Peaky Blinders

The Real Peaky Blinders Story

The Peaky Blinders were an urban street gang based in Birmingham, England, that operated from the end of the 19th century, and after First World War. The group, which grew out of the harsh economic deprivations of working class Britain, was composed largely of young unemployed men. They derived social power from robbery, violence, political influence and the control of gambling. Members of this gang wore a signature outfit that included tailored jackets, lapel overcoats, button waistcoats, silk scarves, bell-bottom trousers, leather boots, and peaked flat caps. The gang was highly organised with its own systems of hierarchy. The Blinders' dominance came about from beating rivals such as the "Sloggers" whom they fought for territory in Birmingham and its surrounding districts. They held control for nearly twenty years until 1910 when a larger gang, the Birmingham Boys led by Billy Kimber, overtook them. However, even though they had disappeared by the 1930s, their name the "Peaky Blinders" became synonymous as slang for any street gang in Birmingham. In 2013 the name was reused for a TV BBC series entitled Peaky Blinders. The series, which stars Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson and Joe Cole, is a crime story about a fictional crime family operating in Birmingham just after World War I.

Etymology:

The popular origin of the name Peaky Blinder is said to be derived from the practice of gang members stitching disposable razor blades into the peaks of their flat caps which could then be used as weapons. However, as the Gillette company only introduced the first replaceable safety razor system in 1903 in America, and it was not until 1908 that the first factory manufacturing them in Great Britain opened, this version of the name is considered apocryphal. British author John Douglas, from Birmingham, claimed hats were used as a weapon in his novel A Walk Down Summer Lane  - members with razor blades sewn into their caps would headbutt enemies to potentially blind them,  or the caps would be used to slash foreheads causing blood to pour down into the eyes of their enemies causing temporary blindness. Birmingham historian Carl Chinn believes the name is actually a reference to the gang's sartorial elegance. He says the popular usage of "peaky" at the time referred to any flat cap with a peak. "Blinder" was a familiar Birmingham slang term (still used today) to describe something or someone of dapper appearance. A further explanation might be from the gang's own criminal behaviour. They were known to sneak up from behind then pull the hat peak down over a victim's face so they couldn't describe who robbed them.