Gang members on the street and inside prisons acquire edged weapons to use in close-quarter attacks on rival gang members or law enforcement officers. Street gang members typically will use fixed-blade knives, daggers, folding knives, butterfly knives or other utility tools, while inmates fashion their own
jail-made shanks
and other weapons from boot reinforcements, bed wiring, and other materials. Don't miss POLICE gang expert Rich Valdemar's
"Edged Weapons and Gang Culture"
blog post.
Edged Weapons
Since the length of the shank is small, the handle is often held in the palm of the fist with the blade protruding from between the middle and ring fingers like a push dagger.
Street gang members use a variety of edged weapons such as a fixed-blade knife, dagger, folding knife, butterfly knife, tomahawk axe, utility knife or shuriken (throwing star).
A barber's straight razor can be held by an attacker with the blade running along the bottom of his palm and wrist. By swinging his fists as if punching his opponent, the attacker can inflict razor wounds with each blow.
The jail-made "shank" is fashioned from a small piece of spring steel used to strengthen the arch in leather boots and shoes. It is sharpened by scraping the metal on concrete floors.
Additional examples of make-shift push knives.
Weapons manufactured by inmates are commonly hidden in the "keester" or rectum to escape detection from prison guards during searches.
Inmates fashion a variety of edged weapons from steel boot shanks, bedding wire and other materials acquired in prison.
Several plastic "stealth defense" knives are available that can be concealed in a common hairbrush or comb.