The Brass Knuckles from Speedplay are properly chunky and back up their looks with some serious brawn, weighing in at 420g for the pair, as well as demanding a serious chunk of your money.
The 10 specially machined pins per side are easy to bolt in using the included socket tool, and the platforms are comfortable for all but the widest of feet. Grip isn’t particularly great though, especially in damp conditions.
In the dry they’re OK but the raised area above the axle sits at almost the same height as the pins so they don’t cup your feet as well as more concave pedals. Though the knuckleduster-like design will appeal to some, the ‘finger holes’ soon get clogged up with mud, meaning grip suffers even more.
It’s a shame about the grip issues because even after six months of riding the axles are still spinning smoothly and we’ve only had to use the built-in grease ports once.