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Jimmy lile, Arkansas Backwoods Knife Maker, of Russellville, AR is the creator of the knives used by Stallone in the Rambo series of movies.

The late custom knifemaker Jimmy Lile made the hollow-handle survival knife for the movies First Blood and Rambo, First Blood Part II. Little did Lile know that he would set a trend that production and custom knifemakers would follow-big time! It seemed that every other week another hollow-handle survival knife would appear. Some were good, others very poor. No other trend in the knifemaking field exploded like the hollow-handle survival knife. Here in Russellville you'll find the shop of the late custom Arkansas Backwoods Knifesmith, Jimmy Lile, famous for his Bowie knives and blades seen in the "Rambo" movies. Talented knifemakers carry on the Lile tradition. Knives with the dot above the name were made after his death.

CAUTION: SEVERAL COMPANIES AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE COPIES OF LILE KNIVES AND SELL THEM AS ORIGINALS

Arkansas Portraits: Jimmy Lile, Knifesmith
VHS, 30 min., 1985
Jimmy Lile, a native of Russellville, Arkansas, is famous the world over for his quality knives. In this video, Lile takes us step by step through the process of making one of his knives and exhibits his collection of one-of-a-kind knives.