Traditional and Modern Brass Knuckle Knife

4 min readOct 31, 2019

Brass knuckle knife is a popular knife today. But have you explore its history? In fact, when you use this knife for self defense today, you replicating the same old-fashioned idea.

This knife is a combination of two weapons, knuckle duster and a knife.

The blade is attached to a knuckle duster, and the idea is to make it wearable so that the wearer can’t be disarmed.

In this article, we shall explore the history and traditional uses of a brass knuckle knife.

Furthermore, we will compare them with the uses of this knife today. So, let’s get on with it:

Traditional Brass Knuckle Knife

- The Earliest Trench Knife

The first ever brass knuckle knife was known as a Trench knife. Trench knife is a special knife and has a name in history.

It was designed during the First World War as a pure combat knife. The fights were taking place in close quarters, hence a knife was needed by the soldiers.

Most battles took place in trenches and for this purpose a knife was developed for the US soldiers which could not be disarmed.

This knife was named Trench knife because it was made for battles in the trenches. A knuckle duster was attached to the knife to allow the soldiers to wear it around their knuckles.

This made it impossible to disarm them. Hence, they could use both weapons to their advantage and won the battles.

- Primary Fighting Knife

In the First World War, brass knuckle knife i-e trench knife was adopted as a primary fighting weapon.

The soldiers landed in the trenches equipped with this knife. They could easily get rid of their enemies with this knife.

It became the ultimate fighting weapon and even replaced real swords. From the First World War to the Second World War, soldiers kept using it as their primary weapon.

- Secondary Fighting Knife

In the Second World War, trench knife no longer remained the primary fighting weapon. However, it was still carried by the soldiers as a secondary weapon.

It was kept as a backup weapon so that they have a weapon to fight if they lost their primary fighting weapons.

After World War II, brass knuckle knife started becoming popular with the civilians as well. It became a knife to be used all over the world for diverse purposes.

Modern Brass Knuckle Knife

- Self Defense

The earliest brass knuckle knife was a fighting knife, but the modern one is a multipurpose knife.

Today, this knife is being used several ways, such as self defense. It is used by the public to deal with the attackers.

We all know how tough it is to get rid of the attackers. You have to take every possible step to make sure you survive.

Brass knuckle knife has come up as a possible solution for self defense needs. It is a knife that attackers fear.

There is a combination of two weapons so basically you have two weapons that can be used at the same time.

You can use the knuckle duster to punch the attacker and then use the blade to injure him.

Using two weapons guarantees your survival against the attackers. The best way of using it is by first punching the attacker in his face to knock him down.

Then, you can use the blade to inflict further damage and teach him a lesson.

Read: 👉 Shuriken — A Weapon, a Costume and a Sporting Item!

- Cosplay

Another way modern brass knuckle knife is used is for role play. Cosplayers tend to use it for playing different roles Specifically, when they replicate the First World War, they make it a part of their costume.

You might be thinking that it is dangerous for cosplay, but there are special knives made for such purposes.

These knives have blunt and unsharpened blades that don’t cause any injuries. Hence, cosplayers can use these cool knives in a safe manner and without worrying about injuries.

Verdict

So, I can conclude that traditional brass knuckle knife i-e Trench knife was basically a fighting knife.

However, the modern brass knuckle knife is mainly used for self defense against the attackers and for role play.

The designs of these knives are similar, but the modern ones are smaller.

Using it for battling the attackers is a wonderful idea considering the fact that it comes pretty handy in such situations!