You could say that MEYERCO, the newest, and most exciting folding knife company in the U.S., actually began in a small elementary school in South Carolina when a teacher asked some of her students what they wanted to be when they grew up. After hearing standard childhood responses like "fireman," "policeman," "nurse," the teacher asked a young man named Blackie Collins. Without hesitation, the young visionary replied proudly, " I want to make guns and knives."

 This childhood fantasy of young Blackie Collins became a reality in 1965 when he sold his first custom designed knife. More custom knives followed and Blackie opened a custom knife shop in Atlanta, Georgia in 1969. Later, in 1973, he started Blade Magazine. He published his first book, "How Knives are Made", in 1975 and other published works followed which include: "Knife Throwing: Sport-Survival-Defense," "How to Scrimshaw and Carve Ivory," and "Personal Defense." Blackie was also one of the founding members of The Knifemakers Guild. His work at Smith and Wesson in the 1970s allowed him to perfect many of the techniques he would need to become the world's premier knife designer.

Blackie continued his quest in the 1980s to make the most innovative and unique knives. He patented a positive lock and release diving knife which revolutionized the way diving knives are made. Blackie's new patented design cornered the market for diving knives and forced his competitors to completely revise the use of a special handle material called Zytel™. Blackie holds over 60 utility patents on knife mechanisms and many design patents on cutlery products. He also started a very successful company to manufacture nylon sheaths before selling the popular company to Fiskars. Blackie was inducted into the Cutlery Hall of Fame in 1996.

While Blackie was forging a solid reputation as a knife designer, Bill Meyer was building his reputation as a creative marketer. For nearly 20 years, he has owned one of the most successful manufacturing and wholesale companies in the United States. Bill, however, had a personal passion for "interesting" sport knives. And it was this passion that led him to the gutsiest and most exciting venture in his still young marketing career. He decided to create a company that produced an exclusive and unique line of sport knives. A company called MEYERCO.

Bill's journey began at the 1995 Blade Show where he visited with numerous manufacturers and designers. Bill discovered that several designers had created one or two new designs that had become successful sellers. But there was one designer who came out with one successful design after another. That designer was, of course, Blackie Collins. Blackie happened to have his latest prototype at the show and a deal was immediately forged to create the first MEYERCO knife which was called The Strut'N'Cut™. It is this very same Strut'N'Cut™ that won the 1997 Blade shows "Most Innovative American Design."

Since January 1997, MEYERCO, under the creative genius of Blackie Collins, introduced The Speedster, Speed Demon, Scamp, Rascal, Meyerco Tactical, Meyerco Tanto, the all new Stingray, Rescue One and Two, and the Sharpen it, an innovative and first class knife sharpener for regular and serrated edges.

With Blackie Collin's 35 years of experience designing knives and Bill Meyer's 25 years of innovative marketing, MEYERCO has truly been...an overnight success.