Brass knuckles, also sometimes called knucks or knuckle dusters (more common in British English), 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.

Also, the wielder of such a weapon may punch harder than normal, exacerbating damage even further, due to reduced subconscious anxiety about harming their own hands when striking.

Origins

Early forms of brass knuckles were used in ancient Rome, India and Japan.

The Roman caestus was a type of glove or hand guard made from leather and metal used during boxing matches in gladiatorial events. Although modern day boxing gloves are used to keep the hands safe, thereby allowing the fighter to punch harder, the caestus was used solely to intensify the damage caused by a punch or blow.

Vajra Mushti (Diamond Fist or Thunderbolt Fist) was the name of both a knuckle duster weapon and an ancient Indian martial art identified with that weapon that incorporates striking and grappling aspects, and a study of vital points.

A similar weapon, the tekko, is one of the traditional weapons of kobudo, a martial art from Okinawa, Japan.

Legality and distribution

In most countries, the possession, let alone use, of brass knuckles is illegal. Recently, brass knuckles are being sold on the internet and in regular shops as novelties, although whether or not they are used as novelties is open to debate.

Brass knuckles can normally be purchased at flea markets, swap meets, and some sword and weapon shops. Due to a shady reputation they are often sold as paperweights or affixed with a detachable screw allowing them to be sold as a "belt buckle".

A new type of brass knuckle which is often called "Clear Knuckles" is made out of bulletproof glass that is, so far, legal in every state. In difference, "Clear Knuckles" are designed to tear flesh and inflict topical pain, instead of brass knuckles that are designed to break bone. They are much lighter but still can be very dangerous.

Use

'Pairs' of knuckles can be custom made to fit individual hands; a common home-remedy is to fix or tape up the grip with electrical tape or gauze tape to ensure a better fit. Due to the generic factory shape and design knuckles rarely fit the user perfectly. This can result in breaking the user's fingers if a punch is thrown straight forward.

In contrast with knives, which can pierce or slice soft tissue, brass knuckles are effective on hard contact surfaces (for example, the outside of the forearm), and any such hits are usually extremely painful. A hard enough punch (for example to the skull) can cause death or severe injury.