throwing them from my front grip I tended to get a little right bias as they left my release, I think that's some thing I do naturally but it seemed a little accentuated by the balance of the darts. When I tried throwing from that rear grip the flight through the air was very stable and well balanced so I am pretty sure a rear gripper will love them.
But one thing I did find out after having a few more throws is that if I stuck some short stems on them they behaved a whole lot better and more stable with my front grip, presumably because the balance point is being moved closer to my grip.
The darts have a really nice high quality feel about them and hopefully when I try the A3 it will suit my front grip better.
One thing I noticed though is that the blue coating was getting nicer as the darts warmed up, it was strange as when I first took them out the box and my hands were a little sweaty it was feeling a touch slippy but as I started to play with them it felt more kind of tacky and grippy.
Regarding the Laminar Air Flow design, I really cannot say what that is, it is too sciencey for me to know if that has any benefit, if it does then I doubt I would be precise or accurate enough to notice it really. I think its all down to the shape of the barrels and it may well have some kind of affect but it is possibly at a level not so easily perceived, but if it means the darts look good then yes they certainly do! Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images.
Summary Ratings:
Looks: 9.5 (look lovely!)
Grip: 5.5 front and 7 for rear (on a 1 to 10 Scale, 10 been severe grip)
Weight match: 8.5 (close)
Quality: 9 (feel very nice quality)
Value: 7.5 (Its 95% T so not too bad)
Suitability for me: 6.5 (not quite right sadly)
Best Feature: Looks Guests cannot see images in the messages. Please register at the forum by clicking here to see images. (blue coating is very nice too)
