For more than a decade, the conventional view of Skinheads by law enforcement and even some white supremacists was that they were little more than drunken street thugs. Skinheads were seen as dysfunctional youth who were in and out of jail and prone to fighting among themselves. In this context, the Hammerskins first appeared in the late 1980's as the Dallas-based Confederate Hammerskins and spread to other States. By 1989, HN emerged as the unifying organization for dispersed groups and became global within a few years. Like outlaw motorcycle gangs such as Hell's Angels, HN has a strict recruitment policy that requires not only face time with prospective members but also a 3-month probationary period. Unlike criminal street gangs, however, HN has a focused and relatively sophisticated political outlook. The organizational form adopted by HN consists of single, decentralized, autonomously organized cells united on the basis of a common commitment to national socialist ideology. Loyalty to HN is paramount, but Hammerskins are permitted to also join neo-Nazi groups such as the National Alliance and Aryan Nations. Some leaders of HN have been in prison for violent crimes ranging from assaults and bombings to attempted murder and murder, and HN vigorously and effectively recruits within juvenile correctional facilities. Factors that have contributed to the expansion of HN internationally are examined. 2 photographs