Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. This is a particularly substantial example of a pair of homemade iron knuckle dusters of a type associated with the American Civil War era. Cast or worked from unusually heavy iron, the piece has four finger openings of differing dimensions and a remarkably thick body, giving it a distinctly crude, individually fabricated character rather than the appearance of a standardized commercial product. This listing is only for ONE SINGLE KNUCKLE. The master photo shows multiple angles of the same knuckle.

These were moderately popular for close combat during the war. These are quite thick, and from the sizes of the holes, they were only made to be worn in one orientation. These are one of the most interesting sets of Civil War knuckles we have offered.

The knuckles measure 4 1/8 inches wide by 2 1/2 inches high and a whopping 7/8 inches thick! See others similar in Civil War Collector's Encyclopedia by Francis A. Lord, p. 156.

The surfaces show considerable age, oxidation, and dark patination throughout, while the thick iron body remains structurally solid. The rugged workmanship and asymmetrical finger openings give the piece a particularly strong handmade appearance. There are a couple of small flaws in the casting.

At ⅞ inch thick, this is an unusually massive example and considerably more substantial than many surviving brass or iron knuckle weapons. Its combination of crude construction, considerable weight, age-darkened iron surfaces, and documented period form makes it an interesting representative example of the privately acquired and improvised personal weapons encountered in collections of Civil War-era material.