Brass Knuckle Information

BRASS KNUCKLES

Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckle dusters, are weapons used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckles. Designed to deliver the force of punches through a smaller and harder contact area, they result in greater tissue disruption and increased likelihood of fracturing the victim's bones on impact. The design also allows for the force of the punch to be distributed along the attacker's palm across a greater area so that his or her fingers are not damaged.

History and variations
Metal ring and knuckle style weapons date back to ancient times. They were popular in US during the American Civil War with soldiers often making their own knuckles using lead from melted bullets, and knuckle dusters were also incorporated into the so-called Apache revolvers used by criminals in France in the early 1900s During World War I and World War II, knuckles and knuckle knives were used by both American and British soldiers. Custom made knuckle knives were also quite popular with American soldiers during World War II. Some knuckle dusters have rounded rings which increase the impact of blows, however some can be particularly dangerous having spikes, sharp points and cutting edges at the point of impact to cause serious injury.

Legality and distribution
In Canada, brass knuckles or any similar devices are listed as prohibited weapons, and possession of such weapon is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code of Canada.

In France, however, purchase and possession of brass knuckles is legal for 16 year-olds with parental permission, and are freely sold to people of legal age. The French term is 'un coup-de-poing américain', literally 'an American punch'.

Brass knuckles are illegal in Britain, Sweden, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, carrying significant jail sentences and fines for possession of a dangerous weapon.

Brass knuckles can normally be purchased at flea markets, swap meets, and some sword and weapon shops legally. Due to a shady reputation, they have been sold in at least one case affixed with a detachable screw allowing them to be sold as a belt buckle. Devices that are made of hardened plastic, rather than metal, exist. Some are marketed as "undetectable by airport metal detectors."

In certain U.S. states, brass knuckles of any material are not legal and therefore cannot be sold to people in the District of Columbia or the states of Arkansas, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, or Rhode Island.

See also
Cestus
Weighted-knuckle gloves
Tekko