Everyone in the crowd was quite hyped up; shouting and cheering the two people who were fighting with each other in the center of the ring formed by the onlookers. The two men looked as if they were in their mid-thirties and what started off as a mere argument, had now turned into a full-fledged fight. The crowd gathered around them started to increase when one of them pulled out brass knuckles from his pocket, wore them on his right hand and hit his opponent hard and square on his jaw.

His opponent’s jaw broke instantly and he started to bleed. The other man did not stop at this and continued to shower numerous punches with his brass knuckles on his opponent. Now the victim of this dreadful attack had no power left in him to fight and he fell down in a pool of his own blood, half conscious. His opponent who was now the winner of the fight was circling around his body with his fists held high, boasting of his power and success. That’s when his knuckles caught my eye and I had a clear look of them.

Although they were covered in the blood of his victim, yet I could tell that the knuckles were made up of metal and the victim’s injuries were proof of that. The brass knuckles looked durable and very strong. Also, it was four fingered knuckle had three skulls designed on top it with the middle one the biggest and most menacing among all. Red hot flames were coming out of his mouth and the knuckle had an antique finish overall. I felt dread and a surge of power at the same time when I saw those knuckles closely.

I felt as if they were alluring and attracting me towards and I seemed unable to resist the bait, completely rooted to the spot, frozen. Just when I was in the middle of these thoughts, I was pushed over by someone and I was pulled back to reality. The magic of the brass knuckles got broken and I could see and think clearly again. The crowd was dispersing now as the show was over. That is how I was introduced to brass knuckles in real life. Would you like a brief introduction to them?

A Brief Introduction to Brass Knuckles

The brass knuckles are also known as knuckle dusters or simply as knuckles or knucks and were originated during the American Civil War in the 1860s. These knuckles are mostly made up of metal which is the most dangerous among all but some of them are also made up of plastic and rubber to be used for training etc. The knuckle dusters are worn around the knuckles to intensify the power of a punch in order to inflict the maximum amount of injuries to one’s opponent.

If the punch is aimed at the face, then these knuckles are bound to break the jaw and cause heavy damage. The knuckles are deadly weapons but they are also used for lots of purposes. When we take a look back at their history, then we come to know that they were originally made popular as brass knuckle knives which were used extensively during World War 1 and World War 2. Those were the time of trench wars which require the use of a fighting weapon which could be used in close quarter combats held in the trenches.

That is when the famous Mark-1 Brass knuckle knife was manufactured and was given to everyone, mostly because they were the best choice as a weapon at that moment because of lack of rifles and mainly because of trench war systems. The brass knuckle knife had their handles designed as brass knuckles and the razor-sharp blade was used to stab and thrust the opponent while the brass knuckles were used to throw punches and engage in a fistfight. Brass knuckles have been used in human history one way or the other. The original idea seems to be taken from the Roman “caestus” or Roman gloves. The different variations also included spiked brass knuckles which are also made up of metal but have metallic spikes protruding out from the surface. These knuckles were known to cause numerous injuries and were even deadly in most of the cases.

Brass Knuckles of the 21st century

Brass Knuckles were used as a weapon in the past, sometimes as brass knuckles knives and sometimes merely as knuckles in fist fights. However, nowadays they are not just used as a street weapon. Sometimes they are used as accessories and sometimes their mere iconic design is used in apparels and other items fashion items. So, let us have a look at these items one by one now.

1- Fashion Accessories

Nowadays, you will find many fashion accessories that are inspired by knuckles. Fashion pundits seem to be quite taken with the brass knuckles. For example, brass knuckle necklaces are quite famous which have knuckles dangling from them. Then there are brass knuckle earrings as well. Brass knuckle heels are also quite popular among women. Even t-shirts have fascinating brass knuckles designs etched over them. You will even find brass knuckle mugs, knuckle bags and much more if you look for them in the markets as they are easily available worldwide.

2- Vehicle Industry

Brass Knuckles have even infiltrated the vehicle industry. People are that mad and crazy over these knuckles that they replace certain parts of their vehicles with knuckle designed parts to look cool and trendy.

3- Movie Industry

The movie industry has made brass knuckles even more popular among people. They featured knuckles as a cool weapon to fight with and they soon gain popularity as the top-notch cool weapons that people started them wearing on their knuckles just to look trendy. Brass knuckles have been featured in many movies and the two most popular ones among them are Wanted and Constantine etc. Wanted is the movie whose main role is played by the famous star Angelina Jolie and she has also been seen fighting with brass knuckles in this movie. That was the main motivation for women around the globe to own and carry brass knuckles as self-defense weapons. The other movie named Constantine is also quite popular, in which John Constantine used knuckles to fight and knock down his opponent.

4- Video Games

Brass Knuckles did not even leave the video game industry alone. These knuckles have been featured in many video games. I personally saw them in the all-time famous GTA Vice City game in which they are worn by the main player named Tommy who was a big guy with marvelous muscles and he knocks down his opponent by punching them with these knuckles. There are many other video games as well featuring the use of brass knuckles which made them quite famous among our public especially among teenagers.

5- Self-defense Weapon

Being a strong and durable weapon, brass knuckles can be also be used as a self-defense weapon. People constantly look out for effective self-defense weapons and what can be better than brass knuckles which are easy to carry as they are worn around the knuckles of the hand and are inexpensive to buy as well. However, you must check the laws of your state before buying them.

6- Cosplay and LARP Events

Brass knuckles are even carried by people to LARP and cosplay events. LARP means Live Action Role Play and people dress as different characters in order to take part in this event. It sort of gives you a break from reality and when you are dressing as someone else, then why not dress as a thief or a gangster? Brass knuckles would go perfectly well with these characters but of course, the plastic ones as real weapons are strongly banned in such events.

Conclusion

Brass knuckles are cool and trendy, there is no doubt that but I must emphasize here that they are illegal in most of the states of the US. Some states have declared them completely illegal thereby putting a ban on manufacturing, selling, buying, brandishing and using them while others have only put a ban on the concealed carry of these weapons. Some states are quite flexible on their laws related to brass knuckles and have only declared their use against someone illegal. Also, they are pretty dangerous, especially the ones which are made up of metal. Brass knuckles are known to cause lots of injuries to the victim. Minor injuries include swelling of the affected area and bleeding as well. Whereas, knuckles can also cause concussions, severe internal bleeding, broken bones, and even death. Therefore, you must be very careful while using them and I would suggest not using them against someone and keep them only for collection.