The real-life Peaky Blinders, 1910 The Peaky Blinders were a street gang active in Birmingham, England, from the 1890s to the 1920s.
The real-life Peaky Blinders, 1910 The Peaky Blinders were a street gang active in Birmingham, England, from the 1890s to the 1920s. They consisted of men from lower social classes who fought, gambled, evaded and murdered their way to the top of the gang hierarchy in the English West Midlands. The PB specialised in robbery, violence, racketeering, murder and controlled gambling. At their peak, the gang had about 50,000 members, though this number fluctuated as alliances often changed or were cut off depending on their relationships with the PB. Some members were as young as 12. The name "Peaky Blinders" has several possible origins. The gang wore flat peak caps, and they would sew razor blades into the front of them, which acted as a concealed weapon. This dangerous piece of headwear would attack enemies by either headbutting them in the eyes or by taking off the cap and slashing their foreheads, which led to the blood blinding them. The other origin of the s...