William Calhoun “Bill” Adams was born in Atlanta, Georgia on October 1, 1937. He died on August 10, 2025, following a short illness.
During the 1960s, the one-time physics teacher found himself dealing in what he called “rusty stuff” on the gun show circuit. Reasoning that there must be old gun parts left where many of the old guns originated, and having a girlfriend who could arrange cheap airfare, Bill went to England to find out. What he discovered wasn’t gun parts, but a gold mine of knives – unsalable old stock to the English makers, but genuine treasure to the burgeoning knife collector market in the United States. Bill bought all the knives, knife parts, and knife memorabilia he could afford, shipped it back here by the container load, and established Atlanta Cutlery Corp. in Conyers, Georgia. From this beginning he expanded the business to include selling modern factory knives, swords, related items, and knifemaking supplies sourced from all over the world. In 1985 he and Hank Reinhardt expanded the business to include Museum Replicas Ltd., which found a ready market for reproduction medieval swords and related historical weapons.
Also in 1985, he helped found and chaired the Cutlery Collectors Legislative Committee, the very first organization dedicated to preserving the rights of knife enthusiasts. The CCLA lasted until 1998 when the American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI) came into being, followed a few years later by Knife Rights (founded 2006).
Bill saved the important George Wostenholm & Son company records from destruction, donating them to the Sheffield Archives where they remain accessible to researchers. He was an early member of the Antique Bowie Knife Association, served as its president, and later published The Antique Bowie Knife Book, which significantly raised awareness about these historic items. Bill distributed a large quantity of these expensive books to public libraries, free of charge. He owned many of the Sheffield-made exhibition knives at one time or another, and edited the book on that subject. He wrote articles about knives for various publications, and the descriptions he wrote for the Atlanta Cutlery catalogs were legendary.
His interests included not only knives, guns and military equipment but also Civil War artifacts and items relating to historic espionage. Bill never lost his love for hunting and fishing, and after selling Atlanta Cutlery Corp. in 1995 he was able to spend more of his time enjoying these pursuits – though he never gave up chasing the next “deal,” if it looked like a good one.
In 1995, Bill Adams was inducted into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame for his contributions to the knife industry. His many friends will remember him more for his ready smile and words of encouragement on whatever topic they were pursuing.
Altogether, it was a wonderful life.