The Knee Crusher

A popular device for crushing and breaking joints, particularly those of the knee and elbow.

This device was a particular favourite of Inquisition torturers – you can understand that no regard was given to the recovery of the recipient post-torture, damage inflicted was permanent.  It’s said that to make the pain even more unbearable, the torturer would sometimes tap the device with a hammer.  The device shown is of metal construction, although crushers were mainly constructed from wood, with a varying range of spikes.