where did the peaky blinders get their name
Peaky Blinders The name Peaky Blinders is popularly said to be derived from a practice of stitching razor blades into the peak of their flat caps, which could then be used as weapons.[1][2] Historian and criminal profiler John Douglas asserted that these hats were used as a weapon of choice for members.[3] It is believed that members sewed razor blades into their caps so they could headbutt enemies, essentially blinding them.[4][5][6] Reports alternatively issue that members slashed the foreheads of enemies causing blood to pour down into their eyes, temporarily blinding them.[5] Birmingham historian Carl Chinn believes that the name comes solely from the popular usage of "peaky" as a descriptor for a flat cap with a peak.[7] "Blinder" was a familiar Birmingham slang term, used even to this day, to describe a dapper appearance, i.e. striking enough to blind.[8]