Walter Wells "Blackie" Collins (1939 – July 20, 2011) 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 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 North is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 696 at the 2020 census. In 1891, the South Bound Railway Company came through the area with the assistance of John F. North. In 1892, John North, along with ...

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 Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (S&W) is an American firearm manufacturer headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Smith & Wesson was founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson as the "Smith & Wesson Revolver Company" in 1856 ...

in 1971 and was involved in designing their commemorative knives from 1971-1978. In the late 1960s-early 1970's he also made knives under the name of Blackie Sewell and had a shop in the original Underground Atlanta. In 1981, Collins' designed a knife for

Gerber Legendary Blades Gerber Legendary Blades is an American maker of knives, multitools, and other tools for outdoors and military headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Gerber is owned by the Finnish outdoors products company Fiskars. Gerber was established in 1939 by ...

named the LST (light, strong, tough). The LST was the first knife to feature injection molded

Zytel Zytel is a trademark owned by DuPont and used for a number of different high strength, abrasion and impact resistant thermoplastic polyamide formulations of the family more commonly known as nylon. The Zytel product line is based mostly on nylon ...

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. Collins was a founding member, with ten other knife designers/makers, of the

Knifemakers' Guild The Knifemakers' Guild is an American organization, based in Richfield, Utah, made up of knifemakers to promote custom knives, encourage ethical business practices, assist with technical aspects of knife making, and to sponsor knife shows. The Guil ...

. He founded the magazine known as ''American Blade'' in 1973, which he sold in 1982 and the renamed title was simply ''

Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Histor ...

''. Collins was later an inductee into the Blade Magazine Hall of Fame. 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 Gun safety is the study and practice of using, transporting, storing and disposing of firearms and ammunition, including the training of gun users, the design of weapons, and formal and informal regulation of gun production, distribution, and u ...

, called the "Cease Fire" for rifles and a shooter's screwdriver.

Written works

Collins authored books on knifemaking,

scrimshaw Scrimshaw is scrollwork, engravings, and carvings done in bone or ivory. Typically it refers to the artwork created by whalers, engraved on the byproducts of whales, such as bones or cartilage. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth ...

knife throwing Knife throwing is an art, sport, combat skill, or variously an entertainment technique, involving an artist skilled in the art of throwing knives, the weapons thrown, and a target. In some stage performances, the knife thrower ties an assista ...

, and personal defense. * * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Blackie Knife makers 2011 deaths 1939 births People from Florence, South Carolina Motorcycle road incident deaths Road incident deaths in South Carolina