This Is How Real Peaky Blinders Really Is

Nowadays, the sordid adventures of Peaky Blinders’ Shelby family are a major T.V. phenomenon. But just how much does the show draw from history? Well, from small-time razor gangs to criminal warlords, here’s the real-life background of Peaky Blinders.

Over the course of the show, the Peaky Blinders have made use of many weapons, from pistols and rifles to huge, military-grade machine guns. But they started the show with one of their most notorious weapons: the razor blades that they hid in their hat brims, allowing them to slash enemies in the face. Unfortunately, historian Carl Chinn suggests that this novel yet brutal weapon is almost certainly nothing but a myth. When the real Peaky Blinders roamed Birmingham, razor blades were still a luxury item that was well beyond their financial means, and the weapons they actually used were far more practical than a novelty hat.

Of course, according to popular myth, the gang got its name from the bladed, “blinding” peaks of their caps. Unfortunately, since the razor caps most likely didn’t exist, this is basically inaccurate. Chinn says that the Peaky Blinders probably got their name because they liked to wear peaked caps, and “blinder” was likely just a slang term for their fancy clothing. Still, it’s understandable why the show went with the razor blade story, after all, it’s far cooler to imply that the Blinders went around wearing deadly hats than to admit that they just liked nice waistcoats.

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