Brass Knuckles

"As low-tech as melee gets. Still does plenty of damage, and makes fights extra personal."

- The Arsenal

Brass Knuckles is the collective name of a type of Melee Weapon released on 1/25/2012.

Overview
"Guns and knives are fine, but there are times when you just need to get in there and do what needs to be done. That’s when the classic street fighter staple, Brass Knuckles, takes out your enemy quickly and cleanly. KO your enemies in a civilized fashion with a single punch, or catch them with an uppercut that boasts alt fire!"

- Supply Drop

The knuckles are, by far, the most portable weapon in the game (not counting the Caltrops, which are technically considered Support Weapons and are restricted to Specialists), and actually do more damage than many of the standard melee weapons, such as the M9 and the M11 Tactical Knife.

The weapon's description is rather misleading ( "KO your enemies in a civilized fashion with a single punch..." ) ; you cannot actually kill an opponent with just one hit---it will take at least two full hits to kill, no matter where you hit them. To balance out the weapon, it has a very slow attack rate. (Almost on par with the Tomahawk). One should only purchase this weapon if portability is their top priority. Otherwise the Tracker Knife is superior to the knuckles.

Trivia

 * The Brass Knuckles resemble (but have nothing to do with) a bear paw.
 * Brass Knuckles are usually not made out of brass, as the name suggests, but steel.
 * The knuckles are the first "real" melee weapons that are buyable (though they can't be purchased, the Infected Claws were technically the first).
 * They are also the first buyable "set" of weapons in-game, with one knuckle on each hand (once again, the Infected Claws were first).
 * The knuckles are currently the smallest weapon in the entire Arsenal.
 * The knuckles are the second-lightest weapon in the game (after the Caltrops, followed by the Tracker Knife.
 * For reasons unknown, the knucles actually do more damage than several knives in-game (such as the M11 Tactical Knife). The brute force needed to use this weapon may be why.
 * The Brass Knuckles are also known as "knuckledusters".