--- title: "Book Darts: Metal Line Markers, Tins & Metals Explained" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/book-darts/" description: "Book Darts explained: paper-thin 1 in metal line markers that clip over a page to point at one line, in bronze, brass or steel, tins of 30 to 125, and origin." category: "Accessories" type: "Bookmark" published: 2026-10-22 updated: 2026-10-22 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 8 products: - name: "Book Darts line markers, 50-count tin (TIN50CT; bronze, brass, stainless steel or mixed)" brand: "Book Darts" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "United States" material: "Bronze, brass or stainless steel" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Book Darts, Inc. (Eugene, Oregon)" model: "TIN50CT" url: "https://www.bookdarts.com/shop/pc/Tins-c12.htm" --- # Book Darts: Metal Line Markers, Tins & Metals Explained > Book Darts are paper-thin folded metal clips, about 1 in (25 mm) long, that slide over a page edge and point to one exact line. They come in bronze, brass and stainless steel, in tins of 30 to 125, and are made in the USA by Book Darts, Inc. They mark passages without ink, folds or sticky residue. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/book-darts/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-22 - Updated: 2026-10-22 ![Book Darts in bronze, brass and steel clipped over a book page, pointing at lines of text, with three loose darts](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/book-darts-16x9.png) *Each dart is about 1 in long and folds over the page; width and fold drawn by eye (1 mm = 4 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Book Darts line markers, 50-count tin (TIN50CT; bronze, brass, stainless steel or mixed) | Book Darts (by Book Darts, Inc. (Eugene, Oregon)) | United States | United States | Bronze, brass or stainless steel | – | $$: $5–20 per item | - Made in (Book Darts line markers, 50-count tin (TIN50CT; bronze, brass, stainless steel or mixed)): United States. Lee Valley's listing for a 50-count bronze tin says made in USA, and Field Notes' Tin-O-Darts listing names Jeanette and Bob Williams in Eugene, Oregon as the makers. Book Darts' own site describes the darts as made on a high-speed press but doesn't name the place; Amazon US gives the manufacturer as USA. Lee Valley's page blocked our browser, so this rests on its search listing. Source: https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/home/office/44956-book-darts ## Key takeaways - Each dart is about 1 in (25.4 mm) long, per Lee Valley, and slides over the page edge to point at a single line. - Book Darts sells tins of 30, 50, 75, 100 and 125; it calls the 50-count tin its best seller. - Metals are bronze, brass and stainless steel, or a mix of all three. - The 125-count mixed tin averages 4.8 stars from about 1,800 Amazon US ratings, with 300+ bought in the past month (October 22, 2026). - Book Darts says it tested its darts under accelerated heat and humidity and they never stained a page. ## What are Book Darts? **Book Darts are tiny folded metal clips that slide onto a page and point at one exact line.** Book Darts, Inc. calls them precision-cut, paper-thin metal line markers: you place one at the line, close the book and press it in. Unlike a bookmark, which marks a page, a dart marks a passage. It also shows at the page edge when the book is closed, so you can see at a glance how many places you've marked. ## Book Darts specs | Spec | Book Darts | |---|---| | Length | About 1 in (25.4 mm), per Lee Valley | | Form | Folded, paper-thin metal clip with a pointed end | | Metals | Bronze, brass, stainless steel; mixed tins | | Tins | 30, 50, 75, 100, 125 darts | | Maker's best seller | 50-count tin (TIN50CT) | | Made in | USA (Lee Valley; Eugene, Oregon per Field Notes) | Tin sizes and metals come from Book Darts' own store, read on October 22, 2026. Book Darts doesn't publish the dart's dimensions, so the length is Lee Valley's. ![Book Darts tin counts: 30, 50, 75, 100 and 125 darts](https://stationerytimes.com/images/book-darts-tins.svg) *The maker's tins, by count; the 50 is its best seller.* ## How do you use Book Darts? **Slide the dart over the page edge with the point on your line, then close the book.** The fold sits on the edge of the page and the point aims at the line you want. To keep the book flat, stagger darts down the page edge rather than stacking them in the same spot. In a notebook, they also mark today's page or a list you keep returning to, without a ribbon. ## Bronze, brass or stainless steel? **Choose by colour; they work the same way.** Bronze reads reddish-brown, brass yellow and stainless steel silver. A mixed tin is useful for colour-coding, such as one metal for quotes and another for things to look up. Book Darts sells single-metal and mixed tins; a 75-count tin comes only mixed. The maker also sells "Book Darts for Cooks" tins and greeting cards with a 12-pack of darts inside. ## How do they compare with sticky flags and index clips? **Darts are the thinnest and most reusable; flags are cheaper and you can write on them.** | | Book Darts | [Post-it Flags 680](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/post-it-flags-680/) | [Midori Chiratto index clip](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/midori-chiratto-index-clip/) | |---|---|---|---| | Marks | One line | A page edge | A page | | Material | Metal | See guide | See guide | | Writable | No | Yes | See guide | | Reusable | Yes | See guide | Yes | Post-it and Midori details are in their guides. For tabs that organize a notebook into sections, [Hobonichi TSUKI no IRO index stickers](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-tsuki-no-iro-index-stickers/) suit planners better. To keep the marked books standing on a half-empty shelf, CARL's tilted [Book Tilt bookend](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/carl-book-tilt-bookend/) leans them back against its plate. ## Are Book Darts worth it? **For readers who mark passages, yes: one tin lasts for years because the darts come back out.** The 50-count tin sits in our $$ band ($5–20); the 125-count tins reach the $$$ band at the maker's own prices. On October 22, 2026, the 125-count mixed tin on Amazon US (ASIN B00685DVSO) averaged 4.8 stars from about 1,800 ratings, with "300+ bought in past month", and copycat metal darts from other brands now sit beside it. ## How much does each dart cost? **Bigger tins cost less per dart.** On October 22, 2026, Book Darts' own store listed the 50-count tin at US$13.99, about 28 cents a dart, and the 125-count tin at US$26.99, about 22 cents a dart; it also offers 5% off orders of two or more tins. Retail prices vary; that day Amazon listed the 125-count mixed tin for less than the maker did. Either way, a single tin covers years of reading, because each dart can move from book to book. ## Who makes Book Darts? **Book Darts, Inc., run by Jeanette and Bob Williams, makes them in the USA.** The company says the first darts were made in a basement with five hand operations and three tools, and are now made on a high-speed press. Field Notes' Tin-O-Darts edition names Eugene, Oregon as where the Williamses make them, and Lee Valley labels its tins made in USA. ## Frequently asked questions ### What are Book Darts used for? Marking one exact line or passage in a book so you can find it again, without writing in the book, folding pages or leaving adhesive. They show at the page edge when the book is closed. ### Do Book Darts damage pages? Book Darts says it tested them on many papers under accelerated heat and humidity and they never stained a page. ### How long is a Book Dart? About 1 in (25.4 mm), per Lee Valley's listing. Book Darts calls them paper-thin and precision-cut. ### What's the difference between bronze, brass and steel Book Darts? Mostly colour: bronze is reddish, brass yellow and stainless steel silver. Mixed tins let you colour-code, for example one metal per theme. ### How many Book Darts come in a tin? Book Darts sells tins of 30, 50, 75, 100 and 125. It calls the 50-count its best seller; Amazon's most-rated listing is the 125-count mixed tin. ### Are Book Darts reusable? Yes. Slide them off when you're done and use them in another book; they're metal, so they don't wear out like sticky flags. ### Are Book Darts made in the USA? Yes. Lee Valley lists them as made in USA, and Field Notes names Book Darts' founders Jeanette and Bob Williams of Eugene, Oregon as the makers. ## Sources - [Book Darts: home page (read in full: precision-cut, paper-thin metal line markers; place at the line, close the book and press in)](https://www.bookdarts.com/) - [Book Darts: Tins (read in full: 30, 50, 75, 100 and 125-count tins; metals)](https://www.bookdarts.com/shop/pc/Tins-c12.htm) - [Book Darts: 50 Count Tin, SKU TIN50CT ("Our best seller"; bronze, brass, stainless steel or mixed; heat and humidity stain test)](https://www.bookdarts.com/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=4&idcategory=12) - [Book Darts: Who Are We (Jeanette and Bob Williams; first darts made in a basement, now on a high-speed press)](https://www.bookdarts.com/shop/pc/Who-Are-We-d9.htm) - [Lee Valley: Book Darts, 44956 (1 in long bronze markers, made in USA; search listing, the page blocked our browser)](https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/home/office/44956-book-darts) - [The Journal Shop: Field Notes Tin-O-Darts (30 stainless darts made by Jeanette and Bob Williams in Eugene, Oregon; search listing)](https://thejournalshop.com/products/field-notes-precision-cut-steel-tin-o-darts-30-page-line-markers) - [Amazon US: Book Darts Line Markers, 125 Count Tin Mixed Metals, ASIN B00685DVSO (4.8 stars, 1,794 ratings, 300+ bought in past month, rank 268 in Bookmarks, MPN TIN125CTMIXED, read October 22, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00685DVSO) - [Tools and Toys: Book Darts metallic line book markers](https://toolsandtoys.net/book-darts/)