| Main | Origin | Quotes and Fun Facts | Gallery |
|---|
Origin[]
Brass knuckles carried by Abraham Lincoln's bodyguards during his train ride through Baltimore. Artifact in the museum collection, National Park Service, Ford's Theatre National Historic Site, Washington, D.C.
Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, or knuckledusters, are weapons used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckles are pieces of metal shaped to fit around the knuckles. Despite their name, they are usually made of steel. Designed to preserve and concentrate a punch's force by directing it toward a harder and smaller contact area, they result in increased tissue disruption, including an increased likelihood of fracturing the victim's bones on impact. The extended and rounded palm grip also spreads across the attacker's palm the counter-force that would otherwise be absorbed primarily by the attacker's fingers, reducing the likelihood of damage to the attacker's fingers.