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Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckle dusters, are weapon
Weapon

A weapon is a tool used to apply or threaten to apply force for the purpose of hunting, attack or defense in combat, subduing enemy personnel, or to destroy enemy weapons, equipment and defensive structures....
s used in hand-to-hand combat
Hand to hand combat

Hand-to-hand combat is a generic term often referring to weaponless fighting conducted from a military based point of view. This distinguishes it from combat sport....
. "Brass
Brass

Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties. In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin....
" knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel
Steel

Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.14% by weight , depending on grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten....
 despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckle
Knuckle

The knuckles are the joints of the fingers and toes, which are brought into prominence when the hand is clenched and a fist is made. The word is derived from the diminutive of a word for bone, found in German language Knochen/Kn?chlein....
s. Designed to deliver the force of punches
Punch (strike)

A punch is "a thrusting blow, esp. with the fist." In some sports and disciplines, such as boxing or martial arts, where punches are regularly practiced, hand wraps or other padding such as gloves may be employed to protect athletes and practitioners from injuring themselves....
 through a smaller and harder contact area, they result in greater tissue disruption and increased likelihood of fracturing the victim's bones on impact.






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Brass Knuckles
Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckle dusters, are weapon
Weapon

A weapon is a tool used to apply or threaten to apply force for the purpose of hunting, attack or defense in combat, subduing enemy personnel, or to destroy enemy weapons, equipment and defensive structures....
s used in hand-to-hand combat
Hand to hand combat

Hand-to-hand combat is a generic term often referring to weaponless fighting conducted from a military based point of view. This distinguishes it from combat sport....
. "Brass
Brass

Brass is any alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties. In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin....
" knuckles are pieces of metal, usually steel
Steel

Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.14% by weight , depending on grade. Carbon is the most cost-effective alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten....
 despite their name, shaped to fit around the knuckle
Knuckle

The knuckles are the joints of the fingers and toes, which are brought into prominence when the hand is clenched and a fist is made. The word is derived from the diminutive of a word for bone, found in German language Knochen/Kn?chlein....
s. Designed to deliver the force of punches
Punch (strike)

A punch is "a thrusting blow, esp. with the fist." In some sports and disciplines, such as boxing or martial arts, where punches are regularly practiced, hand wraps or other padding such as gloves may be employed to protect athletes and practitioners from injuring themselves....
 through a smaller and harder contact area, they result in greater tissue disruption and increased likelihood of fracturing the victim's bones on impact. Also, the wielder of such a weapon may punch harder than normal, exacerbating damage even further, due to reduced anxiety about harming his or her own hands when striking.

History and variations

Some early forms of brass knuckles were used in ancient Rome
Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the Roman Republic phase of the Ancient Rome, characterised by an autocracy form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, India
History of India

The known history of India begins with the Indus Valley Civilization, which spread and flourished in the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, from c....
, Latin America
Latin America

Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages ? particularly Spanish language and Portuguese language, and variably French language ? are primarily spoken....
 and Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 and weapons of kobudo
Okinawan kobudo

Okinawan kobudo is a Japanese term that can be translated as "old martial way of Okinawa". It generally refers to the classical weapon traditions of Okinawan martial arts, most notably the Bo , Sai , tonfa , Kama , and nunchaku , but also the tekko , tinbe-rochin , and surujin ....
, a martial art from Okinawa, Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
.

Knuckle dusters were incorporated into the so-called Apache revolver
Apache revolver

An Apache revolver is a handgun which incorporates multiple other weapons, made notorious by the French underworld figures of the early 1900s known as Apache ....
s used by criminals in France in the early 1900s. During World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 and World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, trench knives, blades with enlarged guards to be used as knuckle dusters, were used in hand-to-hand combat in trench raiding
Trench raiding

Trench raiding was a feature of trench warfare which developed during World War I. It was the practice of making small scale surprise attacks on enemy positions....
 operations.

Legality and distribution

In most countries, the possession, let alone use, of brass knuckles is illegal. They are illegal in the United States in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Illinois, Connecticut, California, and Florida; 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
Criminal Code of Canada

The Criminal Code of Canada is the codification of most of the criminal offences and procedure in Canada. Section 91 of the Canadian constitution establishes criminal law as under the sole jurisdiction of the federal Parliament....
. 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. They are sold as self-defense weapons.

Recently, brass knuckles have been sold on the Internet and in regular shops where they are sold as paperweights. Brass knuckles can normally be purchased at flea market
Flea market

A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent....
s, swap meet
Swap meet

Swap meet can mean:*Swap meet, a type of flea market*Swap Meet , a song by Nirvana*Swap Meet , a game on the Price is Right game show...
s, and some sword and weapon shops. Due to a shady reputation they are often sold as in at least one case, affixed with a detachable screw allowing them to be sold as a belt buckle
Belt buckle

File:Plaque-boucle 02.jpgFile:Beltbuckle1.JPGFile:6 western floral.jpgA belt buckle is a buckle, a clasp for fastening two ends, as of straps or a belt , in which a device attached to one of the ends is fitted or coupled to the other....
. Due to the questionable legality of brass knuckles, large, heavy rings are sometimes used to achieve a similar effect. Similar devices that are made of hardened plastic, rather than metal, exist. Some are marketed as "undetectable by airport metal detectors."

Potential self-injury

Pairs of knuckles can be custom made to fit individual hands. Due to the generic factory shape and design, knuckles rarely fit the user perfectly. Imperfectly fitting brass knuckles can break the user's fingers if a punch is thrown straight. Brass knuckles can also bruise the user's own hands if not used properly.

Other varieties

Common varieties include spiked knuckles, "maiden's fingers," "fat boys," "wedding rings," brass knuckles with various "imprintable" images on the knuckles (longhorn steer, lions, skulls, etc), and even "knuckle-knives." Spiked knuckles in particular are among the most vicious variety of brass knuckles, as they not only can shatter bone into fragments but will shred tissue. The length of the spikes varies from as small as a quarter of an inch to up to six inches. Shorter spikes emphasize the impact of the brass knuckle on bone, while longer blades are used solely to inflict soft-tissue damage.

See also


  • Weighted-knuckle gloves
    Weighted-knuckle gloves

    Weighted-knuckle gloves, also called SAP gloves , are a type of weapon used in hand to hand combat. They consist of a pair of ordinary looking gloves usually made of leather or a synthetic material, with powdered lead or steel sewn into a special pouch covering the knuckles, and often the backs of the fingers and the back of the hand....