HISTORY OF KNUCKLE DUSTERS This page intentionally left blank. HISTORY OF KNUCKLE DUSTERS The Ultimate Close-Quarters Weapon David Grant Paladin Press • Boulder, Colorado Also by David Grant: Knuckle Dusters and Knuckle Knives Tomahawks: Traditional to Tactical History of Knuckle Dusters: The Ultimate Close-Quarters Weapon by Dave Grant Copyright © 2007 by Dave Grant ISBN 13: 978-1-58160-630-0 Printed in the United States of America Published by Paladin Press, a division of Paladin Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box 1307 Boulder, Colorado 80306 USA +1.303.443.7250 Direct inquiries and/or orders to the above address. PALADIN, PALADIN PRESS, and the “horse head” design are trademarks belonging to Paladin Enterprises and registered in United States Patent and Trademark Office. All rights reserved. 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Contents Introduction....................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Early Knuckle Dusters...............................................5 Classic T-Handle American Knuckle Dusters Classic American Knuckle Duster Darley Aluminum Knuckles Classic British Knuckle Duster Mailed Fist Knuckle Dusters Chapter 2: The Knuckle Duster Goes to War...........................19 World War I Austrian Military Issue Knuckle Dusters British Military-Issue Knuckle Dusters Modern Brass BC 41 Knuckle Dusters Sheffield-Style Knuckle Dusters Stone Knuckle Dusters Chapter 3: Modern Designs: Mass Production, Customs, and Combat Knuckles ........................................................................29 “Dave Courtney Special” Knuckle Dusters Paper Weight Knuckle Dusters Chinese Mass-Produced Knuckle Dusters Chapter 4: Modern Customs......................................................37 Custom Maltese Cross Knuckle Dusters Custom Two-Finger Styles Chapter 5: Modern Combat Knuckle Dusters .........................41 Dalton Combat Cutlery Warfist: Plain, Hardride, and Warhorse Choppers V History of Knuckle Dusters Copy of Dalton Combat Cutlery Warfist Copy Inspired by Devil’s Playground Copy of Austrian World War I Military-Issue Knuckle Duster Rat Tail Baby Rat Tail I and II Hammer Fist Back Street Products Custom Knuckle Duster Chapter 6: Knuckle Duster Combination Weapons.................57 Theater-Made Knuckle Knives Custom-Made Appleby Knuckle Knife OSS “Hatpin” Knuckle Knife Dalton Combat Cutlery Interrogator Dalton Combat Cutlery Devil’s Playground Le Centenaire Knuckle Duster Pistol Dolne “Apache” Knife/Pistol/Knuckle Duster Delhaxhe Knuckle/Knife/Gun K.O. Glove Leather Knuckle Duster Chapter 7: Various Knuckle Duster Related Patents...............77 Survival Tool 1 Survival Tool 2 Spring-Mounted Knuckle Knife Round-Finger Stall Knuckle Duster Oyster Shucker Machete Dagger Novak Knuckle Duster Pistol Hollinshead Ram Knife Harstad Dagger Harrison Knuckle Knife Baton with Knuckle Strap Web Sites.......................................................................................89 VI Acknowledgments This book would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of friends and family alike. The collectors and manufacturers that kindly provided pictures and information to supplement what I already had made this volume better. Danny White from the Brass Knuckle Collector Club (see Web site at the back of the book), Steve Michaluk for his Mailed Fist information and pictures, and the expertise and great photography for the Dalton items provided by Mark Kukelkorn helped tremendously. Many individuals wished to remain anonymous. My gratitude extends to them as well. You know who you are, and your efforts to increase the knowledge of knuckle dusters and decrease their stigma is appreciated by me and other interested readers. My fam ily deserves and gets the greatest praise for their support of and patience with this project. My eldest son, Connor, especially liked trying on each set of knuckle dusters that lay on the desk while I wrote. VII This page intentionally left blank. Introduction When I first started researching knuckle dusters, there was a clear absence of data to draw from; knowledgeable collectors tended to be secretive and hard to find, and nothing really substan- tive had been written. But the subject was so intriguing, and I was so entirely captivated by these pocket-sized weapons, that I plugged along collecting examples, pictures, and as much informa- tion as I could. The end result was my book Knuckle Dusters and Knuckle Knives (Iron Wave Publishing, 2005), a collection of knuckles and knives showing the diversity and some of the history of this significant subject. As happens with so many historical research projects, I was uncertain that I had covered the subject as clearly and completely as possible, but it was the best I could do at the time, and so Knuckle Dusters and Knuckle Knives was released. The book was a hit right away, being the first and only book to even touch on the subject. Soon after its release, my uncertainty about the com- pleteness of the subject became justified. I discovered some amazing examples of knuckles I never knew existed, both histori- cally significant ones and incredible new designs that needed to be exposed. The most fantastic by-product of the book was the sudden con- tact by dozens of collectors who discovered my Web site, www.knuckledusterbook.com, and started sending me e-mails with 1 History of Knuckle Dusters questions, comments, historical data and, best of all, pictures of their collections. Soon I was blissfully swimming in a collector’s dream of information, which I have now compiled and presented in this book. History of Knuckle Dusters will hopefully excite existing knuckle duster collectors and, more importantly, get others started on this wonderful adventure. New and old collectors should be thrilled with the new designs that are coming out; cheap but inter- esting knuckles from China continue to enter the market alongside high-end combat knuckle dusters by makers such as Dalton Combat Cutlery (DCC) and Back Street Products (BSP). I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg. Much like their also maligned and outlawed cousin, the switchblade, knuckle dusters are seeing a resurgence in popularity as a self-defense weapon that, unlike a gun or knife, is less likely to kill but is very effective in close- quarter combat. So what is the future of the knuckle duster? Hopefully, those countries and states that have outlawed knuckles will see the error of their ways and back off their draconian laws regarding these items. It has happened with switchblades in the United States, and the result has been beautiful custom automatic knives that are well designed and strong being sold to citizens for carry and collection. Regardless of their legal standing, more and more people are buy- ing knuckles, for whatever reason, and they rarely stop at just one set. One on-line seller recently reported that over the 2005 Christmas season his shop sold more than 400 knuckle dusters! Another aspect of knuckle dusters is the way craftsmen have combined them with other weapons to create useful hybrids. Knives, guns, and batons have all been incorporated into more use- ful tools when knuckles are added. This trend has again been seen as makers look for “new” ways to differentiate themselves and make their designs attractive. With every small step, knuckle dusters will become more acceptable; at the beginning of the 20th century, they were sold in 2 Introduction police supply and hardware catalogs! The vilification of the knuck- le duster really occurred much as it did with the switchblade: blam- ing an object for the actions of individuals who used them inappro- priately. Hopefully, this trend of vilification will change, but as gun owners have seen, it is not an easy obstacle to overcome. So join with me if you are new to the fascinating subject of knuckle dusters, or are a veteran collector, and take a look at these weapons that have been around for at least 200 years and will con- tinue to be carried, collected, and used forever. 3 This page intentionally left blank. Chapter1 EARLY KNUCKLE DUSTERS Dating back to before the American Civil War, mass-produced knuckle dusters were neither rare nor considered particularly evil. Often sold in hardware and sporting goods stores and catalogs, the 19th- and early 20th-century weapons could be had as cheaply as a good pocket knife. Despite the low cost of the knuckle dusters, some individuals sought to make their own, whether for the challenge or the lack of availability where they lived. Many examples of hand- made knuckle dusters cast from lead, drilled from brass bar stock, or hammered out of iron by a blacksmith have been dug up on Civil War sites. The mass-produced knuckles of this period had three distinc- tive styles: the American T-handle, the American classic, and the British classic. Within these styles there are some distinctions, mainly in size and materials, but for decades these three styles were what was available. Even such companies as Winchester Arms entered the knuckle duster market with a unique item called the “Brute Tamer,” to be used and carried by women. Most knuck- le makers left off any markings on their offerings, and except in rare cases, we do not know who they were. Early in the 20th century, police supply catalogs began to advertise knuckles and other similar weapons, such as the leather, shot-filled strap that covered the hand. It was perfectly acceptable for a law enforcement officer to carry a weapon like this in order 5 History of Knuckle Dusters to stop a fight without shooting or clubbing a suspect.