Winmau’s Alex Spellman Signature Series 1 darts absolutely look the part before you’ve even opened the box. The black-and-gold theme, Spellman’s image, and that Anubis head detailing all give them a really “mythic” vibe that fits the “Jackal” nickname perfectly. In the window you can see the full setup: deep onyx-coated barrels with gold and silver accents, short vector stems and custom Spellman flights, all laid out in a way that screams tour-ready kit.
Inside, the Winmau-branded EVA foam insert holds everything securely, with a point holder through the barrels and cut-outs for the stems and flights. In the hand, the first thing you notice is the grip. A black-coated point runs into a small ballnose, then straight into a long, aggressive ring-and-groove section at the front – almost half the dart – that feels very positive and sharp under the fingers. Max described it as “aggressive ring and grooved grip,” and you can really feel the square-cut edges when you roll your fingers over it.
In the middle you get a smooth gold band with the etched Winmau logo and Anubis head, which visually breaks the barrel and gives a little breathing space for your grip. Then that ring-and-groove pattern repeats towards the rear, this time over a shorter section of four rings – still very grippy, but in a more compact zone aimed squarely at rear grippers. Paired with the short vector stem and Alex Spellman flights, the overall package is a centre-balanced, parallel barrel that somehow manages to feel both compact and full of intent.
On the board, both of you went in expecting to struggle. Max openly said he hates really grippy darts and thought he’d have to adjust his hold, while Gav doesn’t usually get on with parallel barrels. In practice, though, the Spellmans surprised you both. Gav started with steady tons and quickly found a lovely angle into the treble with tight grouping. Max, after shifting his grip slightly so the smooth section sat under his front finger and thumb, suddenly clicked with them – to the point of hitting a “beautiful 180,” followed up with a 140, and more strong visits.
Gav never quite found the 180, but did bang in a 121 and eventually a tidy 140 as he settled into them. He came away saying he “absolutely loved throwing these darts” and felt he could do okay with them over a longer session. Max still found the rings very sharp to the touch – not his ideal zone – but admitted the release was clean and consistent once he moved off the very grippy part. The darts were going in deep, with plenty of power, and sitting at a nice angle that made following darts easy.
With weights in 22g and 24g, plus that full-length wide-groove style grip front and rear, the Alex Spellman darts are clearly built for players who like a proper positive feel in the fingers and a straight, balanced barrel. At £52.95, they sit in a sensible spot for a Winmau signature model with this level of machining and finish.
In short, the Winmau Alex Spellman darts are a bold-looking, aggressively grippy parallel barrel that turned out to be far more playable than either of you expected – especially for Gav, who usually avoids this kind of shape.
- Darts: 3 × Winmau Alex Spellman Signature Series 1 barrels
- Packaging / Case: Winmau-branded EVA foam insert with point holder and cut-outs for stems and flights
- Flights: 1 × set of Alex Spellman Anubis-themed flights (gold-foil style design)
- Shafts: 1 × set of short black & gold Winmau Vecta/Vector-style stems
- Points: Black coated steel tip points
- Tungsten: 90%
- Barrel profile: Straight / parallel
- Balance: Centre-balanced
- Surface / colour: Deep onyx coating with polished silver and gold detailing (gold mid-band, onyx/silver grooves)
- Nose: Rounded “ballnose” style front into the first aggressive ring section
- 22g – 6.06mm x 54.6mm
- 24g – 6.35mm x 54.6mm
- Grip Zone:Front: Long, aggressive ring-and-groove section (almost half the barrel)
Mid: Smooth gold band with etched Winmau logo and Anubis head
Rear: Shorter aggressive ring-and-groove zone (four rings) before the stem - Grip Type: Wide, square-cut rings with deep grooves (front and rear)
Grip Level (Max’s rating): 3.5 / 5
The Review
Alex Spellman Winmau Darts
These darts combine a really striking look with a full-on, aggressive grip that somehow still feels playable and controlled once you settle into them. I loved how much power they seemed to generate – they were going in deep and sitting at a great angle – and even though I usually struggle with parallel barrels, I still managed some decent scores and felt like I could grow into them over a longer session. Max, who normally hates grippy darts, ended up hitting a lovely 180 and a 140 by shifting his hold slightly forward onto the smoother section, which shows how forgiving they can be once your grip is right. Overall, they’re a sharp, confidence-boosting signature set for players who like a strong, square-cut ring grip and a premium, stand-out design.
PROS
- Premium look
- Full-length, high-control grip
- Better-than-expected playability
CONS
- Couldn't find any
Similar darts worth a look
We have picked close matches using brand, category, key specs and live best-total pricing. Add more darts and compare them instantly below.
Build your dart comparison
Search more darts
