Blackie Collins

Blackie Collins
Born	Walter Wells Collins 1939 Florence, South Carolina, USA
Died	July 20, 2011(2011-07-20) (aged 71) North, South Carolina
Occupation	Knifemaker, magazine editor
Awards	Blade Cutlery Hall of Fame

Walter Wells Collins (1939 – July 20, 2011) or Blackie Collins was an American knife maker who designed and popularized the assisted opening mechanism and various automatic knife designs within the art of knifemaking. He is cited by other knifemakers and collectors as one of the most innovative knife designers in the world^[1] and was an author and the founder of what became Blade Magazine. Collins died July 20, 2011 in a motorcycle accident near North, South Carolina.^[2]

Early life

Collins was born in Florence, South Carolina. He made his first knife when he was in the second grade.

Knifemaking

Collins designed the bowie/survival knives series for Smith & Wesson in 1971 and was involved in designing their commemorative knives from 1971-1978. In 1981, Collins' designed a knife for Gerber Legendary Blades named the LST (light, strong, tough). The LST was the first knife to feature injection molded Zytel handles and featured a total of six parts. His next design was an assisted opening knife called the Strut and Cut; the design for which came from motorcycling. The Strut and Cut's opening mechanism was based on his Ducati’s single strut which enables the knife to open and close easily.^[3]

Collins was a founding member, with ten other knife designers/makers, of the Knifemakers' Guild.^[4] He founded the magazine known as American Blade in 1973, which he sold in 1982 and the renamed title was simply Blade. Collins was later an inductee into the Blade Magazine Hall of Fame.^[5]

Collins had other innovations beyond knifemaking and was an avid motorcyclist and a member of the National Rifle Association. He designed holsters and concealment clothing for carrying firearms. Collins designed a trigger lock, called the "Cease Fire" for rifles and a shooter’s screwdriver.^[6]

Written works

Collins authored books on knifemaking, scrimshaw, knife throwing, and personal defense.

Collins, Blackie (1975). How knives are made (The Encyclopedia of American knives). Custom Knifemakers' Supply.
Collins, Blackie; Felix Mirando (1976). The Pocketknife Manual - Building, Repairing and Refinishing Pocketknives. Knife World Publications.
Collins, Blackie; McLoughlin, Chris (1977). Personal Defense. Knife World Publications.
Collins, Blackie (1978). Knife Throwing: Sport Survival Defense. Knife World Publications.
Collins, Blackie; Michael Collins (1978). How to Scrimshaw and Carve Ivory. Knife World Publications.

References

↑ Latham, Sid (1973). "Craftsman's Cutlery". Field & Stream. 78 (3): 51, 141.
↑ "Well-known knifemaker dies in motorcycle crash". The Times and Democrat. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
↑ Shackleford, Steve (2010). Blade's Guide to Knives & Their Values (7 ed.). Krause Publications. p. 232. ISBN 978-1-4402-0387-9.
↑ Lewis, Jack; Roger Combs (1992). Gun Digest Book of Knives. Iola, WI: DBI Books. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-87349-129-7.
↑ "Mr. SpeedSafe Joins the Club". Blade Magazine. 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
↑ Ayoob, Massad (2008). The Gun Digest Book of Concealed Carry. Gun Digest Books. p. 230. ISBN 978-0-89689-611-6.

Knives and daggers

List of daggers List of blade materials

Types of knives	Aircrew Survival Egress Knife Athame Balisong/Butterfly Ballistic Ballpoint pen knife Bayonet Boline Bolo Boning Boot knife Bowie Bread knife Cane knife Cheese knife Chef's knife Cleaver Clip point Combat knife Commander Corvo CQC-6 Deba bōchō Diving knife Drop point Electric knife Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife Gerber Mark II Ginsu Grapefruit knife Gravity knife Gunong Hunting knife Jacob's ladder Karambit Kīla Kirpan Kitchen knife Kukri Laguiole knife Machete Mandau Mezzaluna Misericorde Mora knife Multi-tool Nakiri bōchō Navaja Neck knife Nontron knife Opinel knife Palette knife Pantographic knife Parang Penknife Penny knife Pocket knife Putty knife Puukko Rampuri Resolza Sabatier Sami knife Santoku SARK Scalpel Seax Sgian dubh Sharpfinger Shiv Sliding knife Smatchet SOG Knife Straight razor Strider SMF Survival knife Swiss Army knife Switchblade Taping knife Throwing knife Tomato knife Trench knife Tumi Ulu Utility knife Warrior knife X-Acto Yanagi ba Yatagan

Types of daggers	Anelace Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife Arkansas toothpick BC-41 Bagh naka Baselard Bichuwa Bollock dagger Cinquedea Dirk Ear dagger Emeici Facón French Nail Hachiwara Hunting dagger Janbiya Kaiken Kalis Kard Katar Khanjali Khanjar Kris Mark I trench knife Ocean Edge Knife Parrying dagger Poignard Push dagger Rondel dagger Seme Shobo Sica Stiletto Tantō Marine Raider stiletto V-42 stiletto Yarará Parachute Knife Yoroidōshi

Knife manufacturers	Aitor Al Mar Knives American Tomahawk Company Bear MCG Benchmade Böker Buck Knives Caber Camillus Cutlery Company Cattaraugus Cutlery Company Chris Reeve Knives Cold Steel Columbia River Knife & Tool Cuisinart Cutco Cutlery DOVO Solingen Dexter-Russell Dirte Knives Eikhorn Ek Commando Knife Co. Emerson Knives Erizo F. Dick Fällkniven FAMAE Fiskars Füritechnics Gerber Legendary Blades Global Golok Hanwei Imperial Schrade J. A. Henckels Ka-Bar Kershaw Knives KitchenAid Korin Japanese Trading Company Kyocera Leatherman Mad Dog Knives MercWorx Microtech Knives Morseth Murphy Knives Ontario Knife Company Opinel Pro-Tech Knives Randall Made Knives Ranz Rigid Knives Rösle SOG Specialty Knives Sabatier Aîné & Perrier Spyderco Strider Knives Survival Aids TEKNA Thiers Issard Tramontina Victorinox Vox Knives W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Walther arms Wenger Western Knife Company Wilkinson Sword Windlass Steelcrafts Wüsthof Yarara Ltd

Knifemakers	A.G. Russell American Bladesmith Society Rex Applegate James Black Blackie Collins John Nelson Cooper Ernest Emerson Jerry Fisk Phill Hartsfield Bill Harsey Jr. Gil Hibben Knifemakers' Guild Zanjan Knifemakers Jimmy Lile Bob Loveless Bob Lum William F. Moran Ken Onion Ralph Osterhout Bo Randall Chris Reeve Jody Samson William Scagel Mike Snody Robert Terzuola Michael Walker Buster Warenski Daniel Winkler

Book:Knives and daggers Category:Knives / Daggers

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