P24,25 Unicorn:SGBGolf_NEW_template 27/07/2009 15:05 Page 24
Unicorn
In full flight
The game of darts is enjoying its second golden age, and while much has
changed in darts since it first reached global prominence 30 years ago, the
company spearheading the evolution of the sport remains the same now as it
did then. Robin Barwick spoke to Unicorn’s managing director Edward Lowy
F
or the best part of a century, Unicorn dart to his exact specifications. After three years, “Once people had seen Phil playing with these
has remained at the epicentre of the Taylor asked Unicorn if they could modify the new darts on TV they started asking for them,” says
sport of darts. It was the company’s design by carving an extra few rings of grip at the Lowy, “but we were a bit sceptical that they would
founder, Frank Lowy (see panel), who back of the barrel, as he liked to hold his darts sell at first. We decided to make just 200 sets of the
initiated the evolution of the crudely towards the back. barrels – which wasn’t even economic – but today,
constructed pub dart into the aerodynamic,
highly technological variety of precision
missiles that sell in their millions today. It
was Unicorn that dragged professional darts
out of the smoke-filled, beer-sodden clubs
and transformed the game into a glamorous
and exciting spectacle fit for national
television in the 1970s, and today, Unicorn
remains central to the game at all levels, as
is vividly illustrated by the release of its 2010
Book of Darts on July 14.
Unicorn has published its Book of Darts since
1950, and even 59 years ago the inaugural Book of
Darts was a volume of considerable dimensions,
boasting 56 pages that detailed not only an
extensive product range, but also a brief history of
the dart and even some playing tips. The 2010
edition is the biggest yet, running to 88 pages and
featuring no less than 300 brand new product
variations.
“Our product portfolio is expanding because
more people are watching darts on TV and players
like to experiment with different materials, weight
of barrels, and with shafts and flights,” says
Edward Lowy, managing director of Unicorn
Products Ltd, and grandson of the company’s
founder. “It is our job to provide innovative, good
quality, well priced merchandise.
“This year we are introducing some new surface
finishes, but they are adding to the existing
products, not replacing them. We have had
concepts in the past that we thought no-one would
buy, but we have taken the attitude that we must
give them a go, and in many cases we have been
astonished by their success.”
An experimental design that flourished far
beyond Unicorn’s expectations was the Phase 2
Purist dart created specifically for 14-time World
Champion Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor 10 years ago.
Taylor had joined Team Unicorn in 1996 and the
company designed the Phase 1 World Champion
24 SGB SPORTS July 2009
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