Imel, Billy Mace
Billy Mace Imel started making knives in 1973. For the next 48 years with his wife Beverly by his side, Billy would be making, selling and promoting knives – daggers and hunting knives, pocket knives and custom creations. Their journey took them to major shows in New York, Dallas, Paris, Munich and Japan. Billy was a member of the Knifemakers' Guild for 43 years and served as secretary-treasurer for 15 of those. In 1981 Billy was commissioned by the National Rifle Association to make a knife to be presented to President Ronald Reagan, the speaker at the national convention that year. In 1983, he made another for then-Vice President George Bush. An Imel knife is included in a permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Billy and Beverly Imel were inducted into the BLADE Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame in 2021.