He spent his young adult life working as a high school teacher, serving in the United States Army, and as a construction contractor.
[1][2][4][5] When Lile was approached with the specifications for the "Rambo" knife, he was told to design it not as a mere "prop" but as a basic tool to perform a variety of tasks.
Lile adapted a basic clip point Bowie knife which could be used to chop wood and slice food while retaining an edge.
He employed a waterproof hollow handle design to store matches, needles, thread, and a compass; the hollow-handle allows the knife to be fitted to a pole to make a spear or gig.
His "Lile Lock" folding knife is on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.[2][5] In 1984 he was inducted into the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame.