A WILLEY GREAT 50 YEARS!
There was never any doubt: Gerald Willey was always going into the knife business. After decades of hard work and unwavering commitment, that business—Willey Knives of Greenwood, Delaware—celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
One of the premier retail cutlery establishments in the United States, Willey Knives grew from humble beginnings to rank among the most successful independent mom-and-pop cutlery stores of its kind. It is a family business, with Gerald’s wife, Sylvia, daughter Geri and son Matt each contributing to the operation.
Of course, it started with Gerald and his interest in knives that stretches back to his earliest memory.
“I grew up on a farm,” he remembered, “and my father and grandfather always carried pocketknives. I have liked knives since I was 3 years old. There was a shop on the farm that had a grinder, work bench, drill press and forge. They butchered their own hogs every year, and I could go
