The Real Peaky Blinders

The Peaky Blinders were a criminal gang based in Birmingham, England, in the late 19th century and, to a lesser extent, in the early 20th century. They were one of the urban youth gangs in the era, which were among the earliest of modern street subcultures.
According to Carl Chinn, the name is popularly said to derive from the practice of stitching razor blades into the front of their flat caps, which could then be used as weapons. However, Chinn points out that this was a highly unlikely and cumbersome way of attacking someone. He says a more mundane explanation is that "peakys" was a common nickname for the then-popular flat caps with peaks. The gangs were known to have a distinctive clothing style, wearing the peaked caps, cravats and bell-bottom trousers, while "a line of brass buttons down the front gave added distinction". Their style of dress was similar to that of the Manchester-based gangs of the same period known as Scuttlers.

Some of the original Peaky Blinders are pictured here.