PRISON SHANK 001

Private collection
PRISON SHANK 001
Private collection

Collection

  • American Prison System
  • Weapons

Origin

Wyoming Correctional Facility
Attica, New York, USA

Medium

Steel, cloth, and thread

Association

Manufactured by an incarcerated individual for close-quarters combat within a correctional facility.

Description

Improvised prison weapon consisting of a sharpened steel spike with a tapered point, fitted into a tightly wrapped cloth handle secured with thread. The blade exhibits heavy oxidation and surface corrosion, while the wrapped grip provides improved handling and retention. The weapon's simple construction reflects the improvised nature of prison-made edged weapons, assembled from salvaged materials and intended for concealment and close-quarters use.

PRISON SHANK 001

1/2

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550BC is an independent publishing house based in Amsterdam, founded in 2018. Specializing in the complex realities of organized crime and conflict, we explore these subjects through the lens of visual anthropology. Our photo books provide rare, first-person perspectives from within otherwise inaccessible worlds, often created in direct collaboration with those involved. 550BC is also home to a private collection of over 2,000 unique physical items, preserved artifacts from the worlds we document. A selection is presented in our online archive.

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