DartWorldHub Legends

Jamie Harvey: “Bravedart” – the wild Scot from the rough old PDC rebellion

Jamie Harvey was not one of those players who slipped quietly through the back door and hoped nobody noticed. He had Scotland in the walk-on, colour in the room and that slightly wild stage feel where you knew straight away: this bloke is not here to play polite darts.

He was not a decorated monster like Phil Taylor. He was not the neat, polished champion type with every edge sanded down. Harvey was rougher than that. Louder. More human. More pub, more stage, more Scotland in the bloodstream.

And that is why “Bravedart” worked. It was not just a cute Braveheart pun with tungsten stuck on the end. It fitted the man. A Scottish original, one of the early WDC/PDC rebels, a 1996 semi-finalist and later a bloke who had to fight battles much heavier than a bad leg on double 16.

🏴 Nickname “Bravedart” — before that, he was also known as “The Tartan Terror”. Could hardly get more Scottish if he walked on with a bagpipe under one arm.
🔥 PDC rebel One of the World Darts Council founding players, the breakaway group that later became the PDC.
🎯 Big 1996 PDC World Championship semi-finalist and World Matchplay semi-finalist in the same year.
🧱 Known darts Player data links him with 21g B&W Signature darts. Proper old-school gear territory.

Contents

Want to jump straight into the Jamie Harvey story? Here you go, no long walk-on needed.

Jamie Harvey Bravedart Scottish PDC founding player and darts legend
Bravedart

“Bravedart”: the wild Scot at the oche

Jamie Harvey was one of those players where you did not need a spreadsheet to feel the point. Some players look perfect and leave you cold. Harvey was the opposite. Not polished flat. Not clinical. But alive.

When he came on stage, there was character in the room. The walk-on had Scotland stamped all over it, the body language had a bit of fight in it, and the throw never felt like it was trying to win a beauty contest.

That is the thing with Harvey. He did not play like a bloke terrified of making a mistake. He looked more like someone who would rather throw with his chest open and miss than stand there poking darts about like he had borrowed someone else’s arm.

DartWorldHub read: Jamie Harvey was not the clean champion poster. He was the noisy, colourful kind of darts character people remember because he made the whole room feel less sterile.

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Nickname

From “The Tartan Terror” to “Bravedart”

Jamie Harvey was originally known as “The Tartan Terror”. That already tells you the direction of travel. Scotland, attitude, a bit of menace, and no attempt to sound like a neat corporate darts product.

Later, “Bravedart” took over. A play on Braveheart, obviously, but it worked because it was not just some lazy pun. Harvey brought that Scottish fighting feel with him. Not in a fake movie way. More in the old darts way: a bit wild, a bit stubborn, and not always easy to control.

His walk-on music, “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond”, made the whole thing even more obvious. Before the first dart had left his hand, you already knew which flag was in the room.

Simple version: “Bravedart” sounded like a joke for about half a second. Then you watched Harvey and thought, yeah, fair enough, that actually fits.

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PDC rebellion

Jamie Harvey and the PDC rebellion

In 1993, Jamie Harvey was one of the players who stepped into the WDC breakaway. Later, that road became the PDC. Today it sounds almost tidy, like some clever rebrand that everyone could see coming. Back then? Not even close.

There was risk in it. Real risk. TV uncertainty, old-system pressure, bans, money worries, reputations on the line. Nobody knew for sure if the new road would work or if they were walking into a very public wall.

Harvey was not a silent extra in that story. He was one of the players who helped give the young professional game colour, noise and identity. Not as some boardroom type in a suit. As a player on the stage, doing the rough work while the whole thing was still wobbling.

Pattys read: “Bravedart” was not only about throwing brave darts. In 1993, brave also meant leaving the old structure when nobody could guarantee the new one would survive.

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Big stage

1996: his big year on the PDC stage

If you want one sporting marker for Jamie Harvey, 1996 is the year you grab first. At the PDC World Championship, he reached the semi-finals. Dennis Priestley stopped him there, but Harvey had already proved he belonged in the heavy part of the draw.

And it was not a one-off little sparkle either. That same year, he also reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay at Blackpool, where Peter Evison eventually stopped him.

That is not world-title territory, no. But it is serious darts. Two huge semi-final runs in the same year, inside a young PDC still building its bones, is not something you wave away as “nice little career”.

Important bit: Harvey did not win one of the monster TV titles, but in 1996 he was exactly the kind of player nobody wanted popping up in their section of the draw.

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Character

The character fans loved

Jamie Harvey was not only popular because of results. Results help, obviously. Nobody becomes a proper stage name by being useless. But Harvey had that extra bit old darts used to have before everything started being trimmed into social-media-friendly clips.

A bit of pub. A bit of theatre. A bit of madness. And heart. Actual heart, not the kind of heart people claim in a press release because they need a quote for the sponsor.

He could lose and still leave people smiling. He could pull a crowd in without feeling like a fake character. With Harvey, you never got the feeling someone had invented him in a marketing meeting. He was just Jamie Harvey, and that was the whole point.

That is why he sticks: numbers can be looked up. Character has to be remembered. Harvey had enough of it to last longer than some bigger trophy cabinets.

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The real fight

The real Bravedart: illness, voice and fighting on

With Jamie Harvey, “Bravedart” became heavier later in life. It stopped being only a clever darts nickname and started sounding uncomfortably close to the truth.

After his bigger professional years, Harvey had to fight cancer. Treatment was brutal. He lost his voice box, had to deal with a permanent laryngectomy stoma, and went through the sort of thing that makes a missed double look like a playground problem.

And still, he stayed connected to darts. He kept playing, including for Ayrshire, and became one of those people where the nickname ends up meaning more after the stage lights have dimmed than it ever did during the walk-on.

No need to over-sugar it: this was rough. But it is also the part of Jamie Harvey’s story that makes “Bravedart” feel like more than a shirt name.

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Darts & setup

Jamie Harvey darts: 21g B&W Signature and no made-up warrior nonsense

With Jamie Harvey, we do not need to start inventing some fake 26g Braveheart hammer just because it sounds good in a product box. Player data links him with 21g B&W Signature darts. That is the known line.

And actually, that fits better. Harvey’s game was not about a dart that looked brutal on paper. His style had character, rhythm and attack. A classic 21g-style steel tip barrel makes more sense than some daft overbuilt monster that looks like it belongs in a toolbox.

B&W player darts are old-school gear now. That means you have to be careful. Some sets appear through specialist shops, older stock, vintage groups or collectors. Some will be gone before you even finish thinking. Some will not be the right model at all.

Known player-dart reference

21g B&W Signature darts are the key Jamie Harvey reference.

Setup feel

Classic, grippy enough, not stupidly aggressive, and light enough to suit rhythm rather than brute force.

Who might like this style

Players who want a classic steel tip feel around 21g with a clean, usable grip.

Buying warning

Do not assume every “Jamie Harvey” or B&W listing is the same dart. Check weight, condition, tip type and photos properly.

Important: if you want to copy the feel, think classic 21g steel tip with a proper grip. If you want the exact name, you are in specialist/vintage territory and need to look carefully.

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Hard facts

Jamie Harvey facts

👉 On mobile, swipe sideways to see the full table.
Topic Details DartWorldHub read
Full name Jamie Harvey The Scottish player known forever as “Bravedart”.
Nickname “Bravedart” / formerly “The Tartan Terror” The Braveheart-style nickname fitted him better than most darts branding does.
Born 15 August 1955, Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow roots, Scottish stage feel, no mystery why the nickname stuck.
Died 4 September 2025 He passed away aged 70, remembered as one of darts’ true characters.
Throwing hand Right-handed No trick there. Right hand, big character, proper stage energy.
Known darts 21g B&W Signature A useful real reference, not a made-up modern marketing barrel.
Walk-on music “The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond” About as Scottish as you can make a darts walk-on without handing out shortbread.
PDC role WDC/PDC founding player One of the players who stood in the breakaway when the new road was still risky.
Big PDC run World Championship semi-finalist 1996 That was his strongest big-stage PDC marker.
World Matchplay Semi-finalist 1996 Same year, another proper run. That matters.
PDC title Antwerp Open 2000 A real ranked title, and proof he was not just there for the walk-on.
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Darts check

Jamie Harvey darts check

I would not put an Amazon UK button here right now. I did not find a clean Amazon UK listing for Jamie Harvey 21g B&W Signature darts that I would trust for this page.

The closest clean product route I found is a specialist listing for Jamie Harvey 95% B&W 21g darts. That is much more relevant than sending people to random generic darts just because an Amazon button would look nice.

Pattys straight call: DartWorldHub does not earn anything from this green shop link. It is here as a service, so visitors do not get some random wrong barrel, soft tip version or marketplace rubbish shoved in front of their eyes just because somebody wanted an Amazon click.

Check Jamie Harvey B&W darts at Patanisto Sports

Before buying, check the exact details: steel tip, weight, condition and whether the shop can actually supply the set. With old B&W player darts, you are not buying modern shelf stock. You are often dealing with old stock, rare stock or collector-style availability.

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Pattys Oche-Check

Pattys Oche-Check: Bravedart was more than a nickname

Jamie Harvey was not one of those players where you read the honours list and instantly fall off your chair. No world title, no Taylor-style killing machine run, no cabinet full of major trophies.

But that is exactly why his story matters in a different way. Harvey was character. One of the early PDC names. A Scot with rough edges. A fan favourite. A semi-finalist on the big stage. A bloke who walked into the breakaway when the future was not guaranteed.

And later, after illness and a brutal personal fight, the nickname got heavier. “Bravedart” was no longer just a Braveheart pun. It suddenly sat a lot closer to the truth.

My take: Jamie Harvey was maybe not the biggest champion, but he was one of the players who made darts louder, more human and less plastic. You need those people in the story.

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FAQ: Jamie Harvey

Why was Jamie Harvey called “Bravedart”?

“Bravedart” was a play on Braveheart and darts. Before that, Harvey was also known as “The Tartan Terror”. Both names fitted his Scottish stage identity pretty well.

Was Jamie Harvey part of the PDC breakaway?

Yes. Jamie Harvey was one of the WDC founding players. The WDC later became the PDC, so Harvey belongs in the original breakaway story.

What was Jamie Harvey’s best PDC World Championship run?

His best PDC World Championship run came in 1996, when he reached the semi-finals before losing to Dennis Priestley.

Did Jamie Harvey reach a World Matchplay semi-final?

Yes. He also reached the World Matchplay semi-finals in 1996. That same year is the big sporting marker in his PDC career.

What darts did Jamie Harvey use?

Player data links Jamie Harvey with 21g B&W Signature darts. These are old-school player darts, not a modern widely available Amazon product.

Can you buy Jamie Harvey darts today?

Sometimes you may find specialist or vintage listings, but I would not treat them like normal shelf stock. Check weight, condition, tip type and availability very carefully before buying.

When did Jamie Harvey pass away?

Jamie Harvey passed away on 4 September 2025, aged 70.

What happened to Jamie Harvey’s voice?

After cancer treatment, Harvey lost his voice box and had a permanent laryngectomy stoma. It became one of the hardest, most human parts of his story.

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