The Red Dragon Luke Humphries TX1 90% Tungsten Switch Point darts look like a really smart modern upgrade of a barrel shape that already had a lot going for it.
On paper, these look like they should suit players who like a shorter front-loaded barrel with a very natural rhythm to the release. The TX1 shape is clearly aimed at matching Luke Humphries’ fluid throw, and the torpedo profile should naturally help players who prefer a dart that sits forward in the hand and guides itself slightly into the board. The multi-ring grip also sounds like it is aimed more at repeatability than aggression, which should make them quite accessible despite carrying a top-player name.
One of the biggest selling points here is the Switch Point setup. The darts ship with Luke’s Black Raptor GT 28mm playing points and a Switch Point tool, and Red Dragon states that the system is universally compatible with Target Swiss Point, Harrows Quick Points, and Caliburn Evo EZ Points. That is a really useful feature for players who like to change point style without changing the whole barrel. It adds a lot of flexibility to what is already a very proven shape.
Dimension-wise, the live Switch Point listing itself does not show the barrel measurements in the page text I could access, but other current retailer listings for the TX1 barrel shape give the following dimensions: 22g – 7.05mm x 43.2mm and 24g – 7.50mm x 43.2mm. That fits the torpedo, front-loaded design Red Dragon is describing and gives you a short compact barrel with a decent bit of width for stability and a clear grip profile. Because those dimensions come from other retailer listings for the same TX1 shape, I’d treat them as highly likely for this Switch Point version too, though that is still an inference rather than something explicitly shown on the Red Dragon product text.
So while we have not thrown these on review yet, the early signs are that they should appeal to players who want a front-weighted Luke Humphries-style torpedo barrel with mild-to-mid grip and the added flexibility of a modern interchangeable point system.
